Where do you stand on abortion?

Question

I am dead against it, in fact I threatened to never talk to my sister again if she had one, she ended up keeping my wonderful niece! But Im concerned about these people who seem to have mixed opinions. One person told me that the only way a woman should have one is if she was raped or the baby was a product of incest. But the same person said she was against it. Does this make sense to you? Yes its a horrible thing to get raped or be a product of an incestual relationship, but there is always adoption. What do you think?

Another thing is I think woman do have a choice, but their choice should be to not put themselves in these situations.

Just for the record, I am a childless woman who has been trying desperately with my husband to have a child. I would love to adopt one of these unwanted children and its only a matter of time. I feel that is is extremely selfish to kill a child when that same child could have a wonderful life with an adopted family who would love to have it.

Answer 1

There are several principles that I think might help one decide how to answer your question:

1 - What is the difference between a baby in the womb, and a newborn in the mother's arms? I maintain that there is none. Both the baby in the womb and the baby in the mother's arms depend entirely on the mother for life.

2 - To what things in our life should the right of "choice" apply? Does a person have an absolute right to "choice" regarding everything in their immediate control? I say no. Many "choices" are regulated. One cannot destroy the life of another, even in private. One does not have a choice to destroy the life of a baby in ones arms, nor does one have a right to destroy a life in a womb.

3 - Is a baby property? I say no, not in the same sense as physical property that is "owned". The Supreme Court once said (in the Dred Scot decision) that slaves were property, and that slave owners had absolute right to do with their slaves as they pleased. The Court said that outsiders could not inflict their opinions on the "choice" of slave owners and slave states. The Supreme Court was wrong then, and by most accounts, was wrong in Roe v. Wade. Even Ruth Bader Ginsburg says that Roe was wrongly decided.

By any type of logic, by any rule of civilized society, abortion is a great wrong inflicted upon the most innocent of us, the baby hidden in comfort inside the mother's womb.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote: "When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."

Mother Teresa said:

"The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships...It has portrayed the greatest of gifts -- a child -- as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience...The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign."

"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? "

"Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted, and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child, and be loved by the child."

"Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants."

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."

Answer 2

pro choice! It's always a womans decision! I wouldn't ever personally want to have one and if I got pregnant now I don't know what I'd do cause even though I'm 20 and an adult, my mum says shed kill me if I got pregnant young like my sister. But tbh I think the only situation I would have an abortion in is if I was raped. The pro life people have no right to judge people who have had abortions because they have never been in that situation and there is no way a woman or girl who was raped should be forced to have the baby, that is just sick and immoral! Also no person has the right to force a woman to have a baby which will endanger her own life. I think pro life people should stop getting involved in other peoples business tbh. Thank god abortion is perfectly legal where I'm from and even free! Abortion being illegal actually puts womens lives in danger!

Answer 3

I am pro-life. 93% of abortions are used for birth control, which can be substituted with self-control, but our society doesnt want to promote self-control does it? Abortions in cases of rape and incest are less than 1% of the total abortions, yeah, so the rape and incest argument isnt a good one, because even if we allow those abortions to take place, we eliminated the vast majority of abortions altogether. i hate when people say it is a woman's body, so they should do what they want. Well, it is also the unborn baby's body too, so that argument is now lessoned. How about medical emergencies? I think if the woman's life is in danger, she should be able to choose whether or not she has an abortion, that is fair. i agree with the adoption part, it is better for the victims. I researched on rape victims who had babies due to the rape, and most of them want to keep the child, but hated the fact that it was a bastard child. Most of the women know that two wrongs dont make a right.

Answer 4

Wile the mother may feel that an abortion is the right choice to make, they usually feel tremendous guilt after one. Many scientists agree that a baby has feeling in the womb by 1 month. It's really best to follow through with the birth and if the mother really do sent want the baby they should put it up for adoption. Giving the child a chance at life is better than ending it before it is borne.

Answer 5

Well, my opinion is complicated. I've seen both sides of the issue, so it makes it a little difficult.
I am against abortion, for the most part. I myself couldn't handle having one.
However, having been a victim of sexual assault, I know that I could not have handled carrying a child to term, had I gotten pregnant. I would have hated myself...because I wouldn't have been able to love that baby, even though I would have wanted to. And every day for nine months, I would have been reliving the memory of what had been forced on me. No thanks. Sexual assault on its own is bad enough. I had PTSD for close to two years.
That was then. Now, I'm a Christian, and if I was assaulted again, I know God would help me through. But at that time, I wasn't.
So, yes, I am against abortion, but I think in some circumstances it's understandable. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the help (be it spiritual, physical, emotional, and/or financial) they need through a pregnancy they don't want.
HOWEVER. We should ALL be more responsible with our sexuality, and take every precaution we can to avoid getting pregnant if we don't want children.
And I also believe abortion should be heavily restricted. See my answer to this question to get an idea:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Amtg4wrue0bCOJzNT63jfinsy6IX?qid=20070116131639AAHbuZn&show=7#profile-info-b645558d90324b41a33e341a2e4b703faa

Answer 6

I think abortion should be regulated like anything else in this society.
We regulate what kind of foods people can eat. NY pass the law about banning transfats. Still my body right.
We regulate breast implants and were ban because of some bad rreaction.
If a woman wants an abortion because she is rape than charges needed to be filed to find out who got rape.
Minors need a parent/ legal guardian just like any other operation.
If the fetus is viable and healthy and the mother is healthy abortion is not an options. btw: being depress doesn't count.
The mother should be given all the information and choices first follow by 24 hours to think it over.
If there is minor pregant from a father or family member charge need to be filed by the clinic automatically just like in school if a teacher sees a kids abuse they have to report.


Yet Pro-choice would consider the above so unreasonable restriction they fight that tooth and nail.
Pro-choice is not about choice it is about a woman should kill her fetus at anytime at any age without any restrictions.

Don't like I am male TOUGH. That fetus is not your body he/she has it's own DNA.

Answer 7

I am pro-choice simply because what if the woman was raped and conceived that way? Why would any woman want to keep her abusers child?! Its just an every day painful reminder. Also there could be health reasons. What if it would kill the mother to have the baby? Then we'd have yet another orphin in this world if there was no family member to assume the responsibility. You have to think about all the basis. Yes it is morally wrong for killing a child just because you don't want it. Although I am pro-choice, I do see it as wrong to abort just because you don't want the child or can't take care of it. There are plenty of peopl that want to adopt!!!

Answer 8

In my opinion abortion is wrong however, i agree with your friend that incest and rape is cause for abortion as long as it is done in the first 4 weeks before the baby has a heart beat. A baby should not live the rest of its life with the shame of these crimes but no one has the right to stop a beating heart. I do agree with you in the fact that a woman shouldnt put herself in these situations to begin with in order to get pregnant and want an abortion but they think its their body and their right. But its not, its the babys right to live. Women are selfish and only care about themselves. Im anti abortion and pro adoption all the way. God bless!

Answer 9

When women are raped they don't have a choice in the matter. That's why it's called rape.
I'm pro choice. The woman who is pregnant has to make the decision about carrying the pregnancy to term based on her life experience and the totality of the circumstances. One way to reduce abortions is to reduce unwanted pregnancies. However that is made more difficult by a republican party who seems determined to push back their definition of life which reduces the types of birth control they find acceptable, and reduces a woman's options. I'm sorry but an egg that has not even been implanted in the uterus cannot be considered a live, yet many on the right see it that way.

Answer 10

This is a good question and I commend you for asking it! I am totally against abortion. I believe it is murder and it's wrong! We need to stand up for these babies that can't speak for themselves! If a person is raped or incest, the baby should be put up for adoption. I know several couples who are having trouble having babies that would love to have one!