Whose Choice? May 2, 2007
Posted by spacemom in : Religion , trackbackI have been thinking. And thinking and thinking lately.
Mostly about the recent late-term abortion ban in the United States.
For the record, I am pro-choice. And I would prefer that people don’t abort their pregnancies. But, that it not my choice to make. In fact, that choice belongs to just one person, the woman who is pregnant.
In most late-term abortions, it is due to a medical reason. Maybe the child has a fatal condition. Maybe the mother has a condition that will kill her if the pregnancy is not ended. But either way, why does this become a court decision?
Imagine, a man is ill. He has two choices to get better: one will make him well and not damage other body parts. The second will damage other organs in his body and may kill him in the process but will achieve the same results as the first choice. Should a lawyer, lawmaker or judge make this decision? Or should the man and his doctor make this decision?
Obviously, almost everyone would say the man and his doctor. But if this was a pregnant woman and it involved the termination of a pregnancy, some people feel the need to throw their morals onto the situation.
Listen, it’s simple. Until 24 weeks, a fetus cannot live without the mother. Even at 24 weeks, the child may not make it. So until then, it should be the mother’s choice.
I’ve heard the argument "Abortion stops a beating heat". Yes it does. But a heart beat does not make life. A person’s body can live long after the brain functions end. Do we know when brain functions in terms of thought begins? No. And unless you can prove it, that decision should remain with the woman.
Do some people regret their decision to abort a pregnancy? yes. But others don’t. It is a choice to continue or not.
This all boils down to a simple thing: who gets to make moral decisions for our country? And unfortunately, some religious organizations have thrown this onto us. It takes away the freedom to make choices about your own life. Or the life you might want or not want for your child. (and I think of a friend who discovered a fatal disorder with her child too late to terminate. She wasn’t allowed to make a choice. She wasn’t sure what she would do, but she couldn’t choose. Now we are doing this for more women..)
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I am often confused by the simple fact that the bible specifically mentions unborn children and yet some seem to ignore this:
Go, look up Exodus 21:22-24
I invite you to look at that and then tell me why people equate a fetus with life invoking G-d’s name. It’s pretty clear here that the unborn and not equivalent to the living…
Comments»
I think the issue is a red herring. The number of late term abortions are miniscule. As you said, the reason for such abortions would never be “I don’t want a baby” but usually that the child has a genetic condition that is incompatible with survival past birth, or that the mother’s life is in danger should she continue with the pregnancy. To ban “medically unnecessary” late term abortions is a waste of the paper the law is written on. I think the prolife movement uses the topic of late-term abortion as a “shock factor” weapon to convince us all that aborting a 3 month old fetus (when most abortions occur) is tantamount to murder. And yes, Spacemom, I couldn’t help but think of your friend when this issue comes up.
I am in full agreement with your post (just have to run).
I am in full agreement with your post (just have to run).