The Divisive Abortion Issue

The abortion issue is a strongly divisive one, and, with the help of the media, in North America has resulted in most people being considered either pro-life (anti-abortion) or pro-choice (pro-abortion) even though there is some overlap in their views as to when, if ever, a woman should have an abortion (ReligiousTolerance). The United States is the exception in the western world in having strong pro-life activists. In other western nations, the two sides of the abortion argument have agreed to disagree. A major point of division between pro-life advocates and pro-choice proponents is when life actually begins. Pro-life advocates believe that a human person exists from the moment of conception, when a unique DNA is formed, and many pro-lifers believe God places a soul in a newly fertilized ovum. To pro-life believers, the intentional termination of a developing embryo, and later, a fetus, is a form of homicide. They believe that abortion is immoral and should be against the law. Some pro-lifers would make abortions illegal under any circumstances; most would allow abortions if continuation of the pregnancy would cause the death of the mother, and many would permit abortion if it was the result of rape or incest.

Pro-choice believers, on the other hand, believe that life begins only much later in development (Religious Tolerance). Many believe that a woman should have full control of her body, and should be allowed to have an abortion, after discussing the options

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