It is not surprising that in an argument expressed by Pope John Paul II that we find only religious and moral authority as arguments against abortion. To Pope John Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church, “abortion, together with infanticide” are viewed as “unspeakable crimes” (Pope 330). Some of the strengths of this argument include the Pope’s view that linguistics surrounding abortion are often used to hide its true nature. Such terminology as “interruption of pregnancy” only serve, according to the Pope, to mask abortion for what is truly is, “the deliberate and direct killing...of a human being” (330).
Pope John Paul II then argues that the reason all abortion is criminal and an act of murder is because all conceived beings are fully human and deserve that status and are given the status by the Church of human being from the moment of conception, “The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception” (Pope 332). The Pope outlines many pressures he argues encourage women to have abortions, even though it is criminal and represents an act of murder. One reason is the lack of male support. Another he provides is the encouragement of family members who feel abortion is the best option. Still more pressure is exerted on pregnant women from friends. All of these forces combine to place a great deal of psychological pressure on women facing pregnancies. The Pope insists more insidious and damaging than these forces are the legislators and social institutions that protect abortion and reaffirm it as an alternative to full-term delivery. The Pope argues these individuals and organizations cause harm to society even though it is their duty to protect society.
For these and other reasons, the Pope claims that no scientific or political debate can override the fact that abortion if the criminal killing of a human being, one that deserves his o
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