A question about Abortion...anyone can chip in...?

Question

A quote from a Christian who was talking about the Great Flood peaked my interest...:

"there was a mass genocide of babies, plus many of the babies were brought upon, or born through evil, as they were born from rape or adultry"

So according to THAT above this text...if a woman was raped or commited adultry, it is ok to have an abortion, since God killed the newborns and young ones because of this, no? My point on abortion is if it is in extenuating circumstances (i.e. rape or some sort of medical problem) then a woman if she (and the man she is with, if there is one) so chooses, she can have an abortion) the Christians have a problem with this, no? But what this Christian just said seems that it COULD be ok if the woman was raped...since God still killed the child born from 'evil'...so do I have a point or could you come up with a counterpoint? Non-Christians please answer with our two cents as well.

Answer 1

Albert Camus stated in the first half of the last century that "suicide" was the last remaining Philosophical question left to answer.

He was close, but I think that it really is "abortion."

The question of whether we have the moral right to terminate new human life encompasses every other worthwhile human concern.

At the very least, it is distasteful; at the most, it is murder.

I suspect that for us, now, there simply may not be a satisfactory solution to this issue.

Answer 2

I have no idea what you are talking about with that "God killed babies who were conceived through rape" thing. I tried to find that in the Bible and didn't.
It is NEVER right to have an abortion because it is never right to kill another human being. So many women say "it's my body - it's my choice". But it's NOT your body! It is a completely separate individual who was placed in your body for his/her protection!
So that's my two cents. And I feel very strongly about it. Just imagine if your mother had decided she didn't want YOU. She could have you know, at any time in her long, difficult pregnancy. Even a day before you were due to be born. Weren't you human then too?
P.S. Oh my gosh, Ajahn Patisallano! How could you say something like that? That's like saying "9/11 was a good thing because it annihilated at least 2,974 people who really just didn't need to be alive. The world's better off without the extra pollution." Wow, you care more about plants and the sky than you do about human life. And death is a sad thing. Especially when it is totally unnecessary. What happened to the famous words from the Declaration of Independence? "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Amazing words. Too bad America doesn't still live up to them.

Answer 3

I don't know what he was quoting from. I think that all he was saying was that there was a great deal of evil in the world (therefore justifying the Flood in his opinion). If he was trying to make a point at all he was probably drawing a parallel between this world and what the pre-Flood world was like.

I am pro-choice, but the acts attributed to God in the Old Testament outstrip the atrocities of any tyrant documented in history. He was often alleged to order the genocide of certain tribes including women and children. I doubt very much that the God of the Old Testament would have any scruples about killing babies whatever the circumstances. Some Christians do think up ways to 'justify' this stuff, and just end up talking rubbish... sounds like you ran into such a person. I would just ignore them and let them bother someone else if I were you. Cheers.

Answer 4

This is not a quote from the Bible. You cannot make a valid case based upon a false statement.

Who are we to think that we can decide who is worth living and who is not? It is for selfish motives that we try to take control of things and make such decisions.

The actual cause of our misfortunes is that fact that we fail to follow the directions outlined in the Bible.

In the days of the Old Testament, if a man committed rape, he was considered married to the woman, with no option for divorce. He had to take care of the woman and any children she had properly or he would be punished severely.

Oh, he also had to pay the woman's parents the equivalent of what they would have given as a dowery as an additional punishment. If he could not pay, he was made a slave to the parents of the woman.

Nowhere was the child punished or killed.

Answer 5

That quote sounds more of speculation than of Biblical account. No matter how one looks at it, to kill an innocent life because of convenience is just wrong.

It is sad when we consider the pressure a mother is under when she finds out she is pregnant and is not ready for it. The pressure is even greater when she becomes pregnant due to rape. But, rape rarely - very, very rarely - impregnates. It is a sorry excuse for abortion on demand to be legal.

The health of the mother is also a rare consideration. Most abortions happen because the woman does not want the baby, plain and simple.

Answer 6

One can write a thesis just on your question alone. But time does not allow it right now.
Lets add a new kink to your question for the sake of argument. If a woman has a choice whether to abort or not and if it comes down to choice, how does the unborn child expresses his or her choice in the matter. It comes to that place again of someone else deciding for someone else.
The trouble with the argument for abortion rights is that it places as its front line defense the topic of rape. 1.3 million annual abortions are not performed because of rape.

Answer 7

Christianity's take on abortion is not as cut and dried as most people think it is. In Judaism (which Christanity developed from) it's traditionally been believed that life begins at birth, making abortion frowned upon but not impermissible.

In 1869 Pope Pius IX declared that abortion under any circumstance was wrong. Funny his declaration should coincide with early feminist movements and great advances in medicine.

Answer 8

have you noticed? when christians attack abortion they place emphasis on the unborn baby being a person and all that but when one mentions the word "rape", they place the emphasis on the woman and forget the baby...why??? because christians have it really difficult sometimes when they want to sound christians and politically correct at the same time, if they were really loyal to their believes they should say no one has the right to abort no matter the circumstances since always there will be a baby involved (according to them)

Answer 9

I think ppl have to look inside themselves and find their own answer to this question. Pro-Choicers will never be convinced otherwise and like wise for the Pro-Life movement. I dont think the Great Flood has any impact on what is going on in our society today. People analyze things to death, and end up spinning things for their own benefit.

I think the best philosophy to adopt is "Live and let live". What is right for one is not necessarily right for everyone. Where is the tolerance and love that Jesus preached?

Answer 10

Your chances of attaining and keeping a good life will be greatly reduced to the extent that you rely upon the archaic and irrational text of the bible. Use your mind. Think for yourself. The bible is a poorly compiled collection of primitive myths; it is of absolutely no usefulness with regard to making decisions in the modern world, especially such complex decisions as regarding abortion.