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 Abortion

Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship 20 November 2006 

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Beginning of Life Issues

 Abortion

Contraception

 Artificial reproduction

Designer babies

Embryo research

Cloning

Gene therapy

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 Abortion contradictions

The healthcare system has departments of fetal medicine, while also providing facilitiesand staff to perform abortions

The law allows abortion for abnormalitiesright up to term, but many babies born after

only 23 weeks of pregnancy now survive

We encourage people to consider adoption,but abortion is so widely accepted and

available that there are few babies to adopt

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 Abortion contradictions

We pass equal opportunity laws but work hard to ensure that babies with disabilities

are screened out before birth

 At the same time as we are reducing thestatus of life before birth, medical technologyis literally changing our view of the fetus

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 Abortion in the UK – The facts

UK law permits abortion of healthy babies up to24 weeks

Babies suspected of having a disability can beaborted up to birth

6,231,033 babies have been aborted since the Abortion Act 1967 became law

More than 200,000 babies are aborted in Britain

each year; one in every four pregnancies

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How many is 6,231,033?

More than 10% of the entire UK population

More than the combined populations of Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cambridge,Cardiff, Chester, Derby, Edinburgh, Leeds,Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-

upon-Tyne, Northampton, Nottingham,Oxford, Sheffield

5 times the UK casualties in two World Wars

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More specifically…

Early abortion figures have tripled since 1967 andcontinue to rise

More than 600 babies are aborted every day

More than 3,000 a year are killed after 20 weeks

Disabled babies can be aborted up to birth

More than 450 babies were aborted in 2004 forhaving Downs Syndrome

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 Abortion worldwide

55 million abortions per year

Major demographic changes with fallingbirth-rates in Eastern Europe/ FormerUSSR 

Major changes in sex ratios inIndia/China

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95% of abortions occur between…

Seven weeks

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… and 20 weeks

Half way through

pregnancy

Four weeks shortof viability

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Why are abortions done?

95% of abortions are performed on Ground C, whichexempts a doctor from prosecution for performing

an abortion (before the 24th week) if:

‘…continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk,greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of 

injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman…’ 

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Public opinion is changing

Nine out of ten MPs want the abortion law tobe under CONTINUOUS review in light of advances in medical science

63% of MPs support a reduction in the six-month upper age limit

Nearly two-thirds of the public want the six-month upper age limit reduced now

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Public opinion is changing

More than three-quarters of women support areduction in the six-month upper age limit

Public opinion poll finds that 81% of thosewho expressed an opinion believe that waysshould be found of reducing the 200,000

abortions performed each year in Britain

Even some in the abortion industry acceptthat change must happen

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Why is public opinion changing?

Developments in medical science have increased ourunderstanding of how babies develop in the womb

The abortion of a baby at 28 weeks for cleft palateshocked the nation

Newspapers and TV have revealed the abuse of teenagersby a cash-driven abortion industry

Stories of abortion survivors in the media

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Why is public opinion changing?

Questions are regularly raised in Parliamentconcerning abortion clinics that harm womenwith bad practice

Increasingly, evidence reveals that manywomen suffer from depression after abortion

Extensive research shows that after abortiona mother has an increased likelihood of subsequent premature births

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Late Abortion

100 late abortions peryear since 1991

Recent case at 26 weeksfor cleft palate

Joanna Jepson

Down’s Syndrome

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Human development

Six weeks

Twelve weeks

Eighteen weeks

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Life before birth on the media

Prof Stuart Campbell’sultrasounds

Front page news

Walking in the womb

 Yawning on video

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 Abortion survivors

Stories of botched

abortions

Stories of babies born

alive after abortion

Gianna Jessen

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History of abortion

Practised in most societies at some level

for many centuries

Legalised abortion on a massive scale a20th century phenomenon

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Hippocratic Oath

‘I will give no deadly 

medicine to anyone if asked nor suggest such counsel’; nor in like manner will I give a woman a pessary to produce abortion’  

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Declaration of Geneva 

I will maintain the utmost respect for humanlife from the time of conception, even underthreat, I will not use my medical knowledgecontrary to the laws of humanity;

I will maintain the utmost respect for human

life from its beginning even under threat and I will not use my medical knowledge contraryto the laws of humanity;

(Changes 1948-1994) 

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International Code of Medical Ethics

 A doctor must always bear in mind theobligation of preserving human life from

conception. (1949)

 A doctor must always bear in mind the

obligation of preserving human life.(1983)

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The Declaration of Oslo (1970)

There is a 'diversity of attitudes towards the life of the unborn child' 

'Where the law allows therapeutic abortion to beperformed... and this is not against the policy of the national medical association' then abortion'should be performed' in circumstances 'where thevital interests of the mother conflict with those of 

the unborn child'. 

This declaration lays the framework for doctors toperform abortions if their 'individual conviction andconscience' allowed it and the law and the national

medical association were not in disagreement. 

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Changing Abortion Policy 1948-2000

'I will not give to a woman a pessary toproduce abortion.' Hippocratic Oath  

'I will maintain the utmost respect for humanlife from the time of conception even againstthreat...' The Declarat ion of Geneva (1948)

'The spirit of the Hippocratic Oath can beaffirmed by the profession. It enjoins... theduty of caring, the greatest crime beingdestruction in the co-operation of life bymurder, suicide and abortion' BMA Statement  

(1947)

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Changing Abortion Policy 1948-2000

The child deserves 'legal protection before as well asafter birth'. The UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959)

'Therapeutic abortion' (may be performed incircumstances) 'where the vital interests of themother conflict with those of the unborn child'.Declaration of Oslo (1970)

'I will maintain the utmost respect for human life fromits beginning...' The Declaration of Geneva (amended1983)

'Abortion is a basic health care need.' RCOG (2000)

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Philosophical Shift C17-C20

Theism 

 – Humans are created and morals are revealed  

Deism

 – Humans are created and morals are discovered 

 Atheism

 – Humans have evolved and morals are discovered  

Existentialism

 – Humans have evolved and morals are chosen 

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Christian Principles

The Sanct it y of Life - Human beings are madein the image of God (Genesis 1:27, 9:6, Exodus20:13) – abortion involves killing a human being

Marriage is the proper context for sex (Genesis2:24) – 82% of abortions result from sex outside

marriage

The strong should make sacr if ices for t heweak (John 13:34-45; Galatians 6:2) – abortion

is an abuse of the weak by the strong

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Sanctity of Life No discrimination on the basis of sex, race, social

standing (Gal 3:28) and age (Mt 19:14)

Protection for the vulnerable: poor (Pr 22:22-23), widowsand orphans (Ex 22:22-24), aliens (Ex 22:21),handicapped (Lv 19:14), slaves (Ex 21:2-6) and elderly(Lv 19:32)

Life before birth (Is 49:1; Je 1:5; Jb 10:8-9, 18-19; Gn25:22-23; Ps 22:9,10, 51:5, 71:6, 119:73; Ec 11:5; Is44:2,34; Ho 12:3; Mt 1:18; Lk 1:15, 41-44)

Over 60 references to ‘conception’ 

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Psalm 139:13-16

13 For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful,I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16 your eyes saw my unformed body.

 All the days ordained for mewere written in your book 

before one of them came to be.

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Exodus 21:22-25

22 If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and shegives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, theoffender must be fined whatever the woman's husband

demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is seriousinjury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, toothfor tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn,wound for wound, bruise for bruise (NIV)

22If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that herfruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shallbe surely punished, according as the woman's husbandwill lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges

determine (KJV)

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The sixth commandment  ‘You shall not murder’ (Ex 20:13; Dt 5:17; Mt 19:18;

Rom 13:9)

 ‘Murder’ (Hb ratsach ; Gk phoneuo )

 ‘The intentional killing of an innocent human being’ (Ex 21:12-14; Lv 24:17-21; Nu 35:16-31; Dt 19:4-13)

Distinguished from the killing of ‘guilty’ human beingsin Holy War (Dt 20:10-18), capital punishment (over

20 offences) and self-defence (Ex 22:2,3)

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Secular Principles

Qualit y of life - Taking human life is justified if it is of lowquality and constitutes a burden to others

Autonomy - The right to exercise sexual and reproductivefreedom and make moral choices according to our ownpersonal values

Compassion – The avoidance of suffering

Relativism – Each person can choose their own values

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Christian responses

Qu a l i ty o f l i fe – Human life is precious by virtue of beinghuman and regardless of its quality. The strong shouldprotect the weak 

Au t o no m y  – We are not free to make choices whichviolate the reasonable freedoms of others

Compass i on   – abortion is a actually potent cause of suffering for both mother and baby

Re la t i v i sm – There are universally recognised values, likesexual purity and the sanctity of life, which all should

respect

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The key question

What is the unbornchild worth and whatcircumstances justify

it being killed?

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 Arguments against abortion

Isn't the fetus only a potential human being? 

How can a non-sentient being have value? 

Don't women have a right to choose? 

Won't refusing abortion simply mean thatwomen and children suffer? 

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 Arguments against abortion

Surely we can't return to the days of back street abortionists and abortion tourism? 

What about abortion for rape? 

What about abortion for fetal handicap? 

What about abortion to save the life of themother?

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Isn’t the fetus only a potential

human being?

Isn’t it rather a human being with potential –or a potential adult?

The fetus is both human and alive andtherefore a human being

The key question is what value we give thatbeing

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How can a non-sentient being have value? 

Human value is not based on humancharacteristics such as consciousness,

awareness, age, size or ability tocommunicate but simply on being human

To kill a child in the womb is to discriminate

on the basis of non-morally relevantcharacteristics like age, location or degree of consciousness

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Don't women have a right tochoose?

 Autonomy has limits and we cannot

make choices which limit the reasonablefreedoms of others

The fetus is not part of a woman’s bodybut a genetically distinct human being

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Won't refusing abortion simplymean that women suffer? 

Women who abort are 3.5 times more likely to die within theyear than women who have normal births; this includes deathsfrom suicide (seven times), accidents (4x) and natural causes(1.6x) (Finnish study 1987-1994) 

Mental illness is a contraindication to abortion (Royal College of Psychiatrists) and depression and psychiatric admissions arehigher after abortion than normal birth

There is an acknowledged link between abortion of the firstpregnancy and breast cancer (Brind, 2005)

 Abortion increases the risk of subsequent pelvic infection andinfertility

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Post-abortion syndrome

Much more common if previous mental illness,

religious background and ambiguity aboutabortion.

‘Abortion does not end all the problems; it often just exchanges one set for another’  (Francis Schaeffer) 

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Won’t refusing abortion simply mean thechildren suffer through abuse and deprivation?

Most abused children come from wanted pregnancies

The incidence of child abuse has doubled since the Abortion Act came into force

Most unwanted pregnancies, if not aborted, result inwanted children.

 Adoption is always an option and there is lots of support for unmarried mothers

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Surely we can't return to the days of back street abortionists and abortion tourism? 

Claims of thousands of deaths before the 1967 Abortion Actwere wildly exaggerated

Most ‘back-street’ abortions before the Abortion Act wereperformed by doctors

UK maternal deaths from abortion had fallen to less than 20

per year by the time of the Abortion Act

In Poland following a 1993 change in the law abortions felldramatically from 180,000 a year to 150 without anyincrease in maternal deaths

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What about abortion for rape? 

Rape is an extremely serious crime but…

Pregnancy following rape is extremely rare and far lessthan 1% of abortions are performed following alleged rape

Rape sacrifices a second innocent victim (Should the babydie for the crime of its father?)

In the only major study of pregnant rape victims everdone, 75 to 85% chose against abortion

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What about abortion for fetal handicap? 

Fetal handicap accounts for far less than 1%of all UK abortions

It now extends to viable children withremediable conditions (eg cleft palate)

Over 450 Down’s syndrome children (overhalf the total) are now aborted annually

Why do we tolerate destruction of children

with special needs before but not after birth?

Wh t b t b ti t th

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What about abortion to save thelife of the mother?

Only 0.013% of UK abortions are performed 'to save thelife of the mother'

there are no medical circumstances justifying directabortion, that is, no circumstances in which the life of themother may only be saved by directly terminating the lifeof her unborn child'. (Irish obstetricians, 1992)

Of 21 maternal deaths among 74,317 pregnancies at theNational Maternity Hospital in Dublin from 1970-1979,abortion wouldn't have saved the mother's life in a singlecase

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The middle way (John 8:1-11)

Prevention of unplanned pregnancy

Legal protection for the baby

Care for the mother (CARE Centres Network)

Promotion of adoption

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Legal protection for the baby

Dangers of making things worse (1991)

Problems with a change solely aimed atbringing down upper limit

Impossibility of an all or nothingapproach (Poland and South Dakota)

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Bringing about legal change

Broad coalitions (Alive and Kicking)

Prime focus on changing public opinion

Specific legal interventions (upper limit for handicap,separating psych and physical indications, accuraterecording of complications)

Changing medical opinion – guidance of RCOG andRCPsych on psychological effects of abortion andresuscitation guidelines

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Specific opportunities 

Private members’ ballot

40th anniversary of Abortion ActOctober 2007

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 Alive and Kicking

 A powerful alliance of nine organisations

CAREChristian Medical Fellowship

Comment on Reproductive EthicsEvangelical Alliance

Guild of Catholic Doctors

Lawyers’ Christian FellowshipLIFE

ProLife AllianceStudent LifeNet

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 Alive and Kicking

 Aims and goals

Our near-term objective is to halve theyearly abortions from 200,000 to 100,000

per year

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 Alive and Kicking Aims

 An immediate, substantial reduction in the upper age limitfor abortion.

Eliminating discriminatory abortion of disabled babies up tobirth.

Proper enforcement of the abortion law as originallyintended.  A prohibition of abortions for social convenience.  A Charter of Informed Consent drawn up to ensure women

are made aware of medical and psychological risks

associated with abortion.  A cooling-off period between diagnosis of pregnancy and

access to abortion. Provision of compassionate alternatives to abortion Increasing support for families with disabled children

Guaranteed regular reviews of the abortion law.

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Useful addresses

CARE Centres Network 

(www.careconfidential.com)  

 Alive and Kicking( www.aliveandkickingcampaign.org  ) 

Christian Medical Fellowship

( www.cmf.org.uk  ) 

Elliott Institute