January 27, 2004
GUEST BELI-BLOGGER BRADLEY W: PRO-CHOICE VS. PRO-LIFE: THE MYTH OF FREEDOM
Last week our Nation celebrated and protested the 31st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision. This particular legal, moral, and ethical "battle" has been raging for pro-lifers and pro-choicers seeking to communicate their message since 1973. Long have I been a pro-life supporter; not only because I'm Catholic, (that does explain my position though) but because it is, I believe, "the" moral objective truth. In this posting to the Beli-Blog, however, I've decided to not take to arms my particular position and analysis. Rather, I want to raise questions so that we can generate some constructive and supportive dialogue on what I see as a very pressing, important, and moral human question. My aim here is to hopefully address the accusations, claims, false assumptions, errors in reasoning, and hopes that people hang onto in this grave dilemma. My particular angle and analysis of this issue has been wrapped up in life's dedication to the pro-life movement (BTW Mikal, this never went over very well for me in Boulder), formal studies in world religions, theology, eco-feminism (yes, I studied it like a "madman" to understand potential women of interest so I could communicate in their language), environmental studies, and an advocacy for nature, wilderness, and outdoor recreation.
I realize that normally the Beli-Blog has Q&A time (reminds me of kindergarten) on Friday's, but I really wanted to frame this in such a way that it would invite more to comment on the questions, as opposed to my diatribe (which will come later).
Question #1: Is abortion about "right or wrong" or about "who decides"?
Question #2: Pro-choicers say abortion "gives each woman the freedom to live as she sees fit. Women need to be completely free to make decisions about motherhood". What kind of philosophical reasoning considers abortion necessary for freedom?
Question #3: Is abortion suppose to solve society ill's, such as scarce resources, overpopulation, child abuse, homelessness, poverty, and family break-up by reducing "unwanted" children?
Question #4: If the government can tell a woman not to have an abortion, can it tell her she has to have one?
Question #5: When do you think life begins?
Question #6: What role does human dignity and the value of life hold for you in ethical or religious terms (an atheist, secular humanist, agnostic, Jewish, Catholic, or Buddhist can all find an answer to this)?
Question #7: What kind of parallels do you see between the animal liberation (equal consideration/rights) and pro-life movements?
Posted by at January 27, 2004 7:08 AM
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Ok I hesitate to even get involved in this one but here goes:
I'm sorry I'm going to stray from the questions. They are good questions but I just don't see them as relevant. To me it's pretty cut an dry.
For the record I do NOT like abortion, and I am NOT NOT NOT pro-abortion. But here's why I am pro Choice.
My personal religious, moral, and common sense motivations tell me that abortion is wrong.
But the government can NOT operate on that level.
Our country is BASED on the separation of church and state. So it must make decisions based on science. (even if I don't like the outcome)
Science can NOT tell us how many cells an unborn baby must be made up of before it is considered alive or human.
My personal opinion (which again doesn't count for anything as far as how the law should work) is that the baby is a baby RIGHT AWAY.
But science can't say that for sure.
Since science cant prove that HUMAN live begins right away the government can't call abortion anything more than a medical procedure.
I don't like it but I think that's the way it has to be.
I think the anti-abortion efforts would be better spent educating the potential clients of the options and alternatives to such things.
I pretty much agree with Doug except that, I believe that viable life begins when an infant can live without any artificial live supports, such as a respirator.
Does life begin at conception? Does life begin at first trimester? I think it should be based on individuals own personal beliefs.
I do not believe that governments can tell us what we can or cannot do with our own bodies or whom we can marry.
Abortion has been with us through out the ages. Whenever it was banned it usually resulted in two deaths, that of the fetus and that of the mothers also. Leave the laws as they stand now alone.
I have to ditto the above comments, with some additions.
First and primary; YOU are a questioning male and I appreciate your thoughts and great questions, but YOU are still a man. Until you can give birth and take on the role of Motherhood, the answers you seek are difficult at best.
Second, I have answered most of your questions last October on my blog. I refer you to: "Passion ONE!" http://www.attheheartofit.com/2003/10/this_is_very_im.html. Please understand as you read there, that I AM a Single MOM, a Medical Professional in Diagnostic Medicine. I have 2 very different children, which might make my answers different from others. One of my boys was disabled genetically at birth and 2 years later another differently abled child arrived(as a miricle, I think).
In closing my comment here, I might state that having a soul and a conscience sets us apart from all other mammals. It plays a part in our daily lives. Some decisions we would much rather NOT make, but to live sometimes we make them and then sometimes later we regret them. I have done both.
Very good post and questions... I have thought about them long and hard, only now responding. They are NOT easy answers.
Well, I was just checking what Mikal was up to and thought the Superbowl and day off questions looked good. Then..I saw these questions. I am a devout Catholic male with several close Catholic friends who do not see the issues you raise as I do.
1. I think every situation is fact dependant.
2. Maybe freedom is the ability to use the wisdom that we have to the best of our ability. I do think a couple, a woman, or a young girl and her parents along with their doctor should have the option of terminating a pregnancy (stopping the growth of a tiny baby in the females womb) without being convicted of a crime. This is, of course, what the law currently allows.
3. No it is not supposed to solve society's ills. The other night I was at a dinner table with about 8, single issue, pro-life, Bush supporters. It was hard to voice my thoughts (I had not REALLY seriously considered my own view on the subject until that night and the following morning). I now would ask those young people, just how many children they planned to adobt. See: http://treatyoak.tdprs.state.tx.us:8020/Tare/jsp_public/SearchResults.jsp?Female=false&GroupType=ChildOnly. This is a link to 250 boys available for adoption by the Texas Child Protective services. If we outlaw abortion, the short term effect (and possibly longer as well) would be an increase in children available for adoption. Of course, the anti-abortion folks, should step up and adobt them all....will they? As a Catholic I believe that contraception is not good, that abortion is bad; but my beliefs are not going to change, ever, all the people's minds who believe and practice otherwise.
4. I don't understand the question.
5. see 2.
6. Of course, we are all looking for the same thing, to be wanted, respected, loved, and to serve. Life is important. It's role is all that matters.
7. Not sure here what the question is about. One thing that comes to mind, is that single issue, pro-life supporters have been supporting neo-conservative, pro-business candidates to congress and the White House and, of course, the damage to the entire animal kingdom, including humans, is substantial. There is no respect for the environment(water, land, natural resources, air, etc) coming from the far right, neo-conservative mindset. Hence, they are against the right of some to choose an abortion, regardless of the circumstances; and for the unlimited exploitation by big business of the earths limited resources.
IMHO:
1. Life begins at birth.
2. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare (to echo Bill Clinton's mantra).
3. Abortion should be available on demand in all cases without restriction. The decision to terminate a pregnancy should be made responsibly. Morning after and day after pills should be made available over the counter.
4. The right to abort is a matter of indivual liberty. I do not need to be a woman to understand this.
5.Family planning should be taught by parents and schools, early enough to equip them to make responsible decisions.
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