What would u do?
This post is not really on the topic of abortion but i want to get other people's view on it. There are some that are against it totally, calling it murder; some for it, saying it's the female's body, let her choose, and for others there is a gray area. Here are some scenarios i have heard of, let me know what u think in each case.
1. Young lady, 20, has one serious b/f (considering marriage), and a guy on the side who comes back from America and spends the week. Three weeks later she realises she's pregnant and her mother gives her something to drink to get rid of the fetus :S (don't ask what, maybe the docs can help with that one). This, by the way, is not the first time she's doing this:S
2. Lady in her thirties, single, got freaky one night with a taxi driver on her way home. Found out she was pregnant and is considering an abortion b/c she doesn't want to be linked to this guy in anyway and also he wasn't that good-looking. :S
3. Working woman on her way to the top of the corporate ladder with the next year looking crucial to her place in the corporate world. Figures she's not going to put her child in any children's home in JA so might as well not bring it into the world.
4. Young lady is raped and does not want the image of this man to be imprinted on the face of her child. Is torn however, as this would be her first child, a joy she has looked forward to all her life.
17 Comments:
I'm not a woman. I have never had an abortion. I'm against it however because I think life begins from conception. The woman's body will often reject a developing human if it's not developing properly at any stage (often before she realises she is pregnant).
I can't fault a woman for wanting an abortion in scenario 4. It takes a lot to forgive and allow her body to be home to a child born out of that kind of tragic circumstance.
In the other three scenarios those women took no responsibility for controlling themselves. Hey even the best of persons can get caught in a situation, but why salt someone else for your mistake?! Every action has consequences. I don't want it to happen to me but if it does I have to take responsibility and work with the situation and make the best of it.
I agree with u totally BB, esp the statement "why salt someone else for your mistake?!" This is my view. It isn't the baby's fault that it was conceived, so why take it out on the baby.
The 4th scenario is kinda tricky, in that although i don't agree with abortion, i know how hard it must be to face each day after such an event, worse knowing that u have a part of this man growing inside of u.
"why salt someone else for your mistake?!" - my view as well (since the foetus is a someone) - and this applies even to case #4 for me. Also, it may be the woman's body, but 2 people made that child. I notice all the cases leave out the men. They should have as much say in the matter (it's not their fault they can't carry the baby to term), so go ahead guys - speak ur mind!
Well unlike all you confident folk, I'm somewhat at odds about abortion.
I do believe that a foetus is a life, but for some reason the idea of losing one doesn't irk me very much. There are many double-standards in life as it relates to the young- for instance, why is it that a 20 y/o gets a funeral but a newborn doesn't? Wasn't it a life and a part of a family? Why is he/she regarded any less?
Another such double standard is how 'ok' it is for a woman to have an abortion if she gets raped. Yes, it's a sad circumstance to have a child enter into, but by your own admission, isnt that foetus still a life? The rape was no fault of that foetus either.
And if it's OK for the raped to have an abortion, shouldn't it also be OK for the girl with the torn condom, or the poor couple who have too many children already and ended up carried away in a heated moment one night. Yes, it's their fault, their decision brought them to that situation. However, none of those circumstances may be ideal for a child to grow up in. So isn't it best?
I'm not pro-abortion, but at the same time, I'm not anti-abortion. I'm not sure what I am. I just think it's easy for anyone to jump up and declare it's wrong-ness, but we aren't living the reality of the persons involved.
Sorry for the post :S
I agree with bass chocolate that you need to be in the reality of the situation to fully understand what goes into a decision. Sure we can say it's not the foetus' fault and they deserve to live but all too often they are brought into a circumstance where they cannot be provided a "good" life with the love and guidance (and food) that all children need.
A couple with two children they planned for, hits hard times and realise that they cannot continue to care for their children the way they ought. Should they give away their children because they can no longer afford it?
Sounds absurd?! It's a lot easier to appreciate the children when you can see them.
There is a growing practice of using aborted foetal tissue to cover burns in adults. The tissue is grown in labs (seeded) simply because they are so small it would take many of them to cover a 10% burn. The foetal skin is so good that there is no need to trim the edges of the recipient before and it leaves no scars. Well it's good to know that they served some purpose.
Aborted foetuses are used in cosmetic industry for testing and this has been the practice for years.
1. I am always particularly amused when men have a say in abortion.
2. If the girl in scenario 4 took an ECP (emergency contraceptive pill) would that be ok? Maybe God wanted her to have child - who is she to protect herself from getting pregnant?
3. Don't kill foetuses, huh? - should we even use contraception?
4. Untill we in the situation we can't say a damn thing with surity.
5. Maybe when the goverment provides good children's homes, good affordable education for all, good job security and availability, a good justice system - they can have the right to jump in the bedroom and listen to all the pompous ppl talk their talk.
6. For the record - the women in scenarios 1-3 would be wrong. (my view)
7. Why do we leave out the men? - how many single fathers u see? How many men take the child from the women when they have them? How many men with children ever cook, clean, scrub oda ppl bathroom, degrade themselves to be able to provide little for dem pickney? They have a say when they are married to the woman or willing to contribute to the welfare of the child.
8. If the mother was going to die, what then? Which life is worth more?
9. Should we separate the concept of 'social abortion' and therapeutic abortion'?
10. An overpopulated world with paedophiles, starvatin, death by treatable diseases, restricted access to education - bring an unwanted child into it. Yup sounds like a good thing to me.
11. So, what's my stand - dunno, never had to make the decision.
Logically one can see why it exists. Morally one can see why it is wrong. At the end of the day we have no idea how a person will turn out as an adult.
There are stories of many who took the adversity of childhood and were motivated to do great things with their life. Read the Sunday Gleaner to see their stories. Many Indians left home to come here and other countries and busted their ass to be the rich bastards that they are now. Just replace Indian with any other race and the story runs the same.
Forbes 400 has many ppl who built their empires coming from abject poverty.
Mozart (or one of those famous composers) came from a family in which the children would all have been aborted nowadays. He had congenital syphillis and so did his siblings.
For every situation in which we have 'justified' abortion there are persons who have come from those same situations and have made something of themselves in societies eyes. Yet do we live to please society or God?
Absentee fathers are created by mothers and society. Afterall if father is missing, who is johnny learning from that it is ok to be missing as well? By simple observation? Research shows that mother's have to curb the behaviour. They are the only ones there with enough influence.
So it's the women's decision? Why because there is a trend in society for men to disappear? That justifies not involving the father in the decision? How would we know if he wouldn't make good now or even later?
At the end of the day ppl will do whatever they will do. I'll still think it's wrong. Lucky for me I don't need an agreeing audience to think that way. You gotta stand for something in this world.
By the way Think, my fellow Roman Catholic, you know that our church is against premarital sex, extra-marital sex, the use of any contraception (abstinence is not a contraceptive measure by definition), morning after pills and abortion.
Following what they say means that you learn to control yourself and thus obviate the need for an abortion.
The only problem would now be rape.
Boy bashment I have to point out that for every story od someone who makes it, how many dont. I am not a pssimist, I dont want to jump in the debate and I am not saying that that is an excuse. My veiws are such that I am glad I will never have to make that decision. I believe the choice is purely the womans. To be honest I dont think I have much right to say anything, I have a right to voice my opinion and express my views, but at the end of the day it is the woman who must decide.
And Remember: Ones perception is depenant on the shoes one wears
I gave examples of those who became famous in societies eyes. There are many who turned out worthless by our estimations, but someone in this world loved them, and I believe that is enough to justify any existence no matter how pityful we deem it.
If the man has no say in the decision about abortion then why is he beholden by law to support said child if mother chooses to give birth? Why does she seek money from him to carryout the abortion if he has no say in the matter? Perhaps he is paying for the virulence of his sperm!
Yeah at the end of the day it's her body and her decision by law. Since I can't carry my own I guess I'm stuck hoping that I don't have to face such a decision. I find it amusing that the sins of deadbeat dads around will cause me to be screwed. Nothing on its own merit I suppose.
Well it takes courage to stand up at the right time. I'll be a coward and hide on the grounds of indifference.
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'Absentee fathers are created by mothers and society.' A wha u nah seh!! Thanks we'll take the blame as usual.
'That justifies not involving the father in the decision?' Read again BB:
They have a say when they are married to the woman or willing to contribute to the welfare of the child.
If the world were the way I want it every child would be born. Every woman who has been raped and found herself pregnant (because of said rape) would be strong enough to carry the child (tempted to type thing) for 9 months and birth it without suffering mental breakdown or death by suicide. But it isn't a perfect world.
And as usual the prolife has refused to answer the hard questions.
1. Rape?
2. Mother's life at risk?
Yeah, stay indifferent.
"I can't fault a woman for wanting an abortion in scenario 4. It takes a lot to forgive and allow her body to be home to a child born out of that kind of tragic circumstance." (1st post)
"The moral high ground says forgive and let live. Human emotion says take him out and take out his child too."
I think I already answered it as honestly as I can.
Wrt the comment about absentee fathers... perhaps I should have put the quotation marks on it based on the research from which I stole it, but I didn't cause didn't feel like putting in a bibliography and had no link since I didn't read it on-line.
Mother's life at risk? I'm an old romantic. I believe in losing my life to safe that of another. Biggest gift of love you can give. Thus I don't think it a 'wasted' death if that is what happens.
My indifference is sarcasm at myself for having a voice here, but not where it counts.
1. Rape?
2. Mother's life at risk?
as unfortunate as it is, who are we to play judge, jury and executioner. I know 2 cases (not heard of, I know these people) who were told that having their child would probably lead to their own death. Both they and their child are alive right now.
Another case, the doctors insisted on an abortion b/c the baby had spinabifida (that's how it's pronounced, can't spell it) and thus wouldn't be able to walk among other things: unable to lead a normal life in other words. The family, being born again Christians didn't believe in killing their baby because of imperfections (they don't believe in abortion for any reason actually) and the same doctors that insisted on killing the baby, is now hopeful that she will walk on her own someday. She's down to using only one crutch at the age of 3, and is one of the most loveable things you've ever seen.
How can those who believe in God not believe that if you obey his word he will take care of you. Faith is what is needed, no matter what the situation is. My little sister was a high risk pregnancy too. Human's never know enough to make an informed decision. We speculate. Why not trust he who made us to be true to his word.
My father took me to the country to introduce me around to some of his friends and old school teacher. The school teacher had a daughter who was about 40yro. She has been and still is bedridden. Born with hydro-cephalos ('water on the brain') she can't balance the weight of her head, to stand. She makes funny baby noises and recognises ppl and smiles. I don't know if she is potty trained.
My father made the comment that he don't know why dem bother to have "it". "Dem should a kill it when it born!"
Same father who ran away from us because he couldn't deal with two children who were sickly (me with asthma and little bro with Sickle cell). Good thing he didn't know anything about abortion back then.
Rae is spot on for me. That's how I want to live my life .... come what may.
"How can those who believe in God not believe that if you obey his word he will take care of you." This is what i strive towards achieving, that strong faith, b/c my faith seems to falter in making really tough decisions such as in the rape situation. I KNOW that He always knows best and we must put our trust in Him, but that is a bit easier to say when u r not the one going thru it. So i agree with Rae, its just that i'm fighting to get to that point.
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