MY VIEWS
IN A NUTSHELL: Before you read this
article I am going share an overview of my
views on abortion. I support
woman's right to choose to have an abortion
or not to have one. I support a
national legislation to legalize abortion
which includes proper guidelines and
boundaries, and a responsive and supportive
health care system.
I am pro
choice. For me, pro choice does not mean
that I agree with all forms of abortions,
neither do I agree with late-term abortion
when there is no medical issues or severe
psychological issues.
Research
indicates that where abortion is legal there
is less abortion and less medical and health
issues. This is because people can get
proper medical advise and services, and
openly talk about it. "The more you
oppose something the more attractive it
becomes."
While
I am a firm believer in a woman's right to choose
whether or not to have an abortion, the decision
should not be taken lightly. I also believe
that abortion within the first trimester, should be
legal. It is also my view that abortion during
the second and third trimester should be legal only
when there is severe birth defects, the mother's
life is in danger, or other serious medical or
psychological concerns. I will support
legalizing abortion in The Bahamas similar to the
abortion law in Barbados. Read below.
IMPORTANT POINTS: Abortion is
still used in many countries as a means of family
planning. The medical reasons for abortion are
limited and constitute a small proportion of all
abortion cases. There is no evidence that
making abortion legal increases abortion. In
the United States of American abortion as been
decreasing over the past thirty years. It is
my view that making abortion legal will allow an
increase of education and information and planned
psychological support that might actually reduce the
amount of abortion. When abortion is illegal
the medical risks are higher because those choosing
to abort are not seeking proper advice. In
addition, there is very little or no emotional
support.
"While abortion is legal in some countries such as
Guyana, Cuba, Barbados and the Caribbean
Netherlands, it is illegal or highly restricted in
other areas. The island of Saint Martin is made up
of two countries with different abortion laws. Women
in St. . . .Unsafe abortion contributes to maternal
mortality in the Caribbean and Latin America. These
regions also have the highest estimated annual
abortion rates in the world, at 65 per 1000 women of
childbearing age in 2014. In Jamaica, abortion is
legally restricted and unsafe abortion is
prevalent."
"Abortion in Barbados is legal when performed to
save the life of the woman, to preserve her physical
or mental health, in cases of fetal impairment,
when the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest, and
for economic or social reasons. In 1983, Barbados
passed the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, and
abortion was made legal, other than upon request
without a physician's oversight. Prior to 12
weeks gestation, the woman must get approval from a
physician to receive abortion care. Between 12
and 20 weeks, two physicians must approve, and three
are required after 20 weeks. Before getting the
medical procedure, the woman is required to receive
counseling. A medical practitioner must
perform the abortion services, and after 12 weeks,
they must do so in a government-approved hospital."
Wikipedia
Abortion is illegal in The Bahamas. However, many
abortions are conducted (illegally) each year.
Don't ask, don't tell,” said the physician, but you
can obtain an abortion in the Bahamas for around
$750, although the price varies above and below
depending on the physician or the location. Access
to abortions, he said, is rife with class
discrimination.” “If you have the means to an
abortion, it is not a big deal."
Here is a quote from
Wikipedia regarding The Bahamas (2022)
"Abortion in the Bahamas is illegal in most
cases. In 2022, Prime Minister Philip
Davis’ Press Secretary Clint Watson confirmed
that abortion would remain illegal for the
foreseeable future, according to Caribbean news
site Loop. However, Watson said that this could
change in future if people's views change.[1]
According to the Bahamas Penal Code article 315,
"Whoever intentionally and unlawfully causes
abortion or miscarriage shall be liable to
imprisonment for ten years".
Abortions can only be performed in cases of
foetal deformity, rape or incest, and on health
grounds.[1] However, in response to a periodic
review by the UN's CEDAW committee, the Bahamian
government said that “Abortions are usually
performed within the first trimester, although
they are often allowed up to 20 weeks of
gestation. The abortion must be performed in a
hospital by a licensed physician. Government
hospitals bear the cost for non-paying
patients.”[3]
According to The Tribune, "A respected medical
doctor, who works in the public system, told The
Tribune, there are no statistics on abortion
because the market for abortions in the Bahamas
is underground." The doctor added that there is
a culture of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
In February 2022, Bahamian Health Minister Dr
Michael Darville refused to answer when asked
what the government's position was on abortion.
In 2022, presenters of the US chat show The View
were criticised for vacationing on the Bahamas
following the overturning of Roe v. Wade,
because of the restrictive abortion laws in the
country
THE CHURCH AND ABORTION:
THE CATHOLICS: "The official teachings of the
Catholic Church oppose all forms of abortion
procedures whose direct purpose is to destroy a
zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus, since it holds
that "human life must be respected and protected
absolutely from the moment of conception."
Wikipedia
THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS: "The Church does
not serve as conscience for individuals; however, it
should provide moral guidance. Abortions for reasons
of birth control, gender selection, or convenience
are not condoned by the Church. Women, at times,
however, may face exceptional circumstances that
present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as
significant threats to the pregnant woman's life,
serious jeopardy to her health, severe congenital
defects carefully diagnosed in the fetus, and
pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. The final
decision whether to terminate the pregnancy or not
should be made by the pregnant woman after
appropriate consultation. She should be aided in her
decision
by accurate information, biblical principles, and
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, these
decisions are best made within the context of
healthy family relationships." Official
Statement made by the General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists.
THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD: "The Assemblies
of God views the practice of abortion as an evil
that has been inflicted upon millions of innocent
babies and that will threaten millions more in the
years to come. Abortion is a morally unacceptable
alternative for birth control, population control,
sex selection, and elimination of the physically and
mentally handicapped. Certain parts of the world are
already experiencing serious population imbalances
as a result of the systematic abortion of female
babies. The advocacy and practice of so-called
partial birth abortion of babies is particularly
heinous. . . .
Sexual responsibility. Contemporary demands for
abortion often flow from the practice of sexual
freedom without corresponding responsibility. The
Scriptures speak definitively against premarital and
extramarital sexual intercourse and declare such
activity to be sinful (Exodus 22:16; Acts 15:20; 1
Corinthians 6:9,13,18; Galatians 5:19). To add
abortion as an after-the-fact birth control device
is to deepen and compound the sin with resultant
guilt and emotional distress. The Assemblies of God
affirms the biblical mandate for sexual purity and
responsibility that, when obeyed, will obviate and
eliminate situations in which abortion might
otherwise be contemplated." Adopted by the
General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God in
Session, August 9-11, 2010
ISLAM AND ABORTION: "Muslim views on
abortion are shaped by the Hadith as well as by the
opinions of legal and religious scholars and
commentators. The Quran does not directly address
intentional abortion, leaving greater discretion to
the laws of individual countries. Although opinions
among Islamic scholars differ over when a pregnancy
can be terminated, there are no explicit
prohibitions on a woman's right to abort under
Islamic law. There are four Sunni Islam
schools of thought—Hanafi, Shafi‘i, Hanbali and
Maliki—and they have their own reservations on if
and when abortions can happen in Islam. The Maliki
madhhab holds "that the fetus is ensouled at the
moment of conception" and thus "most Malikis do not
permit abortion at any point, seeing God's hand as
actively forming the fetus at every stage of
development." On the other hand, "some Hanafi
scholars believe that abortion before the hundred
twenty day period is over is permitted though some
Hanafi scholars teach that an abortion within 120
days is makruh (disapproved). Abortion is
recommended any time where the mother life is in
danger. The mother life is paramount in this
decision. Sahih al-Bukhari writes that the fetus is
believed to become a living soul after 120 days'
gestation. [4] American academic Azizah Y. al-Hibri
claims that "the majority of Muslim scholars permit
abortion, although they differ on the stage of fetal
development beyond which it becomes prohibited."[5]
According to Sherman Jackson, "while abortion, even
during the first trimester, is forbidden according
to a minority of jurists, it is not held to be an
offense for which there are criminal or even civil
sanctions." Wikipidia
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Official statements of The United Methodist Church
express the denomination's life-centered ethics.
The United Methodist Church does NOT affirm abortion
as a means of birth control. We also
“unconditionally reject” abortion “as a means of
gender selection or eugenics. And we reject
late-term abortions except where the mother's life
is in danger, or in cases of severe fetal
abnormalities incompatible with life.
CHURCH OF GOD: Taken from the 1976
Resolution on Abortion. "BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that we urge our entire constituency to
actively oppose any liberalization of abortion laws
by state legislatures and by the Congress of the
United States; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that
no individual should ever consider abortion as an
option except in the gravest circumstances, after
medical and religious consultation of the most
serious nature (56th A., 1976, pp. 35, 36).
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM:
"The Unitarian Universalist Church strongly supports
abortion rights. In 1978, the Unitarian Universalist
Association passed a resolution that declared,
"...[the] right to choice on contraception and
abortion are important aspects of the right of
privacy, respect for human life, and freedom of
conscience of women and their families". The
Association had released earlier statements in 1963
and 1968 favoring the reform of restrictive abortion
laws."
SOME
FACTS TO REVIEW
In 2000, cases of rape or incest accounted for 1% of abortions.
Another study, in 1998, revealed that in 1987-1988 women
reported the following reasons for choosing an abortion:
-
25.5% Want to postpone childbearing
-
21.3% Cannot afford a baby
-
14.1% Has relationship problem or partner does not want
pregnancy
-
12.2% Too young; parent(s) or other(s) object to pregnancy
-
10.8% Having a child will disrupt education or job
-
7.9% Want no (more) children
-
3.3% Risk to fetal health
-
2.8% Risk to maternal health
-
2.1% Other
According to many studies the primary reasons for choosing an
abortion are:
-
Pregnancy was not planned or wanted
-
Not ready to have a baby yet
-
Inconvenient time of life or the child interferes with goals
-
Financial concerns
-
Pressure by parents or other family members
-
Fear of people finding out about the pregnancy
But, the number one reason that women choose abortionist
is because the partner, the father of the child, either passively or
aggressively, refuses to support the woman in carrying the child
to birth.
In other words, the woman believes that she will be abandoned by
the most important person in her life if she continues the
pregnancy.
Yet 70% of Relationships End Anyway!
It has been reported that an estimated 70% of relationships end
within the first year following an abortion. If you are thinking
that having an abortion will help you keep your lover, think
again.
Why do the men leave?
Often, the men who refuse to live up to their responsibilities
resent the women that they have let down: the mother of the
child that they did not support.
And, when a woman realizes the pain abortion has caused, she
will resent the man who got them pregnant and did not fulfill
his obligations as a father.
Other factors such as guilt, shame, anger, and fear are other
reasons why the relationship may end.
Types of Abortion
-
Therapeutic abortion
(Mother’s health) There are more than 50 surgeries
which can be performed inside the uterus. If this is
possible, the fetus, even inside the uterus of the mother,
is already considered a patient, in other words, a person;
and, if it is a person, it has the right to live.
However, early decision about abortion is key here.
The mother's health must be considered.
-
Eugenic abortion
Imperfection (defect): Perfection does not mean
having the right to live. People do not pass a quality
control. A person can be “defective” (physically imperfect)
yet still wonderful human being… or be physically complete,
“perfect”, but a human monster or a despicable person. This
is not a reason to abort. The kindness of a human heart does
no need a perfect body to develop itself completely.
However, it is my view that if a fetus has a
life-threatening defect (so to speak) therapeutic can be an
option. I am talking about babies born blind or with
not hands, etc. Many of these live to have very
productive lives.
-
Abortion for ignorance
It is not a life. One would have to hide tons of
scientific information which confirms that it is a life by
looking at the
stages of
gestation. The majority of women who have an
abortion really do not know what they are doing. If they
knew, they would not do it.
-
Social abortion
Overpopulation: As an example: China, with its policy
of having just one child, avoided the birth of at least 2
million children from 1970 to the present…and as a
consequence, in the near future will see increase of aged
people, the aging of its population. (AICA December 1,
1999). The aging of the population, not the in population
lives, the fertility rate is under the 2.1 necessary to
assure the replacement of generations.
-
Emotional abortion
Rape: Rape is a violent act.
It is my view that a woman should have the option to abort due to
rape. It will be best this is done early (within the
first trimester). The problem for me is when
there is a later-term abortion. This is a personal
choice. There are countless persons who were born out
of rape and have become outstanding citizens. It is
not just an automatic abortion. Is abortion the best option that society can offer a
woman who has been raped? A woman is a victim of a rape and
not of a pregnancy. She must receive psychological therapy,
and perhaps physical therapy too, but not through an
abortion. This will not release her from any of the pain
(physical nor psychological) produced by a rape.
-
It is my view that in most cases of rape, if
there was a loving relationship with parent, or
significant other in the person's life, the rape
victim who is pregnant, will not wait long to
act. Many do not want to check if
they are pregnant or are afraid to tell others,
and thus wait until the decision for abortion
might be questionable.
Psychological Effects of Abortion
In the last 18 months (2003 report) alone, seven new studies
have been published in major medical journals showing that
abortion is associated with elevated rates of suicide, death
from other causes, substance abuse, clinical depression, and
psychiatric hospitalization.
It
has been discovered that there are many emotional aspects that
can effect the psychological well being of women who undergo an
abortion. These emotions include guilty feelings, anxiety,
depression, loss, anger, and even suicide. Clinical research has
found that when women are in trusting, sharing relationships,
they report deep seated feelings of exploitation over their
abortion experience.
Symptoms of Post-Abortion-Syndrome Disorder
There is a large spectrum of symptoms of this disorder. In order
to diagnose that a woman has Post-Abortion-Syndrome she must be
completely honest with herself, and with the feelings that she
has. Many women report strong feelings of guilt and confusion,
as well as loss and many other emotions. In Canadian study by
Dr. Ian Kent, many women feel deep loss and pain for the child
that "should have been". (Kent 1989, 6) One woman reports the
wave and confusion she went through, " I felt an incredible
sense of loss that plunged me deeper into a state of confusion."
(Hutchison 1997, 23) There are extreme cases, in which the
diagnosis is very easy. Such cases include a seventeen-year-old
girl who developed lethargy, malaise, and vomiting. Doctors were
unable to reach any conclusion about condition, then on the
anniversary of her abortion she experienced overt psychosis.
Mental examination revealed hallucinations, as well as psychotic
thought processes. Guilt is probably the most common symptom of
a Post-Abortion-Syndrome, which can lead to depression,
complexes, or fear of infertility and of sex. (Alliance Action
Inc. 1996, 1)
Many women recognize that they have been misled about the
abortion procedure itself and by assurances that abortion is the
right choice so they can get on with their life. They often find
that they cannot get on with their life, instead experiencing
the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. Students stop
studying or drop out. Career women lose incentive or change
jobs. Relationships with men and with other family members are
often destroyed or seriously compromised. One women observed,
“The destruction of a precious, sweet child totally destroys the
beauty of the sexual union that created it.”
Barrington Brennen is pro-choice and
pro-family
I believe in the right and freedom to choose.
I believe in the sacredness of human life.
