A Rational Look at Abortion - Part 1

My reasoning for this article is simple. I want to provide a rational, justified argument against abortion without resorting to a religious worldview. I am confident that the Pro-Life view can be justified and easily understood when articulated properly. I am going to base my argument solely on scientific evidence and philosophical reasoning. I will not invoke the name of God or tell you what the Bible has to say on the issues surrounding the subject of abortion. My scientific evidence will be complete and thorough. My philosophical reasoning will be direct, understandable and clear. I will not include rhetoric, although I will provide examples which follow the logic of my argumentation. I understand that this can be an extremely emotional subject, to which I, also, am not immune. I have strong views on this subject, as I’m sure you do. I am hopeful that most people reading this article have taken the time to understand the issues and consequences of abortion, whether you are Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. I feel that there is a real danger in approving or voting for something in which we don’t fully understand. This is also the case in the rejection of the Pro-Choice view. This is why I am providing a rational, unemotional, non-religious argument. I hope that while you are reading this you will allow logic to overrule your personal emotions on the subject.

This first article on “A Rational Look at Abortion” will focus on an overview of my argument and the logic behind it. I will not write in detail on each point of my argument at this present time. I will provide a different article for each part of my argument and I will post each one of them separately but as soon as I finish each one. I ask you to be patient and to come back to this site each day to read the next article.

I want to start by saying the main focus and every issue surrounding the abortion debate comes down to one question - “What are the unborn?” Without answering this question we cannot justify our belief about whether abortion is right, or whether abortion is wrong. We cannot say that abortion is or is not a moral action without first knowing what it means to abort a fetus. If the unborn are not human beings, then I see no problem, scientifically or philosophically, with having an abortion. Even further, if the unborn are not human beings, I don’t see aborting a child in the womb as any worse than biting off a finger nail or shaving. But, if the unborn are human beings, we would have to justify taking their lives as strongly and responsibly as we would taking the life of any other human being. If the unborn are, in fact, human beings, then we need to look at this issue with a different set of lenses. Instead of looking at abortion as solely a woman’s right of choice, we will have to look at it as the taking of a life. And this is where my argument will begin. Are the unborn human beings?

My argument will be based on the scientific evidence we have today on the development of the embryo inside the womb. The evidence which I will provide will show without reasonable, if any, doubt that the embryo, even from it’s earliest stage in conception, is a human being. I will not use false or disputed evidence. I will base my argument solely on the scientific evidence which is agreed upon by the majority of the scientific community that conducts research on this subject. I will be open and honest in everything I say and I will not add emotional opinion to the application of the evidence.

My argument will also be based on logical philosophy. There will be points in the philosophical argument that are graphic and disturbing. I will use examples from the application of my logic which will be strong, but not extreme, which will enhance and clarify my reasoning against abortion. I will also show how the Pro-Choice view is elitist, unscientific, illogical, discriminatory, unjustified and even, to many people’s surprise, not Liberal. I will provide an argument for where our society is headed morally and ethically if abortion remains legal. I will be fierce in my argumentation, but I will not bring in irrelevant concepts or lines of reasoning. I hope your interest has been sparked and I hope that you will come back to read the first part of my argument. Thank you.

-Joel Varner