Society for Sacred Sexuality

Crystal · New Contributor Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 1

I've been researching the effects of abortion on a three-fold level (physical, mental, spiritual). Obviously there are a number of factors depending on the conditions of each individual, though does anyone have thoughts about whether or not women are effected spiritually after undergoing the abortion procedure?

Crystal

Gary Joseph · Posted: May 25, 2008

Hi Crystal,

I'd be interested to hear what you've found in your research (and also your experience, if you've had an abortion and feel to share). Obviously I can't speak as a woman about this, so I can only offer some objective insights. Also, I plan to include an abortion discussion in a later lesson, and will research the issue myself, as I'm by no means an expert on the subject.

That said, I would make the following points:

There is no doubt that abortion is a profound procedure that should not be taken lightly. It should be carried out only after deep and careful consideration by the woman, and also her partner. We should all work together to reduce and minimize the number of abortions.

But the debate and concern (including those you mention) over abortion has been needlessly and wrongly made into a grave moral issue on account of a simple error of fact.

The error is that abortion 'kills' life. The truth is that life cannot be killed. The soul, which is life, is not killed when the body - whether fetal or otherwise - is killed. Conversely, the body is never alive to begin with - it is only animated by the soul - therefore it cannot be killed.

Even if you want to call separating the soul from the body 'killing', it does not apply in the case of abortion. The incoming soul does not begin entering the fetal body until the seventh month, long after any abortion would be performed.

The only real case you can make is that abortion changes the course of life that has been set in motion. But the same can be said about every choice you make in life -- indeed, that is what life is about, making conscious choices. Therefore, if a woman opts for abortion because she doesn't feel capable of raising & caring for a child, or for some other reason, than that choice is for the best overall course of life. A woman should be free to make that choice, after careful consideration.

As I said, the mental and spiritual effect on the woman is strongly influenced by her perception of abortion. If she firmly believes, as some groups promote, that she is killing a life, then she is likely to be wracked by guilt and shame. But if she sees it for what it is - a choice for the best overall course in life - then the abortion choice remains what it truly is, an important decision that should be made after due consideration.

As for the physical effects, aside from individual conditions as you mentioned, I think they'd be impacted by the type and quality of the abortion procedure. Obviously, the less invasive and the more humane the procedure, the less traumatic will be the physical impact. Some natural systems of medicine have herbal formulas for inducing abortion. These are likely ideal, but I'm not qualified to recommend anything in this area.

The woman might also consider some sort of ritual, prayer, or meditation designed to connect with the soul-to-be and help it along its way.

I realize abortion is a touchy subject for a lot of people, and that emotions regarding it run high. But I think it's that way due to the misconception about killing noted above. I hope that in light of the real truth of what abortion is, more even-minded & open-hearted choices can be made.

Obviously, the best choice in most situations is to let the natural course of life that has begun play out. But sometimes, life gives us extenuating circumstances in which the best course for life - the life of the mother, the family, or even the baby in the case of serious health concerns detected in the womb - is to choose to terminate the pregnancy. Seen this way, every choice is 'pro life', and should be the free choice of those concerned.

Make no mistake, sacred sex (and the Society for Sacred Sexuality) holds that life is sacred and should be promoted in all ways. But sacred sex recognizes that it is the life of the soul, not the body, that is of paramount value and importance. And there may be situations in which the welfare and progress of the soul is better served by not trapping it in a body that faces severe physical (as in the case of defects), emotional (as in the case of undesired conception, including that resulting from sexual violence or abuse), sociological (as in the case of parents being financially or otherwise incapable of providing a supportive environment), or other challenges that will lead to a difficult life. The better choice may be to let the soul move on to a better existence.

Of course, some parents may see such challenges as opportunities to the strengthen the souls of all involved, and therefore choose to allow such pregnancies to continue. That is perfectly legitimate and valid, but it is a choice for each family to make themselves.

I hope this brings some clarity to this difficult issue and I am interested in your response to this. I also encourage other women to contribute to this discussion, whether they've had an abortion or not.