Human history is riddled with chapters of profound injustice—slavery, eugenics, ethnic cleansing—where groups of people were dehumanized through arbitrary distinctions like race, class, heritage, or ability. We look back on these atrocities with horror and vow, “Never again will we strip any group of their basic dignity and right to life.”
Yet today, in the modern era, we are repeating this same moral failure—this time with the unborn.
Abortion is often heralded as a milestone of women’s rights and a necessary step for freedom and equality. But beneath the polished rhetoric lies something far older and far darker: a rebranded version of child sacrifice.
At its core, abortion is the deliberate ending of a biologically human life—a fact not even disputed by many abortion-rights advocates. What remains fiercely debated is whether this act of ending a life can ever be morally justified.
This article contends that abortion is not only morally indefensible but that it mirrors the ancient, barbaric practice of sacrificing children—once done in the name of religion or survival, now dressed in the language of autonomy and progress.
Let’s examine the leading arguments—and why, when scrutinized, each one collapses under its own weight.
1️⃣ Development and Age: Arbitrary Standards of Worth
We’re told a fetus isn’t “developed enough” to count as fully human. But where does that logic end? Newborns are less developed than toddlers; toddlers less than teens. Yet we don’t assign human worth based on age or ability. Development changes how we function, not whether we are human. If humanity depends on development, anyone less advanced—due to age, disability, or illness—would have a weaker claim to life. History shows us how dangerous that thinking can be.
2️⃣ Geographical Location: Inches that Decide Humanity
It is astonishing how much hinges on location in the abortion debate. We are told that a fetus inside the womb has no human rights, yet mere inches away, once it exits the birth canal, it becomes a person fully protected by law.
But crossing from womb to air changes location, not essence. If we claim that geography determines human worth, we would have to accept that a child is unworthy of protection just seconds before birth but gains full rights the moment it emerges—a position no rational ethical system can sustain.
We reject this logic in every other aspect of human rights. We must reject it here as well.
3️⃣ Access to Resources and Heritage: A Dangerous Echo
Some argue that abortion is an act of mercy—preventing children from facing poverty, disability, or difficult circumstances. But this rationale eerily mirrors the thinking behind the eugenics movement, where human beings were killed, sterilized, or deemed “unfit” because they were seen as a burden on society.
No parent would be justified in ending the life of a born child because of poverty or anticipated hardship. Poverty and disability do not erase a person’s right to live—before or after birth. To suggest otherwise invites us back into a mindset we have rightly condemned: that some lives are less worth living.
4️⃣ Bodily Autonomy: A Misunderstood Argument
The argument from bodily autonomy is perhaps the most philosophically sophisticated defense of abortion. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s famous “violinist analogy” asks: if you were kidnapped and hooked up to a famous violinist to keep him alive, do you have the obligation to remain connected? The point is to argue that no one has the right to use another’s body without consent.
At first glance, this seems persuasive. But here’s the crucial flaw: pregnancy is not like being hooked up to a stranger. It is the natural result of reproduction, and more importantly, it involves a parent and child—a relationship that carries unique moral obligations.
We do not compel strangers to give up kidneys. But we do compel parents to provide basic care, shelter, and sustenance to their children, even when it’s difficult or inconvenient. No parent is allowed to abandon their newborn on the grounds of bodily autonomy. Likewise, pregnancy is not about extraordinary donation (like giving up a kidney); it is about providing the basic, natural support that every parent owes their dependent child.
If we acknowledge these obligations after birth, it is not unreasonable to recognize them before birth as well.
5️⃣ Personhood and Consciousness: Flawed Standards
Another argument is that unless the fetus has consciousness or self-awareness, it lacks personhood and moral worth. But if consciousness is the marker of who counts as human, what do we do with newborns? What about people in temporary comas, or those with severe cognitive disabilities? Should their lives be forfeited because they lack certain mental faculties?
Some ethicists, like Peter Singer, argue for this radical consistency—suggesting that infanticide and euthanasia are morally acceptable in such cases. But mainstream society overwhelmingly rejects this chilling logic.
That rejection reveals something critical: we intuitively understand that human worth is not based on current capacity but on membership in the human family. Consciousness fluctuates, but humanity does not.
6️⃣ Socioeconomic and Emotional Hardship: Tragic and Real but Rare
Pregnancy can bring deep hardship—financial, emotional, and even medical. But hardship, no matter how real, does not justify ending a human life. We don’t permit parents to kill born children because raising them is hard. Instead, we offer adoption, support programs, and counseling—responses that show true compassion by caring for both mother and child.
There are rare, tragic cases—such as when a pregnancy directly threatens the mother’s life. These fall into the moral category of self-defense. Modern medicine works to save both lives if possible, and direct conflicts are thankfully rare. But this is the only scenario where the moral waters become genuinely murky.
7️⃣ The Life of the Mother: The Sole Consistent Exception
The one morally consistent exception is when a pregnancy directly and unavoidably threatens the mother’s life. In these rare cases, medical intervention may be necessary under the principle of self-defense. Even then, modern medicine typically works to save both lives if at all possible. Direct conflicts are extremely rare, and medical advancements continue to make them even less frequent.
The Core Question: Is It Human life & What Is The Unborn?
Everything boils down to these two foundational issues
Science—not philosophy or religion—answers these questions plainly. From the moment of fertilization, a distinct human organism exists, carrying its own unique DNA. This zygote meets all the basic criteria for life: it grows, responds to stimuli, metabolizes, and develops continuously through every stage of human life—from embryo to fetus to infant, toddler, teen, and adult.
We don’t say, “That’s not a human; it’s just an infant.” Likewise, we should not pretend “fetus” means anything other than a human being at a particular stage of growth.
Let’s be honest: no one hosts a “fetus shower.” Expectant mothers don’t say, “I can’t wait to meet my fetus.” We instinctively know the truth—and we adjust our language only when we seek to distance ourselves from that truth.
The Numbers: The Hard Truth
Many cling to the belief that abortion is rare and justified mainly in extreme cases. But statistics tell a sobering story.
The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research organization, reports:
- ~1% of abortions are due to rape.
- ~0.5% are due to incest.
- 3–4% are because of serious risks to the mother’s life or health.
That leaves 95%+ of abortions performed for elective reasons: financial concerns, career or education goals, or simply not wanting a child at that time.
Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, more than 63 million abortions have been performed in the United States—more than the population of the United Kingdom. Each year, 600,000–900,000 abortions occur in the U.S., the vast majority involving healthy mothers and healthy babies. Worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 73 million abortions happen annually, making up nearly 29% of all pregnancies.
This is not a rare procedure. It is widespread, routine—and overwhelmingly elective.
Open to Discussion About the 1%—But the Real Issue Is the 99%: Bodily Autonomy vs. Personal Responsibility
Even the most passionate pro-lifers are open to discussing the hard cases—the 1% involving rape, medical emergencies, and true tragedies. Those are heart-wrenching situations where compassion and care are paramount.
But let’s be honest: those rare cases aren’t what drive the abortion debate. What matters most—the elephant in the room—is the 99% of abortions that happen after consensual sex between healthy adults with healthy pregnancies.
Bodily autonomy matters—no question. But from the dawn of life itself, everyone has known one thing: sex makes babies. That’s biology 101, no matter how much we pretend otherwise. Birth control reduces risk but doesn’t erase it. When you choose to have sex, you are choosing to accept the possibility of creating life. And when that happens, it is staggering to suggest that the responsibility should shift to the child—a human being who, through no fault of their own, now exists.
We often hear, “Consenting to sex isn’t consenting to pregnancy.” But that’s like saying, “I didn’t mean to crash—I just chose to drive drunk.” Intent doesn’t erase responsibility. You may not have wanted the consequence, but you knowingly took the risk. And when human life is at stake, society rightly demands accountability.
That responsibility is simple and fundamental: if you create life, you owe that human being at least the most basic protection of all—life itself. Whether you raise the child or make an adoption plan, you fulfill your duty. Killing the child to escape the consequence doesn’t make you free; it makes an innocent person pay the ultimate price for your choices.
We’re ready—always—to discuss the tragic exceptions with compassion and seriousness. But let’s be clear-eyed: the real moral question is about the overwhelming majority of cases, where the choice was made, the risk was known, and a human life is now in the balance.
Are We Really Empowering Women?
True empowerment lifts people up without tearing others down. Abortion offers freedom at the cost of a child’s life. That’s not progress—that’s a tragic bargain. We’ve dressed it up with new language, but at its core, it echoes ancient patterns of sacrificing the innocent for personal benefit.
Do You Need to Be a Woman to Speak Out?
One common retort is, “You’re not a woman; you can’t have an opinion.” But moral truth is not limited by gender. I’m not Jewish, but I condemn the Holocaust. I’ve never been enslaved, but I denounce slavery. Injustice is injustice—no matter who points it out.
Conclusion: True Progress Respects All Human Life
Abortion is not ultimately about freedom—it’s about redefining who counts as human. History shows that whenever we let convenience, ability, or location decide who lives, we end up on the wrong side of justice.
We are often told abortion is a tragic necessity in cases where a mother’s life is at risk. But in truth, those rare situations don’t require us to kill—they require us to act to save. The baby must be delivered either way, and if the child tragically dies despite efforts to save both lives, that is heartbreak—not an abortion. Directly and intentionally killing the child, even in these cases, is not medicine. It’s a choice—and a needless one.
And in over 90% of cases, abortion isn’t even about tragedy—it’s about convenience, fear, or hardship. But difficulty does not justify death, especially in a world full of life-affirming alternatives.
True progress is not measured by expanding the list of those we are allowed to kill. It’s measured by affirming the dignity and worth of every human being—no matter how small, inconvenient, or dependent.
Until we do, abortion will remain a stark reminder of our deepest moral blind spots—one that future generations may well look back on with the same horror we now reserve for the injustices of the past.
“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” -Mahatma Gandhi
Side Note: Compassion Must Lead
This is not about downplaying the real pain and difficulty many women face. We need a society that provides real support—financial, emotional, and practical—so that no woman feels abortion is her only option. True compassion means caring for both mother and child, never sacrificing one for the other.
📞 Resources for Women Facing Unplanned Parenthood
Facing an unplanned pregnancy can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to know: you are not alone, and you are not without options. While abortion is often presented as the default choice, there are multiple alternatives that honor both your life and your child’s—and real support is available to help you through this.
Here’s an overview of what you can expect:
- Parenting Support: Many organizations offer free medical care, baby supplies, financial aid, housing assistance, and parenting classes to help you prepare if you choose to raise your child.
- Adoption Placement: If you’re unable or not ready to parent, adoption provides your child with a loving and stable future. Most hospitals work directly with adoption agencies that can arrange placement—sometimes even before you leave the hospital. Demand for newborn adoption is high, and your child will be welcomed into a prepared, waiting home.
- Safe Haven Laws: Every U.S. state has safe haven laws that allow you to safely and legally surrender your newborn at a hospital or other designated location—no questions asked—ensuring immediate care and protection.
The resources listed below connect you with compassionate professionals ready to walk with you through every step of this journey. While availability of certain services (like housing or long-term financial aid) may vary by location, hotlines and referral services are always ready to help you find the best local support.
Real empowerment comes from knowing all your options—and having the help you need to choose life with confidence and hope.
24/7 Hotlines and Immediate Support
Availability of in-person services may vary by location, but these hotlines are staffed 24/7 to provide immediate guidance and connect you to local help.
- Option Line (Heartbeat International)
24/7 pregnancy helpline (call or text 1-800-712-4357) offering confidential guidance, local referrals, and support for parenting, adoption, and abortion alternatives. - PROLIFE Across AMERICA Hotline
24-hour confidential counseling (1-800-366-7773) with referrals to local pregnancy centers, material aid, and adoption services. - Birthright International
24/7 hotline (1-800-550-4900) offering non-judgmental support, pregnancy tests, prenatal referrals, and personal counseling at nearly 300 U.S. locations. - Pregnancy Decision Line (Care Net)
Call 866-406-9327 for compassionate, confidential help discussing options and connecting to 1,200+ Care Net centers nationwide.
Material and Financial Assistance
While funding and resources depend on donations and local availability, these programs work quickly to provide essential aid like baby supplies, housing support, and financial assistance.
- Local Pregnancy Resource Centers
Free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, baby supplies, parenting classes, and help with medical care, housing, and more (search via Option Line or Care Net). - Catholic Charities USA
Material assistance (diapers, formula, baby gear), rent/housing support, prenatal care, and adoption services—available to anyone in need. - The Gabriel Project
Local volunteers provide baby supplies, rides, mentoring, and emotional support. Find help at local churches or visit regional sites like gabrielnetwork.org. - Let Them Live
Direct financial assistance for expectant mothers in crisis—covering rent, utilities, medical bills, and other essential needs.
Long-Term Support Programs
Space and availability may vary, but these programs offer ongoing support—like housing, job training, and parenting resources—to help mothers build stable, independent futures. Hotlines and local centers can help you navigate options and check availability in your area.
- Good Counsel Homes
Safe maternity homes offering housing, parenting classes, job training, daycare, and long-term support. Call 1-800-723-8331 for help. - Sisters of Life – Visitation Mission
Personalized assistance with housing, employment, legal help, baby supplies, and counseling. Call 1-877-777-1277 or text 212-203-8716. - Embrace Grace
12-week church-hosted support groups providing community, education, and practical help, including baby showers. - Bethany Christian Services
Free counseling and support for parenting or adoption planning. Call 1-800-BETHANY (1-800-238-4269). - Her PLAN
A national directory connecting women with housing, job training, financial aid, childcare, counseling, and more. - Standing With You (Students for Life)
Find local pregnancy help near colleges and universities, plus toolkits for pregnant/parenting students.
