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Interesting Dyl Pickle
Most pro-life people I've talked to say that life begins at conception but when I ask some of the questions I posed in the essay it usually turns out they don't really believe that. I've always believed that there was no "moderate" position on abortion-you were either for it or against it, but now you've got me thinking that maybe there's something in between
posted by
jollyjeff
on February 7, 2009 at 9:08 AM
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What you say is true only for the most extreme antiabortion position. You can think an unborn child deserves protection without denying any moral difference between the unborn child and a grown person. The killing of an unborn child is a lesser offense than killing a sentient human being. (Suffering is an issue in the latter case only, or at least to a greater extent than the first case.)
The case of rape is more difficult. A weighing of interests would seem to be needed here. The interest of the unborn child in life versus the interest of the woman in whatever kind of relief she would find by having an abortion. Yes the child is innocent but his/her mother's needs count too.
The insistence that restrictions on abortion would have to mean the severest penalties for abortionists assumes that restrictions could only be coherent if based on valuing unborn life as much as the other kind. But that doesn't follow. Why can't we say, unborn life counts, but the other kind counts more?
If that argument succeeds, then the appropriate penalty for abortion would be something less than the penalty for murder as understood according to current law. Determining the penalty would seem difficult. But the position of abortion being effectively legal at any stage of pregnancy for any reason (seemingly the primary or most widely-held position among those calling themselves pro-choice) is not a perfect solution either. Either position faces ambiguity.
posted by
Dyl_Pickle
on February 6, 2009 at 8:49 PM
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I thought this to be a poignant perspective! Exceedingly thought provoking as well! sam
posted by
sam444
on November 28, 2008 at 6:34 PM
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Wow ravenmarie!
You've been through a lot. I hope it has made you stronger.
posted by
jollyjeff
on November 28, 2008 at 12:22 PM
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Having been raped twice. Once when I was 5 and once when I was 14 I can tell you I wouldn't want an innoccent child to die. The baby would be another victim. Having lost one baby and having a tubal preg. I can say that if there was any chance my baby would have lived I would have died to save it. Living with the knowledge that I had to end my preg. even though I really had no choice and the out come would have been the same is sometimes unbearable.
posted by
ravenmarie
on November 28, 2008 at 11:15 AM
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