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Abortion

JoStories

Well-Known Member
Breathing air does not define the beginning of a human life. That would be to entirely dismiss brain activity, heartbeat, blood circulating, and cells dividing. And since these things are ongoing in a developing fetus, they are not the beginning either.
And yet remove that fetus before it is viable and all those activities will cease and the fetus cannot survive. It is a symbiotic mass of tissues unable to sustain life on its own, or IOW, live without the need of the host. As I said, the law requires that the fetus be able to breathe on its own. That is a what is legal under the law. And what is also legal is that you or any of your kind cannot force a woman to bear this burden if she does not wish to. Period. She can decide to abort or not. You have no say in that.
 

Smart_Guy

...
Premium Member
Hey guys, I saw a meme on my Facebook (not from a friend) saying that taking choice to perform abortion is taking away the choice to live of another person. (maybe it means the choice of the unborn baby?!)

What do you guys think?
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Hey guys, I saw a meme on my Facebook (not from a friend) saying that taking choice to perform abortion is taking away the choice to live of another person. (maybe it means the choice of the unborn baby?!)

What do you guys think?

No fetus chooses to live, no fetus chooses to spontaneously miscarry either. It's a fetus, not a conscious being with any self awareness (that I know of.)
 

Sees

Dragonslayer
No fetus chooses to live, no fetus chooses to spontaneously miscarry either. It's a fetus, not a conscious being with any self awareness (that I know of.)

Isn't preventing/terminating the ability of the fetus to ever reach a stage where the choice could be made pretty much the same thing as taking away the choice?
 

SkepticThinker

Veteran Member
There was no possible adoption where you were? Was someone saying you were forced to raise the child at age 15?

The child is genetic unique and has its full genetic potential at conception. There is nothing to be added after conception to make it a new species or more or less of a person. I'm sorry you experienced rape and horror. I'm sorry you dealt with this trauma.
Can I ask what your definition of "conception" is?
 

SkepticThinker

Veteran Member
Currently, their are people absolutely imposing their views regarding the sanctity of life or lack thereof--you are misunderstanding, I think, some aspects of voting and legal issues. If abortion is voted down by a citizen-led constitutional amendment, why is that imposing views on others any more or any less than supporting abortion by referendum?
I would say because the people who want to have abortion available to people as an option aren't saying anyone has to have an abortion, just that it can be an available option. I personally may never consider getting an abortion, but it doesn't mean I don't think other people shouldn't have the choice. And that's the thing about choice, you can get one, or NOT get one, depending on how you personally feel about it.
 

SkepticThinker

Veteran Member
Making the world a better place for others and not just yourself, implies supporting the absolute right to life, liberty and happiness. And if someone hadn't stuck it tough for you, you yourself wouldn't be here now to make a better place for you and others. Of course, I would also say Jesus did no such thing for Himself but gave His all for you to have that happiness, now and forever.
I support all of those things for all people born into this world (excluding the Jesus part, which I don't believe).
 

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
I would say because the people who want to have abortion available to people as an option aren't saying anyone has to have an abortion, just that it can be an available option. I personally may never consider getting an abortion, but it doesn't mean I don't think other people shouldn't have the choice. And that's the thing about choice, you can get one, or NOT get one, depending on how you personally feel about it.
Just so.

And this is where anarchy ties in. Too much control, too much regulation, creates rather than solves problems.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
Hey guys, I saw a meme on my Facebook (not from a friend) saying that taking choice to perform abortion is taking away the choice to live of another person. (maybe it means the choice of the unborn baby?!)

I think it is plausible that it meant the choice of the unborn baby. The question is: what would you do if the unborn baby chooses not to be born?

What do you guys think?

I am not sure I am a guy, but I will respond, nevertheless. I don't think that a couple of duplicating cells are a person.

Ciao

- viole
 

Smart_Guy

...
Premium Member

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
I don't think that a couple of duplicating cells are a person.
I avoid using the word person in this discussion. It is not sufficiently well defined. Rather like "murder", it is mostly about opinions.
Those opinions fall on a broad spectrum of beliefs. People tend to jump around on the spectrum to suit whatever they prefer to believe.
So, instead of person I try to stick with the rather more clear "human being", and instead of murder "killing". Those words are far more precise.

I consider precision important in the discussion of life and death matters.
Tom
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Isn't preventing/terminating the ability of the fetus to ever reach a stage where the choice could be made pretty much the same thing as taking away the choice?
Well if it never chooses in the first place how can you remove the choice? This also assumes that we owe life to every fetus. I don't think we do. We can help it (pre and post natal care) but I'm sorry it's just a potential baby. Potential doesn't equal actual. It does not get a say in a discussion between it and an already developed human being.
 

Cephus

Relentlessly Rational
Hey guys, I saw a meme on my Facebook (not from a friend) saying that taking choice to perform abortion is taking away the choice to live of another person. (maybe it means the choice of the unborn baby?!)

What do you guys think?

Let me know when you can interview a fetus and it tells you that it wants to live. Until then, forget it.
 

Emi

Proud to be a Pustra!
And thank God you did. I know that many babies are born into horrible circumstances, but they're still souls like us. If their lives are terminated in the womb, then they will have had no chance for growth or happiness on earth at all. We at least have that.
I disagree. The odds are so far against them and statistics show that they will generally live horrible lives. I'd rather them not suffer at all then never know the meaning of happiness.
I do understand why you'd want them to not be aborted as well. You believe in giving them the chance and the opportunity is better than not even allowing them that right. I understand that thinking, it shows you are a good and positive person. I just think differently. Especially with the overpopulation and all of the suffering people. I'd rather not be born than be born being told that I should die.
 

Emi

Proud to be a Pustra!
Most unwanted pregnancies are due to the irresponsibility of men and women who willingly take a known and unnecessary risk to satisfy themselves. Willing sexual partners are not slaves or hostages, and are not the victims when the murder of an innocent party is the end result of their actions.

But I will admit that sometimes women are victims in another sense, especially young ones who are pressured against their consciences to get abortions at a time when they are stressed out and confused. I know some women who had abortions when they were young, and have been haunted ever since with a remorse that will never go away.
What are your views to women who are victims of rape or incest that wish to abort? They did not have a choice and were forced to conceive. Do you still want to torture them by forcing them to keep the baby, or would you allow abortion in this case?
 

leibowde84

Veteran Member
Most unwanted pregnancies are due to the irresponsibility of men and women who willingly take a known and unnecessary risk to satisfy themselves. Willing sexual partners are not slaves or hostages, and are not the victims when the murder of an innocent party is the end result of their actions.

But I will admit that sometimes women are victims in another sense, especially young ones who are pressured against their consciences to get abortions at a time when they are stressed out and confused. I know some women who had abortions when they were young, and have been haunted ever since with a remorse that will never go away.
This can be very unhealthy, though (see below from US News):

When You Want To, But Don’t

Abstinence can become unhealthy – psychologically – when you want to have sex but aren’t. “People will say, ‘I want to but I’m shy,’ or ‘I don’t know how to approach people.’ That’s really hard for people and can make them feel awful about themselves.”

And the anxiety of unfulfilled desire, coupled with the pressure to have sex – whether it’s societal or self-inflicted – can become a vicious cycle, Herbenick adds. Those types of behavioral trends can start early. Studies looking at when people began having sex found that those who started late – mid-20s to early 30s – were more likely to suffer from anxiety that may prevent them from having sex. “If you’re so anxious you can’t try online dating,” it is not abstinence that will pose a health issue, but the anxiety or depression it causes.

“If a person strongly desires but is unable to because they are unwell physically, or can’t find a partner, that is distressing,” Lindau says, adding that doctors aren’t usually the ear for that type of malaise. “Normally they take that to a friend or a psychologist.”
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
When You Want To, But Don’t

Abstinence can become unhealthy – psychologically – when you want to have sex but aren’t.

People can have sex every day with zero chance of parenthood.
What you are doing here is called the fallacy of the excluded middle. There is a huge area between fertile sex and abstinence. I realize that fertile sex is the big favorite among heteros. But the fact remains that abstinence and fertile sex are not the only options, so your post is quite irrelevant.
Tom
 

Smart_Guy

...
Premium Member
Let me know when you can interview a fetus and it tells you that it wants to live. Until then, forget it.

Is it absolutely certain that it cannot be interviewed somehow, or known how it feels, in a way we cannot fathom? There are other cases in life in which we cannot communicate with or know how it feels for them. That does not mean we do whatever we want to them just because we want to or without giving considerations of how they feel.

Yes, "interview" here clearly relates to know if it is alive or has feelings.

Edit:
I deeply apologize to the concerned people for what I said. I edited it out.
 
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