ABORTION AND THEOLOGY – AN IMPOSSIBLE CONCILIATION?
ABORTION AND THEOLOGY – AN IMPOSSIBLE CONCILIATION?

Summary/Abstract: Abortion has been the subject of intense debates over the years. Both the opponents and the sustainers of abortion have brought strong arguments in favor of their opinions. Because the abortion problem unveils important issues, such as the origin and the meaning of life, it was intensely analyzed by theologians. The theological doctrines usually forbid abortion, because human beings are considered to be alive since the moment of conception. Therefore, it is important to find out whether it is possible to reach conciliation between abortion and theology. Because religion has an important influence over people’s lives, religious view on abortion should be based not only on abstract principles, but also on the necessity to solve real-life problems; otherwise, people may suffer. The most important theological argument that promotes abortion claims that abortion must be allowed, in certain circumstances, because reality shows that, sometimes, abortion is needed. For example, these situations when abortion must be done are those when the pregnant woman faced severe economic or social problems, or when the pregnancy was the result of the rape. In these cases, if it was born, the child would suffer on financial or emotional ground, and also the mother would have a heavier life. This entitles us to say that conciliation between abortion and theology can be achieved if theology understands that, sometimes, to allow abortion means to express a form of compassion.

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