ABORTION: HOW MANY IS TOO MANY?
There are 200,000 abortions every year in the UK. Is that too many? Shouldn’t you be able to ask the question without being labelled a nutter? But, in the end, is it the wrong question? Emma Barnett ‘interrogates’ Suzanne Moore of The Guardian and Dr Peter Saunders of the Christian Medical Fellowship.
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@Nick
I’m not sure how this makes me a hypocrite… I’m not saying one thing and doing another, or giving the appearance that I believe in something while displaying something in contradiction. Not sure what you mean with that statement…
…and, when I take a step back, look at abortion scenarios with logic and rationality, I’m pretty damn glad that I do have more rights than a 4-month old fetus growing in the belly of a mother who’s life probably can’t afford to have it.
I’m utterly grateful that if I *WAS* in the womb of a mother-to-be, that I could *not* “see what life would be like” because I don’t have a developed-enough brain for your entire point to be relevant. So when you say “if you could see what life would be like, if you would change your mind: the answer is, you would” doesn’t make any sense to me. That’s like saying – if you were a tree, you are consciously aware that you love life and that you would scream in agony if you were to be cut down. It’s just not the way it works.
When I say this man is imposing his beliefs that “every human life is precious”, he’s imposing them by way of stripping other free-thinking individuals of their right to make that decision themselves. Here’s an identically weighted scenario: a hypothetical inverse.
Let’s say Country X decides that there can be no children born for 3 years and that all women impregnated must remove the child before 5 months into pregnancy. The law will make it illegal to give birth to a child for 3 years.
With your reasoning: Because there is a large percentage of the population that TRULY believes in the cause of this 3-year ban(“truly” like – “this is God’s word,” truly). These people believe it so much they think it is justification to change laws and the rights of these women to make it illegal to give birth. You way of thinking means that because people believe in an idea based on faith, that ALL people must abide by these beliefs or face penalties.
It makes no difference how strongly you believe one side or the other – this issue is about the individual making that decision, not about your religious belief.
Andres Montano
Human Life is a touchy subject to approach. We have no right to murder someone and end their lives, we are no one to judge when someones life is to end BUT I think we have a right to whether we want to GIVE a life or not.
Bina Pizz
@ Andres Montano
It’s funny because I REALLY try hard to understand the pro-abortion side, and I can’t, I just can’t understand it. You said that the man saying “I believe every human life is precious” and you think that saying that is “literally imposing a belief onto another human’s safety/health/well-being”. With respect, I really think you’re completely turned upside down: saying I think every human life is precious, isn’t imposing anything on anyone. But jamming scissors into a child’s head, then sucking their brains out as they squirm in pain, IS “literally imposing a belief onto another human’s safety/health/well-being”. See how much more sense that makes when you step back and take a true and honest look? If a child in the womb of a mother-to-be doesn’t have rights, what rights should you have? – the answer is:none. I wonder if you were the one being killed in the womb, if you could see what life would be like, if you would change your mind: the answer is, you would.
Usually, the people complaining about other people “imposing their beliefs” by saying “I think every human life is precious”, are the ones imposing the beliefs. I say this with respect and love in hope that you’ll one day understand: you’re a hypocrite.
Nick
I am pro-life but I can’t agree with Dr Peter Saunders that abortion should be made illegal. Nothing in life is that simple…
Sally Gray
Unless you have been in a position where you have actually had to make the decision to have or not have an abortion, I think this is a very difficult topic to ever conclude. As a man it is impossible for Dr Saunders to weigh up the physical pain and emotional turmoil that a pregnancy can impose on a woman, likewise the emotional and physical damage that an abortion can do. Until he can actually say he has the capacity to experience both these things, to say that a woman’s rights are equal to those of a foetus, is criminal.
Anonymous
Love the new site! Just for some context behind my rant below: I’m a 28 yr old male in Los Angeles.
I appreciate how civil and calm this conversation was. It makes me believe that the issue has been around long enough for people to calm down and begin approaching the subject with respect for the other side. That being said, I try – I *really* try to understand the anti-abortion side’s logic. I can’t. I can’t understand how this man can say “I believe every human life is precious” which means a fertilized egg has the same rights as the woman carrying it. This is absolutely obtuse. This man and others like him are literally imposing a belief onto another human’s safety/health/well-being. I don’t care if you *believe* an unborn (at any stage) is Jesus himself – that doesn’t give you the right to tell me what I can and cannot do. I’m sorry to tell you, but you don’t know what’s good for this planet, your country, or women – so stop thinking that you do.
Andres Montano