Religions Have Diverse Views
Religious views vary widely on this question, according to the Roe decision: “There has always been strong support for the view that life does not begin until live birth. It appears to be the predominant, though not the unanimous, attitude of the Jewish faith. It may be taken to represent also the position of a large segment of the Protestant community, insofar as that can be ascertained; organized groups that have taken a formal position on the abortion issue have generally regarded abortion as a matter for the conscience of the individual and her family.” The official Roman Catholic view – that abortion is the taking of innocent human life – derives from natural law, which, according to New Advent, a Roman Catholic encyclopedia, “is the rule of conduct which is prescribed to us by the Creator in the constitution of the nature with which He has endowed us.” Similarly, conservative and fundamentalist Christians who believe that “life begins at conception” appeal to the authority of Scripture. Non-western traditions also vary in their views, with some believing in reincarnation and holding that human existence is an endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
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Hiding behind the various religious beliefs regarding the beginning of life just evades the question.
As a scientific fact, at conception a new human life is created. Are we going to permit that life to be destroyed? If so, will there be a certain point where we will no longer allow it to be destroyed?
The answers to these questions determine what type of a society we will be. Unfortunately, the United States Supreme Court took the issue away from society and decided an unborn human being can be terminated at any point prior to birth. A great deal of the divisiveness in the abortion issue stems from the fact that the answers to those questions were mandated by the Court, not resolved through the political process.