Ancient Attitudes on Abortion

When the United States Supreme Court made its ruling about abortion on January 22, 1973, Mr. Justice Blackmun delivered the opinion of the Court.  The first section in his opinion was titled “Ancient Attitudes.”  In it he referred back to preChristian law.  He said, “Greek and Roman law afforded little protection to the unborn.  If abortion was prosecuted in some places, it seems to have been based on a concept of a violation of the father’s right to his offspring.  Ancient religion did not bar abortion.”  Thus, as his first point, Mr. Justice Blackmun based his opinion on the practice of pre-Christian Greek and Roman law.  Most people who read this did not realize the logical result concerning babies after their birth.  Roman law permitted not only abortion but also infanticide.  As we think this over, we ask ourselves, “Now that this door is open, how long will it be before infanticide is socially accepted and perhaps legalized?”-Francis Schaeffer, What Ever Happened to the Human Race?