Your view on abortion. Atheist welcome.

[dawny0826]

Better to have an abortion, than bring a child into a home where its not wanted, or worse, into poverty and hunger. Let the woman's own beliefs decide, not someone else's.

Better to prevent a pregnancy altogether, if you're not capable of bringing a child into a wanted home where he/she will be cared for.

 

[logician]

Better to prevent a pregnancy altogether, if you're not capable of bringing a child into a wanted home where he/she will be cared for.

Very true, unfortunately, many teens are not overly responsible when it comes to taking precautions, or having safe sex, so what do you do?

 

[dawny0826]

Very true, unfortunately, many teens are not overly responsible when it comes to taking precautions, or having safe sex, so what do you do?

Would it be so terrible to encourage them to abstain until they can handle negative consequences? Not that I'm implying that abstinence-only education works but abstinence is often painted as this ugly "square" ideal, yet if one abstains, one doesn't have to worry about pregnancy or worse.

 

[McBell]

Would it be so terrible to encourage them to abstain until they can handle negative consequences? Not that I'm implying that abstinence-only education works but abstinence is often painted as this ugly "square" ideal, yet if one abstains, one doesn't have to worry about pregnancy or worse.

This reminds me of when I kept telling my daughter not to touch the stove because it is hot.
She did not learn until AFTER she got burned.

 

[Sunstone]

Would it be so terrible to encourage them to abstain until they can handle negative consequences? Not that I'm implying that abstinence-only education works but abstinence is often painted as this ugly "square" ideal, yet if one abstains, one doesn't have to worry about pregnancy or worse.

It's true that if one abstains one need not worry about pregnancy or STDs. But it is also true that most people -- no matter whether they are told to abstain or not -- do not abstain. That is simply a fact and it is very well established in the scientific literature on the subject. Trying to get people to abstain is not the most efficient way to go crazy. The most efficient way to go crazy is to beat your head against a brick wall. But trying to get people to abstain runs a close second to that.

 

[dawny0826]

This reminds me of when I kept telling my daughter not to touch the stove because it is hot.
She did not learn until AFTER she got burned.

And there was no way to keep her from the stove? (I don't mean that as a personal flame at all.)

 

[dawny0826]

It's true that if one abstains one need not worry about pregnancy or STDs. But it is also true that most people -- no matter whether they are told to abstain or not -- do not abstain. That is simply a fact and it is very well established in the scientific literature on the subject. Trying to get people to abstain is not the most efficient way to go crazy. The most efficient way to go crazy is to beat your head against a brick wall. But trying to get people to abstain runs a close second to that.

I've stated before that I favor a balanced approach to sex education but I don't think it's "square" to encourage your kids to wait to have sex.

And respectfully, it's not rocket science to enjoy a good screw and avoid an unwanted pregnancy in the process. As a society, we make far too many excuses for irresponsible behavior.

I suppose I'm a prude, Phil.

 

[McBell]

And there was no way to keep her from the stove? (I don't mean that as a personal flame at all.)

And have to babysit her and hope EVERYONE else will babysit her when I am not around, to keep her away from everything that is hot enough to burn her?

I found it much more beneficial to just let her get burned in a controlled situation and learn what "that is hot" means than to put that amount of trust in everyone she will ever be around.

However, this technique is not advisable when trying to prevent pregnancy.

 

[dawny0826]

And have to babysit her and hope EVERYONE else will babysit here when I am not around, to keep her away from everything that is hot enough to burn her?

I found it much more beneficial to just let her get burned in a controlled situation and learn what "that is hot" means than to put that amount of trust in everyone she will ever be around.

However, this technique is not advisable when trying to prevent pregnancy.

LOL! Believe you me, as a Mom, I totally get what you're saying. But an unwanted pregnancy is an awful hard life lesson for a teenager to learn.

It's not a perfect world. People have to do the best that they can.

 

[leahrachelle]

Better to have an abortion, than bring a child into a home where its not wanted, or worse, into poverty and hunger. Let the woman's own beliefs decide, not someone else's.

Better to be dead you mean -_- thats sad..

 

[leahrachelle]

Very true, unfortunately, many teens are not overly responsible when it comes to taking precautions, or having safe sex, so what do you do?

1.) You change that - you stop letting your teen go out at 4 in the morning and if you know they're having sex you dont just punish them for a week, you make sure they stop.
And please dont preach to me about how you can't do that because I'm 16.
2.) You DON'T have an abortion. You find someone in the family that will love it and take care of it, and I bet you that in a good number of cases there is someone like this available. If not, you give it up for adoption.

 

[leahrachelle]

This reminds me of when I kept telling my daughter not to touch the stove because it is hot.
She did not learn until AFTER she got burned.

I don't think this is a good example because I know SEVERAL people my age that have gotten multiple abortions.

 

[darkendless]

People need to give up on policing the world because they feel they have a moral obligation to protect unborn children. These people often have no idea what the person having the abortion is facing. A girl i know and work with is not having an abortion because of her religious beliefs and has destroyed the best career oppurtunity she will get in her life. Once she has a child they're not interested because they cant afford to have her taking days off. Im not saying kill the baby because its inconvenient im saying there is too much focus on "OMG its murder" and not enough focus on the circumstances surrounding its entrance to the world. What kind of person would force a mother to bring a child into a world of poverty???

 

[danny vee]

Sex does not "create" life.
Both the sperm and egg are alive when they meet.
If either is dead, fertilization cannot occur.


This makes no sense as written.
The fetus is not a baby until after it is born.


Really?
Why not take the age back to when the lucky sperm was made?


The reason ones age starts at birth (at least in most cases) is because birth is a known thing.
Conception, on the other hand, is not so easy to pinpoint.

The reason I wouldn't take the age back to when the sperm was made is because a baby is a combination of the sperm and the egg meeting. That point is when life starts. Obviously the fetus is not a baby but I think you know what I meant, I meant it is a living being. Therefore, killing it would mean killing, as the fetus is a form of life.

 

[S-word]

people need to give up on policing the world because they feel they have a moral obligation to protect unborn children. These people often have no idea what the person having the abortion is facing. A girl i know and work with is not having an abortion because of her religious beliefs and has destroyed the best career oppurtunity she will get in her life. Once she has a child they're not interested because they cant afford to have her taking days off. Im not saying kill the baby because its inconvenient im saying there is too much focus on "omg its murder" and not enough focus on the circumstances surrounding its entrance to the world. What kind of person would force a mother to bring a child into a world of poverty???

the pious and selfrighteous oozing, hypocritical accusers and guilt impossing people of the world, my dear friend darkendless.

 

[DallasApple]

LOL! Believe you me, as a Mom, I totally get what you're saying. But an unwanted pregnancy is an awful hard life lesson for a teenager to learn.

It's not a perfect world. People have to do the best that they can.

Married women and married women with children already have unwanted pregnancies as well.Go sit in an abortion clinic for a day.You might be surprised to see its not filled wall to wall with a bunch of wide eyed teenagers.

Love

Dallas

 

[DallasApple]

Better to prevent a pregnancy altogether, if you're not capable of bringing a child into a wanted home where he/she will be cared for.

This is stating the obvious.Of course in a perfect world every woman and every MAN would abstain from sex untill they are prepared to have a baby.Or abstain from sex unless they were 99.9999% protected from an unwanted pregnancy.

And then we have reality.And reality is accidents happen.Are you prepared to tell a 35 year married man and woman with 3 kids already that they should have prevented the unwanted pregnancy therefore if they truly dont feel they can handle another child for whatever the reasons(usually its not one reason)that they have to have the baby anyway and give it away?And what if it happens twice?How many babies is she(and he) supposed to bear and give away?And since its 'their mistake" sure have no sympathy for the emotional effects of giving away a real baby for the parents.But what of the affect it would have on the siblings?The extended family even.

What if once the baby is born one or the other or both can't bring themselves to give the baby up?

What if they dont agree even though they both realize its going to be a major hardship on the family and their relationship?

I hear the people say.."just give it up for adoption".Not to mention people seem to think there are hundreds of thousands of people waiting in line every new year to adopt a baby.And thats assuming its a healthy baby.What of the babies born with medical issues?

If there are ALLLL these people willing(wanting) to adopt how do you explain the rise in the trend of people having less children ..having children later rather than sooner..as well as the rise in #'s of couples opting to not have children at all?

The point is.You can say prevention is better.I think everyone agrees with that.Now having said that what do you do when it happens anyway?Because I suspect even if we can manage to educate people better..there will still be accidents.

Love

Dallas

 

[leahrachelle]

People need to give up on policing the world because they feel they have a moral obligation to protect unborn children. These people often have no idea what the person having the abortion is facing. A girl i know and work with is not having an abortion because of her religious beliefs and has destroyed the best career oppurtunity she will get in her life. Once she has a child they're not interested because they cant afford to have her taking days off. Im not saying kill the baby because its inconvenient im saying there is too much focus on "OMG its murder" and not enough focus on the circumstances surrounding its entrance to the world. What kind of person would force a mother to bring a child into a world of poverty???

I am really sick of this argument.
Ya'll just make yourselves sound selfish

 

[DallasApple]

I am really sick of this argument.
Ya'll just make yourselves sound selfish

Maybe I think your selfish for expecting me to bring another child into this world at 41 years old no matter what the circumstances are or kind of hardship it would brings on the rest of my family not even considering me.

Love

Dallas

 

[Truth_Faith13]

How would you feel if the anti-abortion lobby were able to convince the authorities that be, to classify the forming foetus as a living person, meaning that you could be charged with murder or manslaughter for causing a pregnant woman to miscarry, even though by nature, she may not have been able to carry her pregnancy to its full term.

I am a little confused on this paragraph - it is talking about causing a woman to miscarry, well surely this would be abuse in which case they deserve to be charged and go to prison anyway

But to abortion....I don't think anyone has the right to comment on other peoples lives, each case is different. Its all good and well commenting, but then you dont know how it feels unless you have been in the situation itself - I am grateful I have never been in a situation where an abortion has been on the cards. I don't agree 100% with abortion - I don't think it should be used as a contraceptive measure as so many ill educated teens are doing these days. I dont like abortion when the pregnancy is the result of stupidity, mistakes, change of mind etc. However I also dont think it should be made illegal. I would much prefer someone to have an abotion legally then go into the black market and do more harm to both mother and child than good. I have no problem with abortions being considered in cases of rape, incest, abuse, child/mother in danger etc.

In short...its the mothers life, and it is upto that individual and their own circumstance!