Today’s CE lesson was on the topic of abortion and I was to present this controversial issue to my students. The objective is to encourage them to think deeper into controversial societal issues. In some countries, the abortion issue remains one of the broader and more controversial societal issues. A broad spectrum of positions exists on this issue, from those who advocate abortion-on-demand at any point during a pregnancy on the one end (100% pro-choice), to those who oppose every form of abortion on the other (100% pro-life). Between these two there is a considerable range of positions.
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy early before the fetus can survive outside the womb. If it occurs spontaneously or naturally, it’s commonly referred to as a “miscarriage”. This is usually because the fetus has passed away in the womb. Under these circumstances, the pregnancy may be expelled from the womb naturally or may require surgery. Abortion can also be induced. The fetus together with the placenta is expelled from the womb before it is developed enough to survive and will result in its death.
An abortion is usually done through a day surgical procedure if the pregnancy is less than 12 weeks. Under anesthesia, a plastic hollow tube is inserted into the womb and suction is applied to empty the womb. The procedure is significantly more complicated beyond the 12th week.
Some of the risks of abortion include bleeding which may require hospitalization and blood transfusion. There may also be damage to cervix which may result in early delivery or pregnancy loss in subsequent pregnancies. Infection which can cause fever and pain may also result impairing future fertility.
Some of the basic local Singapore Laws are as listed:
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy early before the fetus can survive outside the womb. If it occurs spontaneously or naturally, it’s commonly referred to as a “miscarriage”. This is usually because the fetus has passed away in the womb. Under these circumstances, the pregnancy may be expelled from the womb naturally or may require surgery. Abortion can also be induced. The fetus together with the placenta is expelled from the womb before it is developed enough to survive and will result in its death.
An abortion is usually done through a day surgical procedure if the pregnancy is less than 12 weeks. Under anesthesia, a plastic hollow tube is inserted into the womb and suction is applied to empty the womb. The procedure is significantly more complicated beyond the 12th week.
Some of the risks of abortion include bleeding which may require hospitalization and blood transfusion. There may also be damage to cervix which may result in early delivery or pregnancy loss in subsequent pregnancies. Infection which can cause fever and pain may also result impairing future fertility.
Some of the basic local Singapore Laws are as listed:
- The abortion must be performed by a gynecologist in a certified approved institution
- Your pregnancy must be less than 24 weeks
- You must undergo pre-abortion counseling at the approved institution where the abortion is to be carried out if you are above 16 years old or the Health Promotion Board Counseling Centre if you are below 16 years old (A Certificate of Attendance will then be issued to you. This must be shown to your gynecologist before you can be go for the abortion)
- You can only undergo abortion 48 hours after the counseling
- You must undergo post-abortion counseling which includes family planning education
- The debate
Pro-life group often argued that abortion should not be allowed as the fetus is considered a life. Hence, abortion is equated to murder. They generally believe that human life should be valued either from conception or from fertilization. To advocate abortion is to be morally bankrupt.
Pro-choice describes the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy. Some people who are pro-choice see abortion as a last resort and focus on a number of situations where they feel abortion is a necessary option. Among these situations are those where the woman was raped, her health or life (or that of the fetus) is at risk, contraception was used but failed, or she feels unable to raise a child.
Both viewpoints, to a certain extent, are reasonable in their own rights. The debate occurs however, when pro-life individuals accuse the pro-choice as being “pro-abortion” or “pro-death” while the pro-choice individuals accuse the pro-life as being “anti-freedom” or “anti-reason”. This is an example of political framing which is a technique of debate where you attempt to paint the opposition in an unfavorable light.
From the standpoint of the pro-life, there is nothing wrong in valuing life. In fact, life is the most valuable possession any human can have. However, we have to understand that life is not a discrete quantity. Life derives meaning only in the context of values. I believe in the infinite potential of good in all men. However, if one does not manifest this potential for the betterment of society, we cannot claim this life is more valuable than others.
Many had asked why as a declared, devoted Buddhists, I eat meat. And I loved meat. It is however, a misconception that meat is not allowed in Buddhism. The vegetarian diet is recommended in many Buddhists schools mainly because plants are regarded as life with less value than animals. But they are life regardless. It is not for the sake of not taking life that some Buddhists do not eat meat. It is simply to minimize the debt of gratitude one owns to the life of the animals that died for the purpose of sustaining our lives. If we eat meat, we simply have to develop a greater appreciation for that lives of the animals that died for us. The taking of another life to sustain one’s own cannot be avoided. What is more important is to kill the will to kill.
Returning to the topic of abortion, I would reckon that in certain circumstances, the value of the woman have to outweigh that of the fetus and abortion can be a reasonable consideration. No one in their right mind would willingly kill a baby. But in situations where calculated, responsible decision based on factors such as the health of mother or the unborn fetus, the consequence of rape, the ability of the family to raise the baby, etc, I believe abortion can be accepted.
The questions that I highlighted for the students to reflect on is where they truly stand in light of the “pro-life” and “pro-choice” debate, and of course one of the main contention of the debate – When life begins?
- From fertilization?
- From the stabilization of the fetus (approximately 2 months)?
- After the actual birth?
- Other?
My views on the nature of life can be found in this earlier post.
I chose others. For I believe life is eternal and we are ultimately all part of the same cosmic whole. Fetus, our lives, plants, animals, etc. We are just different manifestation of this cosmic life. We can only hope to create value within our capacity in order to enjoy the process of life. In the event that we hurt another life (like eating!), we can only strive to repay our debts of gratitude by contributing to the betterment of our community, our society, and our cosmic life.
