I know many folks who say that the state sanctioned death of prisoners is wrong, but at the same time support state sanctioned killing of babies. How can these two positions be reconciled? I'm not going to argue with you. I want to hear what you have to say on this topic.
2007-08-17 06:48:28 · 27 answers · asked by Graham 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Those of you who chided me for using the term "pro-abortion" need to read all the posts below. People do term themselves pro-abortion. Substitue the term pro-choice into my question if you like.
2007-08-17 07:00:20 · update #1
I am pro-abortion and anti-death penalty. The death penalty is basically murder, and several thousand years of history prove that it is not a deterrant to other criminals. Abortion is a woman's right. It is simply getting rid of something that no one needs or wants. Today we women need not suffer the misery of unwanted pregnancy nor the burden of unwanted children. Men who oppose a woman's right to abortion simply want to dominate women, subjugate women and keep us enslaved.
2007-08-17 06:55:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
Death penalty:
Killing a prisoner does not undo his crime. It has been shown to be no more of a deterrent than life imprisonment and under the current system actually costs more. There is no chance for the prisoner to change and contribute towards society (something many life-without-parole prisoners have done) and it has been documented that many innocent people have been killed.
The only reason for it is the desire for revenge - a life for a life. Is that how we want society for be run? Consider that if you apply the doctrine of an eye for an eye, we all end up blind.
Abortion:
Pro-choice, within reason. I am against the aborting of fetuses that are self aware. The best way to do this is to draw a line at about 20 weeks, before which the nervous system has not developed sufficiently. Exceptions should be made if the mother's life is at risk.
The mother should be able to make a choice well before 20 weeks, and indeed most abortions are well before then with the majority <10 weeks.
There is also a effect here on society. It used to be that people were predicting a huge crime wave would overtake America. This has not happened. One plausible explanation of this is Roe v. Wade. The crime wave was denied a generation of disillusioned and unloved youth from the simple fact that they were never born.
This is not to say that eugenics is a good method of crime control, but that abortion has allowed people to chose when to start a family so that those children are brought up in a better an more loving environment.
Good education on contraception would be a much better choice. Unfortunately the anti-choice crowd object to that too.
2007-08-17 14:27:36 · answer #2 · answered by Simon T 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
I don't have to reconcile it.
But if I had to, I might say that the state taking human life is not the same as a parent preventing in advance the existence of human life. To me, there is no life until the state of viability ex-utero without machines and gadgets, so abortion before that state is not taking a human life.
Now that I think about it, I kind of like the death penalty. Maybe its application should be expanded.
2007-08-17 13:56:14 · answer #3 · answered by BAL 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Let's get this straight, an EMBRYO vs. an adult person? Why not prevent people from killing sperm or zygotes? Why is it that most Christians feel it's nothing to kill an animal like the rednecks that go hunting but an embryo is off limits? I like both the death penalty and abortion, but I'm sure there are people like that.
2007-08-17 14:00:02 · answer #4 · answered by Ares 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes you can.. i do not believe in the death penalty, not because i feel it is morally wrong.. but because it is fiscally irresponsable.. it costs way to much time and money to keep an inmate on death row... better to keep them alive in prison, its far less costly... and i believe that its the womans choice whether or not to continue with a pregnancy. though education to prevent the pregnancy would be better. mistakes happen.. why should a child suffer.. and why should i support them with my tax dollars so a young single mother can go on welfare?? so yes.. i don't think the death penalty is a good thing.. and i think that abortion is a personal choice.. and it isn't the sanctioning of killing babies.
2007-08-17 13:55:37 · answer #5 · answered by Amy E 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm anti-death penalty and pro-choice.
It's not really as much of a paradox as the reverse is (which conservatives and fundies seem to have no problem with).
The reverse being-let's protect a fetus to the nth even though the child will grow up without care, support, money, etc...because we also do not want to fund welfare nor will WE adopt the unwanted children...
BUT let's go to town killing adults! Yeah, yeah, I know his IQ is in the 50's, but he killed someone...yeah, yeah, I know the child was raised in the ghetto without love and support and his mom wanted to abort him (but that's just wrong!), but he needs to die now since he was high on crack and shot someone.
So, lets not let women make choices about their own bodies-let's make all these children be born, not help make sure they are raised correctly, and THEN let's kill them after they do horrible things because of their horrible life.
2007-08-17 14:01:32 · answer #6 · answered by alia 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
People can believe anything they want. Doesn't mean it makes sense.
I don't think you meant any harm, but what you said is incorrect. As someone stated it is not pro-abortion it is pro-choice. I am pro-choice but will not have an abortion. It is about having the right to make that decision for oneself.
People who are pro-choice don't believe it is killing a baby. A baby and a fetus are two different things.
It also seems that a lot of pro-life advocates only care about the life that is in the womb. nobody cares about all the homeless children or those being killed in other countries.
2007-08-17 13:53:15 · answer #7 · answered by alana 5 · 3⤊ 4⤋
I'm pro-choice and pro-death penalty. Unfortunately, I am a minority. Too many people are stuck being fan boys to their favorite political party these days to think outside the box.
2007-08-17 13:55:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think you mean pro-choice, but sure, why not? I see people pick only half of the pro life position all the time. I don't see why they couldn't take that half.
2007-08-17 13:54:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Generally it's the other way around - people are "pro-life" but support the death penalty.
And it happens all the time, so it must be possible.
2007-08-17 13:56:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋