Pro Life/Choice

By the books of Hinduism, Jeeva hathya (killing a life) is a grave sin and abortion is considered a bigger sin than killing a priest or a Bramhan (Brahm hathya). Some people argue that life begins at conception instead of at birth and it is believed that the fetus or embryo has a soul and therefore has a right to live. The mother or the medical practitioner does not have the right to take the life away from it because nature and the parents (of course!) put it there to begin with. Some extremist social conservatives even consider contraceptives tantamount to abortion and abortion tantamount to murder.

Pro-choicers are sick of how the government regulates our personal decisions and forces a mother to bear an unwanted child. They question whether it is morally justified to bring a pregnancy to term when one knows that the mother cannot give the baby the good life it deserves. If prolifers argue that the embryo feels pain then pro-choicers say choose the fetal anesthesia option. After all ours in a democratic country that offers freedom of choice and one doesn’t have to be strained to choose motherhood.

I’m trying to find a middle ground here. I am somewhat pro-choice even though I am personally against abortion. It is unquestionably a personal decision of each individual.