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Questions Pro-Choice Advocates Can’t Answer: Unresolved Tensions in the Abortion Debate
The pro-choice movement champions bodily autonomy and women’s rights, framing abortion as a personal decision free from interference. With millions of abortions yearly—63 million in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade (1973), per Guttmacher Institute—it’s a stance with real weight. But beneath the slogans lie questions that defy easy answers—about life’s start, rights’ balance, and moral consistency. On March 25, 2025, as we reflect on justice and humanity, here are ten questions pro-choice advocates can wrestle with but can’t fully resolve without dodging or deferring. These aren’t gotchas—they’re probes. Can you answer them without tripping over your own logic?
1. If Life Doesn’t Begin at Conception, When Does It Start—and Why There?
Science says a zygote’s DNA is unique, human, and alive—46 chromosomes kick off at fertilization (Moore, The Developing Human, 2015). Pro-choice folks often pivot— “it’s not a person yet”—but where’s the line? Viability (~24 weeks)? Heartbeat (6 weeks)? Birth? Each shift’s arbitrary—why’s 23 weeks less human than 25? Psalm 139:13—“You knit me together in my mother’s womb”—nails life’s start. What’s your marker, and what makes it stick?
2. Why Does a Fetus Have No Rights When Its DNA Is Fully Human?
A fetus has its own genetic code, blood type, potential fingerprints—distinct from mom (Sadler, Langman’s Medical Embryology, 2019). Pro-choice says her body trumps, but why’s a human organism with unique traits not a rights-bearer? If a drunk driver kills a pregnant woman, it’s double homicide (e.g., U.S. Unborn Victims of Violence Act, 2004). How’s that human in law but not in abortion?
3. How Can Abortion Be a ‘Right’ If It Ends Another’s Existence?
Bodily autonomy’s the rally cry—“my body, my choice.” But abortion stops a beating heart—50% of U.S. abortions occur post-6 weeks (Guttmacher, 2021). If rights clash—mother’s vs. fetus’s—why’s hers absolute? “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13) weighs both lives. How do you justify one’s death as another’s liberty?
4. Why Is Viability a Cutoff When It Depends on Technology, Not Biology?
Pro-choice leans on viability—Roe’s old peg, now ~24 weeks with NICU tech. In 1973, it was 28 weeks; in 1900, none survived pre-term. If personhood hinges on machines, not inherent traits, why’s a 23-week fetus in 2025 “human” but not in 1925? Jeremiah 1:5—“Before I formed you… I knew you”—grounds worth in being, not tech. What’s your fixed point?
5. How Do You Square Abortion With the Hippocratic Oath’s ‘Do No Harm’?
Doctors swear to heal, yet abortion ends life—1.5 million U.S. abortions yearly (Guttmacher, 2023 estimate). A fetus isn’t a tumor—it’s a developing human (ACOG, fetal development stages). If harm’s the metric, how’s terminating a healthy pregnancy not a breach? “Love your neighbor” (Matthew 22:39) includes the unborn—where’s the ethics fit?
6. Why Allow Abortion for Convenience but Not Infanticide?
Roughly 90% of U.S. abortions cite social or economic reasons— “not ready” (AGI, 2005 survey). If a newborn’s a burden too, why’s killing it murder but a 20-week fetus fair game? Both breathe (lungs or placenta), both depend. “Suffer the little children” (Matthew 19:14)—how’s timing the moral pivot?
7. How Can You Deny Fetal Pain When Science Suggests It’s Real?
Studies show fetuses react to stimuli by 20 weeks—pain pathways form earlier (Derbyshire, BJOG, 2006). Pro-choice dismisses it—“not conscious”—but preterm babies get anesthesia in surgery (AAP, 2016). If a 24-week fetus flinches, how’s it less human than a newborn? “I praise You, for I am fearfully made” (Psalm 139:14)—why ignore the signs?
8. Why’s a Woman’s Choice Absolute but a Man’s Role Ignored?
Pro-choice exalts autonomy—her call, her body. But conception’s a duo—dad’s DNA’s half the mix. If he wants the child but she aborts, his voice is nil—yet he’s liable for child support if she keeps it (U.S. family law). How’s that equal rights? Genesis 1:27—“male and female He created them”—balances both. Where’s his say?
9. How Do You Justify Late-Term Abortions When the Fetus Could Survive Outside?
At 24 weeks, survival’s 50%+ with care (Rysavy, NEJM, 2015)—yet late-term abortions (1.3% of total, Guttmacher) still happen, often for “health” vaguely defined (Doe v. Bolton, 1973). If it’s a “clump of cells,” why’s it viable? Luke 1:41—“the baby leaped in her womb”—sees life early. What’s the cutoff logic?
10. If Abortion’s Not Murder, Why Does It Haunt So Many Women?
Post-abortion trauma’s real—40% report guilt, depression (Coleman, Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2011). If it’s just tissue, why the grief? Pro-choice says “stigma,” but why’s regret so raw? “Godly sorrow brings repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10)—conscience whispers truth. How do you explain the weight?
The Challenge
Pro-choice might counter—“it’s complex” or “science isn’t morality.” But these questions cut deeper—life’s start, rights’ clash, ethics’ core. On March 25, 2025, as Lent calls us to justice, “Test everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) probes both sides. Christianity’s got a stance—life’s sacred from conception (Jeremiah 1:5). Pro-choice? Slippery slopes and shrugs. Can you answer these without dodging the unborn’s cry? Share your take—I’m listening.
Sources:
- Moore, Keith L. The Developing Human. 2015.
- Sadler, T.W. Langman’s Medical Embryology. 2019.
- Guttmacher Institute. Abortion Statistics. 2021-2023.
- Derbyshire, S.W.G. BJOG. 2006.
- Rysavy, M.A. New England Journal of Medicine. 2015.
- Coleman, P.K. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2011.
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 2016 Guidelines.
- Bible (RSV): Psalm 139:13-14, Jeremiah 1:5, Matthew 19:14, etc.
This post poses ten questions challenging pro-choice logic, using science, ethics, and scripture to highlight unresolved issues.
