The Neverending Debate
Abortion continues to be one of the most controversial topics out there. It doesn't matter from which perspective it is being discussed, opinions about abortion are always contrasting and explosive. I think the only perspective where the consensus aligns is in that of religion. Any deviation from that, and it's a never-ending argument for and against abortion all day long.
In terms of religion, the directive is simple: thou shalt not kill. So anyone who encourages or gets involved in abortion is considered a killer. However, has that stopped religious folks from getting an abortion? The simple answer to that is a big, fat NO. I mean, church folks abort pregnancy. It may be against their faith, but we are humans first before any religious affiliations. So, decisions about abortion are taken from the human perspective when considering the possible fallout of keeping the baby.
The moral perspective follows closely the religious perspective. Morally, most people detest abortion as it goes against everything morality stands for. It all still revolves around the idea that abortion is simply the killing of a harmless life in cold blood. It makes out to be some sort of monster.
Now, the two perspectives are wonderful, but I believe they are hypocritical. Legally, the battle for and against abortion is at its fiercest. In advanced countries, it's gotten to a point where citizens have to vote on maybe abortion should be declared legal or not. In the United States, it's absolutely legal in some states, while others rule abortion to be illegal. That is the level at which it divides opinion.
Personally, I think abortion should be discussed and treated, putting in perspective the conditions surrounding it and the possible fallout if the baby is born. To start with, I have more than enough examples of how people ruined their adult lives by birthing too many kids. Living in one of the most populous and poorest nations on earth, it's easy to see that some people would've fared better if they had fewer kids than they have.
Recently, I was discussing with my cousin about a person who has seven kids. Though some of the kids are grownups now, the quality of life they lived as kids and their present financial position as adults is a prove that birthing too many kids is not something a poor man should engage in. I could remember a time when the wife was pregnant with the fifth child, and relatives lashed out at her for getting pregnant despite struggling with the husband to raise four kids. Her response was, "Ọlọrun ló ní ṣọmọ."
Well, she birthed twins and was pregnant again in less than a year. Nowadays, the husband is around 60 and still struggling with life; they give their kids whatever food comes their way and can't afford quality primary and secondary education for them. They could've avoided that if the wife had aborted the fifth pregnancy and put a full stop to childbirth right there, but religious and moral nonsense continues to trick people into family ventures they can't sustain.
Or, would one rather a lady who got pregnant from terrible situations such as incest or rape keep the pregnancy simply because the child is innocent? Look, there are cases of rape victims who got pregnant, kept it, and the child turned out good later in life. There are also cases like that whereby the child from such terrible situations grew up under the weight of it and couldn't escape the emotional and psychological punishment that comes with it. They became rebellious and ruined themselves in an attempt to flash a middle finger at the world for what they represent.
In conclusion, I am not in total support of abortion, especially when it is avoidable. However, if it offers a path to solve a difficult problem, so be it. The economic condition of the country is already harsh for the common man. If abortion provides a solution to avoid heaping more problems in the name of birthing more children, it's welcome as long as it doesn't endanger the woman. These days, men are abandoning their families once their wives decide to keep an unwanted pregnancy, especially when they already have 2 to 3 kids. Look, wisdom is profitable to direct.
