The abortion issue

Two hot topics for the price of one

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Abortion Stance and Religious Stance

Pro-Choice and Non-Theist
25
61%
Pro-Choice and Theist
4
10%
Pro-Life and Non-Theist
2
5%
Pro-Life and Theist
10
24%
 
Total votes: 41

jgh7

The abortion issue

Post #1

Post by jgh7 »

This is my first time adding a poll, so hopefully it works

I notice that the issue of gay marriage is a hot topic on these forums, but people tend to skirt around abortion... Gee, I wonder why? Here's a poll, please choose one of the options even if you feel that you're "special" to the point of where none of these options describes you. Please keep in mind, This has to do only with pregnancies that are not the result of rape, are not a danger to the mother's life, and with fetuses that will not have grossly severe deformities or disabilities. I have opinions about each of these special circumstances, but I would like this topic to be about the overwhelming majority of pregnancies which don't have these problems.

Obviously you can voice your stance as well, and feel free to talk about your opinions of how religion relates to all of this... or how it shouldn't. Here's mine:

For me, my strong views about abortion coincide highly with my religious views, but I developed them before I became religious. I view life as sacred from the moment of conception. I don't care if the zef (zygote/embryo/fetus) can think, I don't care how he looks, I don't care if the mother-to-be is a teenager or not, and I don't care about the impact on society. All I care about is the zef's life, and how I define life is not based off of cognitive abilities, development of vital organs, or ability to survive outside the womb. Life is about having a future on this earth. Many people say it's no big deal because there are so many early miscarriages that we don't even realize happen, but that is an awful reason to justify the purposeful destruction of life.

The main pro-choice argument is that the mother has a right to choose since it's her body. I strongly disagree. In the cases of voluntary sex, people know the risks; even when they use protection they know there's still a risk. Even if they don't know the risks, that still does not justify killing the zef because of their ignorance. Even in the worst case scenario, where the mother is a teenager and dirt poor, I strongly believe that abortion is wrong. Life is sacred to the point of where both parents ought to be willing to sacrifice their monetary well-being as well as their personal lives/time/aspirations for the sake of letting their child live.

My faith strengthens my stance, and I'm not ashamed to admit that the only way I could feel so strongly is through my faith. After all, with a non-theistic view it's pretty easy to view life as insignificant if it's a tiny spec that doesn't think and doesn't look anything like a baby. I understand many will be offended by this, but I've seen that this is the case for many non-theists.

The final argument that usually arises is: "Isn't using protection the same as abortion, since you're preventing sperm from entering the egg?" I believe we have the right to choose when we want to create life, but we don't have the right to choose to destroy that life once it has been created. I may not know the precise time down to the second, but somewhere during the moment of conception, life is created. A sperm will not grow into a baby, and neither will an egg; only a fertilized egg. All that is left after conception is less than a year of growing until the life is born. Using protection is no more abortion than is choosing not to have sex for a certain night. Both cases mean that sperm that could have fertilized an egg was prevented from doing so. But destroying a fertilized egg is abortion, because it is killing off a human life that is growing.

These are my views. I know there are many points where people can disagree, but abortion is one thing where I have a very strong stance on, since I believe it is killing. When people are lax on their stances and say things like, "It's only for mothers to decide," it usually means that they don't view the zef as a life.

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Re: The abortion issue

Post #2

Post by bernee51 »

jgh7 wrote:This is my first time adding a poll, so hopefully it works

I notice that the issue of gay marriage is a hot topic on these forums, but people tend to skirt around abortion... Gee, I wonder why? Here's a poll, please choose one of the options even if you feel that you're "special" to the point of where none of these options describes you. Please keep in mind, This has to do only with pregnancies that are not the result of rape, are not a danger to the mother's life, and with fetuses that will not have grossly severe deformities or disabilities. I have opinions about each of these special circumstances, but I would like this topic to be about the overwhelming majority of pregnancies which don't have these problems.
How about 'none of the above'....

I'm pro-life, pro-choice and a non-theist.

cheers
"Whatever you are totally ignorant of, assert to be the explanation of everything else"

William James quoting Dr. Hodgson

"When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two."

Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Post #3

Post by JoeyKnothead »

Pro choice and non theist.
I feel bound to accept the decision of the patient and the doctor. I do not reject limits per se, but caution against discriminatory, mean spirited objectives.
I might be Teddy Roosevelt, but I ain't.
-Punkinhead Martin

jgh7

Re: The abortion issue

Post #4

Post by jgh7 »

bernee51 wrote:
jgh7 wrote:This is my first time adding a poll, so hopefully it works

I notice that the issue of gay marriage is a hot topic on these forums, but people tend to skirt around abortion... Gee, I wonder why? Here's a poll, please choose one of the options even if you feel that you're "special" to the point of where none of these options describes you. Please keep in mind, This has to do only with pregnancies that are not the result of rape, are not a danger to the mother's life, and with fetuses that will not have grossly severe deformities or disabilities. I have opinions about each of these special circumstances, but I would like this topic to be about the overwhelming majority of pregnancies which don't have these problems.
How about 'none of the above'....

I'm pro-life, pro-choice and a non-theist.

cheers
Until you can give a better explanation of your nonsensical stance, I'll just assume that you mean pro-choice. It's most likely the case I'm sure.

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Post #5

Post by onefaith »

you're against children suffering but pro choice? hmm. seems kinda weird to me but that's fine if that's what you're for

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bernee51
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Re: The abortion issue

Post #6

Post by bernee51 »

jgh7 wrote:
bernee51 wrote:
jgh7 wrote:This is my first time adding a poll, so hopefully it works

I notice that the issue of gay marriage is a hot topic on these forums, but people tend to skirt around abortion... Gee, I wonder why? Here's a poll, please choose one of the options even if you feel that you're "special" to the point of where none of these options describes you. Please keep in mind, This has to do only with pregnancies that are not the result of rape, are not a danger to the mother's life, and with fetuses that will not have grossly severe deformities or disabilities. I have opinions about each of these special circumstances, but I would like this topic to be about the overwhelming majority of pregnancies which don't have these problems.
How about 'none of the above'....

I'm pro-life, pro-choice and a non-theist.

cheers
Until you can give a better explanation of your nonsensical stance, I'll just assume that you mean pro-choice. It's most likely the case I'm sure.
You don't even know my stance yet you call it 'nonsensical'...this does not surprise me.

While I may not support abortion myself I am not responsible for making that decision for others.

While I may be of the opinion that the 'zef' has the potential to become a viable 'baby' I am not in the position taking responsibility to make that decision for others.

IOW it is not a mutually exclusive position to believe that abortion is not something I would engage in AND beleive it is the individual's CHOICE not mine.
Last edited by bernee51 on Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Whatever you are totally ignorant of, assert to be the explanation of everything else"

William James quoting Dr. Hodgson

"When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two."

Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Post #7

Post by bernee51 »

onefaith wrote:you're against children suffering but pro choice? hmm. seems kinda weird to me but that's fine if that's what you're for
A 'zef' is not a 'child'.

Stop trying to blur issues by using emotional language.

Next you'll be calling abortion murder.
"Whatever you are totally ignorant of, assert to be the explanation of everything else"

William James quoting Dr. Hodgson

"When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two."

Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Re: The abortion issue

Post #8

Post by Goat »

jgh7 wrote:
bernee51 wrote:
jgh7 wrote:This is my first time adding a poll, so hopefully it works

I notice that the issue of gay marriage is a hot topic on these forums, but people tend to skirt around abortion... Gee, I wonder why? Here's a poll, please choose one of the options even if you feel that you're "special" to the point of where none of these options describes you. Please keep in mind, This has to do only with pregnancies that are not the result of rape, are not a danger to the mother's life, and with fetuses that will not have grossly severe deformities or disabilities. I have opinions about each of these special circumstances, but I would like this topic to be about the overwhelming majority of pregnancies which don't have these problems.
How about 'none of the above'....

I'm pro-life, pro-choice and a non-theist.

cheers
Until you can give a better explanation of your nonsensical stance, I'll just assume that you mean pro-choice. It's most likely the case I'm sure.
You are assuming that 'pro-choice' is not promoting life too. That is an error based. Someone who is 'pro-choice' is not 'pro-abortion'.
“What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?�

Steven Novella

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Post #9

Post by rblight »

Here is the main problem with the claim that life BEGINS at conception. Sperm cells are already 'living' when they fertilize an egg. So how can life BEGIN at conception?

jgh7

Re: The abortion issue

Post #10

Post by jgh7 »

bernee51 wrote:
jgh7 wrote:
bernee51 wrote:
jgh7 wrote:This is my first time adding a poll, so hopefully it works

I notice that the issue of gay marriage is a hot topic on these forums, but people tend to skirt around abortion... Gee, I wonder why? Here's a poll, please choose one of the options even if you feel that you're "special" to the point of where none of these options describes you. Please keep in mind, This has to do only with pregnancies that are not the result of rape, are not a danger to the mother's life, and with fetuses that will not have grossly severe deformities or disabilities. I have opinions about each of these special circumstances, but I would like this topic to be about the overwhelming majority of pregnancies which don't have these problems.
How about 'none of the above'....

I'm pro-life, pro-choice and a non-theist.

cheers
Until you can give a better explanation of your nonsensical stance, I'll just assume that you mean pro-choice. It's most likely the case I'm sure.
You don't even know my stance yet you call it 'nonsensical'...this does not surprise me.

While I may not support abortion myself I am not responsible for making that decision for others.

While I may be of the opinion that the 'zef' has the potential to become a viable 'baby' I am not in the position taking responsibility to make that decision for others.

IOW it is not a mutually exclusive position to believe that abortion is not something I would engage in AND beleive it is the individual's CHOICE not mine.
It is nonsensical to label yourself as pro-life and pro-choice, and to give no further explanation of what you mean in that post. After reading this post, your stances is pro-choice. You believe people have a right to choose.

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