What's a good secular argument against abortion?

Answer 1

I will list some feminist reasons that one can give for a secular argument against abortion.

A decision to abort cannot be a matter of rational choice when a woman is under the influence of social pressures to abort. Abortion draws attention away from important social issues that can influence the woman's choice to abort. If society were to first solve these issues, there would be no need to see abortion as an alternative. These issues include poverty or lack of economic resources; lack of social support; for example, lack of family support, lack of support in the workplace, such as, inadequate maternity policies at work, socially contingent time management problems, for example, the incompatibility some women find between obtaining career success and child rearing; coercion from the father when he does not want the pregnancy to continue; and potential social stigma for being a single mother. Given unfair social circumstances, some women find themselves mentally and socially coerced to abort, and thus the exercise of choice does not apply to their abortion.

Abortion reinforces oppression in our world. Abortion reinforces sexism. More females get aborted than males (consider countries such as China and India), and abortionist policies don't recognize the reproductive rights of men (the fathers). Abortion reinforces racism. Racialized mothers are driven by their proportionately more disadvantaged circumstances to abort more often than whites. Abortion reinforces classism. Economically disadvantaged women are more likely to abort, and abortion draws attention away from the need to solve the poverty that can influence the choice to abort.

Abortion reinforces ageism. Abortionists view the unborn as too young to have rights in two ways.
(1) Abortionists temporally discriminate: Society arbitrarily demarcates what should be considered the time of birth. The concept 'birth' is culturally constructed and socially contingent, and thus lacks internal construct validity.
(2) Abortionists discriminate against "unborn" human beings based on psycho-developmental and bio-developmental stage differences. They perceive the "unborn" as too under-developed, while they choose what "developed enough" means to fit with society's arbitrary concepts "birth" and "personhood."

The abortionist position is fallacious. It question begs by definition, that is, it assumes that the pro-abortionist way of defining "birth" and "human being" are the only ways. Abortionist definitions of "birth" and "human being" suffer from lack of objectivity, since it is possible to define birth in other and more scientifically valid ways. I prefer the view the birth of the human being occurs at the time of conception, because at that time genetic development is put in motion. By scientific fact, from the time of conception, one is a human being in the process of developing. Lacking scientific basis for their view of what a human being is, abortionists dehumanize the "unborn." When abortionists recognize the right to choose what happens with one's body, they recognize the existence of the woman's body only, and ignore the developing human body within the pregnant woman. They do not permit anyone to represent the life interests of the distinct human body growing within the mother.

Abortion contributes to population size control to the disadvantage of unborn females, visible minorities, and poor people, and thus abortion is a eugenicist practice.

Answer 2

I think is ending a life that has started. The argument is really, "When is a fetus considered alive and human to qualify killing it a murder."

It's clouded...

When you stab someone, and they are dead... you are stabbing a corpse and it is not alive. It wouldn't be murder. (Still get you in trouble though. ^^)

Flip this around.

When does the life start.. what can you stab before it's considered a murder?

It's much more 'grey' on the beginning of the life aspect then it is on the end. It's easier to establish the end of a human life then it is the begining.

When is bio matter considered to be human and protected
under our laws?

If someone (or something) doesn't realize they are being killed and doesn't feel pain, is it still ethical to end their/it's life?

Should debate that hinges on religious concerns be a part of the argument?

Those are the questions that define the issue...which is why it's so debated...

So a secular reason would be...
There is still much debate about the beginning of a human life. We find it to be murder to still kill a victim of a coma. Wouldn't be good to stay on the safe side and not kill things where there is still much debate it's alive or not? Does it sound ethical to stop life, even if it can't feel pain or comprehend it's life is about to end?

That statement would be a good way to start. It's an argument that keeps religion out of a pro-life stance.

Answer 3

Secular argument against: the state has a valid duty to guard persons from non-consensual violent injury. of direction that will improve the question - which no person yet agrees upon - of while a fertilized egg turns right into a guy or woman with rights decrease than the regulation.

Answer 4

Hi.

To be honest, I really couldn't come up with one.

We have so much overpopulation already; so if a woman doesn't want to have a baby, why should she?

We also have so many young people who are uneducated & unable to get jobs decent enough to raise children, so if they have unwanted babies, aren't we continuing the cycle of uneducated, unemployed people?

There is so much child abuse out there, and a lot of that (not all) is aggravated by poverty, alcoholism, illiteracy, etc. Aren't we continuing that cycle if we prevent young women from those environments from having abortions?

Poverty, being unable to afford to properly raise a child is a good reason not to have one.

Coming from alcoholic parents (when we know there is a genetic component) and being already a drinker is not going to be a very good reason to have a baby.

Being illiterate, thereby being unable to obtain gainful employment or help teach your child, is not a good reason to have a baby.

I guess I can give you good secular reasons FOR abortion.
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To stretch my mind a bit:

Perhaps someone, even in these situations, would have a baby who will grow up & rise above all the negatives in his/her life. Then that person may, indeed become an educated, intelligent person who might just do something wonderful for this planet.

Maybe one or more of those children will become scientists who find cures for illnesses. Maybe one or more of those children will find ways to help the environment, thereby allowing humankind to exist longer on this planet.

Or maybe one of these children will find great thing in outer space, allowing us to expand our horizons.

And, finally, maybe one or more of those children will be able to figure out how to bring peace to our world.
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Just because someone starts out in humble beginnings doesn't mean they will not thrive to be great men and women.

I guess there are secular arguments for AND against abortion.

Peace.

Answer 5

There are arguments against abortion. They are too often used as arguments against choice.

Answer 6

Although this might sound harsh, its still a good argument: People who believe in abortion, why weren't they aborted? How can they support a value where they themselves could have died by it?

Abortion takes life away. To those who support it, a good argument is to ask them, "Why weren't they aborted?" Out of love, they weren't aborted. It is time they did the same for others.

Out of love, we began. Out of life, we live. Out of the pursuit of happiness, we grow. Love, Life, and the pursuit of happiness. It is for all, even those on the way.

...even for those on the way...

Answer 7

Well, many people belive that even before a child is born it is a life. And those braught up religiously are told that no life should be taken.

Answer 8

.It stops the "life" process that has already begun... why plant a tree and then "pull it out"... "if" you don't want the tree, don't plant it........