Why Is Abortion Wrong?

Susan Ciancio
December 18, 2024
Reproduced with Permission
Human Life International

Abortion - the taking of a preborn baby's life - is a contentious topic. But when we examine the facts, we see many reasons why abortion is wrong.

It's not just religion that tells us about the evil of abortion. Our conscience should tell us this as well, as it goes against the natural law to take the life of a preborn baby. Science, logic, and God give us the understanding that intentionally killing an innocent human being is wrong.

We have all read articles or heard someone refer to abortion as an "issue." They make it seem as though someone's opinion about killing a child is akin to having an opinion about recycling. However, though people do have varying opinions, we know the truth. Because abortion always directly results in a dead baby, it can never be right.

That's why it's so important to understand that a person doesn't need to have a particular religious viewpoint or even a belief in God to understand that abortion is wrong. It's wrong because it takes the life of an innocent child.

Let's look at the science that proves the humanity of the preborn baby.

Science

Embryology textbooks describe the beginning of a human being as the moment of fertilization, when a sperm fertilizes an egg to create a zygote. Scientists agree that this zygote is a human being. From the time a baby is created at fertilization, he already has all the DNA he will ever have. Additionally, LiveScience explains that "the sex of the fetus is determined at the time of fertilization, or conception, and depends on whether the egg receives an X or Y chromosome from a sperm cell."

From that moment on, the zygote begins to grow. He then travels to the uterus and implants, and his development occurs at a rapid pace. The Carnegie Stages of Human Development illustrate the different stages a preborn baby goes through as he grows. These stages prove that the baby is a living human being.

But we can also look to the scientific definition of a living thing. For something to be classified as living, it must have all six of these characteristics:

  1. It responds to the environment.
  2. It grows and develops.
  3. It produces offspring.
  4. It maintains homeostasis.
  5. It has complex chemistry.
  6. It consists of cells.

A baby growing in his mother's body certainly fits all of these criteria. He can respond to the environment around him, as he gets startled by loud noises, can sense light and touch, and even responds when he hears music or his mom's voice. He is growing and developing every day. He can move, kick, suck his thumb, and even "cry," though at this stage he doesn't make the sounds but merely the motions. If allowed to continue to live, he could eventually produce offspring. He maintains homeostasis by the very nature of regulating his body temperature. And his body is made up of complex molecules and trillions of cells.

The baby is indeed a living human being.

Even sites like WebMD - scientific sites that teach about the development of the preborn baby - call her what she is. They call her a baby.

She is not a blob of tissue. She never was a blob of tissue. She is a human being. We see scientific proof of the baby's humanity in biology textbooks, on educational websites, and in educational literature.

In addition, the Family Research Council states: "It is also quite clear that the earliest human embryo is biologically alive. It fulfills the four criteria needed to establish biological life: metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction."

FRC continues:

Is the human zygote merely a new kind of cell or is it a human organism; that is, a human being? Scientists define an organism as a complex structure of interdependent elements constituted to carry on the activities of life by separately functioning but mutually dependent organs. The human zygote meets this definition with ease. Once formed, it initiates a complex sequence of events to ready it for continued development and growth.

And the preborn baby grows fast! Let's look at just a few of his milestones.

The Amazing Growth of the Preborn Baby

From the very first moment of creation, the baby begins to grow and develop. Once the sperm fertilizes the egg, this new baby travels up the Fallopian tube and implants into the uterus, where he will continue to grow. The placenta and the amniotic sac form.

Then the baby's growth and development make immense strides. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, during the first eight weeks of pregnancy:

During weeks 9 - 12:

During weeks 13 - 16:

During weeks 17 - 24:

Between 25 - 28 weeks:

Between 29 - 32 weeks:

From 33 weeks until birth:

There's no denying this scientific evidence. A baby is a baby from the very first moment he is created. And just as a newborn grows into a toddler, a toddler grows into a preschooler, a preschooler grows into an elementary-aged child, and so on until a person becomes elderly, this very first stage of life is simply a stage.

Some abortion advocates try to ignore the science of the developing baby by denying the humanity of the person when he is in the fetal stage. They state that a "person" is defined by a distinct personality, by the ability to think and choose, or by a certain stage of brain development. And while they certainly can say that, they would also be wrong.

If we use this kind of definition to classify someone as a person, then what do we call newborns? They haven't developed their personality yet. They can't think like an adult thinks. Their brains are still developing. And what about people with severe brain damage or a degenerative brain disease like Alzheimer's? They cannot think the way that someone without that damage thinks. But we would not say that newborns or people with brain degeneration are not human beings.

A human being is not defined as human because of his abilities. Having a disability, being young, or suffering from an illness of the brain does not make a person any less human. So while some people may want to use such criteria, they are based on feeling, not science.

Now that we've established the science, let's look at the morality of intentionally killing an innocent person.

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Intentional Killing

Civilized societies have laws against taking someone's life. Unless a person poses an imminent threat to you or someone else, killing someone is both wrong and illegal. For instance, if a person breaks into your house and threatens you, you are allowed to do what it takes to protect your family. That person is not innocent; he has done something illegal, possibly with the intention of harming you, and you can take steps to protect yourself.

However, a preborn baby has done nothing wrong. Some people will claim, however, that the baby's mere existence does pose a threat to his mother. The mom may feel that the baby threatens her career, her financial stability, a relationship, or her mental health. But we have to understand that, unlike a house intruder who seeks to do harm, the innocent preborn baby seeks only to be loved and protected. And protecting him is his mother's job.

Though a mother who is unprepared for her baby and scared about her pregnancy certainly has valid concerns, these fears do not negate the baby's humanity. That's why it's so important for pro-life people to create, staff, and volunteer at organizations and pregnancy resource centers that teach and assist women. These places will help the mom overcome the obstacles she fears. They can help her get the assistance she needs, such as finding a better job, taking classes, or finding more stable housing. They can help her get away from an abusive partner. They can provide her with diapers, baby clothing and toys, baby food, and even help with funding for rent and utilities.

These organizations can also help if the mother chooses the selfless act of giving her baby up for adoption. There are countless families who are willing to adopt, and there are even types of adoption where the birth mother can still maintain some contact with her child.

Life of the Mother Exceptions

Common in abortion laws are exception clauses that allow abortion in cases of rape, incest, or to "save" the life of the mother. But when we start allowing exceptions, it's like we are saying the baby conceived from rape or incest is not as valuable as the baby conceived in a happy marriage. We cannot value one baby's life over another's. All babies are valuable, all deserve protection, and none should be punished for the sins of his father.

One of the most prevalent arguments for abortion is that it should be legal in order to save the life of the mother. Many people support this position because they don't understand the reality: A doctor never needs to intentionally kill the baby to save the mom.

When a doctor treats a pregnant mom, he has two patients, and he should do everything he can to care for and protect them both. For example, if the mother has a serious disease such as cancer or preeclampsia, the doctor should discuss all of her treatment options and how to best protect both her and her baby. If during any kind of treatment the baby should unintentionally die, this is not an abortion. Abortion is the willful killing of a preborn baby.

Throughout the years, doctors have repeatedly stated that abortion is not necessary to save a mother's life.

In 2013, the website Precious Life reported: "Medical leaders representing more than 30,000 American doctors said intentionally killing an unborn baby in an abortion is never necessary to save a mother's life."

In 2019, the Washington Examiner reported:

Over a thousand OB-GYNs and maternal healthcare experts joined together to affirm this reality in the Dublin Declaration, which states: "As experienced practitioners and researchers in obstetrics and gynecology, we affirm that direct abortion - the purposeful destruction of the unborn child - is not medically necessary to save the life of a woman."

And in a conversation with pro-life advocate Lila Rose, Dr. Anthony Levatino - who performed over 1,200 abortions early in his OBGYN career and who now speaks about the humanity of the preborn baby - states: "I never had to kill deliberately a single child to save a woman's life during pregnancy" (see video below).

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Levatino goes on to explain that in situations where an emergency arises, he always tries to save both the mom and the baby. Unfortunately, sometimes he could not save the baby's life. But he never intentionally killed the baby in the process of saving the mother.

A specific case where a baby cannot be saved is in an ectopic pregnancy, when the baby implants outside the uterus - usually in the Fallopian tube. According to WebMD, ectopic pregnancies account for about one in 50 pregnancies in the United States.

When a baby implants outside the uterus, he will not survive; we do not have the technology to transplant him back into the uterus. Thus, most ectopic pregnancies end in a natural miscarriage. However, there is the possibility that the Fallopian tube could rupture because of his growing presence. If this is the case, the doctor must perform surgery to save the mother. And though the baby cannot live through this surgery, the doctor does not intentionally kill him.

Non-Religious Pro-Life Groups

There are many groups who recognize the humanity of the preborn baby but whose members don't believe in God or have any religious affiliation. They understand that abortion is wrong simply because it kills a human being.

One such group is Feminists for Life. According to its website: "Feminists for Life of America is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that seeks real solutions to the challenges women face. Our efforts are shaped by the core feminist values of justice, nondiscrimination, and nonviolence."

This organization fights for women and seeks to eliminate the causes that drive women to abortion, citing the top causes as lack of resources and lack of support. Insisting that "women deserve better than abortion," Feminists for Life members work to change legislation, educate poor women, obtain resources for pregnant mothers, and much more.

Secular Pro-Life is another non-religious pro-life organization. This group educates people about prenatal development and teaches that abortion is wrong because it kills a baby. In 2018, Secular Pro-Life released a video of a presentation called "Deconstructing Pro-Choice Myths" (see below). In this presentation, Monica Snyder, who has a degree in chemical biology, debunks the following three popular pro-abortion myths:

  1. Biologically, we don't know when human life begins.
  2. Most or all late-term abortions are medically necessary.
  3. Abortion restrictions don't stop abortions.

Snyder's talk is based on scientific facts about the humanity of the preborn baby and teaches that 1) all human beings begin as zygotes, 2) most late-term abortions are elective, and 3) abortion restrictions decrease abortions. She backs up her statements and research with scientific facts and statistics.

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Final Thoughts

We know that abortion kills a baby. But we also know that it harms the mother - emotionally and even physically - when she comes to understand the truth too late to save her baby.

According to the Family Research Council, countless post-abortive women have spoken about "how abortion was not an act of empowerment but the result of abandonment, betrayal, and desperation, and how it has negatively affected their lives."

But help is out there. Hundreds of organizations exist to help women cope with the pain of having an abortion. The Silent No More Awareness Campaign is one such organization; its goal is to "make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men. The campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion." Just this campaign alone has recorded thousands of testimonials by both men and women who "regret their abortion or lost fatherhood." You can read some of these heartbreaking stories on the site.

Abortion is not wrong simply for religious reasons. Abortion is wrong because it kills an innocent human being.

It should be our goal to teach the science and to educate those who do not understand. It should be our goal to help people see that, no matter how tiny and no matter which stage of development, a human being should be protected from the very first moment he is created.

If people truly believed and understood the science, they would not be shouting their abortions. They would not be screaming in the streets for liberal abortion laws. And they would not be supporting organizations like Planned Parenthood. They would be celebrating motherhood and cherishing babies.

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