Abortion and the Mentality of Society

Članak, koji obrađuje stavove građana Hrvatske o pobačaju, podijeljen je u tri dijela. U prvom dijelu ukazuje se na delikatnost i važnost govora o pobačaju u ovom trenutku, jer u Hrvatskoj traje još uvijek rasprava o promjeni zakona o pobačaju iz 1978. godine. Pokazuje se da je za Crkvu pobačaj ozbiljno moralno-etičko pitanje i ona ga osuđuje kao prekid ljudskog života. U drugom dijelu tumače se rezultati istraživanja u Hrvatskoj i uspoređuju se sa nekim europskim istraživanjima. Treći dio, na temelju faktorske analize, raspravlja o dva temeljna stava prema pobačaju; opcija za život i opcija za izbor. Čini se da je takav način rasprave o abortusu, koji je 70-ih godina 20. stoljeća nastao u SAD-u, manje prisutan u Europi i posebno u Hrvatskoj. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da na shvaćanje pobačaja danas velikim dijelom utječe mentalitet u kojem ljudi žive. Velika većina građana Hrvatske drži da se pobačajem prekida ljudski život, dakle da je riječ o ubojstvu. S druge strane, većina populacije drži da pobačaj treba ostati kao mogućnost odabira ženama, drže ga opravdanim u nekim slučajevima te većinom ne podržavaju zakonsku zabranu istog. Kako objasniti takvo razmišljanje u kojem su ljudi svjesni da je pobačaj moralno zlo, njime se prekida život i on ostavlja teške psihičke posljedice, a opet ga ostavljaju kao mogućnost izbora? U ovom je pitanju, s jedne strane, od velikog značenja znanost, koja u novije vrijeme ima sve više mogućnosti egzaktno ukazati na početke ljudskog života. S druge strane, potrebna je objektivna, pravodobna i prikladna informacija o pobačaju kako bi prosječni čovjek mogao donijeti ispravan moralni sud.The article Abortion and the Mentality of Society, which deals with the attitudes of Croatian citizens towards abortion, is divided into three parts. In the first, introductory part, the delicacy and importance at this time of the question of abortion reveals itself, because the law on abortion passed in 1978 is still in force although the draft of a new law is under debate. In the second part, we interpret the results in Croatia in comparison with European research. The third part, on the basis of factor analysis, discusses the two fundamental attitudes towards abortion: Pro Choice and Pro Life. This debate on the basis of an option for life versus an option for choice seems to be less present in Europe, and even less so in Croatia. Results of the research done in Croatia at the end of 1997 show that the social mentality within which one lives has a strong influence on one\u27s understanding of abortion. The majority of Croatian citizens apply a negative moral qualification to abortion. They hold that abortion causes lasting psychological consequences for a woman (73,8%). The vast majority of Croatian citizens hold that abortion is the destruction of human life (80,6%). On the other hand, the majority of the population holds that abortion should remain a woman\u27s choice, also that abortion is justified under certain circumstances (73,4%). How do we explain a conception in which people are aware that abortion is morally wrong, that human life is destroyed, and that a woman suffers serious psychological consequences, and yet these same people maintain abortion as a permissable option? While the vast majority of citizens predominantly agree with the assertion that abortion is the taking of human life, only 24,9% hold that abortion should be forbidden by law. Then there is the question of who has the right to decide—only the mother, or the father as well? 45,5% of citizens hold that »only the pregnant woman« has the right to decide, while, interestingly, at the same time 81,2% of the population agree with the assertion that the father also has the right to decide. How is this to be interpreted? A moral evaluation of abortion necessitates first of all a consensus of when human life begins. Also necessary is an objective, timely and adequate information about abortion to enable the average person to make a fair moral judgement