Is Abortion Morally Wrong Essay - 1372 Words

A startling recent study reported, Half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and about four in ten of these end in abortion† (Guttmacher Institute). Although today the United States is split among many controversial issues, one of the most disputed controversies is abortion, which has taken our country by storm over the last decade. As more and more unexpected pregnancies are occurring, many women find themselves faced with the financial and social burdens of potentially raising a child. Helpless and faced with a life- changing dilemma, these women turn to abortion as their only choice. With the statistics for unexpected pregnancies on the rise every year, the war between pro-life and pro-choice groups are at an all-time high. The growing controversy surrounding abortion is voiced by two opinions, one that believes that abortion is morally wrong and takes away the fetus’s right to life, and another that advocates that women should be able to make their cho ices for themselves and their baby. One critical perspective upon which pro-life and pro-choice groups differ is whether or not the fetus should be considered a human being with the right to a life. The root of this controversy stirs with the debate on the precise timing of when life is initiated. Pro-life advocates believe that human life begins at conception, or the moment a sperm cell fuses with an ovum. They point out that conception produces a zygote with twenty-three pairs of chromosomesShow MoreRelatedIs Abortion Morally Wrong?1397 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion is viewed as an ethical issue worldwide as it has many debates which causes question: Should it be considered morally ethical or not? Should it be legal or illegal? Is it wrong, is it, right? In addition to multiple theories: Beliefs, Morality, Logic, Science and many others. Some argue that abortion is morally wrong because it has a right to life. While the opposing view believe that its morally correct because it holds no right to life. The text â€Å"The Deliberately Induced Abortion ofRead MoreAbortion Is Morally Wrong Or Not? Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pages230 abortion restrictions enacted by states in the US. In 2016 alone, there has been 1,256 provisions relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Of these 1,256, 445 provisions attempted to restrict access to abortion services (Nas, E., Benson Gold, R., Ansari-Thomas, Z., Cappello, O., Mohammed, L., 2016). Women’s rights as a human and as a US citizen are being violated through these restrictions. There is currently a strong disagreement in the US as to whether abortion is morally wrongRead MoreAbortion Is Morally Wrong?1682 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal of the fetus from the mother’s womb. It is estimated that there are 30-40 million abortions conducted a year (Trupin). Abortions have been legal in the United States since the Supreme Court’s decision in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case, however there is still a major controversy surrounding abortion as to whether or not abortions are morally acceptable. While some argue that abortion is morally impermissible, as it involves the killing of a fetus, othersRead MoreIs Abortion Morally Wrong?1704 Words   |  7 Pagessociety is how the legalities apply to the process of abortion. In this debate, most people usually connect with either the â€Å"pro-life† argument, or the â€Å"pro-choice† argument. Before developing a position, it is important to understand both sides of the argument and weigh the consequences of each. The common ground between the two is often mistaken, making it difficult for people to find their position. People who support banishing legal abortions are usually referred to as â€Å"pro-lifers.† They usuallyRead MoreAbortion Is Morally Wrong?1206 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion is one of the most divisive, controversial issues in today’s culture. Generally, there are two main stances one may take regarding the issue. However, many people hold views that are less extreme and do not favor one position or the other. One philosopher, Don Marquis, is against abortion in his essay, â€Å"Why Abortion is Immoral.† He opens his paper with the statement that the view of abortion as seriously immoral has not received much support, while the anti-abortion position is supportedRead MoreAbortion Is Morally Wrong?2405 Words   |  10 Pages Introduction We can all agree that abortion is a controversial issue debated in our society today, especially in Texas, which is one of the most conservative’s states in the nation. Some people argue that abortion is morally wrong, because it has to do with ending a life which, according proponents begins at conception, not at birth. Others contest that it is a woman s constitutional right to make reproductive decisions, particularly in situations of rape, incest, and health risks. In this paperRead MoreIs Abortion Morally Wrong?3071 Words   |  13 Pages Abortion -Final Mariel Timothy Howard University October 2014 Abortion, according to dictionary.com (2014) is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. When it comes to abortion many ethical issues, and questions become a great concern. Some questions of great concern are: is abortion morally wrong? Should abortion be illegal? Is the fetus an innocent person? What’s the right of the motherRead MoreWhy abortion is morally wrong1412 Words   |  6 Pagesyou slice it, abortion is morally wrong. Although that should not be misinterpreted for a pro-life stance on abortion because there are numerous circumstances that must be considered in each situation. Just because abortion is morally impermissible, it does not mean that society will deem you a bad person for getting an abortion under extreme circumstances. For that reason, abortion is a specifically tricky topic to discuss. There is no clear-cut answer as to whether or not abortion should be allowedRead MoreIs Abortion M orally Wrong?867 Words   |  4 Pagesopportunity to have an abortion rather than giving birth, and raising your child. An abortion can happen in practically two ways, the pill, which deteriorates the non-living fetus, or the physical way where doctors pull out the fetus with medical tongs. Parenting is having the child and raising them as your own till they are a legal adult at eighteen years old. The United States is quite divided on the topic, and choice of abortion. Nearly half think abortion is utterly wrong and should not be a choiceRead MoreWhy Abortion Is Morally Wrong1559 Words   |  7 PagesIMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC: The morality of abortion is a topic that has long been discussed by both those for and against the act. Until 1972 when the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in all 50 states, the act of getting an abortion was illegal in many states. Both sides of the moral arguments explain the reasoning behind their arguments. The moral question is if the act of getting an abortion is the same as murdering another human being. YES ARGUMENT PATRICK LEE AND ROBERT P

Why Science and Religion Can and Must Coexist Essay

Throughout history, religion and science have been in constant conflict with each other. The arrest and excommunication of astronomer Galileo1 for teaching that the earth is flat and revolves around the sun is just one example of this conflict. Many religious leaders2 and scientists3 today believe that science and religion are fundamentally different and will always contradict each other. But with what reason? Religion has always tried to answer our questions in an instinctual way, based on emotions, morality and scripture. Science, meanwhile, removes all emotion and focuses on facts and evidence. On the surface they seem to be polar opposites. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown4 is novel about a modern day conflict between the Catholic Church†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Since the beginning of time, spirituality and religion have been called on to fill in the gaps that science did not understand. The rising and setting of the sun was once attributed to Helios and a flaming chari ot. Earthquakes and tidal waves were the wrath of Poseidon† (Brown 25). The fact that we attempt to explain what we cannot comprehend is absolute evidence that we yearn for knowledge of our creation. But the inherent problem is that these creation stories are thousands of years old. We will never know who wrote them, or if they have any legitimacy. Despite these issues, religion has and always will seek the answer to how man was created. The second question that religion seeks to answer is why we exist. This question actually has an answer, and it is found in scripture. In Mark 16:15, Jesus says, â€Å"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.† Many other religions share the same general commission. We are to love others and convert them to our religion, have faith in and love our deity, and in exchange we receive some sort of afterlife. This is religion’s strength. There are clear guidelines and rules for how we should live our lives and what our ultimate purpose is. What religion lacks in explaining creation, it makes up for in explaining our commission. In Angels and Demons, Vittoria Vetra explains this well. â€Å"Faith is universal. Our specific methods forShow MoreRelatedSimilarities And Differences Of Science And Religion1585 Words   |  7 PagesZamora Gabriela Professor: R. Stringer Friday English 101 Class 12/05/14 Similarities and Differences of Science and Religion Where do we come from? Why are we here? And What is our purpose are questions that many of us ask ourselves sometime. During the debate on, Does Science Refutes God?, it is well seen that science can overthrow the credibility of God because science has a lot of relevant studies and conclusions, but it certainly does not refute God. It is clearly seen that shermer and KrauzeRead MoreThe Differences Between Science And Religion913 Words   |  4 PagesOften claims are made that science and religion are incompatible; the two cannot coexist as to believe in God contradicts scientific belief. To look at science and think of it in a completely separate field to religion is not true a true reflection of the relationship between the two. Science and religion overlap in several ways. They both affect our everyday decisions and impact on the way we view and understand the world around us. They both address ‘the same world, the same reality.’ just in differentRead MoreWhat Would D arwin Say?872 Words   |  4 Pages What Would Darwin Say? Religion and Evolution Katrina Venta ANT 111 Professor Emerson February 12, 2017 Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.† —Albert Einstein For centuries, science and religion have been rendered rather incompatible. People from both sides of the argument have tried to prove why religion and science are not intertwined, while some have argued that both can coexist. If Charles Darwin were alive today doing more research, IRead MoreEssay on What Classifies as Common Knowledge in Science and History1156 Words   |  5 Pagesclaims can either be justified with experience or simply an understanding. Different areas of knowledge have different methods to either build or falsify knowledge, as the method of justification differs between these areas of knowledge. There are perspectives to support building facts around knowledge, while disagreeing with the neglect of facts that were previously held as knowledge. These perspectives collectively create opposition for the areas of knowledge, science and history. Both science andRead MoreCreation or Evolution - Let the Children Chose Essay1349 Words   |  6 Pageshave, as people w e can choose to do just about anything and anywhere. There is however a place where most of the American children have no choice at all, what to believe when it comes to science. It is a mystery among men, the question that has every person in the world wonder, â€Å"Where did it all come from?† Over the last forty to fifty years, the United States Government has decided to separate church and state, so why is evolution taught? Evolution is a religion, it is not science. The scientific methodRead MoreEpistemology - Are science and religion in conflict? Essay1824 Words   |  8 Pagesrelationship between science and religion is a difficult one and the two sides have tested each other and debated each other in many forums. Some believe there are major differences in science and religion and that the two can never coexist while others believe that science is in fact evidence that religious views are correct. To better understand and answer the question of whether the two sides really do conflict we will look at: my view on the subject, the definitions of both science and religion, basic argumentsRead MoreThe Clash of Faith and Evidence1545 Words   |  6 PagesClash of Faith and Evidence History has shown that in the past, religion dominated as an explanation of knowledge and was used to explain many of the worlds mysteries such as why the sun rises and sets and how the world came to be. Science, using concrete and tested evidence, gave light to many of these mysteries and debunked the myths created from religion. In todays modern society, science has advanced in a remarkable fashion. Science has broken down objects into structured molecules, found theRead MoreThe Bible : The Holy Spirit, And The Word Of God1703 Words   |  7 Pagesinspired, as if breathed or spoken by God. The Bible is therefore useful as a guide to salvation through faith in Christ, and sufficient for doctrine, correction, moral and ethical instruction. Most everyone knows about the Bible and its existence, but why is it that we trust it as the authority of Scripture? As stated, we know that God is the ultimate authority of Scripture. The biblical authors were inspired, and the writings were inspired, but within the Bible, we are not given the details of howRead MoreEssay on Discussion over the Existence of God1249 Words   |  5 Pagesdoubt, the question of Gods existence is one of the most significant questions of human philosophy. It alters the whole meaning of human life, and it challenges if man is really the Supreme Being in the universe or if man has a greater being that he must love and obey, or possibly defy. So the question is; does God exist? Look at the proof produced by the voraciously religious spirit of man, the origins of the universe, and morality. There are many different theories and opinions on how man came toRead MoreReligion and Science: Can They Coexist in the Modern World2284 Words   |  10 PagesReligion and Science: Can They Coexist in the Modern World Since the dawn of man, humans have struggled to explain the many mysteries of the universe, and to justify their existence in it. Throughout this journey of self-understanding, numerous standpoints about human existence have evolved and merged into a complex, abstract manifestation called religion. Advances in science and technology have yielded a new breed of human thought that has disturbed and shaken the foundations of religious ideology

Evaluating the Historical Capital Budgeting Method free essay sample

Currently AES employs Project Finance Framework. Project finance tends to be used in projects with tangible assets with predictable cash flows in which construction and operating targets can be easily established through explicit contract. The key to AES projects financing lies with the precise forecasting of cash flows. In effect, the possibility of estimating cash flows with an acceptable level of uncertainty allows for allocation of risks among various interested parties. The ensuing certainty in cash flows allows for high level of leverage and enables project assets to be separated from the parent company. Let us now take a closer look at the pros and cons of the Capital Budgeting System currently in place. Principal Advantages Non-Recourse The separation of the parent company is structured through the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). This SPV is the formal borrower under all loan documents so that in event of default or bankruptcy AES is not directly responsible before financial creditors. Instead, their legal claims are against the SPV assets. Maximize Leverage Currently AES seeks to finance the cost of development and construction of the project on highly leveraged basis. High leveraged in non-recourse project financing permits AES to put less in capital to put at risk permits AES to finance the project without diluting its equity investment in the project. Off-Balance Sheet Treatment AES may not be required to report any of the project debt on its balance sheet because such debt is non-recourse. Off balance sheet treatment can have the added practical benefit of helping the AES comply with covenants and restriction relating to borrowing funds contained in loan agreements to which AES is also a party. Agency Cost The agency costs of free cash flow are reduced. Management incentives are to project performance. Most importantly close monitoring by investors is facilitated. Multilateral Financial Institutions One of the four constituents that have contractual arrangement with the SPV in a typical project are the banks (an integral part group of financiers that include share holders, insurers, equipment manufacturers, export credit agencies and funds). Among these banks there are multilateral financial institutions (like IFC, CAF and etc). Presence of these institutions as financiers helps in raising capital from these institutes at lower cost and secondly it is also read as a positive sign by commercial banks. Drawbacks Projects V/S Division The company is not only expanding its geographical boundaries, but it is also diversifying its business through backward and forward integration. The current financial model does not provide the AES with the big picture, which now constitutes more number of variables that are being influenced by multiple factors due to the increase in depth and breadth of the organization. Complexity Financing of projects requires involvement of a number of parties. They can be quite complex and can be expensive to arrange. Secondly it demands greater amount of management time. Macroeconomic Risk The current methodology employed by AES for capital budgeting does not take into account the exchange rate risk. This risk will be of higher magnitude in the developing countries because of their unstable monetary and fiscal policies[2]. As we have seen that fluctuation in exchange rate has greatly hurt the AES business and they were unable to mitigate this risk as they haven’t anticipated it. This risk becomes important when the exchange rate fluctuation affects balance sheet items unequally. Thus keeping check on the foreign exchange rate requires timely adjustment of both the items of revenue and expenditure, and those of assets and liabilities in different currencies. Political Risk: This is another important factor which the current financial management system does not take into account. This will be of significant importance when it comes to investing in developing countries where frequent changes in government policies occur. Does this system make sense? The financial strategy employed by AES was historically based on project finance. This approach solely took into account those factors that minimized AES exposure to the project and achieved the most beneficial regulatory treatment thus ensuring availability of financial resources to complete the project. The model worked well for the domestic market as well as for the international operations, provided the opportunities undertook by AES were either in the sector of building and running a power plant or simply buying an existing facility and upgrading it and then operating. The underlying assumption over here was that the symmetrical and asymmetrical risks faced by the project were more or less same irrespective of its geographical location (Refer to Exhibit 3). However when AES started diversifying the breadth of its operations by incorporating other offshoots of energy related business and transforming from a cogeneration to a more utility organization with majority of expansion occurring in developing economies. This diversification of business increased the symmetrical risks like business risk, a classic example of which we see in Brazil where AES experience shortfall in demand /sales volume due to Energy Conservation Policy of Brazilian government and this had a chain effect on debt servicing capacity of the SPV as well the stock price of the parent company. Other factor that current model was not able to include was the risk of devaluation of currency in developing economies which resulted in significant losses due to the inability of the company to survive its international debt obligations. Expansion in developing economies also exposed the business to political risk where the policies change erratically with changes in government. Hence we see that the geographical diversification of business causes asymmetrical risk to increase causing bimodal behavior in the result. Project financing becomes less recommendable as a symmetrical risk becomes more manifest. This constitutes a problem for emerging countries where these risks tends to be at the forefront. Lal Pir Project Valuation Scenario 1: Pakistan In order to calculate the value of project for the Lal Pir project in Pakistan, we first need to calculate the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) using the new proposed methodology. For this we have followed the approach given in exhibit 8 of the case. The first step is to calculate the value of levered ? using the formula and information given in the case[3]. The value of the levered ? comes out to be 0. 3852 or 38. 52%, which essentially means that our project is not very highly correlated to the market return. Using this value of ? we now calculate the cost of Equity (refer Exhibit 4A). We have used the return on U. S. Treasury Bond (i. e. 4. 5%) as the risk free return in calculating the cost of equity. The cost of equity comes out to be 0. 072 and similarly, using the risk free return and the default spread (given in exhibit 7a of case) we calculate the cost of debt which comes out to be 0. 0807. It is important to note that the cost of debt and the cost of equity also need to be adjusted for the sovereign spread (0. 0990 for Pakistan). Once we have the adjusted costs of equity and capital we can now calculate the WACC for the project using the formula given in case where we essentially multiply equity and debt ratio with the adjusted costs of equity and debt respectively[4]. The WACC in this scenario comes out to be 0. 1595 or 15. 95%. However, now we need to adjust this WACC for the risks associated with doing the project in Pakistan and we do this by using Table A given in the case. We know that the total Risk Score for Pakistan is 1. 425 and since there is a linear relationship between business specific risk scores and cost of capital[5] we need to adjust our WACC by 7. 125% thus making our final WACC 23. 075%, using which we calculate our NPV (refer to Exhibit 6) from the year 2004 to 2023, and it comes out to be negative $234. 34 million. Scenario 2: USA For USA similar calculations are made to calculate the WACC (Exhibit 4B). However there are two things that are different. First we see the sovereign spread is equal to zero. Secondly, in this case we would need to calculate the business risk using the information given in exhibit 7a of the case (refer to Exhibit 5). This score comes out to be 0. 64 and using this score, our business risk comes out to be 3. 23% and adding it to our calculated value of WACC, we get our final WACC of 9. 64%. Using this we calculate our NPV for USA which comes out to be negative $ 35. 92 million (refer to Exhibit 7). Adjusted Cost of Capital and Probabilities of Real Events in Pakistan In calculating the adjusted cost of capital for Pakistan the WACC is adjusted for six common types of risks: Operational, Counterparty, Regulatory, Construction, Commodity, Currency and Legal. We can clearly see from table A given in the case that besides construction there is a probability of all these risks actually effecting the project in Pakistan. In these, the highest probability is that of currency risk and the legal risk. The adjusted cost that we have calculated is adjusted by the total risk score for Pakistan. There is a linear relationship between the total risk score and adjustment to the cost of capital, i. e. a score of 1 leads to an adjustment of 500 basis points in the WACC. When we calculate the WACC for Pakistan through traditional formula it comes out to be 15. 95%, however in order to incorporate the risk factor associated with Pakistan we need to adjust it for the Total Risk Score, which in this case is 1. 425. So we simply multiply this by 500 and we find out that we need to adjust our WACC 23. 075%. Since this 23. 075% is adjusted using the total risk score we can safely assume that it incorporates for the probability of the afro-mentioned six types of risks in WACC with respect to Pakistan. Discount Rate Adjustment: USA v/s Pakistan As mentioned earlier the discount rate is adjusted based on the total risk score of the country. This total risk score is compiled from 6 main types of risks, the probability of which varies from country to country. If we simply compare the risk scores for USA and Pakistan[6], we can see that there is a major difference between the risk profiles of both the countries. For instance, while currency, regulatory and legal risks are significantly high in Pakistan, they do not exist in the USA at all. Also we see that operational, counterparty and commodity risks are higher in USA as compared to Pakistan. Similarly when the respective WACCs of the two countries are adjusted for their risk we see that the adjusted WACC for Pakistan (23. 075%) is much higher as opposed to that of USA (9. 64%), which essentially implies that Pakistan is inherently a riskier country to invest in as opposed to the USA and any investments made in this region would have to cross a higher hurdle rate than if they were made in the US region.