The science shows that a foetus can not feel pain until 26 weeks, does this change anyones opinion of abortion

Question

Does the foetal feel pain?. Not so: as the UK MP Dr Evan Harris says, the science shows pathways to the cortex don't develop until after 26 weeks.

Sorry that should have read foetus (above)

One of the common arguments used in propaganda against abortion is that the foetus can feel pain, as it cannot feel pain until 5+months I wondered if this changes anyone's outlook.

k716: Wrong! I spelled foetus correctly.

Answer 1

Isn't it funny to see all the opinions of those who have never been in the position to actually comment.having been through the trauma that is an abortion with my wife(and the child was more than wanted)for medical reasons there is nothing more sickening than being judged by fools that have no concept of what they are talking about.i doubt very much that any woman takes the decision lightly and doubt even more that they wash they're hands of the whole experience as if it were a simple medical procedure.It is something I will carry with me my whole life and I pity the ignorant who dismiss me as a murderer.

Answer 2

Life begins at conception, it does not matter when that life feels pain it is still murder of a defenseless person because the person is too selfish to accept the consequences of their actions. If they do not want to have the baby they can put it up for adoption and other alternatives. There are a multitude of couples who would love to have a child and can not and you would waste a precious gift because you do not want to be held accountable for your actions.

The only justifiable reason for an abortion is when having the child will endanger the life of the mother. That is the only reason one should be allowed to have it.

Am I going to judge you if you have had an abortion and not have anything to do with you? No, I will think you made a wrong choice and you are going to have to live with it for the rest of your life. You also need compassion because it is a loss and I understand that sometimes it is a very difficult decision. I will not hold it against you because it was not my call and I am incapable of making that decision. Also Christ calls on us to have compassion and sympathy to all and try to help those in need and I have also done more than my share of sins and can not judge you for what you have done.

Answer 3

I was always against abortion when I was younger untill I ended up in an abusive relationship and found myself pregnant. It lead to a "termination" as they call it...

Whether or not the foetus feels pain I believe is irrelevant, you can feel the difference instantly. One moment there is life inside of you, the next there isn't. I was only 9 weeks.

It will always remain with me the fact that I took a life, whether that life felt pain or not I will never know. All I can know is the pain I felt and continue to feel for the life that could have been.

Answer 4

I wasn't aware that "feels pain" was the definition of personhood. By that logic, a Christopher Reeves, after the accident that left him with no feeling in his arms and legs, ceased to be a person.

Or does that mean that you are allowed to hack somebody into little bits as long as you anesthetic them first so that they do not feel it?

I am not aware of anyone who defines life as beginning when a "foetus" (whatever that is) feels pain. Rather Christians teaches that life begins a conception. The taking of that life at any point beyond that is murder. Whether the fetus can feel it or not is pointless.

And there are other studies which appear to contradict Dr Harris findings on when a fetus is able to feel and respond to pain and other stimuli.

Answer 5

I have long wondered why we put dogs and cats to sleep, but "dispose" of "fetuses" in such a callous way. You would think they would at least go through the motions of trying to administer some sort of anesthetic so that no matter what, the fetus would not feel any pain.

Answer 6

I don't know that "feeling pain" is the appropriate criterion for personhood, but I sure do think we need to start discussing the question. There's obviously a lot of real-world issues riding on the question of when the developing fetus becomes a person, and yet we have essentially zero discussion of that question, largely because the anti-abortion rights movement is so insistent that we do not. They certainly have a lot of blood on their hands over this issue.

My candidate for the criterion of personhood would be the point at which the developing fetus begins to have experiences. I don't know when that is, but I think we can certainly identify points at which the fetus clearly does and does not have experiences.

Answer 7

My opinions categorise me as 'pro-choice' (though the terms are silly) everyone is pro-life for all intents and purposes (though amazingly yesterday pro-lifers recommended the death penalty for women who have abortions) - I guess it makes me feel a bit better about abortion because it should never be necessary in the first place (have pro-lifers thought through the implications in giving the government that much control over people) though I haven't reviewed the data for myself, so couldn't say for sure.

Perhaps you could supply some external references?

What about abortions done after that date?

Answer 8

Whether or not the fetus feels pain, has never been an issue with me. I just don't think man can decide when life begins. I have been told by some people who I thought were well educated that the baby does not have a soul until he breathes his first breath. I wish that person would have told that to my wife who miscarried a 2 years ago. My wife knows that baby had a soul, go ahead try to change her mind I dare you.

Answer 9

No, it doesn't change my opinion. If I load somebody up with novocaine and laughing gas and then shoot them in the head, it is still murder. It's still illegal and morally wrong even though they didn't feel any pain. In this society, we have defined the deliberate taking of human life as an illegal and unacceptable act. To take the life of someone who is utterly helpless and incapable of self-defense is particularly reprehensible.

Answer 10

The pain issue isn't one of my arguments. Lots of others above me have already successfully argued that not feeling pain is not a valid reason for abortion. It's still murdering a growing baby, no matter how delicately pro-choicers try to word it.

BTW, it is spelled "fetus". Perhaps it would be easier for you just to spell "baby".