Ramblings On Abortion, Final Thoughts

Well, it's time to finish (for now) my thoughts on the topic of abortion. I have yet to find any arguments that undo my initial logical construction showing how abortion is murder. It's simply a matter of logic. However, logic takes you only so far in real life. In my library I have a series of lectures by Professor Ronald Nash on philosophy and Christian apologetics. In a section addressing the logical problems that evil proposes to the Christian world view, after showing how many of the problems can be refuted using the tools of logic, Professor Nash says something to the effect of "When you are personally faced with problems of enormous evil in the world, you shouldn't turn to a philosopher to help you through it." What he means is that when you are emotionally distressed, knowing that a logical syllogism can "explain" the "why" doesn't do anything for the honest heart-wrenching feelings that you are experiencing. In the first three postings I leaned very hard on the logic and scientific facts that, to my mind show abortion to be wrong. These would not help me in dealing with say a rape victim who is contemplating an abortion. What that person needs is someone who will listen, who will show compassion and honestly try to help her and her family in this situation. That being said, we must make sure that we do not completely throw out logic to make way for emotion. Yes, someone was violated, a terrible act, but it does not follow that the wrong of rape can be countered with the wrong of murder (that in and of itself would take several postings, but to boil it down to what I am sure everyone has heard, "Two wrongs don't make a right"). As for the general argument pro-abortionists make of a woman's "right" to choose to have an abortion (the "It's my body, I can do with it as I so choose" position), how any anyone hold that position when it comes to taking the life of another human being? Privacy arguments do not help here either since wrongs done in private do not become rights. Your right to act for your own benefit ends at least at the point it places the life of another at risk, yet this is exactly the situation for elective abortion. Cases of rape and incest are one thing, but simply wanting to end a life just because you don't want the child is the weakest reason to have abortion.