Religious views on abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religious views on abortion - Essay Example There are differing opinions about the issue among various denominations and religions. A survey done by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life has shown the statistics behind these differing opinions. In the debate concerning legalizing abortion, the general consensus among most religions is that there should be a restriction on abortion. It was found that 68% of evangelical Protestants think that abortion should not be allowed. It was also found that only about 43% of Catholics believe that abortion should be illegal. (Geoffrey, 1996) Generally speaking Buddhists strongly believe that abortion is immoral and incorrect. This is because their religion is founded on the sanctity and respect for life. There must be a respect for their five ethical guidelines. One of them discourages the destruction of life. The religion believes that there should be a high regard of all beings that have life in them. There is a non violence belief that must not be violated by all Buddhists. The other main reason why abortion is strongly opposed in Buddhism is due to a special ceremony performed by its adherents. It is called Mizuko Kuyo. This ceremony is a service designed for victims of abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths. Here, parents of the dead visit a shrine and perform this ceremony with the main intention of gaining reassurance, appeasing the spirit of the dead fetus and to grief for their dead. This ceremony is usually conducted in a specific way. The ceremony was started about thirty years ago when unavoidable circumstances forced individuals to perform abortions. It was founded on the belief that those souls who died in the process of abortion would cause retribution after the mistreatment they faced from their parents. (James, 1998) It should however be noted that there are special circumstances when it can be considered okay for mothers to abort. This was stated by one of their well known leaders; Tenzin Gyatso. This leader believes that if the fetus will grow up to be mentally retarded and if there is a danger of the parent's death during child birth, then it can be considered permissible for an abortion to occur. Just like any other religion, all Buddhists do not share the same view on this controversial topic. There are conservatives and liberalists. Those who are more tolerant believe that abortions can be done only under special circumstances. But majorities do not support it at all. (James, 1998) Hinduism and abortion The Hindu religion has a no-tolerance view on abortion. This is because they adhere to the belief that life begins at inception. They classify abortion as a sin; it is a form of murder and causes souls of the unborn to be hindered from normal progress in the journey of life. This concept was emphasized by one of their gods called Chiranjeevin. This god performed an abortion and was cursed by another god Krishna to suffer eternally. (James, 1999) Because to every rule there is an exception, there is a low level of tolerance fro the practice. This is due to the fact that there is a general preference for male children in the Hindu culture. Consequently, mothers who find out that they are