Since an atheist told me "keep your religion to yourself!", I will ask a question not about religion and sprirituality but about the laws of our society.
Here is the question:
Why is it legal for a mother to kill her unborn child, but if a pregnant mother gets murdered, and the unborn baby dies with her, it is considered by law to be a double murder?
2006-08-23 20:20:33 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
u really got them this time sugar. keep up the good work.
2006-08-23 20:25:13 · answer #1 · answered by marissa 5 · 6⤊ 6⤋
Because it is legal does not mean that it makes sense or that an athiest has to defend it. Nor does it prove anything; it is merely a statement of fact as to what the law states.
One reason could be that people who are anti-abortion know that such a law is not that popular now (a law outlawing all abortions though outlawing 'partial-birth' abortions is popular) and would not pass the legislatures or the courts. So, they have started small, hoping to use each law to build up to a law against abortion. They are trying to use your exact logic:
If a mother and her baby dies because of someone else, that person will be charged with two murders, therefore that means he/she has killed two people, therefore the baby/fetus inside the mother is recognized as legally alive.
The next step is to try to outlaw most abortion (except in cases of health or death to the mother) with the idea that it's a moderate and compromised position.
The next step is to outlaw all abortions, with the stated logic of; if you kill a woman and her unborn child, under the established law, you are killing two people. Why is it different is the mother kills the baby, or another person. The baby still dies, as a result. It's a very convincing argument and it makes logical sense, so I agree with this.
However, the only way it makes logical sense is if all are in agreement with the premise; namely that the 'thing' inside the woman is alive and deserves some sort of legal standing. That is a premise that most people agree with, no matter their position. I do not however. I think if 'it' hasn't been born, then it is not alive and deserves no recognition. If it's 2 weeks in, 6 months or 9 months,in my opinion, it doesn't matter. It shouldn't have legal recognition; it's unborn thereofre not born therefore isn't alive therefore it's not acceptable for it to be recognized as such.
I'm sure my opinion is in the minority; even "liberals" and pro-choicers don't agree with me. Having said that, you're question is a good one and is an effective talking point that will (I think) be used on every news show, talk radio, magazine, for the future and it will be a succesful talking point because the only way to rebutt it is to proclaim that the "thing" inside the mother is not worth any recognition. If someone uses that on TV or in print, they will be ridiculed and called insane.
I think that conservatives and pro-lifers will win the day with this argument. Unfortunately. :(
2006-08-24 03:39:15 · answer #2 · answered by eskimo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I consider myself a scientist but Im not aethist. First of all it is not legal in ALL COUNTRIES, and moreover only SOME STATES in the U.S allows abortion, second thing it is no easy thing to abort a child not all Doctors will do it, it depends if your "Pro-Choice" which means your choice is more valuable than life, or your "Pro-Life" which is the opposite. Third the reason why people abort is not because of fancy, they do it because a) The child may turn out deformed b) The Mother of the fetus has been raped and thats how it came about c) The mother is not ready.
Second thing, the fetus is alive and living in its mother's womb, it gets its nutrients and other important materials from the mother, if you kill the mother, you are in effect cutting of all sources of nutrients to the fetus and thus you kill it. Thats why its called a double-murder.
2006-08-24 03:35:00 · answer #3 · answered by Romeo31 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
While abortion (killing unborn child by mother) is considered as a special case, under birth control or other wise to save the situation of having unhealthy baby. Where as the murder is murder; two purpose in one stroke hence killing pregnant women is considered as double murder if unborn baby also dies.
2006-08-24 03:32:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
because while the baby's in the womb, the mother can make decisions for him re what's best for the child. if the mother knows that she can not feed another mouth, or if she conceived as a result of being raped and would reject the child, it is her decision to abort. the mother is responsible for the best interest of the child. if anybody but the mother ends the foetus' life, it's a crime. But then again, a serial killer, drug dealer, abuser is allowed to marry, while two people of the same sex aren't allowed to, no matter how much we love each other.
2006-08-24 05:32:18 · answer #5 · answered by Nut B 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The fact that an aborted fetus can be called 'murder' is in fact proof that the fetus is a human.
In Holland a mother may abort a fetus up to nearly nine months. They suck out the fetus' brains.
Thank you for the question.
2006-08-24 03:33:39 · answer #6 · answered by donutmiddel 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
That's a great question. Now, I, as a pro-choicer, would rather change this law, so that if a pregnant woman dies (and so does her foetus), only HER death is considered a murder. It's not making abortion legal what's wrong. It's the vestiges of a prudish morality in former laws.
BTW, you've made it. I'm not technically an atheist (I'm an ignostic), but you haven't offended me.
2006-08-24 03:35:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's double murder because a bunch of stupid Jesus freaks were able to screw up the laws so that double murder was the outcome. It's nothing more than creeping anti-choice legislation.
Also, why do you expect laws to be internally consistent? They sure aren't internally consistent in that Bible of yours.
2006-08-24 03:36:27 · answer #8 · answered by Good Times, Happy Times... 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When have you heard of a woman who was about to get an abortion being murdered? OH that's right...it's only your kind that would do that!
When a pregnant woman is murdered, it's only ever been when she has decided to keep the baby to term. This definitely counts as a double murder.
But legal subtleties are usually lost on your kind.
2006-08-24 03:26:35 · answer #9 · answered by DEATH 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
That's a very good question!
I guess that a mother has the right to choose on her own for herself and her life; if she gets murdered, someone else decided for her despite and forced his will on her, which is completely different.
Of course this varies from country to country or from state to state according the local law, doesn't it?
2006-08-24 03:26:05 · answer #10 · answered by ngiapapa 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
wow That's a question that the government wouldn't touch with a flag pole .And it goes right up there with is there life on other planets.
The world is a cruel place there are things that we just cant fix it is an understandable question i would have to somewhat agree with you .But that is a subject that will never have anything done about it sad to say.
2006-08-24 03:28:56 · answer #11 · answered by Big-E 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋