Shmuel Wyckoff
New member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2018
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- 13
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- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Very Conservative
The only question up for debate when discussing abortion is whether a fetus is a human life. If a fetus is a human life then you have no right to kill it. The most consistent pro-life position is that life begins at conception. Once the child is conceived, it has different DNA from the mother, has a predetermined blood type that is separate from the mother, and is a completely separate being than the mother. What must first be established is that life begins at any time when the baby is in the womb rather than after it has exited the birth canal. If a baby has already been in the womb for nine months and is fully viable, but will be born overdue, what is the difference between that baby in the womb 5 minutes before it is born and 5 minutes after it is born? Obviously life can be established when the baby is still in the womb. If it is true that life begins at sometime during the pregnancy and not after birth, then the belief that life begins at conception is the most consistent position because anytime there is a line drawn during the pregnancy that rules the fetus as not a life, that line can be applied to adults. For example, if it is to be established that life begins at viability, then what would be the problem with killing people who are on life support? If the start of a heartbeat is established as the beginning of life, then what would be the problem with killing people who rely on artificial devices to keep up their heartbeat? The most consistent position is that life begins at conception.
The libertarian argument against abortion is compelling but flawed. The best pro-choice argument that I have heard is that even though a fetus is a human life the government should not be enforcing 'positive obligations' on women. The 'positive obligations' being the fact that the mother has to spend more money on different types of care and a different diet. This argument is flawed because the only way for the mother to relieve herself of these 'positive obligations' is to actively terminate a human life. Surely the government has the right to mandate that people not actively kill others even if there will be a 'positive obligation' enforced by the government.
A weaker pro-choice argument is that if the mother can't afford to raise a child she should be allowed to have an abortion. This is not valid because she can just transfer custody of the baby to adoptive parents or child protective services. Also the mother's right to not spend money does not trump the baby's right to life.
The only case in which an abortion would be ethical is when the baby is a direct threat to the mother's life. An abortion in this case is moral because the very existence of the baby threatens the mother's life and the baby should be legally viewed as potential murderer.
The libertarian argument against abortion is compelling but flawed. The best pro-choice argument that I have heard is that even though a fetus is a human life the government should not be enforcing 'positive obligations' on women. The 'positive obligations' being the fact that the mother has to spend more money on different types of care and a different diet. This argument is flawed because the only way for the mother to relieve herself of these 'positive obligations' is to actively terminate a human life. Surely the government has the right to mandate that people not actively kill others even if there will be a 'positive obligation' enforced by the government.
A weaker pro-choice argument is that if the mother can't afford to raise a child she should be allowed to have an abortion. This is not valid because she can just transfer custody of the baby to adoptive parents or child protective services. Also the mother's right to not spend money does not trump the baby's right to life.
The only case in which an abortion would be ethical is when the baby is a direct threat to the mother's life. An abortion in this case is moral because the very existence of the baby threatens the mother's life and the baby should be legally viewed as potential murderer.