29. “What about a woman whose life is threatened by pregnancy or childbirth?”
a. It is an extremely rare case when abortion is required to save the mother’s life.
b. When two lives are threatened and only one can be saved, doctors must always save that life.
c. Abortion for the mother’s life and abortion for the mother’s health are usually not the same issue.
d. Abortion to save the mother’s life was legal before convenience abortion was legalized and would continue to be if abortion were made illegal again.
This is an incredibly difficult and emotional situation, and no one should be insensitive to the immense fear and pressure a woman may feel in such circumstances. It’s important to acknowledge that these cases are rare, but when they do arise, medical professionals must prioritize saving lives wherever possible. If the life of the mother is truly in danger, doctors will act to save her life, and in many cases, advances in medical science have allowed for interventions that protect both the mother and child.
That said, we should differentiate between life-threatening situations and those where the health of the mother is at risk in a non-life-threatening way. Abortion for convenience or out of fear should not be conflated with those extremely rare instances when a mother's life is truly at risk. In cases where only one life can be saved, doctors should focus on doing what is medically necessary to preserve life, with compassion and care for both the mother and the unborn child.
30. “What about a woman whose unborn baby is diagnosed as deformed or handicapped?”
a. The doctor’s diagnosis is sometimes wrong.
b. The child’s deformity is often minor.
c. Medical tests for deformity may cause as many problems as they detect.
d. Handicapped children are often happy, always precious, and usually delighted to be alive.
e. Handicapped children are not social liabilities, and bright and “normal” people are not always social assets.
f. Using dehumanizing language may change our thinking, but not the child’s nature or value.
g. Our society is hypocritical in its attitude toward handicapped children.
h. The adverse psychological effects of abortion are significantly more traumatic for those who abort because of deformity.
i. The arguments for killing a handicapped unborn child are valid only if they also apply to killing born people who are handicapped.
j. Abortions due to probably handicaps rob the world of unique human beings who would significantly contribute to society.
k. Abortions due to imperfections have no logical stopping place; they will lead to designer babies, commercial products to be bred and marketed, leaving other people to be regarded as inferior and disposable.
What about a woman whose unborn baby is diagnosed as deformed or handicapped?
It’s completely natural for parents to experience fear, grief, or uncertainty when they receive a diagnosis that their unborn child may have a deformity or handicap. These emotions are valid, and no one should ever diminish the weight of such news. However, it’s also important to recognize that medical diagnoses can sometimes be wrong or incomplete, and that many children born with disabilities go on to live full, happy lives.
Every child, regardless of their abilities or limitations, has inherent value and potential. It’s easy for society to see physical or mental challenges as obstacles to happiness or fulfillment, but many parents of children with disabilities will testify that their children bring unique joy and love into the world. Rather than focusing on perceived limitations, we should focus on the possibilities for these children. Life, even with its imperfections, is a precious gift.
When we allow ourselves to decide who is worthy of life based on physical or mental health, we set a dangerous precedent. Aborting children because of potential disabilities opens the door to a society that devalues anyone who doesn’t meet certain standards of perfection. What starts as a justification for terminating pregnancies due to deformities or handicaps could lead us down a path where we treat people as disposable commodities based on their traits.
Every human being, regardless of their health, is valuable, unique, and irreplaceable. It is our responsibility to cherish and protect life in all its forms, even when it looks different from what we expected.
31. “What about a woman who is pregnant due to rape or incest?”
a. Pregnancy due to rape is extremely rare, and with proper treatment can be prevented.
b. Rape is never the fault of the child; the guilty party, not an innocent party, should be punished.
c. The violence of abortion parallels the violence of rate.
d. Abortion does not bring healing to a rape victim.
e. A child is a child regardless of the circumstances of his conception.
f. What about already-born people who are “products of rape”?
g. All that is true of children conceived in rape is true of those conceived in incest.
Rape and incest are horrific crimes, and the women who endure them deserve our deepest compassion and support. No one should ever downplay the trauma these women experience. However, the question we must ask is this: Does the innocent child, conceived through such tragic circumstances, deserve to pay the ultimate price for the crime committed? The violence of rape is not undone by the violence of abortion.
Many women who have chosen to carry children conceived in rape have found healing and strength in giving life to their child. It’s important to remember that a child is still a child, regardless of how they were conceived. Abortion may seem like an immediate solution, but it doesn’t erase the pain or trauma of the assault. In fact, many women experience further emotional and psychological harm after abortion, compounding their trauma.
Instead of seeing abortion as the answer, we should focus on providing support, counseling, and resources to help women heal from their trauma and make decisions that are best for both themselves and their unborn child. It’s also worth considering that many people who were conceived in rape or incest have gone on to live meaningful and valuable lives. Their lives matter, just as much as the lives of any other person.
Final Thoughts on the Hard Cases:
1. No adverse circumstance for one human being changes the nature and worth of another human being.
2. Laws must not be built on exceptional cases.
These are not easy questions, and there is no denying the pain and complexity involved. But difficult circumstances do not change the value and worth of human life. Each life—no matter how it begins or what challenges it may face—has inherent dignity. When we base our laws and decisions on these hard cases, we run the risk of undermining the broader principle that all life is precious and worth protecting.
Our compassion for women in these situations should motivate us to provide support, resources, and care—not to deny the humanity of the unborn. Instead of choosing one life over another, we must look for ways to respect and honor both, trusting that life, even when difficult, is always worth protecting.
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