I'm stuck on the issue of abortion. There are many compelling reasons to believe in both sides, and I think I have come to the point where I will never be able to actually choose unless I am in the situation.
Pro-Choice.
It is the women's body, and therefore she reserves a right to choose. I would contend that the father also has a right, since it is just as much his child, but if I am forced to choose here (influenced by the huge amount of father's, especially teen fathers, who leave the girl after she is with child), I'd have to say I'd pick the woman's right to choose. There is also situations where abortion is necessary. It is impossible to say abortion is categorically wrong. What about rape? A teen who's life and life goals will be destroyed by a child? When a woman's life is in danger by the pregnancy? When the child will be born horribly disformed, a life of horror and pain? When the child will be born into a life of poverty and neglect because the parents simply do not care. There are many legitimate reasons here, many more that I'm not listing.
Pro-Life.
How do you determine when it is legitimate to kill a child? If the argument is that the the fetus is not alive because it cannot live on it's own, then how does that not apply to a 2 year old? A two year old, or 5 year old, cannot live on it's own just as much as a fetus cannot. And a 2 year old has just as much potential for life as a fetus does-if properly cared for. Therefore, I don't think there can be an unarbitrary standard for determining 'life'-just what conviently suits the individual at hand. Also, how do you justify abortion? Sure, in some cases, the mother's life is in danger, and that would take precedent, but if it is just a 'mistake' just that justify ending the potential life of a child? *refer to 2 year old comparison above*. And lastly, I consider the issue if I had been aborted. My entire life would never have happened, perhaps because I was an economic burden on my parents.
Some people tell me that this is stupid, that it wouldn't matter because I would never have been alive anyway, so I wouldn't even know. But I'd say this is the same as saying it's okay to murder someone who is 18, just because once they are dead-they won't know what the rest of their life was going to be anyway, so hell, what does it matter? If a child in it's mothers womb is cared for, it can live a life-if only it is given the chance to be born.
So how do we choose?
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I totally agree with the first paragraph, when you said you will never be able to decide unless you are in the situation. That's the way I have always felt too.. I know a lot of teenage/young adult girls claim to be on one side or the other, but I don't think they honestly know what they would do. The idea of having a child as a teenager is traumatizing, but isn't the idea of having an abortion traumatizing too? It's a sticky subject and I don't think anyone will ever completely come to an agreement about it.
(The following is opinion not based on religion)
Pro-Choice=Why do people say it's better to die than to live? I think it's a gift to live. I don't understand this side. Sure one can suffer, but when you feel pain you feel alive. How many people abort because the kid will suffer? Not many, or do they abort because the mother does not want to waste her time?How can you determine when they suffer? If my hand gets completly cut off, can someone kill me cause I suffer?
Pro-Life=Agree
Well, according to general scientific consensus (source: http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_pain.htm) a fetus generally will not feel pain until the third trimester (when less than 1% of abortions are done). According to Judaism, a life is not a life until the child is two-thirds out of the mother; however (like most major religions) abortion should not be done unless necessary. Of course, the degree of necessity varies from religion to religion and person to person.
As far as I see it, there is no definitive way to 'choose.' For this reason, I believe we should keep choice intact.
--Mike
Lets assume first of all that your derived "general consensus" is at least mostly accurate. Fetus' don't feel pain when you're cutting them to pieces. If a born person was paralyzed from the neck down and you cut them open to bleed to death and they couldn't feel it, would that be okay? So pain should not be a factor. "According to Judaism?" Where, in the old testament, does it say this? Or is it just a "traditional" thought that dates back hundreds of years to when there was no scientific data on the matter and absolutely no knowledge of fetal developement? I'm pretty sure it's not in the old testemant, but I could be wrong... "Like most major religions?" Christianity, one of the major religions, on a whole, does NOT support abortion.
Er well, I'm not sure the point of the first part.. so if the fetus can't feel pain, that justifies killing it? So if I fill someone with painkillers, and they can't feel pain, does that legitimate killing them?
Again.. sticky situation.. so many grey areas.. and hopefully I'll never be in the situation to have to be forced to choose.
Agreed. It's like people just pull excuses out of the hat to justify their actions. They made their own list:
1).Cac kill to stop suffering (can I kill her because she is psy. suffering because her dad died?)
2).They don't feel pain (insert your response)
3).It's my choice, my body (than we should make prostitution legal)
and they just keep on making up new ones...
1) I'm not sure what you said here...
2) Isn't that the 'humane' approach to the death penalty?
3) Why shouldn't prostitution be legal?
--Mike
Look at it from the perspective of a child. Do you really want to be brought into the world with an incapable mother/father? You'll most likely live in poverty. And if you are one of the thousands of children and are a product of a rape and sometimes incest there will always be that look in your mother's eye of a constant reminder of her rapist. Oh and did I mention a life time of depression?!?!
Religion should be a personal choice and not be displaced on those who exercise thier rights. If you wish to look to religion to help make YOUR choices then go right ahead but DO NOT pressure someone else to decide based on a religion.
Now lets take a look from the mother's perspective. Most unplanned pregancies are of young females. Which may I remind are young, immature, and are still mentally developing themselves. Should we really put that kind of responsibility on a young immature girl? Thats not fair to her or her child.
Abortion should be a choice.
Death Roe Survivors have something to say about abortion, read what at: www.DeathRoe.com. On January 22, 1973, The United States Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand. The decision is called Roe vs. Wade. We call it Death Roe. About one fourth of our generation has already been wiped out, and the executions continue at the rate of over 3000 a day. If you were born after that date, you are one of the unchosen.You are a Death Roe Survivor. www.DeathRoe.com
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Hm.. I'm kind've confused...
Technically fetus's aren't born sooo.. how can they be placed on 'death roe'? Are we actually killing them if they aren't alive yet?
What about all the legitimate reasons for abortion? It's fine to throw around firey rhetoric that will incite people, but it's also bypassing all the quite legitimate reasons as to why abortion should be legal (perhaps not categorically, but still legal in cases)
i agree, its a confusing topic.
Although i personally am against it, i think it should be legal.
and sometimes I try to put myself in a situation where abortion would be a legitimate choice.
If i were to get pregnant right now, abortion would seem apealing.