Despite the existence of laws to govern our way of life as human beings, we are to a greater extent shaped by our own or societal concept of morality.
For many (the natural law believers), law and morality are connected. These people believe that law is not simply what is enacted in statutes or constitutions. They strongly believe that if law is not moral, then it is not law, and has no authority.
St Thomas Aquinas is a typical example of those who hold/held this belief and he called such law without moral content- “perversion of law”.
For many natural law believers, any law lacking that moral element is “an unjust law” and they say, “unjust law is not a true law”. Therefore if it is not true law, we need not obey it.
The above is clearly the position of many people when it comes to abortion. Despite legislations in countries like U.S.A, UK, etc legalizing abortion, they feel such laws are inferior to morality and as such, they are not laws at all.
To them, abortion is evil, despite its legal justification and as such, there is no reason to obey any abortion law.
On the other hand are those who think like me (positivism). When it comes to us, law and morality are two separate concepts and any time there is a conflict, law must prevail…
For those of us with the positivism mindset, we believe that until a duly enacted law is changed, it remains law, and should be obeyed.
Hans Kelsen who was also a Legal Positivist said; there is no necessary connection between law and morals, and that law did not require moral validation to be legitimate.
When it comes to the issue of abortion, the battle is always fought between those who think issues relating to abortion must be dealt in line with what the laws of the land, and those who think morality should be used to determine what is right and wrong in such circumstance…
Even though I am not sure what you are as a thinker (believer), I am certain I am a legal positivist and votes YES for abortion (because I live in a country where the law says abortion is legal). For me, morality does not come into play when there are enacted laws to deal with an issue.
Maybe you do not know which of the two thinking groups you belong but if you share your stand on abortion with us, we may be able to place you where you rightly belong…
Remember, the moral maze is not for anyone to judge you but to establish our individual moral/legal standing on complex societal issues.
So the moral maze is; would you vote YES or NO for abortion? And why?
hmmm, I believe that abortion is necessary only when necessary,Ha! translation if the woman in question or child are at risk then abortion is necessary. I am and always have been for Pro-choice. I believe everyone woman has a choice to abort when and only if it is necessary. So woman go on and abort that baby if you are at risk. And please I said only if you are at risk of losing your life and the baby. For that woman who thinks she can abort a baby because of she can do it and afford to do it at anytime. Shame you all ! you shall certainly be judge for killing all those babies.