Abortion – choice and responsibility
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Abortion – choice and responsibility
A woman's body is her own.
The abortion debate is a topic that deserves more honesty and openness if it is to bring to light the responsibility we have in making decisions as women that are honouring of ourselves and our circumstances.
"Women need to understand life through their bodies because they are constantly working out life through their bodies."
Serge Benhayon Esoteric Teachings and Revelations Pg 523
There is a huge amount of shame and guilt that women take on around abortion. Society, religion and culture seem to have placed it in the 'sin bin' so that even if a woman knows that an abortion is the right choice for her, she can still feel the weight, pressure and judgement of the world upon her for her decision, not to mention the even harsher reality of a woman’s judgment on herself around abortion.
Having an Abortion: the Weight of Guilt and Shame
I fell pregnant at age 20 while not being in a position to have a baby and knowing that it certainly wasn't the right time in any sense. I made the decision to terminate the pregnancy. After the event, I was very emotional and went through a pretty rough patch. In hindsight, now I realise that I was so heavily burdened with the ideals of society, believing that I had done a 'bad thing'. And I can clearly see now that I was just honouring the context and situation where I was at and what I needed. How many women fall prey to these ideals and beliefs and carry a lifelong weight of shame around this issue?
There are many reasons why continuing with a pregnancy may not be the right choice for a woman. Whilst being educated and assuming responsibility is important, whatever the reason why continuing with a pregnancy may not be right for a woman, she needs to be able to make her own reproductive health choice in any circumstance.
The abortion debate tends to revolve around two groups, Pro-choice & Pro-life. ‘Pro-life’ groups see an abortion decision as selfish and one that is 'intentionally causing harm'.
The use of contraception is a responsibility one must consider when being sexually active. The ramifications of disregard and irresponsibility are potentially great with an unwanted/unplanned pregnancy being the result for so many. In an ideal world, we would all be very aware of this and take steps to ensure this is taken care of. However, in reality the situation for every woman is different and is often unpredictable – as well, apart from abstinence, no contraception method can be 100% guaranteed. We are all learning our way through life... learning about our responsibilities, our integrity and our bodies.
- Nearly half of all pregnancies among US women are unintended, and four in 10 of those end in abortion.
- About 61% of abortions occur among women who have had at least one child
- 54% of women who have an abortion were using a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. [i]
Therefore, unplanned pregnancy is a reality ... and a responsibility of the woman AND the man involved.
Yet being that pregnancy occurs in the woman's body, we need to give that woman the space to be able to assess for herself her responsibilities and her integrity to make a decision that holds true to her present situation, rather than her feeling at the mercy of the ideals and beliefs around this topic that may influence her decision and therefore cloud her inner knowing.
"We must let go of all those belief systems and values that feed the mind into believing what we are told rather than knowing what is truth from the impulses that live within the inner-most of every being."
Serge Benhayon Esoteric and Exoteric Philosophy 'The Sayings' Pg 203
‘Pro-choice’ is the other arm of this debate. This group is of the opinion that every woman should have the right to her reproductive health and therefore be able to choose whether or not she has an abortion. It is here in this debate that there lies the suggestion of either right or wrong, from whichever perspective you look.
Where are we considering the woman within this debate?
Whilst the abortion debate continues, women are still choosing to terminate their pregnancies and they are still taking on the weight of their decision according to the heavy ideals and beliefs about the rightness or wrongness of their choice.
Let's just step back for a minute and remember that we have a living, breathing woman who is potentially doing the best she can with whatever situation she is in to make a responsible choice for herself and others. Why are we debating again?
When a woman makes a decision to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, she is exercising an enormous amount of responsibility – and with that a regard for herself that is holding others in her heart ... and not the other way around.
As was my experience, my choice came from a deep consideration about my responsibility as a woman. I had to look at myself and my life and ask whether I was truly ready to receive and nurture a baby. The only harm I would have caused at this point would have been if I had disregarded what I felt was right at the time for all involved.
"A true truth Constellates with all And thus, leaves no one in a lesser state."
Serge Benhayon Esoteric & Exoteric Philosophy, ed 1, p 280
Have you ever been on the verge of doing something caring for yourself, and then been stopped in your tracks when you heard that little voice – the one that says: “You are being selfish!” – See more at: self-care-is-not-selfish
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Filed under
Pregnancy, Abortion, Contraception
