Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?

What are your views on abortion? Do you believe that abortion should be made illegal? Or do you think people should have the right to choose for themselves?


I think that there could be a certain time when abortion could be made illegal, such as a very late period when the baby has developed quite a lot, but otherwise, I am very pro-choice. I think women need to have this option open to them. Sometimes, unpredicted things happen. Teenagers and young adults make stupid, immature choices everyday. It's part of the process of growing up. People must make mistakes to learn from them. (I'm not saying that kids should be sleeping around, mind you.) But you can't just say to a 13-year-old who got pregnant, "Too bad. Deal with it." This would absolutely ruin their life. And what about the girls that get raped everyday? What if they happened to get pregnant? Are they just supposed to give birth to their raper's child?? Even if they gave it up for adoption, why on earth would they put themselves through the process of pregnancy when they don't have to? In short, if the child is nothing more than a few cells and hasn't developed into its later stages, then it is not inhuman to go through with abortion in my opinion.

I'm really quite unsure on the matter.

Abortions wouldn't have to happen if people were careful, especially 16 year old boys and girls. However we shouldn't let that ruin the lives of people just in the name of 'teaching them a lesson', what kind of a lesson is that?!

On the other hand it is a life we are taking, a living human being that may one day grow up to change the world in his/her own small way.

There is your catch 22.

It's true -- the thing that you are destroying in an abortion would one day become a person. It would get be a human being, able to live its life just like all the rest of us. Once an embryo becomes a fetus, I think it might be too late to have an abortion. However, when it is just an embryo, just a fertilized egg and still hasn't developed into anything yet, then at least at this point, you aren't killing a human -- during these first 8 weeks, this is the time when I think it would be alright for mothers to have an abortion if they so choose. Once the unborn baby can start to feel pain, then this is wrong. However, look at what I found:

Many physicians and medical researchers believe that fetuses can begin to feel pain sometime during the third trimester. This is long after:

- Essentially all miscarriages occur,
- Ectopic pregnancies have been dealt with, and
- After about 99% of abortions are performed.

Right so you believe that abortions are acceptable when the baby is in a state of early construction and not considered human yet, despite the fact that is what it will become later?

Isn't that like killing a catterpillar because it isn't a butterfly yet?

Not that I disagree with you, I'd just like to see this debate get more in-depth.

Right. No, that's perfectly fine. I think that it is wrong to kill something when it can feel pain. Once an unborn child is developed enough to have a nervous system that allows them to feel sensations, including pain, then it's far too human to be killed. If a mother needs to have an abortion, I think it's unfair to say to her "No" when she had just become pregnant and there is little life inside of her. The embryo isn't even developed yet. True, it one day will be, if allowed the chance, but the point is that it is not yet.

Opposition to abortion is based on religious beliefs. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that no one can impose their religious beliefs on others. Therefore, there should not be any laws against abortion. People have many different ideas and theories about when human life begins. Laws against abortion are an attempt to impose one particular theory, the theory that life begins at conception. But what about people who believe other ideas? Why should they be forced to forced to abide by this one theory?

The question is not whether abortion is right or wrong, but, "Who decides?" The individual woman, or the government? If you're opposed to abortion, don't have one, but don't try to impose your morality on others. Abortion is a personal choice between a woman and her doctor. Pro-lifers can be hypocritical: They say they oppose abortion because they believe life is sacred, but then they support capital punishment. If abortion is outlawed, more unwanted children will be born, and these children are likely to be abused or neglected. It is better for such children to never be born than to live such a miserable existence?

If the mother's health or life is threatened, do we have the right to make her continue a pregnancy? What if the mother has other dependents? The potential loss of the mother and child would be devastating.

An excellent argument.

I may be moving away from the subject but I'd like for a moment to talk about right and wrong.

I have a theory, well, more of a belief, that in the end everything, everything, comes down to perspective.

For example killing babies is wrong, in the perspective of todays society, however, killing babies a thousand years ago as a sacrifice to the Gods wasn't considered wrong whatsoever. How can we say we are any more enlightened today? We still have a God, except this time we have a God who believes in human rights, gee, just like the ones we made for ourselves right? See what I mean about perspective?

I've given this belief of mine alot of thought and I've come to realise that nothing really matters, especially in terms of how small and insignificant we are as a race. This has also led to me not believing in our religions or Gods, I mean, it is such a human thing to do. Can you imagine what the human race would be like if we all believed that nothing really mattered? That is why we create Gods, for hope.

That belief is a rather sour one however, because I myself care for things and believe that things do matter to me. It is a belief that confuses its maker!

Lol Tempest, you summarized that perfectly. That is exactly true. In fact, Tony and I were just discussing that same thing a moment ago. Religion offers two very important things to people: It offers them with answers to unanswered questions, thus providing them with hope, and it also is a form of rules, almost like children's stories -- ie. If you behave badly, you will go to Hell.

I've often times contemplated what humanity would be like if no one believed in a God. Perhaps we should create a religion thread now! hehe

Instead of making a debate thread for religion, why don't we make our role play universe even more in depth by creating a new religion for the people?

As did the Greek Gods fall from worship, so will the Christian God and rise a new one in its place!

For the people on Earth? Yeah, that'd be really interesting! This does take place in the year 2020, so by then, there could be a new religion that has been invented. Hmm, I'll have to think that one over.

Aliens might have religions as well...just in different forms...Hmmm

Tempest wrote:Aliens might have religions as well...just in different forms...Hmmm

True -- I've covered that one already though in their descriptions.

I'm against abortions, with the exception of the mother's health in jepordey and perhaps a rape case.

But other than that, I mean, as awful as it is to say...don't sleep around. You have to have enough common sense to realize that there is always a chance of getting pregnant. It's not fair to the unborn child that because you were irresonsible that it's going to be punished.

And if you really can't support it, put it up for a adoption. I know that adoption agencies are overflowing at this point, and such, but still. At least give the child a chance to grow up. It's not fair that a woman gets to decide the fate of the baby. If we were to kill a child after birth, it's called murder.

Personally, I don't see the difference between before and after birth. The heart beats while in the mother's womb, they can feel things. The mother needs to eat certain things. Can't do drugs, drink, etc. You are taking care of the baby, and by having an abortion, choosing the kids fate. Who is a woman to decide another person's life?

I can totally see where you're coming from, Hope. I think it's absolutely ridiculous when you see some of those women, like on Maury, who sleep with so many guys, that they just have no idea who their baby's daddy is. If you're being an idiot, not wearing protection, and sleeping willy nillie, it is pretty unfair to have an abortion. That's just sad.

At the same time though, there are just some people in this world who really don't need to procreate. Like, seriously. There are so many bad parents out there who can't support themselves, let alone children. A lot of them choose not to put their babies up for adoption though, which is not a good idea in their cases.

In the end, the ultimate decision really depends on the circumstance, in my opinion.

Bad parents or not, it doesn't mean that the child should suffer because of it. Someone should call a social worker or something and get the kid out.

There's just so many ways around this, that I don't really see the need for abortion. To me, and this is just my view on it, abortion is an easy way out of a problem. And to me its the wrong way out.