Well you see, an egg or a sperm is only half a human cell. Once they get together, they create a complete cell. This is not rhetoric, but basic biological fact. It now has a complete human DNA chain which is absolutely unique and will never be repeated again. It is, scientifically speaking, the very essence of human life. No buts about it-- it can’t be or become anything else. There is no chance, and this is scientifically proven by all accounts, that it could now become a horse, or a fish, or perhaps a cat or dog. It will not be magically transformed into some inanimate object, either. It is human, it is unique, and it is alive. It uses oxygen and glucose from the blood stream the same as all the other living cells that make up the mother’s body. It disposes of its waste products such as carbon dioxide and urea. Further, it immediately begins the work of copying itself as fast as possible. By 4-6 weeks of pregnancy, cells have already begun to speciallize to the degree that a tiny new heart begins to beat. There is absolutely no question scientifically whether this single cell, formed at the moment of conception, is alive nor whether it is human.
Now it is true that from this stage any number of things may happen to this tiny new life. Many pregnancies end in miscarriage. Some pregnancies fail to implant properly resulting in a life threatening ectopic pregnancy. Children are sometimes stillborn. Some children are born with tragic diseases or defects that take their lives shortly after birth or after an abnormaly short life. This is the nature of our uncertain world. However, I could also have a stroke or be hit by a bus tomorrow. I have no more or less guarantee to life as that tiny new human. That’s just the way it is.
So then the next ethical question would be does this lack of certainty regarding whether I will still be alive at the end of the day tomorrow mean that it is ok for someone else to end my life intentionally? I doubt there are any who would say yes. Certainly you would not be willing to submit your
own life for premature destruction at the hands of another on the basis that there is some small chance it could end tomorrow naturally.
So then I ask you–who are YOU to say that this child or that child does not deserve the chance that God has given him? For all you know the next Albert Einstein has already been aborted. Perhaps the person who would have found the cure for cancer or AIDS has already been aborted, or the future political leader who would finally succeed in resolving the crisis in the Middle East. Over 50 million have been aborted since the passage of Roe vs. Wade in the U.S. alone. The loss is incalcuable in human terms. Even the horrible atrocities and evils of Adolf Hitler did not end so many lives! And we have not even considered those aborted in other parts of the world yet.
If it is ok to purposefully destroy this tiny human before it has been born for the sake of our own convenience, just so that our lives will not be disturbed, then how we can we say that it is wrong to kill our next door neighbor because he plays loud music while we try to sleep? Truth be known, we wouldn’t even treat the unborn fetuses of our pets the way we allow women to treat their unborn babies in this country.
No. The choice was made when a man and woman decided to have sexual intercourse, which, we are pretty much universally aware, can result in pregnancy. Once pregnancy has occured, a new life exists. You can close your eyes to this bare scientific fact if you like, but there is no sound ethical argument that could possibly justify the arrogance and selfishness of ending another life in order to have everything your way. Not everything works like Burger King.
All this said, I should think the following statement would be obvious enough, but I will answer your final question explicitly anyway. No, I would not consider abortion an ethically viable option even if I knew the baby would die shortly after birth. Regardless of how short a life might naturally be or how much suffering it might entail, it is never my right to intentionally end that life early. That right is reserved to God alone. You will find this to be the consistent, official teaching of the Catholic Church on this issue as well.
The good news is that if you have already made this mistake, God’s mercy is infinite for those who repent and earnestly seek His forgiveness. Even the sin of abortion can be healed. Nothing is impossible for Him who created the universe and all wtihin it from nothing merely by saying the word. He has proven His enduring love for us on the cross. There are many programs available to help those who suffer from the guilt of this terrible sin such as Rachel’s Vineyard (
rachelsvineyard.org).