Final Blog Post

In the movie Dogma, much controversy is raised in regards to various religions. Almost every religion can find this movie offensive in some way. The movie follows Bethany, an abortion clinic worker, who is asked to travel to a church in New Jersey, to save the human race from two fallen angels who are trying to reenter heaven. Throughout the movie prophets help her on her journey. Although this movie presents many controversies that may disturb many viewers, the issue of abortion is a prominent subject. The main character works for an abortion clinic that is constantly being protested against. When she is called upon to make this journey to help save humanity she is quite hesitant because she doesn’t think she is the right person for the job. The concept of abortion has been a controversial topic in the Christian faith. The controversy is centered on whether someone is pro-life or pro-choice. Those who choose to be pro-life are against abortion and most other topics related to it. Those who are pro-choice think that it is a woman’s right to choose what happens with her body in regards to pregnancy and abortion. This issue has become an important topic of conversation in the political world because of the recent development of stem-cell research. This issue has had many arguments made against it from the Christian faith, which says that this practice can be seen as immoral and against the Bible. In 1973, the Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade, legalized the right for women to choose to have a safe abortion. In this case, it was ruled that during the first trimester the state couldn’t restrict a woman’s right to an abortion. During her second trimester, the state can regulate a woman’s ability to have an abortion if the procedure is hazardous to her health. In the third trimester, the state has permission to restrict a woman’s right to have an abortion to ensure the woman’s safety. People who oppose this case claim that life begins at conception and this life should be protected by the Constitution. Even after this case passed the Supreme Court, there was still a lot of controversy that surrounded this issue. After this case the Roe Effect became well known as a thesis that stated the long-term effects of abortion on the political balance of the United States. This thesis states that the practice of abortion will eventually lead to the ultimate restriction of abortion. It has been shown that political candidates who oppose abortion will have more supporters in the long run than those candidates who support abortion. In the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, this case wished to overturn the ruling of Roe v. Wade. In this case, the Pennsylvania legislature changed its control law. They added necessities such as requiring informed consent and a 24-hour waiting period before the procedure. The media doesn’t always portray abortion in a positive way. For instance, shows like Teen Mom don’t provide examples of abortion being a suitable option for an unplanned pregnancy. Although this could be because they don’t want to raise too much controversy, I think this option should be included in the show because many teens that become pregnant choose abortion instead of becoming a mother. Many people still oppose abortion in general because they see it as being against the teachings of the Bible. I am very pro-life. I think that life begins at conception and that abortion is against the Bible. I think there are alternatives to having an abortion including adoption. There are always couples looking to adopt a baby because of their inability to conceive a child of their own, and an unplanned pregnancy could provide them with a child. Although I am pro-life there are instances where abortion can be justified. In the case of rape, in my opinion, no woman should be forced to raise her rapist’s child, although there are always alternatives to abortion. I also think that if the pregnancy is harmful or life threatening to the mother, abortion could be justified in this case. Abortion can lead to various health problems that are both physical and psychological. Women who have abortions feel more guilt for the loss of their child than women who have miscarriages because it was a choice that they made. Abortions cause many health complications. These health complications include death, breast, ovarian and liver cancer. These chances of these complications increase drastically after an abortion. The risk of breast cancer doubles after one abortion. Having an abortion increases the risk of having a handicapped child in a later pregnancy. Because of these great risks, not only is abortion against the teachings of the Bible, it is harmful and possibly fatal. Having an abortion can also result in psychological risks such as extreme guilt and depression after the choice has been made. Many women who choose abortion question this decision because they may believe that they ended their child’s life out of selfish desires.