Approaching the Abortion Issue

Matthew Deihl

Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Langston, Douglas

Keywords

Stanley Hauerwas, Christian Ethics, Abortion Issue

Area of Concentration

Humanities

Abstract

This thesis focuses on Christianity�s traditional approach to the abortion issue, and how Christians may overcome the obstacles they face trying to promote their position in a secular, pluralistic society. Stanley Hauerwas claims that abortion is a religious issue that Christians address by living alternatively to the rest of society and by welcoming children into the world as a �gift from God.� Jeffrey Stout claims that Hauerwas�s traditionalism borders on sectarianism, but I disagree. Stout rightly points out that Christians must live in the world and participate in discussions with wider society, but he is wrong to suggest pragmatic democracy allows Christians to do this. Stanley Hauerwas more accurately claims that Christians participate in the public arena without compromising their faith by welcoming strangers and their children, but he does not provide motivation for non-Christians to accept Christian hospitality. I use Gilbert Meilaender�s concept of the Christian capacity for sympathy as a way of enduring suffering to provide that motivation. I claim that Christians can fight the demand for abortions in the United States by actively sympathizing with reluctant mothers and providing solutions to those problems that cause her to consider abortion as her only option.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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