What if a pregnant woman is too poor to raise a child?
We all recognize that raising a child in poverty can be a tremendous challenge. But the solution to this challenge is not to dispose of the child, but to provide the resources needed to lift a family out of poverty.
No one would suggest that poor families be encouraged to kill their born children to improve their economic conditions. Abortion is no better a solution if, as we argue, the unborn child is a fellow member of the human family with an inherent right to life. Advocates for this solution should also reflect on how it implicitly devalues poor children, as if they were better off dead.
It should also be noted that abortion does not solve the problem. A poor woman who gets an abortion remains poor. In fact, the guilt and shame often associated with abortion may become an additional burden.
Finally, a woman who lacks the resources to raise a child may choose to place her baby for adoption, rather than end its life through abortion.
See also A fetus isn’t a human being, Why should a woman have to give birth to an unwanted child?, and If you really cared about reducing abortion, you’d support more social programs
