Poll: Abortions in today's society: your views

[TheNewDemoman]

I love how people say terminate IT.

IT is a person, imagine this. One day your parents decided that you were an inconvience. So they decided to kill you. You would feel no pain, or have no knowledge you ever existed you would just be gone. How can you think of killing a person, because it's inconvienent. It doesn't matter if the child is aware yet. It will be one day.

But hey keep killing kids it's fine right.

Oh and why are Christians even brought up here. I know Christians that think abortion is fine. I don't because I look at my life and think what happened if I were aborted.

If i had no knowlege of my existance and had never felt anything or experienced anything, how does that make alive? its like saying dismantling a computer is wrong

But one day the computer will become setient. Should be dismantle the computer, even though one day it will fully develop?

 

[Mandalore_15]

I love how people say terminate IT.

IT is a person, imagine this. One day your parents decided that you were an inconvience. So they decided to kill you. You would feel no pain, or have no knowledge you ever existed you would just be gone. How can you think of killing a person, because it's inconvienent. It doesn't matter if the child is aware yet. It will be one day.

But hey keep killing kids it's fine right.

Oh and why are Christians even brought up here. I know Christians that think abortion is fine. I don't because I look at my life and think what happened if I were aborted.

I use the word "it" if I don't know the sex of the child. But the point is, I don't believe it's a person until you reach a certain stage of development. Technically it would be possible to clone a human being using a cell from your liver, but this doesn't mean I think livers have rights in case someone decides to use one to make a sentient being... I know that analogy is a bit extreme but I think the principle is correct. There is a point in my mind where a fetus is just a group of cells and another point further along where it is a person. I would never kill a person.

And I can't imagine that. No-one can. Without a conscious mind you cannot imagine, and also you cannot fear. Never existing is not something to be afraid of because a) it has already not happened, and b) you can only think about by virtue of it never happening. As James Thurber said, "... what is all this fear of and opposition to Oblivion? What is the matter with the soft Darkness, the Dreamless Sleep?"

I get it that it's not a person YET. But someday it will be. Someday, it will have loves, dreams, hopes, and fears. Even if we have to wait 9 months for that to happen I am pro-live. But you can't convincve anyone.

But the point is you have to justify why you're assigning rights to something that doesn't exist yet. What is your moral argument there?

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Up to the point where the unborn child can feel pain (21 days? I can't remember), I'm fine with the idea of abortions. It is wholly the mother's choice and I can see why they might feel a bit squiffy about having one. I can't stand the idea of people forcing the mother into one decision. I suppose as the father you or I might have a say but at the end of the day it's up to them.

And even if you are pro life, it's not your place to force it upon others through law.

 

[UnwishedGunz]

i have no problem with abortion but the dicision is not up to me, its up to her, if she doesnt want one then you shouldnt force her to. but theres always other options, a person could always give the baby up for adoption to people who would take good care of him/her or to someone who is not able to concieve anymore, at least that way they could continue with their lives and they could be making someone very happy, its a win win

 

[TheNewDemoman]

I love how people say terminate IT.

IT is a person, imagine this. One day your parents decided that you were an inconvience. So they decided to kill you. You would feel no pain, or have no knowledge you ever existed you would just be gone. How can you think of killing a person, because it's inconvienent. It doesn't matter if the child is aware yet. It will be one day.

But hey keep killing kids it's fine right.

Oh and why are Christians even brought up here. I know Christians that think abortion is fine. I don't because I look at my life and think what happened if I were aborted.

I use the word "it" if I don't know the sex of the child. But the point is, I don't believe it's a person until you reach a certain stage of development. Technically it would be possible to clone a human being using a cell from your liver, but this doesn't mean I think livers have rights in case someone decides to use one to make a sentient being... I know that analogy is a bit extreme but I think the principle is correct. There is a point in my mind where a fetus is just a group of cells and another point further along where it is a person. I would never kill a person.

And I can't imagine that. No-one can. Without a conscious mind you cannot imagine, and also you cannot fear. Never existing is not something to be afraid of because a) it has already not happened, and b) you can only think about by virtue of it never happening. As James Thurber said, "... what is all this fear of and opposition to Oblivion? What is the matter with the soft Darkness, the Dreamless Sleep?"

I get it that it's not a person YET. But someday it will be. Someday, it will have loves, dreams, hopes, and fears. Even if we have to wait 9 months for that to happen I am pro-live. But you can't convincve anyone.

But the point is you have to justify why you're assigning rights to something that doesn't exist yet. What is your moral argument there?

I know IT doesn't have rights.


But what if your mom killed you while you were a child (I am not being a douche just giving an example)


You wouldn't know or care, you just would be gone. Think about how you impact people. You would be gone and no one would care. Does that sound fair.

We can say, "Of course abort babies they aren't people." But at one time we all were unborn children. So think, long and hard.

 

[jrubal1462]

Personally, I think it should be the women's choice, not some political or religious leader since it doesn't affect their life in any way, shape, or form.

Something I found that was rather... stupid... was in a bible that someone gave me. In the back in had all of these things (abortion, murder, etc.) and bible verses that were for/against whatever it was. I looked up abortion and I think there were two verses. Neither of them said anything that was even remotely close to talking about abortion. One was along the lines of "all children are God's children"... and? Where the fuck does that say anything about abortion being wrong? I bet half the people that say the bible is against it have never even opened a bible in their life. The bible doesn't say shit about abortion, people just interpret that it does. And those same people are the ones that aren't happy trying to live their own damn lives and have to stick their fingers in everyone else's pie...

For me, it's not about looking up abortion in the bible's index, and saying, "yep, God said right there, through Luke, babies are alive...or, nope, see, in Exodus, not alive 'till it's breathing...Matter settled
The books of the bible were written by people, for people. As hard as it is for the Church to admit, a lot of it is based on rules of society that are NOT timeless and unchanging. They ARE instrumental to helping us understand how Jesus lived, and how to best emulate Him(If that's your thing). It's my personal opinion that Jesus's tendency to help the helpless, care for the uncared, and all that jazz would naturally extend to unborn babies, so there's my opinion.
As far as "sticking their fingers in everyone else's pie"...You have to understand that (hopefully) most people who are arguing pro-life aren't doing it just because it's popular, or vogue. Most truly believe that abortion is murder, and, while you may not agree that it is, you can't fault someone for speaking up if they honestly believe aborters are murdering children all over the place.

I don't really consider myself qualified to answer the question of when life begins, but I'll throw my ideas out there since, why not, it's the internet. I think it's too arbitrary to decide that a heart makes it a person, or the lungs, or the first hiccup. Are there any inherent problems to calling it a new life as soon as the father's DNA combines with the mother's DNA to create something new and unique? Even if that's a bit conservative, I'm ok with NOT terminating something on the grounds that it MAY be a human being.

There are alternatives to abortions you know. So no, I don't agree with abortions.

I'm adopted and I found out my birth mother was initially planning on aborting me(was going to go abroad to do it). Fortunately for me, where she went to said she had missed the legal window and refused her. She didn't seek out more illicit means. A priest suggested adoption and thats what happened.

I was at risk of not existing, I felt like a part of me curled up and died when I heard about this.

Abortions are the easy way out and also the most selfish... man up and deal with it as this will define you as a person. If worse comes to worst then keep adoption in consideration. Accidents happen and most people have to deal with it in some way or form.

EDIT: And for the love of (insert deity here) research the subject before making decisions. There are plenty of fraud adoption services out there, so make sure what you seek is legit if it comes to it.

That's AWESOME. I support this 100% I'm glad you exist

 

[Simskiller]

The average person is an idiot. (At least in this country.) Don't listen to them. Look, you both know that it will effectively RUIN YOUR LIVES if she has a baby. Get. An. Abortion. If you want kids later, you can have kids later.

ORRRRR Give it to ADOPTION. There are people out there that WANT kids but can't have them for what ever reason.

 

[Nimcha]

I love how people say terminate IT.

IT is a person, imagine this. One day your parents decided that you were an inconvience. So they decided to kill you. You would feel no pain, or have no knowledge you ever existed you would just be gone. How can you think of killing a person, because it's inconvienent. It doesn't matter if the child is aware yet. It will be one day.

But hey keep killing kids it's fine right.

Oh and why are Christians even brought up here. I know Christians that think abortion is fine. I don't because I look at my life and think what happened if I were aborted.

I use the word "it" if I don't know the sex of the child. But the point is, I don't believe it's a person until you reach a certain stage of development. Technically it would be possible to clone a human being using a cell from your liver, but this doesn't mean I think livers have rights in case someone decides to use one to make a sentient being... I know that analogy is a bit extreme but I think the principle is correct. There is a point in my mind where a fetus is just a group of cells and another point further along where it is a person. I would never kill a person.

And I can't imagine that. No-one can. Without a conscious mind you cannot imagine, and also you cannot fear. Never existing is not something to be afraid of because a) it has already not happened, and b) you can only think about by virtue of it never happening. As James Thurber said, "... what is all this fear of and opposition to Oblivion? What is the matter with the soft Darkness, the Dreamless Sleep?"

I get it that it's not a person YET. But someday it will be. Someday, it will have loves, dreams, hopes, and fears. Even if we have to wait 9 months for that to happen I am pro-live. But you can't convincve anyone.

But the point is you have to justify why you're assigning rights to something that doesn't exist yet. What is your moral argument there?

I know IT doesn't have rights.


But what if your mom killed you while you were a child (I am not being a douche just giving an example)


You wouldn't know or care, you just would be gone. Think about how you impact people. You would be gone and no one would care. Does that sound fair.

We can say, "Of course abort babies they aren't people." But at one time we all were unborn children. So think, long and hard.

Babies are people. Fetuses are not. Please learn the differences.

Also your argument doesn't hold up, unless you want to count every sperm cell as a human being. You would have to condemn masturbation as well.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

A story covered by the BBC today has really set me thinking:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12117299

To summarise, 584 women in the UK this last year have become pregnant despite being fitted with a contraceptive implant. Many of these women have found that by the time they've realised they're pregnant they are outside the window for having an abortion, and thus have been forced to keep the baby.

Now, this immediately caught my attention because my girlfriend has the very same implant. You can understand how this might worry me: we're both 22, both finishing university this year and looking forward to launching into our careers. However, if something were to happen and she got pregnant, it's pretty much game over. She has told me that she doesn't think she would ever feel comfortable terminating a child no matter what stage of development it was in. However, I would feel very strongly inclined towards termination (within a reasonable time frame), and I can't help but feel that even though I would stick by her and do my best as a father and partner in these circumstances, there would always be a part of me that would resent her for her decision and how it had ruined our plans.

So then, these are my questions to you: what do you think the average public attitude towards abortions is? What are your experiences of them? Do you think men are under-represented in the decision-making process and the financial aftermath?



N.B. I know some of you will say that this should be on the religion an dpolitics board, but frankly I want to keep religious views on abortion OUT OF IT. To me they are less than worthless.

Your mind would change the day your child was born, sure you had plans but that is what life is about spontaneity and you would have a child, trust me your view changes that day forever

 

[me.vicky]

If not having a baby is that important to you, you might want to consider other or additional contraceptives to the one she is currently using. If she's told you she wouldn't want to abort a child should the unthinkable happen and she gets pregnant, you should respect that. It's her body and her choice.

Or, you know, you could just not have sex. That might work.

 

[Jonluw]

I'm all for abortion, so long as it's done reasonably early.

Nothing more to say on the matter really. It's nice to be able to keep a little accidental spilling from ruining your life.

 

[me.vicky]

Or, you know, you could just not have sex. That might work.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy with the crazy-talk.

Just thought it was worth a shot.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

It should be legal in some cases, like what if a girl gets raped and becomes pregnant? What then? She now would have the child of a rapist in her and definitely unwanted too

 

[Kelethor]

No one has the right to kill a defenceless child, whether that child is born or unborn. A person can choose to share sex with their partner in the knowledge that no method of contraception is completely foolproof (or at least they should know that if they have a proper sex education - but, frankly, in the absence of one, an adult should do the research and find out for themselves from genuinely reliable medical and bioethical sources). Once a person makes that choice, the responsibility for that choice falls on them rather than on the innocent child who did not choose to be conceived. The person has the responsibility to carry the child to term and ensure the child is cared for.

Right, but if the person in question has taken steps to ensure that they DONT get pregnant, and they do because of a failed contraceptive, is that still there fault? I mean, If both lovers in question are aware of the fact that they do NOT want children, and use every contraceptive imaginable, but a child is still conceived, then...It's just a hard thing to wrap my head around.


EDIT: Have you Considered giving the baby up for adoption? I understand that there is a lot of horror stories about foster homes, but I know all too well that there are plenty of loving people who simply cannot have a baby, when it is all they want in the world.

 

[Beryl77]

I think, every couple should be able to choose whether they want an abortion or not and not only the women, since it would change the life of the man too.
I myself, am for abortions, as long as the fetus isn't too old but the problem is that we don't really know when that is. I guess it's also a question of moral, some people can live with that, others think it's like they would murder their own child and would feel even worse afterwards. There have been some cases where people had depressions because they had an abortion.

btw, I just wanted to watch the movie "dumplings" again, which is also about abortion, just in a much more gross way.

 

[lacktheknack]

N.B. I know some of you will say that this should be on the religion an dpolitics board, but frankly I want to keep religious views on abortion OUT OF IT. To me they are less than worthless.

To you they're worthless, to me they aren't.

And it should be on R&P anyways because it's such a politically charged debate.

 

[GonzoGamer]

So then, these are my questions to you: what do you think the average public attitude towards abortions is? What are your experiences of them? Do you think men are under-represented in the decision-making process and the financial aftermath?

I usually read the other comments but I stopped right here.
No offense to you sir but I think men are way over-represented in this discussion. The woman is the person that has to go through all the really traumatic things involved with either a pregnancy or an abortion. I don't think it's a man's place to influence the decision at all.

It's hard to tell what the public opinion is on it. We used to have a lot of vocal religious nuts throwing pipe bombs into abortion clinics but I think those people are now bombing gay weddings, holding protests at soldiers' funerals, and having tea parties.

Me personally, I don't think it's great but it is necessary sometimes depending on the situation. I would like to think that if I was a pregnant teen, I wouldn't get the abortion (unless I live in Texas or someplace and the father is my brother) but I'm sure I can't imagine what it's like to be in those circumstances.

Quick answers:
Men are over-represented in this argument: especially the catholic church.
Do I like abortion? No.
Do I think it's necessary and needs to be legal? Yes.

My advise: take extra precautions and if anything does happen, support your girlfriend in whatever her decision is.
Now I'm gonna go see what others said.

 

[lacktheknack]

Or, you know, you could just not have sex. That might work.

This is true. As unimaginable as it is, this is the only fail-safe route of not being impregnated.