Writing at Christian Post, pro-life lawyer and activist Kristi Burton Brown has written an article sharing “10 Reasons Not to Have an Abortion.”

Her article is a response to an article at a “parenting” website advocating several reasons for abortion. Being pro-life I find it both ironic and absurd that a website proclaiming to be all about parenting would advocate abortion; but I digress.

Burton-Brown has some excellent points on why women should not have an abortion. Here is her list with some of her thoughts. For the full article go here.

1) It compounds tragedy. Sometimes the circumstances surrounding a pregnancy are tragic. Perhaps the woman was raped. Maybe the baby has been diagnosed with a defect. Or the woman’s health might be at risk. However, one tragedy is not answered with another. We do not erase a rape by killing a child. We do not cure a baby by taking his life. And we do not avoid all health issues by avoiding the reality of another human being.

2) It takes innocent lives. Science could not be more clear. Unborn human beings are living, separate, and unique. From the moment of fertilization – better known as conception – a new human life is in existence. Ending this life is not ending “potential.” It is ending a life. We would do well to understand the modern science that reveals the humanity of the unborn. (Here is a scientific report, quotes from textbooks, photos, and a video.)

3) It violates civil rights. Civil rights are violated when people are deprived of their basic rights in a discriminatory fashion. Unborn children aredeprived of life – the most basic right of all – simply based on their location (their mother’s womb) and their developmental status. This is discriminatory, inhuman, and cruel.

4) It punishes innocent people. A child does not deserve to die for the crimes of his father. A five-year-old cannot be killed because his father is a rapist. A five-month-old unborn child should not be allowed to be killed for the same reason.

5) It can harm women. Real-life stories demonstrate again and again that abortion harms women. Harm comes in a variety of forms – mental, emotional, relational, and physical – and in some cases, women’s lives are lost through abortion. They can also experience the loss of their fertility or an increase in miscarriages after an abortion. To find out more, check out thisstudy, this paper, this compilation of stories, these experiences, and these stories.

6) It is damaging to relationships and families. Any time a family member dies, the rest of the family is affected. And this is true of abortion. A real, living, irreplaceable child has been killed, and the parents and siblings are damaged. Fathers attempting to stop abortions should read this article. Siblings who need a place to express their pain should go here. And for more information on how abortion damages relationships, read this and this. Many women who abort just to convince their guy to stay with them find that they are left alone anyway, shortly after the abortion. Abortion is never the answer to a successful and loving relationship.

7) It never goes away. No matter how hard we try, we can never erase what abortion does. Abortion takes – it kills – an innocent human being. Time does not erase murder or ease the reality of what it is. Abortion is a cruel tragedy, but it is also a choice that should never be made. Such a choice stays with us forever.

8) It creates new problems. Some people believe that having an abortion and ending a child’s life will solve their problems. And in the immediate present, it may appear that the problems have been erased. Perhaps college becomes an easier option, maybe parents never find out that their daughter was pregnant, or possibly an affair remains undiscovered. But in reality, abortion only hides problems – it doesn’t solve them. Many women finish college while still giving life to their babies. Many parents are far more accepting and loving than their daughters believed possible. And the truth is better than a lie, when a lie would cost an innocent person’s life.

9) It avoids responsibility. Abortion is sometimes used as an easy cover-up for a one-night stand or a solution to a relationship gone bad. However, when two adults make the choice to participate in an activity known to create babies, these adults must accept responsibility. Contraception can fail. The best planning can fall apart. But responsibility should not be avoided at the cost of an innocent child’s life.

10) It’s not empowering or liberating for women. As a woman who considers herself a feminist, I find it appalling that abortion is classified as part of “women’s rights.” It is not my “right” to kill my child. I should not be the only person who has the power to order my child’s execution at the hand of an abortion doctor. Letting my child suffer a death in which her spine is sucked into a tube or her limbs are torn apart or her heart is stopped through poison is not empowering or liberating. These choices ought not to be choices at all. They are cruel tragedies for all involved, and they should not be permitted in a civilized nation. Women do not receive freedom through the blood of their children.

All women should understand exactly what abortion is.