Abortion is a personal and religious matter
I believe that decisions regarding abortion should be a personal and religious right, not a political one.
For example, nearly 8 million people in our country share a common religion that believes the soul enters a body with its first breath, only then becoming a person. Before that, the fetus is considered to be part of the woman’s body.
How can our country, founded on religious freedom, insist that a fetus is a living human because of a particular religious precept? It seems that folks following that religious tenet would never seek abortions and would teach their children to do the same. That honors their faith.
But it does not honor others’ faith to ban abortion, especially when a family’s religious laws require abortion of an unborn fetus to save the life or health (including mental health) of the pregnant woman.
I would like to believe that the fervor that comes from those who insist on the fetus’s rights over the woman who carries it are simply ignorant of beliefs beyond their own. Or, I suppose they might believe that all who don’t share their religious beliefs don’t belong in our great melting pot. Or, perhaps it’s another example of cultural misogyny.
Also, if we are asking our government to legislate against premature death by abortion, then why don’t we arrest those who make, sell and distribute cigarettes?
Don’t we know unequivocally that smoking causes premature death? Why aren’t we locking up smokers who are committing suicide and those who assist them?
For that matter, why aren’t we going after the purveyors of certain “food-like substances” that contain carcinogens or artery-clogging ingredients, and then dare to promote them to children whose lives are likely shortened by consuming them?
While arresting some food producers and cigarette purveyors may seem ridiculous, so it seems ridiculous to ban abortion to those of us who hold different beliefs about the beginning of life and personhood.
These should all be personal choices in pursuing our rights to life, liberty and happiness.
No one is forcing those who believe a fetus is a person to have abortions. No one should be forcing people who believe differently to give up control of their bodies to the government.
Legislation should support our constitution from a legal, not religious viewpoint. Are we disregarding the intentions of our founding fathers when we narrow-mindedly make the religious belief of some the law of our land for all?
Marian Head, Kapa‘a
