The complex and highly sensitive subjects of murder and abortion have given rise to countless arguments, where the ethics of their nature have become subject of immense debate on many fronts. Both these subjects are debated on social, political and cultural fronts, where the morality and the core issue regarding their legality are of paramount concern. Numerous factions of society, such as the social and religious institutions have deemed both murder and abortion to be illegal, unjust and morally wrong. While, on the other hand, there exist many other factions that deem both murder and abortion to be ethical, and support it to be made legally permissible by the government. However, there exists intense confusion nonetheless with respect to the extent if murder and abortion is ethical or must be permissible legally. Abortion, in basic terms, indicates toward the elimination of a baby during a course of a pregnancy. With this respect, on different grounds, many consider abortion as amoral consider it to be murder of a budding life while some consider it to be just under certain circumstances.
This paper aims to argue the stand that abortion is not murder if the fetus termination is within three months of conceiving. To further debate on this proposed stand, the discussion of this paper will include a detailed explanation of both murder and abortion in distinctive aspect, for better understanding of these concepts. In addition, different side of argument would also be presented to review and justify the original stand.
Discussion
Meaning of Murder
Various sources define or subscribe meanings to murder differently. The Uniform crime Reporting (UCR) Program of the FBI defines murder as a non-negligent manslaughter as a willful killing of one human being by another. This classification of murder is based solely upon the results obtained from the police investigation and is not based upon the results of the medical examiner, coroner and the judicial body. This definition of murder also does not concern itself with the consideration of certain facts such as the situation and the causes behind the murder that includes suicide, homicide, attempted or assault to murder (www.fbi.gov).
Conversely, Kaspersson (2007) states that the legal concept of murder tends to vary with time and evidence based on the circumstance of the murder and the individuals involved. Moreover, the interpretation according to the law also tends to vary from country to country. Similarly, Ferguson et al (2003) professes murder to be a socially created phenomenon, where the reporting and classification of this act is greatly dependent upon the implied definition of the act. For example, a murder could be carried out to defend one's honor according to the norms of one culture. However, subscribing a uniformed definition or meaning to murder would considerably help in the assessment behind the reasons or causes of conducting such a heinous act.
Nonetheless, murder can be classified into three degrees, which are classified according to the brutality of the carried out ...