In a previous article, I examined the topic of abortion from a spiritual perspective. In this article, I would like to expand on this topic a little bit.
Restriction of Free Will
One of the characteristics of a highly-evolved spiritual being is the practice of non-interference of free will. Free will is necessary for spiritual evolvement, and the restriction of free will interferes with the ability to develop and grow. It should be noted that we are not on Earth to be perfect, but to learn to reconnect with our own perfection. And for this to happen, it is essential that we are allowed to make our own choices.
This does not mean that humans should have no legal restrictions imposed upon them. On the contrary, it is (still) necessary to have laws for the purpose of maintaining a peaceful and safe society. But it should also be understood that the purpose of a peaceful society is to give people a chance to grow spiritually (as opposed to always worrying about physical safety). And for spiritual growth to occur, it is necessary for people to be able to exercise their free will to the greatest extent possible.
When it comes to any action, it is the motive that is important. Is the person acting out of love for self and others, or is that person acting selfishly? It is not up for others to decide this, or to judge another who chooses to act selfishly. Spirituality recognizes that we learn through our choices, and it is OK to make mistakes. What is the most helpful in challenging situations is to allow others their free will, and to fully support them in their decisions (whether you personally agree with those decisions or not).
Reframing the Abortion Decision
The decision to have an abortion can be thought of as a conversation between the mother and the unborn child. The mother is examining why she does not feel right about having a child at that point in time. (The reasons for feeling this way are personal and are not anyone else’s business.) The child, in turn, says “OK, I understand (even if I don’t like it). If or when you decide that you are ready, let me know. If I’m still ‘available’ I’ll be happy to come back and be your child!”
Seen from the context of religion, abortion can seem a lot more cruel. Religion suggests that an aborted child will never have the chance at life. Furthermore, Christianity will suggest that a child who is not born might never have the chance of being saved. But none of this makes any sense within the context of an unconditional-loving God. I.e., the dogma of religion fully contradicts itself on the abortion issue while also adding unnecessary drama to an already challenging situation.
In other words: an unconditionally loving God could never condemn abortion or any other decisions. It is not God who condemns and judges: it is people who condemn and judge. The God of religion is made in the image of the negative ego, which is not a true image of God.
The Decision to Have an Abortion
If a mother-to-be truly does not believe that she cannot give her child the love and support that she feels the child deserves, then she has the right to abort the child. Note that this doesn’t mean that aborting the child was the “right” thing to do or the “wrong” thing to do. It was simply a choice made in the context of life experiences that ultimately teach about love.
In life, there are truly no right or wrong choices. The situations that occur in our lives are to a great extent created by our attitudes about life. How we perceive life to be (whether joyful or painful or something in between) will affect the choices we make. It is the consequences of our choices that will help us to develop and grow. These consequences will in turn eventually influence and change our perspectives and attitudes about life.
Example 1: The Hesitant Mother-To-Be
Let’s look at an example. Suppose a woman decides to abort her child because she is afraid that she won’t be able to support it. Later, let’s say that things unexpectedly work out in ways that cause the woman to realize that she could have supported this child if she had kept it. Her life then leads to certain circumstances that force her to again decide whether or not to take a leap of faith. At this point in her life, she decides to trust life even though she is scared and doesn’t know how things are going to work out.
In the example, you could judge the woman and say that she should not have had an abortion. But from a larger perspective, the experience of having the abortion was part of her learning process. At the time of the abortion, she wasn’t spiritually or psychologically ready to have a child.
Example 2: The Forced Mother
Let’s look at another example. In this scenario, the pregnant woman is forced to have a child she does not want. In this case, let’s say that the pregnancy occurred due to casual sex between two teenagers. Although the girl would have preferred to abort the pregnancy, she is not allowed to do so. Her inability to choose could be because of parental pressure, religious beliefs or legal reasons; it simply isn’t important why. The main thing is that she is not allowed to choose.
Because the young woman did not have a choice about the baby, there are many possibilities for the child ending up in a dysfunctional family environment. For starters, the mother could resent the baby and believe that the baby ruined her life. On the psychological level, the child might develop a complex of being unwanted and unloved. And family members might treat the child as an object that brought them shame.
Furthermore, the woman will not have learned the lesson about trusting life, because she was never given the chance to choose this option. She therefore will not have the experience of taking a leap of faith and watching as everything works out.
In summary: taking away a woman’s right to choose an abortion takes away her ability to learn from her decisions and ultimately develop spiritually based on those decisions.
When a Soul Enters a Body
Over the past several decades, there have been a number of people who have used hypnosis work in order to research spiritual topics. One of these researchers was Delores Cannon, who spent many hours with clients researching topics such as what happens to souls between lifetimes, and what happens to people abducted by so-called aliens.
One of the many unexpected things that Delores discovered in her research is that souls choose when they wish to attach to their bodies. Although souls can choose to inhabit their bodies before birth, many others choose to skip the physical birth experience and connect with their bodies after the birth process has finished.
Surprisingly, it isn’t necessary to permanently connect right after birth. Instead, some souls stay disconnected during the baby’s first months while the baby is sleeping. One reason for this is that inhabiting a physical body is somewhat uncomfortable and feels like being squeezed.
What is important to note here is that while an abortion does not cause any permanent harm to the soul of the unborn child. Although the soul’s chance at human life has been postponed, it is not cancelled altogether. Instead, the soul will be in line for another chance at human life as soon as an opportunity is available. This could mean being born to another mother, or waiting for the original mother to choose to have a baby.
Summary
For the purposes of spiritual development, it is ideal that the woman be allowed to decide whether or not to keep her child. However, it is also optimal (for the woman’s sake) that the woman makes the decision with full awareness of her intentions. Even if a woman’s intentions are ultimately selfish, it is better to have an awareness of these intentions instead of a conscious denial of them.
It is incorrect to believe that there is a right or wrong decision when it comes to issues such as having an abortion. Ultimately, it is the woman’s decision, and any decision that is made is correct and should be respected and supported.