Abortion – the questions that need answering

There have always been things in my life I knew instinctively were wrong but I engaged in them anyway. Drugs, sex and rock'n'roll. I think we can all say the same, our examples may differ.

Some social norms are seen as too big or controversial to tackle or change, but it only seems that way. Remember that slavery was completely normal until the British said no more and stopped it. As a teenager, I was anti-EU, I felt like we were being ruled over by a foreign power. I never thought we would leave. When the referendum came along nearly 40 years later, it was the easiest X I ever put in a box. Yesterday's norm can become tomorrow's shame.

Abortion is one of these topics that I always thought was wrong. Yet I know for sure that if one of my earlier girlfriends had become pregnant I would have pushed her towards such an option. Hypocrite? Of course. I made that clear in the first sentence of this article. I am susceptible to personal convenience as much as the next person.

Just because something is morally wrong does not mean we should not do it. Life is complicated and sometimes all you have to choose from is a list of immoral options. We all agree that killing people is wrong, it is one of the ten commandments. Yet we fund our army to ultimately kill our enemies. The police protect us but also kill terrorists and dangerous criminals. The NHS keep most of us healthy but by not funding all medicines some people die. Morality is troublesome.

Abortion is complicated. What do we do about a child conceived through rape? Or a pregnancy that will kill the mother? Or the quality of the future life of a severely disabled foetus? I will not explore such cases but rather concentrate on the three main themes that I deem to be the crux of the issue. Creation of life. Foetus rights. Bodily integrity.

I have now set the stage. My cancellation awaits.

When does life begin?

It is a straightforward question and there is agreement. Biology tells us that life begins at conception, which means when the sperm fertilises the egg. It is that simple. Anyone telling you different is lying, misinformed or an ideologue.

This leads us on to the next question. Is a fertilised egg a human? An interesting question. This is where it gets problematic for who defines what a human is? The simple answer is something that looks like us. Two legs and arms, ten fingers and toes. But what about someone with only one arm and no legs, are they not human? It can be argued that a baby does not look like us that much – but it will if left to grow. We do not look like our very old great grandparents – but we will if we are lucky enough to live that long. Humans grow and change appearance over time.

Humans have a heartbeat, a brain and can move. Is this when a foetus becomes a member of the human race? If yes, then we are looking at 6 weeks old. Is someone with a pacemaker still human for their heart does not beat independently? Is someone in a vegetative state with no brain function still human?

We need to be very careful how we define what a human is for this has been used throughout history to commit terrible atrocities. Jews are not human. If you are not human then you are an animal, and humans kill animals very easily.

Are foetus rights human rights?

Legally, a foetus has no rights in the UK, they only appear at birth. This is why a late-term abortion must kill the baby in the womb with an injection into the beating heart. It cannot be killed outside of the womb for the doctor and mother would be charged with murder.

We have a special term for the illegal killing of a foetus, Child Destruction. We do not call the act murder, but we do call it a child which is surprising. This crime carries a punishment of up to life in prison. A very severe punishment for destroying something with no rights in law, surely it is more akin to criminal damage.

To practise state-sanctioned abortion the foetus cannot be allowed human rights, otherwise, it is a state execution. We do not execute the most horrendous criminals in the UK for they have rights as defined by the European Court of Human Rights.

If a foetus is human, then it should have human rights. Or we should rename them birthed-human rights, or even adult-human rights to exclude all children.

If we accept that foetuses are human – then logic dictates that they have rights.

Should pregnancy negate bodily autonomy?

This is where all sensible pro-abortion individuals fight - my body, my choice. This is the battleground where this debate will be won or lost. Does society have the right to dictate to an individual what they do with their body?

The Covid pandemic has damaged this argument for the pro-abortionists. The vaccine rollout led to many societal traits that we thought we would never witness in the UK. People lost their jobs for declining the vaccine offer, even though they said my body, my choice. Civil liberties were even curtailed for individuals when they practised the mantra of my body, my choice. The nation was mostly silent, including the vast majority of people who are in favour of abortion. The government was crystal clear in its thinking: your body, our choice.

What about other public health issues? Suicide kills nearly 5000 people just in England annually. Why do we feel that taking your own life is wrong? Is this not a case of my body, my choice? Surely a mentally healthy individual has the right to end their life when they wish? Abortion kills another, suicide only kills you.

As a society, we want to protect the vulnerable from malevolent forces, including self-inflicted evil. Do we have a responsibility to protect the unborn from tyrannical mothers? Should her personal autonomy be constrained during pregnancy to protect the vulnerable? If not, is she any different from kings and emperors who fail in their duty to safeguard all who fall under their protection?

This question all boils down to who we think takes precedence: an adult woman or unborn baby?

If it is the woman, then why can she not terminate her pregnancy up to the day she gives birth? Her body, her choice - foetuses have no legal rights. The vast majority of people and the law say no to this, which then negates the whole argument of my body, my choice.

In conclusion, I cannot see how our abortion policy continues. I see it becoming illegal in my lifetime or at least severely restricted. We have swung too far towards progressivism as a nation, all pendulums eventually swing back. I feel this return journey has already begun but will take decades. I do not know if we will end up in a better place, but it will be different. More traditional, more conservative and more family orientated.

We will look back at this time in our history with shock and disgrace, similar to the way we look at slavery. How could we do such things? Our descendants may find themselves in public squares shouting 'BLM' and pulling down statues - the slogans on their placards will read #BothLivesMatter.

I have now made my argument, I have tried to simplify a very complex topic. I have asked many more questions than given answers to for it is up to you to decide what is right or wrong. The answer to morality lies within you. It always has.

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