"I don't think abortion is right because every life matters". Well, *why* does it matter?

I've always wondered just who would it satisfy if a woman has a baby and gives it up for adoption. There's already enough orphans in this world.

In my opinion, that's just it: It's not really a life.

I don't have a problem with abortion, at the descretion of the mother / father / doctors through the first trimester. After that, last resort basis.

But within the first three months, a fetus does not have the capacity for self-awareness. They cannot feel pain nor remorse. Some say they're living cells, well so is grass, but we run it over with a lawn mower.

One thing I find interesting is that people will go to the end of the world to save unborn lives.. but what about those already born and about to end? Ever heard of Darfur? Ever heard of Iraq? Ever heard of cancer?

Another thing I find intriguing is that, if you were to take the fetus of a pig, and the fetus of a human, in its early stages, most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two.. And yet, we raise the pig to kill it, while desperately defending the life of the clump of cells that is the human.

In the gist of it: Why do we put so much focus on abortion, when there are so many other causes to stand for? Do people honestly believe that a woman WANTS an abortion? To look a doctor in the eye and ask him to terminate the cells that could eventually become your child is a desperate, painful last resort. We should stop judging, and start dealing.

<<What have we lost by not having another unwanted baby in a world of 6 billion people?>>

There is no such thing as an "unwanted" baby. God wants this baby. The fact the baby exists is proof positive God wants the baby.

<<It *might* have turned out to be another Einstein, but equally it might have turned out to be another mass murderer>>

No, not equally. the vast majority of people turn out to be good. Therefore, when an abortion takes place, it's far more likely another Einstein has died than another Hitler.

<<since we can't possibly know, we can't use that as an argument.>>

Since when do we, claiming to be civilized society, condemn to death someone - when they have not even been given the chance to do something wrong?

Why is it people are so willing to give the benefit of the doubt "innocent until proven guilty" to adults, but then condemn to death the unborn because there is a slight possibility they might commit a crime?

<<The life that would have been, isn't going to miss being alive, because it will never have the capacity to regret not being born. So, why *does* an unwanted life matter?>>

You have just described the reason why an unborn baby's innocence is a moral ABSOLUTE. They are incapable of having the aware that they exist. In so being in that state, they are incapable of doing anything wrong; incapable of sin.

Those who are incapable of sin are far closer to God than you and I could ever hope to be - and you want to put these sinless human beings to death?!?!

The safest place in the universe for an unborn baby should be the mother's womb.

ADDITION: This is great. I'm going to use your comments, and my responses for a pro-LIFE blog entry, which WILL get attention by the way.

It doesn't matter. It's a parasite. It steals your nutrients and gives NOTHING in return. That's what parasites do. A commensal will at least not harm you. But look at what happens to a woman's bone minerals before, during, and after pregnancy. I'd call that harm. So this thing, it's a parasite. Symbiotes will provide a benefit for the host. An example would be the microorganisms living in the rumen and reticulum of a cow's digestive organs. They break down the cellulose in the plant cells allowing the cow to derive nutrients from an othewise undigestible piece of matter. What does a foetus do? Well it can give you flatus, indigestion, frequent and urgent bouts of urination, hormonal imbalances, and in some cases gestational diabetes. It's a parasite. If you don't want your tapeworm, you can go the doctor and get drugs to get rid of it. Why can't you get rid of another unwanted parasite?

I think the best way to describe it is "It matters by inference."

Would you suggest that murdering someone in their sleep, in such a way that they would never regain consciousness is acceptable? Probably not.

However they won't "miss being alive" while they sleep.

Killing a sleeping person now won't change the past, so we shouldn't make the decision based on the past or lack thereof.

If killing the sleeping person is wrong because they will wake up in the future, then we have to consider their future opportunities.

If we argue that abortion is morally irrelevant purely based on disassociation with their past or their future ("they may grow up to be a mass murderer"), it draws us dangerously close to my first question, why can't we kill a sleeping person.

It could be argued that only the mother cares, and no-one else knows...

...however that argument could be used to justify killing an orphan with no friends, because they also meet the definition of "unwanted!"

Therefore we have to infer that the life of the unborn child matters based on our lives mattering.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not intentionally arguing against a woman's right to choose, nor do I necessarily believe that the mother should not have the "loudest voice" in the matter.

I'm simply trying to state that the unborn child also has a right to choose, and in the absence of a voice for the unborn child we have to consider that they would choose to live, and give at least a partial level of consideration compared against the mother's right to abortion.

For good or ill, that choice is made for the unconscious and the unknowing.

The future potential for all individuals has to be at least considered, and considered optimistically, otherwise we are philosophically closer to sanctioning arbitrary murder than we perhaps realise!

I believe sentience to matter.

If the potential for life was what gives value It would mean I exterminated the equivalent of three times the popuIation of this world by "dating myself".

Ypu should read Singer on the argument.

His opinions are alittle bit excessive, but it is an informative and stimulating reading.

It allways shocks me how abortion is murder but killing in war and death penalty aren´t... go figure...

Mind you, I´m pro death penalty and I accept that sometime war is inevitable... But at least I don´t try to hide behind a finger.

An embryo is NOT a child, the same way the prince of England is NOT the king of England, regardless of the fact he holds the potential to be so.

Also, the "Imagine of God" is UNIVERSALLY accepted to be referred to the mental image- regardless of the fact that the state should be laic- the ability to have free arbiter.

An embryo consisting of few thousand cells is not capable of suffering. When an embryo starts developping a nervous system (I think it starts to happen by the second month.).

I do agree that late abortion should be evited if not for medical necessities, but still if by the christian religion childs uncapable of discerning good from evil go to heaven, why should you christians be worried for them? Let us pave our way to hell and stay quiet.

Also, whoever denies abortion for therapeutic reasons is a fanatic and nothing more.

When I hear people saying at what stage of pregnancy the soul enter the fetus I would want to cry. Read some book that hasn´t been written 2000 years ago for a change.

A fetus at any stage is life and by that token has a soul..Every soul is part of the creator God. God knew you before you entered the womb of your mother. Certainly God can create another human body for the soul in question. That is not the issue here. .Abortion is an act of murder.and is not justified when the health of the fetus is not in question. How would the lives of those around you have been affected had you been aborted? God's way is always the best way. It is important to know that God does not ever judge, condemn or punish but the earthly consequences can be severe. God bless

It matters because we respect the right a human being has to their life. If we're not going to allow people to run around and commit mass-murders, we shouldn't allow mass-infanticide either.

And if we're going to take the view that it wont miss it's life because it wouldn't have been born, well how would anyone miss their life if they're dead? If they die and cease to exist, they wouldn't have the capacity to feel sorrow over losing their life.

As for who it satisfies when a child is given up for adoption, I'm sure the thousands of adopted individuals are pretty damn pleased that they didn't end up as biowaste.

**************************EDIT

edit: If we limit human life to recognizable sentience then we would open ourselves to euthanizing the elderly, newborns, the severely mentally handicapped, etc. When you start defining what is human by their mental state you start down a very dangerous road.

Plus, don't forget that the youngest premie to ever survive was only 21weeks old. At that age, abortions are still allowed. Is she just a "clump of cells"? Something to consider.

Oh, you're really stirring the pot now. I'm expecting all-out warfare to start anytime now. Will you marry me?

Most likely, if you grow up unwanted, you'll not turn out well. Sorry, it's just the truth. Sure, you might be able to turn your life around, and I know people who have, but...if your parents wanted an abortion, it's probably because they can't support a baby for one reason or another. Even if you get put up for adoption, how many orphans are there in the world? How many actually get adopted, do you suppose?

God is life. He gave it, why should we be allowed to take it away?

Why should this be allowed to happen to a child??? Look at these diagrams, this is what they do to abort a child. . .

http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/DEabortiongraphic...

http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/PBA_Images/PBA_Im...

http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/diagram.html

These babies felt the pain of the abortion, they hurt and were in anguish. I think this is disgusting to allow.

Weeks One through Four

Ovulation occurs - The time is right; now you just need this egg to be fertilized!

Conception occurs - Did you know that during your pregnancy that your uterus will increase its capacity by 1000 times?!

Gender is determined - Immediately upon fertilization your little one is set as a boy or a girl. Ladies, this is one that you can't take credit for since it is up to the sperm to determine the sex of your baby. Sperm carries either a "X" (girl) chromosome or a "Y" (boy) chromosome. (*Hint:* You will have to hold off on picking out the pink or blue until at least the second trimester when the gender will be visible via ultrasound.)

Implantation - Some spotting (also known as implantation bleeding) may occur about 10 - 14 days after conception. You may believe you are starting your period but generally this bleeding is extremely light and lasts only a day or so.

Neural tube forms - It will develop into the nervous system (Brain, spinal cord, hair, and skin). Already your baby has the foundation for thought, senses, feeling, and more!

Heart and primitive circulatory system rapidly form - While still in its beginning stages, this is the very life support system that will carry your child throughout his or her life.

http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopmen...

Tumors do not have a heart or a brain.

If the mere POSSESSION of life granted one a RIGHT to life, we'd all be pro-bacteria vegan pacifists. The answer does NOT lie in sentience, however. A fully-conscious organism, if physiologically dependent on another organism is survival, still has no rights to its host body beyond that which the hosts grants. To suggest otherwise, that living off the body of another against its will as a RIGHT, is ludicrous.