A common rumor used against pro-abortionists is the false accusation that abolitionists are hypocritical because they are unwilling to adopt unwanted babies who would otherwise be aborted. There are several reasons why this statement is wrong. In this article, we will look at the battle between adoption and abortion.
The state of things
Recent estimates indicate that there are approximately 800,000 or 900,000 abortions per year in the United States; however, adoptions are far lower at around 15,000 per year. There is clearly a strong disincentive in mothers' minds to carry a child to term and then give the baby to other guardians.
Common reasons given by women for choosing abortion over adoption include the belief that abortion is a cheaper option, the fear of others discovering the unplanned pregnancy, and the belief that abortion is a quicker and emotionally easier way to end an unplanned pregnancy.
Over the past few years, abortion and adoption rates have declined together. This suggests that women are not choosing between adoption and abortion, but rather between abortion and parenthood. A possible explanation is the increasing acceptance of unwed mothers in modern American society in modern times compared to past eras.
Coupled with the relative ease of access to abortions during the early stages of pregnancy, the reduced social stigma for single mothers makes adoption a less attractive option for many. On the one hand, mothers can safely kill the baby in the womb; on the other hand, mothers may pay a low social cost to raise their babies and raise them alone.
Therefore, adoption may be considered suboptimal, and the above reasons are likely to be cited by many mothers when weighing their options. The most powerful reason seems to be the emotional turmoil of carrying and delivering the baby, only to give the baby to other parents.
Why choose abortion over adoption?
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is a military psychiatrist who now specializes in helping people overcome the mental and spiritual challenges of being a victim of violent incidents such as bank robberies and school shootings.
In his book On Killing, Colonel Grossman makes the case that soldiers who are physically distant from their enemies or separated by screens—or even the hulls of ships and aircraft—are much less likely to suffer from guilt over taking their own lives. - late.
Those who see their enemies up close—such as those who may have to dispatch an enemy hand-to-hand or see their face through a scope—suffer more because they cannot ignore their enemy's humanity.
What does this have to do with adoption? Compared to asking a mother to kill a baby she has not seen, asking a mother to give a baby to others that she carried to term, gave birth to and saw up close is very difficult.
A prominent pro-life tactic over the years has been to pass laws requiring potential abortion clients to observe an ultrasound image and have a mandatory waiting period before making their decision.
While such laws fall far short of establishing equal justice for the unborn, the principle is sound. It is harder to kill a baby you have seen; watching one's victim makes it very difficult to pretend not to be human.
Once the mother sees her baby, it is unlikely that she will be able to easily give up that baby without going through a period of very severe grief and regret. In many states, adoption laws are written so that birth mothers are required to maintain custody of the child for a short time; after an adoption occurs, they have ten days to reverse their decision. This is no doubt a harrowing moment for adoptive parents for fear that the child will be returned to the birth mother.
Mothers' instincts and genuine attachment to their babies are hard to overcome; many women abhor the thought of giving a baby to someone else. The idea of aborting the child is more acceptable because all their lives abortion activists have told them that their baby is not a child at all—at least until the standard of "viability" is met.
Why Abortion?
Abortion is chosen by many mothers over adoption for several reasons.
As stated above, abortions often occur in the early stages of pregnancy because they allow the mother to keep her unwanted pregnancy a secret from her social circles. Women also fear the emotional upheaval of giving away the child, conjuring images of shadowy forces hiding with the baby against the mother's will. Some mothers may fear placing their child in a bad family or not having any say in who adopts their child.
Abortion is legal and often has no significant regulatory hurdles for the first trimester. There are groups of people who are ready to applaud abortion for any reason. Abortion is touted as a medically safe alternative and a less emotionally involved experience than adoption.
It's not terribly expensive. Abortion is seen as a "quick fix" - especially in the case of the Plan B pill or other abortifacient drugs, which allow the mother to console herself with the possibility that there was no baby at all and that the pill was just a precaution.
The truth
The truth is that abortion is not safe. It is not without emotional turmoil. This is not a confidential alternative.
Modern adoption laws put mothers in control of the process. Many adoptions are confidential in nature; agencies exist to help mothers conceal their pregnancies, including sheltering them and covering living, medical or other expenses.
Mothers are usually allowed to screen prospective families using the resources of the adoption agency assisting them. Adoption agencies bring a lot of experience to the expectant mother; they can offer a means of making an adoption happen with the birth mother's priorities highlighted by adopting an adoption plan.
Adoption can be an open or closed adoption; the first option keeps the "door open" to the participation of birth mothers in the child's life after the child is placed in an adoptive family.
Safety
A common lie in the abortion industry is that the abortion procedure is safe—sometimes even safer than childbirth. While childbirth is a traumatic event for mothers, it is also a natural function of the female body; giving birth, although painful and difficult, is what a women's body is meant to do.
Abortions, however, are what happen when something goes wrong. Abortion and miscarriage used to be more interchangeable terms, but due to the proliferation of elective abortion procedures, abortion now refers to a woman who intentionally kills her preborn child. Miscarriage, on the other hand, is a medical accident.
There are two main types of abortion: chemical and surgical. Chemical abortions are the most common and usually involve taking drugs that manipulate the natural hormones in a woman's reproductive system, making it a hostile environment for the preborn baby and depriving it of nutrients and other necessary materials.
The body then leaves the baby's body because it believes a miscarriage has occurred. Common side effects of chemical abortion are fever, abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, diarrhea, cramps, dizziness, headache, hot flashes, chills, and "mild lactation."
Less common and more serious side effects include infections, allergic reactions, and failure of the chemical to successfully kill the child. This would require a surgical abortion to "correct" the attempted chemical abortion.
Other effects indicate serious medical problems; for example, about 10 percent of women who choose chemical abortion suffer serious side effects, and approximately 20 percent of this group suffer life-threatening complications.
A surgical abortion is more invasive and involves the usual risks of any invasive surgery – such as infection or medical error. Additionally, specific risks include uterine puncture; bowel or bladder damage; accidental sterilization; hysterectomy to correct a serious problem from the procedure; incomplete removal of the baby's body, which requires a subsequent procedure; damage to the cervix by surgical instruments; and severe bleeding requiring medical intervention.
Emotional costs
It would be very difficult to give up a child once you have given birth to it, even in the case of an unexpected or unplanned pregnancy. A common lie in the abortion industry is that there are no lasting emotional effects that come from engaging their "quick fix" services.
Commonly reported psychological effects include depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, nightmares, eating disorders, and relationship problems. These consequences are often unpredictable. Sometimes they follow immediately after an abortion; sometimes they appear and persist years later.
Certain life events can cause the problems to reoccur. Women who have an abortion often fear that they won't be able to have children later - a fear that, unfortunately, is not unfounded.
Women who give their babies up for adoption can also have difficult feelings of grief and loss about that choice. In general, women who choose this path are less tormented by regret and unhappiness than abortive mothers because they take comfort in the knowledge that the child is happy and safe.
Having open adoptions also allows mothers to stay involved in their child's life. Other commonly reported feelings from birth mothers who give up a child for adoption are gratitude and relief.
Why adoption is better than abortion
There are a number of reasons why adoption—rather than abortion—should be the choice of any mother facing an unplanned pregnancy who does not believe she should raise her baby.
Moral Reason
The most obvious reason is the simple fact that abortion is murder. Acknowledging your baby's humanity is important. Humans have rights and are created in the image of God. Every child is precious to God and loved by Him.
Financial reason
Financial worries often lead expectant mothers to seek abortions. However, adoption is generally completely free for the expectant mother; in fact, there are financial incentives for expectant mothers who choose adoption. Scholarships are available.
Living and medical expenses are covered. Adoption agencies charge adoptees, not birth mothers, for their services – and adoption agencies have the ability to do their work confidentially.
Mother's priorities
Mothers control the adoption process. Adoptions are not final until certain waiting periods are over and the legal work is finalized. Until then, mothers retain full custody of their babies.
This is a testing period, but it is also a time when the mother has the right to consider her options and change her mind. Women who choose adoption are usually given information about who is adopting the child. They can also interview families or compare their living situations to give custody of their child to the most suitable families.
Open adoptions exist, allowing many birth mothers to remain involved in their child's life. Even in cases of closed adoptions, it is often possible for birth mothers to maintain contact with the adoptive family and watch the child grow.
Legal options
Adoption is a process that can begin at any time during pregnancy. The adoption process can be completed with or without the baby's father. State family laws generally grant full custody of the child to the mother if the biological parents are unmarried.
This reality gives mothers the right to choose adoption even if the baby's father does not share the same intention. In the case of legal minors, parental consent is also usually not necessary to give the baby up for adoption—although family members offering support for an unwanted pregnancy are usually a factor influencing the mother to keep her child and be a parent.
Medical reason
Adoption allows mothers to completely avoid the medical risks associated with abortion. Childbirth is also not without risk, but it is a natural process. With quality medical care provided to them free of charge, childbirth is far less risky than abortion.
Women who have opted for abortion in the past may wish to take a different path with subsequent pregnancies after experiencing the difficulties that come with abortion. Psychological problems are much less common as a result of adoption, resulting in fewer mental health crises.
The most common argument made by abortion activists is that abortion should be available at least to victims of rape or incest. However, adoption is a far better response to conception as a result of sexual abuse.
It allows mothers to put the baby out of reach of the perpetrator, removing the painful reminder of their assault in a way that also allows the child to live.
Another common fallacy is the argument that anti-abortion Christians are hypocrites because they are unwilling to adopt unwanted babies. However, Christians adopt babies at twice the rate of the general population, and many Christian parents look forward to the opportunity to adopt a child.
Choosing adoption over abortion will fulfill a family's dream of raising children, even if biological children are not available to them. Mothers with unwanted pregnancies can rest easy knowing that a family struggling to conceive will appreciate the gift of a child and care for him or her sacrificially.
Ask for help
If you have found your way to this article in search of resources to help you choose adoption or choose abortion, please do not hesitate to contact Save Life for assistance. We have connections in Bulgaria and all over the world; we can help you connect with a local church, adoption agency, or even prospective adopters.
Even in the most extreme circumstances, help is available for you. We love you and your baby – and so does God.
English 
Bulgarian