Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice
The terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" generally boil
down to the question of whether the individual
wants to see abortion banned, but there's more to
the debate than that. Let's explore, briefly, what the
central arguments are about.
The Pro-Life Issue Spectrum
To say that someone is "pro-life" is to say that the
person believes that the government has an
obligation to preserve all human life, regardless of
intent, viability, or quality-of-life concerns.
A comprehensive pro-life ethic, such as that proposed by the Roman Catholic Church and similar
religious organizations, prohibits:




Abortion ;
Euthanasia and assisted suicide ;
The death penalty ; and
War, with very few exceptions.
In cases where the pro-life ethic conflicts with personal autonomy, as in the case of abortion and
assisted suicide, it is conservative. In cases where the pro-life ethic conflicts with government policy,
as in the case of the death penalty and war, it is liberal.
The Pro-Choice Issue Spectrum
To be "pro-choice" is to believe that individuals have unlimited autonomy with respect to their own
reproductive systems as long as they do not breach the autonomy of others.
A comprehensive pro-choice position affirms that all of the following must remain legal:





Celibacy and abstinence ;
Contraception use ;
Emergency contraception use ;
Abortion, for the first two trimesters of pregnancy ; and
Childbirth.
In the United States, the pro-choice position is perceived as "pro-abortion." In China, where abortion
is sometimes required by law, the pro-choice position would be perceived as "anti-abortion." The
purpose of the pro-choice movement is to ensure that all choices remain legal.
Point of Conflict
The pro-life and pro-choice movements primarily come into conflict on the
issue of abortion. The pro-life movement argues that even non-viable,
undeveloped human life is sacred and must be protected by the government.
Abortion, according to this model, must not be legal, nor should it be widely
practiced on an illegal basis.
The pro-choice movement argues that in cases where human personhood
cannot be proven, e.g. in pregnancies prior to the point of viability, the
government does not have the right to impede a woman's right to decide whether or not to continue
a pregnancy.
1
Religion and the Sanctity of Life
What politicians on both sides of the debate generally fail to acknowledge is the religious nature of
the conflict.
If one believes in an immortal soul that is implanted at the moment of conception, and if personhood
is determined by the presence of that immortal soul, then there is little difference, in effect, between
terminating a week-old pregnancy or killing a living, breathing person. Rational members of the prolife movement do acknowledge that there is a difference in intent--abortion would be, at worst,
involuntary manslaughter rather than murder--but the consequences, i.e. the death of a human
person, are regarded by pro-lifers in much the same way.
Religious Pluralism and the Obligation of a Secular Government
The trouble is that the United States government cannot acknowledge the existence of an immortal
soul implanted at conception without taking on a specific, theological definition of personhood.
Some theological traditions teach that the soul is implanted at quickening--when the fetus begins to
move--and not at conception. Other theological traditions teach that the soul is implanted at birth.
Some traditions teach that the soul is implanted well after birth. And still other theological traditions
teach that there is no immortal soul at all.
Can Science Tell Us Anything?
There is no scientific basis for the existence of a soul, but there is no scientific basis for the existence
of subjectivity, either, which makes it difficult to ascertain concepts such as "sanctity." Physics alone
can't tell us whether a human life is worth more or less than a rock. We value each other for social,
emotional reasons; science does not tell us to do it.
But to the extent that we do have anything approaching a scientific definition of personhood, it
would most likely rest in our understanding of the brain. That being the case, it's worth noting that
neocortical development, which scientists believe makes emotion and cognition possible, does not
begin until the late second or early third trimester of pregnancy.
Two Other Standards of Personhood
Some pro-life advocates argue that it is the presence of life alone, or of unique DNA, that defines
personhood.
The problem with the life-alone argument is that many things that we do not consider living persons
meet that criteria. Our tonsils and appendices are certainly both human and alive, but we do not
consider their removal as constituting anything close to the killing of a person.
The unique DNA argument is more compelling, but also poses problems. Sperm and egg cells, for
example, contain the genetic material that will later form the zygote. The question of whether
certain forms of gene therapy also creates new persons would also be raised by this definition of
personhood.
The Burden of Proof
Before the government can prove that a homicide has taken place, it must first produce evidence--a
person's body, or sufficient body tissue as to constitute a body for legal purposes. It would not do for
homicide prosecutions to proceed based solely on a philosophical or religious conviction that a
murder has taken place.
Ronald Reagan famously said in the 1980s that if the government is to err, it must err on the side of
2
protecting life. In practice, to err on the side of life in criminal prosecutions is to convict without
adequate evidence. Our system of jurisprudence is not consistent with this goal.
No Choice
On the other hand, the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate tends to overlook the fact that the vast
majority of women who have abortions do not, in fact, do so entirely by choice. Circumstances put
them in a position where abortion is the least self-destructive option available to them.
According to a study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, 68% of women who have abortions in
the United States say that they cannot afford to have children and 27% cite this as their primary
reason for terminating the pregnancy. 20% cite health reasons. 38% are young women either hiding
pregnancies from their parents, or ordered by their parents to terminate their pregnancies.
Our Shared Responsibility
One of the best-kept secrets of the pro-life and pro-choice movements is that the two movements
ultimately overlap to the extent that they share the goal of reducing the number of abortions. They
differ only with respect to degree and methodology.
Unfortunately, politicians benefit more from having two polarized, angry movements than they do
from having two less polarized, less angry movements.
We live in a culture today where the decision not to have sex is seen as ridiculous. Abstinence is the
default choice, and the pro-choice movement has an obligation to make it a socially acceptable
choice.
Likewise, the pro-life movement has been so tangled up in policy objectives that it has failed to
actually reduce the number of abortions.
The Future of Abortion
Thirty years ago, the most effective forms of birth control--even if used correctly--were only 90%
effective. Now, prophylactics can reduce the odds of pregnancy to those of being struck by a meteor-and if those safeguards fail, the option of emergency contraception is available. Numerous
advancements in birth control technology, such as the male birth control pill, are on the horizon
within the next ten years--and can reduce unplanned pregnancies even more.
The pro-life vs. pro-choice debate seems to be destined for a short lifespan. It is likely that abortion
will largely disappear in this country during the 21st century--not because it has been banned, but
simply because it has been rendered obsolete.
Glossary
viability – sposobnost za život
viable – sposoban za život, održiv
personhood - ličnost
impede –ometati, smetati, sprečiti
involuntary manslaughter – ubistvo iz nehata
quickening - oživljavanje
neocortical - of or relating to the neocortex of
the cerebrum
appendix – slepo crevo - pl. appendices
compelling – ubedljiv
compel - prisiliti
err - grešiti
jurisprudence – јуриспруденција (the
philosophy or science of law)
tangled up – upleten
tengle – zamrsiti, upetljati
prophylactics – preventiva
neocortex The dorsal region of the cerebral
cortex, especially large in higher mammals and
the most recently evolved part of the brain.
tonsils – krajnici
odds – izgledi, mogućnosti
render – učiniti
obsolete – zastareo, starinski
3
Questions
 Do you agree that life begins at
conception?
 Should abortion remain legal in
our country?
 Are you PRO-CHOICE or PROLIFE? Explain your standpoint.

How do you explain the shift in
opinion on abortion in the US?

In your opinion, what would be
the results if such a poll were
conducted in our country?
Make comments the following text (21.04.2012, http://www.novimagazin.rs):
In his Easter epistle, Serbian Patriarch Irinej said that infanticide is the greatest crime of this century to which
every normal person has to agree along with certain nuances. He added that it is terrible to think that half a
million children get deprived of life each year. And, of course, he threatened parents with the words of the Lord:
'Thou shalt not kill, because the one who kills will be guilty in front of a court'.
In case anyone is not familiar with his address, the patriarch is talking about abortion. Laymen find it interesting
how priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) see abortion as a murder, but they themselves do not serve
funeral service for deceased babies up to 40 days. If abortion is a sufficient reason to exclude someone from the
Church, the SOC will lose a great part of believers and consequently the donations. If this is a mortal sin, the
crowds of parents and gynecologists will end up in the hottest pits of hell.
infanticide – čedomorstvo
TASK
Work in groups. Choose A or B.
A. Plan and make a campaign to support pro-life ideas.
B. Plan and make a campaign to support pro-choice ideas.
4