| The greatly controversial subject of abortion brings out | | | | the city elders (ephors), any deformities or disabilities |
| adamant for and against arguments including; women's | | | | that would stop the baby from becoming a soldier and |
| rights, murder, labelling and morality. In today's society it | | | | productive part of society meant death was imminent. |
| is a taboo subject but interestingly it was accepted as | | | | Hippocrates himself described methods of abortion |
| the norm in many ancient civilisations, posing the | | | | and even in the medieval Islamic world there are texts |
| question; what's changed? There are many reasons | | | | describing such methods. We can see from this that |
| that abortion is considered necessary ranging from | | | | the taking of a child's life was no more controversial |
| age of the parent, rape, money and even gender | | | | than putting ketchup on chips so what changed? |
| preference, but why has this once everyday action | | | | The answer to this question therefore must be religion. |
| become such a heated issue? There could be many | | | | Life was allegedly more brutal in ancient times but we |
| reasons for this sudden shift into controversial waters | | | | are a society that bases most of our film, media and |
| including society's attitudes and tolerance towards | | | | art on murder, violence and crime. Are we not merely |
| violence and murderer, the influence of religion or even | | | | watching the equivalent of the gladiatorial games on a |
| the state of the population today. Which is the most | | | | large screen? Lesser brutality cannot then be a factor |
| significant? | | | | in this debate. In this day and age, the population is not |
| Looking at history we can see that evidence of | | | | in danger of starvation and we have the means to |
| infanticide dates back to Palaeolithic times where an | | | | support disabled and unplanned children both financially |
| estimated 50% of female babies were killed, a | | | | and medically. We can safely say that the shift of |
| gender-controlling trend that has survived to modern | | | | attitude is not due to our populations changing survival |
| times in Asia , especially China where there has been | | | | needs. It is interesting that the ancient Egyptians never |
| a 'one-child policy' since 1979. In Neolithic times groups | | | | practiced abortion or infanticide, it was against their |
| used a form of abortion to control their numbers so | | | | religion. It is logical to then deduce that the appearance |
| the land upon which they lived could support them. In | | | | of Christianity in 400AD changed our views and |
| prehistoric times skeletons of hominid children that had | | | | attitudes. With the introduction of baptism, children |
| been cannibalised where found with an estimated rate | | | | were baptised shortly after birth making them a part |
| of 15% - 20% of births. In Mesoamerica, the Incan's | | | | of the Christian community and it was taught that even |
| believed in child sacrifice. This was also practiced by | | | | an unborn child had a soul. It was a sin to abort or |
| the ancient Babylonians in relation to their goddess | | | | dispose of them. With the rise of Christianity the idea |
| Ishtar. Phoenicians, Canaanites, Moabites and | | | | of killing a child, born or unborn, started becoming |
| Sepharvites were known to offer their first-born as a | | | | terrible and taboo therefore the attitude of |
| sacrifice to their gods. Abortion was clearly a common | | | | 'anti-abortion' is based on theology. Anti-abortion |
| place fact of life to the Syrians, Carthaginians and | | | | activists tell us of their idea of 'pro-life' but surely this |
| many others who all killed unwanted or defective | | | | would look at the many aspects life such as potential |
| children. The Pelasgians killed every 10th child giving us | | | | upbringing, size of the population, condition of the earth, |
| the word 'decimate'. Child sacrifice is a world away | | | | atmosphere and the use of fossil fuels. The world |
| from abortion but it does however give us insight into | | | | barely sustains the population it already has and isn't in |
| the mindset of these ancient civilisations where killing | | | | dire need of higher numbers. |
| was a part of life, of survival. | | | | 66% of people in the UK agree that women should |
| Germanic tribes along with the ancient Greeks and | | | | have the right to abort. Religion in the UK is on the |
| Romans practiced a form of abortion called exposure. | | | | decline and slowly loosening its grip on today's society. |
| This act left a newborn baby out alone to fend for | | | | "Less than half of the British people believe in a God, |
| itself and thus most probably die. Roman law insisted | | | | yet about 72% told the 2001 census that they were |
| that a visibly deformed child be put to death. Again | | | | Christian, and 66% of the population have no actual |
| many female children were killed as a male was | | | | connection to any religion or church." Is there a direct |
| preferred, the Roman patriarch made this decision. In | | | | correlation between religion and views on abortion? |
| Sparta the decision to expose a child was given by | | | | The answer is clearly yes. |