Moral reasons why I believe abortion should remain legal.

[openly68atheist]

Well, I believe that no one should be forced to create a life, and I'll explain what I mean by that through out this post.

The best way I know on how to explain my belief is by making you ponder this purely hypothetical situation:
Let's pretend for a moment that your father was arrested by the Men In Black, and they used that red-flashy thing to completely and totally erase all of his memories, experiences, and everyting that he has learned since he was born. This would essentially turn your father back into a fetus, since as a fetus also has no memories, experiences, and has never learned anything.

Now, if this happened to my dad, I just wouldn't be able to make my-self teach my own father the very same things which he taught me how to do, this just shouldn't be. I mean imagine teaching your own father how to drive stick shift, how to play a guitar, how to walk, how to speak. The very same person who probably taught you those same things, I would say that this isn't my dad! This is not my father, my dad knows how to all of those things. It woud be so sad for me to see my dad in this situation. They pretty much killed my father by erasing his memories, experiences, and what he has learned.

So it would seem that my real father is dead, and that I would actually be creating a new life by teaching my father's body how to do new things. Now, should I or my family be forced to create a new life simply because there is a body there that is capable of becoming a life?

This relates back to abortion, because a fetus also has no memories, experiences, and has never learned anything. So I believe this body is not a life, and that in fact parents actually create a life by teaching the baby new things, like how to walk, and speak. So should we force parents to create a new life simply because they accidentaly created a body which is capable of becoming a life?

I belive that since fetuses have no memories, experiences, and has never learned anything, that fetuses are not a life, and that we can not 'murder' or kill something that is not a life. I believe that forcing some one to do something against their will for no legitimate reason is unethical and immoral. I mean you're not of the position that everyone should be forced to create a life, even if this is against their own will. We are not required to create life by any God or human laws.

This is why I believe abortion should remain legal, but remember this is simply what I believe, however I would hope that I have presented a logical enough arguement that should be seriously taken into consideration when deciding for you-elf whether abortion should be legal.

[DennisRB]

I have an abortion clinic near my workplace. I see those fucking morons waveing signs in protest out the front. This world would be a better plance of their parents had got abortions.

[Tenspace]

I have an abortion clinic near my workplace. I see those fucking morons waveing signs in protest out the front. This world would be a better plance of their parents had got abortions.
You should volunteer as an escort. Don't hit a protester, though... first, anyway. :)

Ten

[Tenspace]

Well, I believe that no one should be forced to create a life, and I'll explain what I mean by that through out this post.

The best way I know on how to explain my belief is by making you ponder this purely hypothetical situation:
Let's pretend for a moment that your father was arrested by the Men In Black, and they used that red-flashy thing to completely and totally erase all of his memories, experiences, and everyting that he has learned since he was born. This would essentially turn your father back into a fetus, since as a fetus also has no memories, experiences, and has never learned anything.
You have a valid point, but let me add that your hypothetical situation is real to thousands of brain-damaged people. There's a neural disorder which affects the part of the brain that recognizes faces. You are left feeling that your parents or immediate family are imposters, strangers who look and act like your family but aren't. This isn't a neuroses. It is testable, verifiable, repeatable, and has been confirmed through FMRI scans.

There are many cases (did you see Memento?) of damage to the Hippocampus which affects the collection and storage of memories. There are even instances where damage to the right half of the brain and the interconnections to the left, can bring about actual episodes of self-murder, where the left side of the body will attempt to kill itself. (edited for clarity) :D

Tenspace

[ghoulslime]

There are even instances where damage to the right half of the brain and the interconnections to the left, can bring about actual episodes of self-murder, where the left side of the body will attempt to kill you.

Tenspace
Yeah, I saw that in Evil Dead!

http://ravingatheist.com/forum/img/uploads/ash.jpg

[openly68atheist]

Well, I believe that no one should be forced to create a life, and I'll explain what I mean by that through out this post.

The best way I know on how to explain my belief is by making you ponder this purely hypothetical situation:
Let's pretend for a moment that your father was arrested by the Men In Black, and they used that red-flashy thing to completely and totally erase all of his memories, experiences, and everyting that he has learned since he was born. This would essentially turn your father back into a fetus, since as a fetus also has no memories, experiences, and has never learned anything.
You have a valid point, but let me add that your hypothetical situation is real to thousands of brain-damaged people. There's a neural disorder which affects the part of the brain that recognizes faces. You are left feeling that your parents or immediate family are imposters, strangers who look and act like your family but aren't. This isn't a neuroses. It is testable, verifiable, repeatable, and has been confirmed through FMRI scans.

There are many cases (did you see Memento?) of damage to the Hippocampus which affects the collection and storage of memories. There are even instances where damage to the right half of the brain and the interconnections to the left, can bring about actual episodes of self-murder, where the left side of the body will attempt to kill itself. (edited for clarity) :D

Tenspace
Yea, it would be very sad to see a freind or family member like that. And I bet you they would force me to create a new life (imposter) inside my dads body, just like the tried doing on schiavo.

[openly68atheist]

I have an abortion clinic near my workplace. I see those fucking morons waveing signs in protest out the front. This world would be a better plance of their parents had got abortions.
Yea those people are fuking idiots.

There out there with big old signs:
"Abortions Commited Here" they look more like they're advertesing on behalf of the clinic. lol

[DennisRB]

I tell them the only problem I have with abortion is that their parents didn't take the option. The world has far to many people on it now. It does not need children with parents that don't even want kids but are forced to have them. Imagine how these unwanted kids would grow up?

I'm WAYYY on the other side of these anti-abortionists. I reckon people should need a license to have kids, and be FORCED to have abortions if they don't meet the criteria - having enough time, money and being mentally capable of raising a child. Some people say that view makes me EVIL. But I think choking the planet with polluting humans living in poverty is evil, so call me crazy.

[whoneedscience]

This is one area where I don't really have an opinion. Any time I think about what constitutes life I end up with no acceptable conclusion one way or the other. For one, the Church's view of life starting at conception is complete bullshit, and you have a point about memories and experiences, but you're making an assumption that life is only the nurture side of the debate. The way I see it, both sides presented here take a different side on the nature vs. nurture debate, where, more than anything, the evidence points to a compromise. For instance, for your dad to be considered dead after losing his memories and experiences, you would have to assume that the made-up idea of a soul he exhibits is 100% nurture, when really we know that genetics (nature) highly influences personality.

Then there's the Church's argument about potential for life. I agree that there is simply no difference between a sperm/egg and a zygote, but in your dad's case, would it be moral to kill what's left of him? Don't confuse this with Shiavo-style brain damage, because she clearly had no potential for life, but if you can still teach your dad to do all those things, does that make him alive?

In the end, my pseudo-conclusion is that abortion is a legal matter, and the morality associated with it has to consider the society. If it can lead to better lives for poor people it should be legal. Of course, you could also consider that killing poor people outright would therefore be moral, so it's iffy.