Abortion is one of the most contentious issues in society - there seems little hope in getting the pro-choice and pro-life sides to agree on anything at all. Some people are certain that abortion is necessary for women's freedom while others are equally certain that it is a form of murder. Reviewed here are some of the best recent books dealing with abortion as a philosophical, religious and legal matter.
Anti-abortion activism is the largest social protest movement since the 1960s anti-war demonstrations. Despite its size and power, however, it has failed to achieve its primary goal of making abortion once again illegal. They have certainly intimidated some abortion providers out of the profession, but otherwise the movement has become more symbolic rather than effective.
Why would anyone want to perform abortions in America today? Protesters march not only outside of clinics, but even outside of doctors' houses. Anyone who performs abortions even occasionally takes on serious personal risk - a person who peforms them regularly risks not only themselves, but also their families.
There are any number of divisive issues which cause problems in American politics, but the worst may be that of abortion. Although there has long existed the specter of violence in association with other debates, including the one on homosexuality, it has been a while since any has been afflicted with quite the level and organization of widespread violence around the entire country.
Why has the Roe v. Wade decision become so important in American history? Why has the debate on both sides of the abortion question become so intractable? What does this debate reveal about American history, society and politics? No one who observes the America can fail to notice the problems which accompany discussions about abortion - but do we really understand what is going on?
Abortion is one of the most divisive issues in modern US history, perhaps even more so than homosexuality. The sharp divisions cut through politics, religion and even families themselves. At times, it does not seem as though anything like a civil resolution to the conflict will happen anytime soon.
Abortion is rarely an easy choice to make - but if that is so, why do thousands of women each year continue to choose an abortion rather than birth? This can be a difficult question to answer, especially since the reasons can be as diverse as the women making those choices.
What was it like for perform abortions when it was illegal? What was it like for an atheist to resist the imposition of religious morality and follow his own conscience in trying to help women terminate unwanted pregnancies? One recent book reviews the life and career of Robert Spencer, a doctor who probably performed about 100,000 abortions in Ashland, Pennsylvania between 1919 and 1969.
What would life be like if abortion were illegal? Many women alive today have grown up in a world where abortion has been a safe and legal part of their medical landscape. For an entire generation, legal abortion has been something they can simply assume would be there for them, should they ever need it. What might be in store for them, however, if all of that were to change?
Family planning, contraception and abortion are all intimately related issues which are often subject to rancorous debates in modern society and international politics. According to conventional wisdom, traditional religious beliefs and institutions are opposed to all three. According to conventional wisdom, religion is inevitably anti-choice in such matters. What if conventional wisdom is wrong?
