Abortion Public Policy: What is the author's position and what is he/she doing with it? Why?
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Abortion Public Policy
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Crook uses the bible as a source of moral values. It is through the bible that the author tries all possible ways to condemn abortion. The bible teaches human beings about the benefits of living morally. Crook believes that those people who strongly believe in the biblical words have lived a fruitful life. Regarding abortion, the bible strongly condemns it because it is immoral to kill. Many people in the society have the perception that unwanted pregnancies have become the major source of abortions across the globe. On the other hand, such cases of unwanted pregnancies may arise from immoral behaviors like prostitution or pre marital sex. In other cases, students are forced to abandon school and became parents simply because of early pregnancies. Therefore, to avoid such cases, significant number students have engaged in abortion activities to avoid the problem of becoming parents before the right time.
In the article, “A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Thomson supports her principal argument that the impermissibility of abortion does not follow from the premises that every fetus is a person and that every person has the right to life on the claim any woman that carries a pregnancy to term should be under the act of a Good Samaritan. From the moral point of view, the woman who carries the pregnancy is like a person who offers to provide what another needs but cannot have the right to, while a woman who generally decides to terminate a pregnancy is compared to a person who declines to offer assistance. The continuity to incur the burdens involved in pregnancy does not mean abortion violates the requirements of morality. Similarly, Crook is strongly opposing abortion and uses biblical principles to defend his argument. Crook takes a strong stand and believes that abortion is not accepted before the eyes of God. The author who is Christian defends his argument of the grounds that life begins at conception. In addition, Crook strongly believes that any one who does an act of abortion violates God’s commandment that says do not kill. This discussion illustrates various cases where Crook strongly opposes abortion and uses Christian principles to defend his stand.
Thomson also says that there is a moral difference between killing and letting die, in this abortion kills the fetus. A woman who becomes pregnant as a result of contraceptive failure cannot be thought of as being responsible for the pregnancy as Thomson argues. This statement does not; however provide a satisfactory answer for two reasons. First, the response that Thomson uses seems to concede that a woman who fails to use contraceptives should be held responsible for her unwanted pregnancy and therefore the fetus has the right to use her body. Secondly, it can be highly argued that since, not all contraceptives are perfect, a woman who voluntary engages into sexual intercourse using one is responsible for the results since she knows she stands the risk of becoming pregnant.
Crook uses spiritual aspects to illustrate limitations of abortion. As a Christian, the author emphasizes the importance of life and gives its meaning. For example, he contends that anyone who commits abortion is like a person who kills and takes away life. Crook argues that God alone is the giver and taker of life. Therefore, anyone who takes a step and undertakes an abortion is seen to have committed murder. Based on spiritual teachings, the author contends that there is immorality associated with the acts of abortion. The spiritual principles used by the author are mainly based on biblical teachings. Crook anchors his opinion on the idea that the bible does not encourage the act of abortion. In line with morals, the bible puts emphasis on morals. The idea of life beginning at conception is strongly supported by the bible hence makes the Christians have a strong belief that life is important.
It is also seen that Thomson criticizes the methods of deducing a woman’s right to abort from the permissibility of a third party committing the abortion. She says that when a doctor refuses to perform abortion for the woman, it denies her right to her body. A third party in this case cannot make the choice to either kill the child or the person. The person has the right to defend the life of the fetus where her life is under threat from the fetus, in that there is no reason that the mother’s life should be threatened and also is the fetus because they are both innocent and in such situations a third party can intervene. In a case like this, she says hat a mother can rightfully abort.
He believes that human beings are influenced by both environmental and hereditary factors. To support this kind of perception, Crook contends that human beings are not completely free. The ultimate character of a particular person is determined by the way he or she is brought up and the genes that are inherited. Crook believes that some of the behaviors portrayed by humans are dependent of the genetic make up of that particular individual. Additionally, the environment plays a significant role in molding a human being. The author goes ahead and provides several indications to prove that both genetic and environmental factors are highly influential when determining the overall character of a human being. Therefore, the issue of determination according to Crook is entirely dependent on these two factors. For instance, some environments may offer an individual with the opportunity to prosper whereas other environments are too harsh and likely to ruin the overall character of an individual.
Rights as endowments of goods by societal structures are advocated for by Crook. This can be interpreted to mean that the society is the sole determiner of the way of life. In relation to biblical teachings, the societal structure is a critical element of a person’s total character. Just like in the theory of environment and hereditary factors, the society falls automatically in the category of environment. Some structures are put in place to ensure that members of a particular community adhere to as expected. There are several conflicting values with regard to wishing to condemn abortion. The hierarchy of values is used by Crook so that individuals are left to decide upon themselves after the teachings. For example, there is a conflict of values when abortion should be done because the life of the mother is in danger.
Scientists believe that abortion is the only option remaining in situations where the life of the mother carrying the baby is endangered by pregnancy. Although this scenario appears to be a dilemma to Christians, Crook provides a way forward to those who believe in biblical teachings that life is important no matter what stage it is. According to the Jenkins, love is very important and reflects the extent to which care among the members of the society operates. There are few cases where love may not reflect care between the affected parties. To show that there is love; Jenkins uses moral teachings as a way of helping the responsible parties avoid problems that are likely to be caused by abortions. In comparison to Crook’s teachings about morals, there is some similarity. For example, the two authors (Crook and Thomson) share an interest in ensuring that all the members of the society act in accordance with the morals of the community. The only objection that Thomson justifies is abortion only in cases of rape. A woman who is pregnant due to rape is a different case from a woman who had sexual intercourse voluntarily and thus has the obligation to let the fetus use her body. Thomson implies that all moral obligations are voluntary and must be voluntary accepted to have a moral force. Thus she mistakenly emphasizes that all moral obligations to one’s offspring are voluntary. (Citation for Thompson)?
It’s also seen that Thomson ignores the fact that abortion is to an extent killing. She makes a point in her use of the violinist story that there are times when withholding or withdrawing medical treatment is morally justified. For example one is not obligated to donate an organ to another so that they can live. In other words, you are not obligated to risk your life for someone else to live longer, if however one does, that will be an act above and beyond the call of duty since he/she will have performed a super moral act. (Citation for Thompson)?
Works Cited
Arguing about Abortion, ed. Lewis M. Schwartz (Belmont, Mass.: Wadsworth, 1993),
Judith A. Boss, The Birth Lottery: Prenatal Diagnosis and Selective Abortion (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1993)
Judith Jarvis Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion," Philosophy and Public Affairs
Keith J. Pavlischek, "Abortion Logic and Paternal Responsibility:
Thomson's 'A Defense of Abortion,"' Public Affairs Quarterly7 [1993]:
· Um, what happened to all the other people you cited before: Jenkins, Richard, Robert, and Smith? – those and Thompson’s article are the ones I need, rather than what you just sent!!
· Please make the corrections that I’ve just asked for immediately and I beg you not to disregard them this time around.
· The Works Cited page should only include authors & titles of writer cited in in-text citations and it is to be in MLA format; not whatever you are using. If you’re having trouble with MLA standards; follow this guideline, under individual resources: