In Christianity
Abortion is wrong as the soul enters upon quickening, a theory formed in the 20th century.
In Hindu-ism
Shruthi (Says it’s all the same)
Bhagavad Geetha, Chapter 18:
Says: Every action is faulty, and it is better to perform faulty actions by one’s own opinion than by someone else’s opinion.
47] Faulty Swa-Dharma (self tendency) is better than well performed Para-Dharma (other’s tendency); Naturally prescribed performance of Karma never achieves sinful reactions.
48] O son of Kunti, trivial (natural) Karma should never be given up, even though [it is] faulty; All initiations [of Karma] are faulty, like how smoke covers the fire.
Smrithi (Most them say it’s an unforgivable sin, but some have ways out)
Condemnations
Vishnu Puraana Book 2, Chapter 6:
Parashara said:
He who causes abortion, plunders a town, kills a cow, or strangles a man, goes to the Rodha hell (or that of obstruction).
Parashara Smrithi Chapter 4:
20] What sin is incurred in killing a Brahman, abortion causes a sin twice as great; there is no atonement for that sin. The abandonment of such a woman has been ordained by law.
Parashara Smrithi Chapter 9:
13] If the foetus of a cow is destroyed, while it is in an amorphous state, a quarter penance is prescribed for the sin; when it has attained some distinct form, then the penance should be two quarters ; by destroying a foetus which has not yet developed its consciousness, the sinner must perform three quarters.
16] If all the members of the foetus are complete, or if it be observed to have consciousness, or fully developed in its limbs, large and small — then the sinner must perform twice the penance for killing a cow.
(i.e. killing a complete unborn calf is twice as sinful as killing a born cow).
Gautama Dharma Soothra, Chapter 12:
4] To be an outcast means to be deprived of the right to follow the lawful occupations of twice-born men.
9] A woman becomes an outcast by procuring abortion, by connection with a (man of) lower (caste) and (the like heinous crimes, like killing a Brahmana or serving a slayer of a Brahmana).
Manu Smrithi, Chapter 5:
89] Libations of water shall not be offered to..
90] To women who have joined a heretical sect, who through lust live (with many men), who have caused an abortion, have killed their husbands, or drink spirituous liquor.
Garuda Puraana Book 1 (Agasthya Samhitha), Chapter 95 (Duties of Householders):
Yaanjavalkya said:
20] She, who wilfully brings; about an abortion, except for the purposes of purifying herself after having committed an act of adultery, commits the sin of killing her own husband born in her womb in the shape of the fœtus. Polluted is the person of such a murderess.
Garuda Puraana Book 1 (Agasthya Samhitha), Chapter 105 (Prayaschitta):
Yaanjavalkya said:
23] The sin which is incidental to bringing about the abortion of a pregnant woman, may be expiated by doing a penance which is laid down in respect of an act of destroying a fœtus or a child of the same caste.
48] Wilful miscarriage of a foetus, and speaking ill of her husband, are the acts which degrade a woman, whose very presence should be shunned from a distance.
Another translation without basis: 48] Willful abortion and hatred of the husband are great sins in women without any expiation.
Apasthambha Dharma Shaasthra, Prashna I, Patala 7, Khanda 21.
8] (These are) stealing (gold), crimes whereby one becomes an Abhisasta, homicide, neglect of the Vedas, causing abortion, incestuous connection with relations born from the same womb as one’s mother or father, and with the offspring of such persons, drinking spirituous liquor, and intercourse with persons the intercourse with whom is forbidden.
Mahabharatha, Parva 5 (Udyoga Parva), Section 35:
Vidura said:
KM Ganguli Translation: One that setteth fire to a dwelling house, an administerer of poison, a pander, a vendor of the Soma-juice, a maker of arrows, an astrologer, one that injureth friends, an adulterer, one that causeth abortion, a violater of his preceptor’s bed, a Brahmana addicted to drink, one that is sharp-speeched, a raker of old sores, an atheist, a reviler of the Vedas, and taker of bribes, one whose investiture with the sacred thread has been delayed beyond the prescribed age, one that secretly slayeth cattle, and one that slayeth him who prayeth for protection,—these all are reckoned as equal in moral turpitude as the slayers of Brahmanas.
BORI CE Translation: An arsonist, a poisoner, a pimp, a seller of Soma, one who makes arrows, a soothsayer, one who injures friends, one who consorts with another’s wife, an abortionist, one who violates his preceptor’s bed, a Brahmana who drinks liquor, one who is unnecessarily harsh in use of words, a base person, an atheist, one who criticizes the Vedas, a bribe-taker, an outcast, one who is niggardly despite possessing riches and one who injures when asked for protection—these are the equals of those of who kill Brahmanas.
Mahabharatha, Parva 12 (Shanthi Parva), Section 65:
Bhishma said:
KM Ganguli Translation: One guilty of foeticide becomes cleansed if he dies of wounds received in battle fought for the sake of kine and Brahmanas. He may also be cleansed by casting his person on a blazing fire.
BORI CE Translation: If a person kills a foetus, he is purified if he is slain through a weapon in the midst of a battle. Or one must offer oneself as kindling into a blazing fire and thereby purify oneself.
Neutral
Valmiki Ramayana, Book 5 (Sundara Kanda), Chapter 28 (Seetha Recollects the Time Limit):
nūnaṃ mamāṅgānyacirādanāryaḥ| śastraiḥ śitai śchetsyati rākṣasendraḥ| tasminnanāgacchati lokanāthe| garbhasthajantoriva śalyakṛntaḥ || 6 |
6] If Rama the Ruler of the world does not come here, the evil Ravana, the king of Demons will cut off my limbs with his sharpened weapons, even as a surgeon would cut the limbs of a lifeless foetus.
Solutions
Mahabharatha, Parva 1 (Adi Parva), Section 1:
Sins such as killing the embryo in the womb, are destroyed assuredly by this (reciting the Mahabharatha, since it is great, as mentioned in verses 1-3).
Srimad Devi Bhagavatham / Devi Bhagavatha Purana, Book 11, Chapter 19:
In this way if the Gâyatrî be repeated one thousand times, the sins arising from killing a cow, father, mother, from causing abortions, going to the wife of one’s Guru, stealing a Brâhmana’s property, a Brâhman’s field, drinking wine, etc., all are destroyed.
People’s Opinions
Condemnations (And my Opinions)
Sathya Sai Baba on Journey to God: Part II, Page 88 (Referenced from Page 1, Section “Abortion” of A Compendium of the Teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba):
When asked the question, “When does the soul enter the body?”, Swami replied, “The soul enters the body on or after the fifth month.” When asked about abortion after the fifth month, He answered: “No abortion!”. When asked about abortion before the fifth month, Swami said, “No! No! Even before - abortion is bad… Mind control… Use mind control.”
My criticism: He has said that no one should question anyone’s faith because it hurts their feelings and it cannot be repaired. I call it bullshit. It is naive and naivety is dangerous. Likewise, here too, he speaks on the basis of feelings.
Prabhupada, in Hare Krishna Explosion by Hayagriva Das, Chapter 3:
Abortion, birth control: “They are killing the baby in the womb. How cruel! In this age of unwanted population, man is losing his compassion. When you kill a living entity, even an ant, you are interfering with its spiritual evolution, its progress. That living entity must again take on that same life form to complete its designated life term in that body. And the killer must return to pay for damages.…
My criticism: See Problems with ISKCON and its founder Prabhupada. To not to simply be ad-hominem, he totally misrepresents the nuances of the topic anyways. Abortion doesn’t exist because people want to kill kids for fun. Also, the theory of Karma, I do not follow it. See Osho on Stupidities of the Karma-Rebirth Theory.
Supportive
Osho Rajneesh:
Osho on Abortion. He nailed this part haha.