1THE MORAL ISSUE OF ABORTION

4.0. Abortion ± a method of birth control in which conception is terminated rather than prevented; recommended by Plato and

Aristotle (frowned upon by Hippocrates in 4th Cent. BC)

Art II, Sec 12 of 1986 Consti: ³the state recognizes the sanctity of life« and shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life

of the unborn from conception´; 150,000-750,000 abortions per year by NEDA in clandestine practice

4.1. Meaning and Types: Abortion ± expulsion of a living fetus from the mother¶s womb before it is viable; Dr. Andre E. Hellegers:

³termination of pregnancy spontaneously or by induction prior to viability¶; viable at 28th week with 10% survival

4.1.1. Natural Abortion ± expulsion by natural or accidental causes; miscarriage

4.1.2. Direct or Intentional ± deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus before it has become viable4.1.3. Therapeutic -- deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus in order to save the mother from the danger of death brought by

 pregnancy

4.1.4. Eugenic (or Selective abortion or Abortion on fetal indications) ± recommended in cases where certain defects are discovered inthe developing fetus; argument: ³better for a child not to be born than for it to live a miserable life, burdened with crippling genetic

disorders´

4.1.5. Indirect Abortion ± removal of the fetus occurs as a secondary effect of a legitimate action (e.g., cancerous uterus or a case of 

ectopic pregnancy); save the life of the mother if both lives cannot be saved

4.2. The Moral Issue: Beginning of Life, Fusion of soul and body, viability?

4.3. Immediate Hominization ± person exists upon conception (by Plato, 427-347, and St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-394AD); young

innocent person is present at conception

4.4. Delayed Animation ± ensoulment occurs at a later time but not from the moment of conception (by Aristotle, 384-322):

ensoulment occurs about the 40th

day for males and the 80th

day for females (sexist obviously), 5.7-11.4 weeks, from Fletcher:90); St.Anselm & St. Augustine about   fetus animatus versus   fetus inanimatus; Aquinas (Summa Theologica I:76): ³the effect cannot be

greater than the cause; it is therefore impossible for the seminal power to produce the intellectual principle or soul´«but only throughcreation by God´ (ST I: 118) CC: rational soul is immediately created by God; ³the soul is in the embryo, i.e., the nutritive soul, from

the beginning, then the sensitive soul, and lastly, the intellectual soul (ST 1, q.118, q.2, ad.2); Intellectual principle is received only

into the body that is capable of receiving it (Curran: 69-71), hence delayed animation; ensoulment ± the fusion of the spiritual soul

into the embryo

4.4.1. Implantation ± implantation or nidation, according to geneticists, takes place six to seven days after conception (Varga: 41; Bok:

24); embryo goes down to the fallopian tube towards the uterus and burrows itself in the endometrium or uterine wall

4.4.2. Unity and Uniqueness ± when uniqueness of the fetus is definitely established (2-4 weeks; Bok:24) or 28-30 days after 

conception

4.4.3. ³Looks´ Human ± when the fetus already looks human (Varga: 41), 5th-6

thweek; when the ³nostrils´ of the fetus are complete

(6th

-7th

week; Gen. 2:7)4.4.4. Electrical Activity ± when electrical impulses or activities are first detectable from the brain (8th week); when brain starts

functioning (death ± cessation of electrical activity of the brain)4.4.5. Quickening ± when mother feels the spontaneous movements of the fetus during the 10th to 12th week of pregnancy

4.4.6. Viability ± 28th week or 7th month of pregnancy; can survive outside the womb

4.4.7. Birth ± child has become biologically independent of his mother (Fletcher 1954:90)

Fertilization: 6-8 hours following coition; female egg and male sperm unite in the oviduct or fallopian tube

4.5. Pre-Implantation period: 300-500M sperms (72 hours survival time) + ovum (24 hours); ³capacitation´ ± certain substance of 

mucus in the females uterus ³changes´ the sperm and makes it potent (6-8 hours after ejaculation); zygote contains hereditary

characteristics of both mother and father 

4.6. Cell Division Process ± one division per day (according to Embryologists); sphere of cells enters the uterus and implants; one

sphere to become placenta, the other fetus; burrows itself into the endometrium through a stalk which eventually becomes theumbilical cord connecting the embryo to the uterine wall and the blood stream through which the fetus receives its nourishment; end

of pregnancy is delivery of the baby called parturition (baby is parturate)4.7. Curettage ± technique of scraping a body cavity, as the uterus, by a curette (resembling a spoon or scoop) to prevent implantation

(e.g., 6-9 days from rape/ incest)

4.8. Three General Viewpoints of Abortion

4.8.1. Conservative ± abortion is never permissible; the fetus has full ontological status with same rights

4.8.2. Liberal ± stresses woman¶s right to control her body own body; fetus has no ontological status but only a tissue in the uterus

4.8.3. Moderate position ± abortion is permissible up to a certain stage of fetal development; fetus attains ontological status only at

quickening or viability

4.9. Pro-Life Movement: supports Vatican II Teachings; there is life at conception; life is sacred from its beginning because it involves

the ³creative action of God´; we need to protect the weak 

4.10. Effects of Abortion: physical and psychological4.11. Pro-Choice Movement: justifications for the expulsion of fetus ( Personal: freedom of choice; Church doesn¶t carry the burden of 

child rearing; from ectopic, from a having a child with a rapist; women should be the ones to decide; Social : alleviates demographic problem;  Fetal : prevents terribly malformed fetus; deformity causes staggering financial and psychological costs; method of 

eliminating undesirable sex)