Is It Life or Death? by: Laura Lee Opsahl Editorial One of the most contradictory arguments today is about abortion. Abortion is a cruel and unmoral way to deal with the unwanted life of an innocent baby. Life is precious and meant to be cherished, not for us to pick and choose as if it were a game of cards. I can't believe how many women would give up the life of their child to better convenience themselves. Do they not see what damage abortion can do to them, both physically and emotionally? Have they forgotten that creating life is considered a miracle? First, there is the standing argument that a fetus is nothing more than a lump of tissue and does not constitute life at all. So, just when does life start? Is it determined by a heartbeat? The heart is formed by the 18th day in the womb. Is life determined by brain waves? If that were the case, life would begin between 40-43 days after conception. DNA tests can also prove an embryo is distinct from it's mother and father. Sperm and egg are each made up of 23 chromosomes, which can be clearly distinguished by a geneticist. When both sets of chromosomes are combined, a geneticist can't tell the difference between an embryo and a full-grown person (http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/arg-abor.html). Once a baby is conceived it is a living human being. Those are some of the medical facts, but there are biblical arguments as well. There is technically nothing in The Bible that says abortion is wrong. In fact, it's not mentioned at all. That's because it's such a horrid act it was never even thought of in those days. Children were considered gifts of the Lord and only He had control over the womb. In Psalm 139 David tells of his creation and how God already cared for him while he was in the womb. Psalm 51 says the soul of humans is passed through conception. This makes an unborn child fully human. Exodus states that in court an unborn baby has the same status as a born baby. If a man injures a pregnant woman, and her baby dies, it's considered the same as killing a born child. There are also horrible after-effects of abortion. Women who have abortions are at a higher risk of getting breast, cervical, ovarian, and liver cancer. Other risks such as excessive bleeding, uterus infection, infection of the Fallopian tubes and psychological distress are concerns. Over 100,000 women, in developing countries, die from abortion-related complications every year (http://health.yahoo.com/health/Diseases_and_Conditions/Disease_Feed_Data/Abortion/) I think the only excusable reason for an abortion is in the event there are birth defects, brain damage or critical illness and it is in the best interest of the baby. In many cases, if the child is born, it suffers from serious complications has slim chance of surviving past six months. It also may be harmful to the mother's health to carry out the pregnancy, and abortion may be the only option. If a woman should helplessly become pregnant due to rape, I give her my sympathy. But, instead of an abortion in attempt to destroy horrible memories and inconvenience, why not think of it as the opportunity to give life? After all, the child is half hers. For those who think that outlawing abortion is completely against women's rights, it's not really about rights. It's about having the common sense, decency and the heart to do what is right. Take responsibility, whether it means having the baby and taking care of it, providing for it and loving it, or giving it up for adoption. So many people are against the torturing of animals, so why not protest the slaughtering of human life? Put yourself in the baby's place. Would you want to be the one extinguished from ever experiencing life before you got the chance? The thought of aborting an innocent life makes me sick to my stomach. It's just not right. A pregnancy should be seen as a blessing, not a burden. Some people still think they have the right to decide who lives and who dies. God granted us the gift to create life. It is truly a miracle that we should be thankful for.

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