Look, I understand why abortion feels like it could be murder — it’s a life developing in the womb, and that can be emotionally powerful. But if we look at it carefully, that’s not how the law or science define it.
Legally, murder is defined as the unlawful killing of a person. In most countries, a person is someone who has been born alive. That’s why if someone intentionally kills a baby after birth, it’s murder — but if someone harms a fetus, the law treats it differently. Many states have fetal homicide laws, but even those recognize that a fetus is not the same as a born person; otherwise, abortion would automatically be illegal everywhere. When a woman chooses an abortion, it’s a legal medical procedure. Consent matters — it’s not the same as someone else taking a life.
Biologically, life doesn’t suddenly start at conception or birth; it’s a continuum. A sperm and egg are alive on their own. A fetus is alive too. But being biologically alive doesn’t automatically make something a person. Personhood is about characteristics like consciousness, self-awareness, and the ability to survive independently. That’s why society draws moral and legal lines at viability or birth, not at conception. Science shows us potential life, but the law and ethics define what counts as a person deserving of full legal protections.
Ethically, this isn’t about convenience or ‘just killing a baby.’ It’s about recognizing that the pregnant person’s body, health, and life are directly affected. Pregnancy isn’t just a minor inconvenience — it’s a major medical and life-altering event. Giving a woman the choice respects her autonomy while balancing the developing life of the fetus. Abortion is a moral and personal decision, and framing it as murder oversimplifies a deeply complex issue.
So, while it’s understandable to emotionally equate abortion with killing, legally it’s not murder, biologically it’s not a person yet, and ethically it’s a decision about bodily autonomy. Calling it murder ignores the nuances of law, science, and morality.