Abortion. Simply seeing or reading the word likely induces strong internal feelings, no matter where you fall on the broad spectrum. Not since the days of slavery had a social issue been at the center of such controversy. The belief one has is usually the result of one's religious or political background or most likely a mixture of both. The topic is as old as civilization itself, dating back to ancient Babylon and continuing into modern times. While many believe this is a black-and-white topic, the reality is that there is a large gray area in the center that most Americans actually fall into. Both sides truly believe it is wrong to kill a person, but can't find common ground on when life begins, on conception, on birth, or anywhere in between. Even though abortion has been around for thousands of years, there have always been political and religious issues. discussion. Nearly 4,000 years ago, in one of the earliest civilizations, the ancient Babylonians followed the Code of Hammurabi. This is one of the oldest laws ever recorded. In a book by Stephen M. Krason (1984) entitled The Law and History of Abortion: the Supreme Court Refuted, he states: “The written evidence of abortion reflects class and caste interests. Fines are listed in the Code of Hammurabi, ca. 1760 BC, for the crime of spontaneous abortion by assault, with a variable amount depending on the social rank of the woman” (p. 104). Although fines varied based on social status, the fact remains that deliberately causing a miscarriage was against the law. Civilizations throughout history have also had their own interpretation. Aristotle believed that abortions were legal until the moment of acceleration or the moment a mother feels the movement of… middle of paper… patient” (p.417). The debate will likely continue for decades. come. People on both sides feel strong and even extremely passionate about what they believe is the right thing. Recent polls also show that most Americans actually have common ground on much abortion policy, such as in cases of rape or incest. It's hard to understand why a soft-hearted liberal seems to care about anything but the unborn fetus, or why people think a poster with a picture of an aborted fetus will change their minds. Going to extremes only polarizes us further, while religion and politics only further complicate the issue. It appears that many laws should be updated to reflect modern science regarding fetal viability. Even if changes are made to policies that most agree on, the bottom line remains. At what moment does life begin?