The BBC article, "Clashes over Peru abortion move", reminded me of the surprising facts, but even more so of the sensible warnings that Stephen Levitt makes in his essay, "Where have all the criminals gone?".
The article, which was published a few days ago in the "Americas" section, is about the current move by Peru's government to free up that countries old abortion laws so that women who want one can more easily have a safe and legal abortion. As is often the case, the issue is very controversial, with large groups arguing and protesting for and against the new legislation. As the BBC report notes, the main opposition to allowing safe, legal abortion is being led by religions, specifically, the Christians, and more specifically, by the Catholic Church, whose national leader, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, 'has described it as a "death penalty" ' (2009, ¶ 10). Those on the other side see it as an issue where the pregnant woman has a right to make the decision, which is a right that the state may not morally ban or interfere in.
I think that the controversy is nothing new. Arguments about the morality of abortion usually end up this way, with religious groups in one side and those who favour morality and justice on the other. One thing that I thought was interesting is how this controversy gives a good example of why we cannot rely on religions for moral guidance: religions often teach things that are immoral. On the abortion question, exactly the same immorality still exists in Thai law, where abortion is largely illegal. A move to legalise abortion in Thailand was defeated in the 1980s, again, mainly because of religious objection, this time from Buddhist leaders, who argued that Buddhism opposed abortion. As a result, many, many Thai women, especially teenagers, have had their lives seriously damaged by being forced to have babies that did not want, could not properly care for and whose lives are unlikely to be very successful, happy or good for Thai society. And Buddhism seems to be directly responsible for this ongoing evil in Thai law!
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References
Clashes over Peru abortion move. (2009, October 21). BBC News. Retrieved October 26, 2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8318119.stm
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