Abortion...

[Cheese Head]

There's a movie on channel five right now, where the plot is heavily involved in abortion - funny that they put this, possibly un-biased, movie on before the news where abortion plays a headline.

A headline on the news thingy caught my eye, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4349581.stm .

Now this got me thinking, immediatly, that abortion should definatly stay legal.

After having to do this in RE at a catholic school, We were primarily taught that abortion is bad. But I've come to think that abortion is often a positive thing, and i can imagine would never be easy for anyone - no matter the circumstances. It just scares me that if *some god* says that killing a baby is wrong, then imagine the terrible problems backyard abortions could cause? Why take two lives, when you could be saving one from a life they may not want to be born into.

I know that maybe this topic isnt highly interesting for you because it's not a subject that often affects men, and thats how i felt a long time ago. but i now prefer to promote pro-choice whether or not abortion affects me...

[cdd]

Totally agree.

Plus the pregnancy rates here are way too high anyway, illegalising abortion would incrase this.

[Dr Lobster*]

outlawing abortion is totally stupid. the view that an embryo before 20 weeks is a feeling, thinking humanbeing is very misguided.

i except that it is 'alive', but i dont think it is a person with primitive freewill and feelings at that early stage. i feel that argument is void.

[rts]

Despite my own personal gut feelings when it comes to abortion, I have always said the ultimate decision is up to the female carrying the child, and that the male responsible, in the majority of cases, should support her with whatever move she decides to take.

[Dr Lobster*]

Despite my own personal gut feelings when it comes to abortion, I have always said the ultimate decision is up to the female carrying the child, and that the male responsible, in the majority of cases, should support her with whatever move she decides to take.

just out of interest, at what point do you think a fetus become a thinking, feeling, unique person?

[Ant]

Despite my own personal gut feelings when it comes to abortion, I have always said the ultimate decision is up to the female carrying the child, and that the male responsible, in the majority of cases, should support her with whatever move she decides to take.

But don't men have rights as well? What if the man wants to keep the baby, but the woman wants to kill it? Does the man have any say in it?

[rts]

I was quite unfair in my post, I admit. I did not place my own views on when a foetus becomes as human being, or address the fact that men have rights too.

I do not believe that when a Zygot (sp?) is formed, when the sperm first hits the egg, that we have a living human being. But I am not yet confident enough in my own understanding of pregnancy to say when an embryo becomes a human.

I say that men should support their lady when things take place in a perfect situation, and in reality this does not always happen. In the example Antz made, the men do have rights, but as with a lot of things, it is my personal belief that it depends on the individual circumstances.

[Johnny]

Always a tricky subject.

I don't think abortion should be ruled out but don't think it should be used like an alternative form of contraception.

I won't say too much on this subject though as it's quite a heavy topic

[cdd]

After having to do this in RE at a catholic school, We were primarily taught that abortion is bad.

This is one of the reasons I'm opposed to religion in schools, not to mention religious-based schools.

All schools have to provide R.E. as part of a "broad and balanced education" (and you can soooo tell that's a government quote).

I've given up attending R.E. lessons due to an incompetent teacher. He's so incompetent he doesn't even realise I'm not there.

[Cheese Head]

After having to do this in RE at a catholic school, We were primarily taught that abortion is bad.

This is one of the reasons I'm opposed to religion in schools, not to mention religious-based schools. A school should at all times remain impartial to allow children to make up their own minds whether something is right or wrong. It's a very draconian regime to insist that one view is divine and another is completely unquestionably wrong.

But that's another story.

I totally agree, its funny to laugh at them trying to brain wash us into thinking other things. IVF. Bad. Abortion. Bad. Contraception. Bad. God. Good. Good god...

[tillyoshea]

But I am not yet confident enough in my own understanding of pregnancy to say when an embryo becomes a human.

I am confident enough in my understanding of pregnancy to say that it's impossible to draw a line, and I therefore very much respect the view that abortion is wrong because conception is the only logical place to draw said line.

Whilst repsecting that view, I personally disagree with it. I think that it's morally difficult to deny an abortion to someone who would be physically harmed by giving birth, and equally hard to deny one to someone who would be mentally harmed by giving birth. If someone says that giving birth would cause them great mental suffering, then who am I to disagree with that?

Abortions, particularly late abortions such as those which are currently being discussed, are quite horrific processes, and would not be undertaken lightly by either patient or doctor. Some people who decide to spout opinions on this subject seem to think of it as not dissimilar to a tooth extraction. They need a reality check.

Some of the religious views also confuse me: Since I'm supposed to be human, there are going to be times when I don't live up to God's 'moral code' - eg, I might decide to have sex before wanting a baby. I don't use contraception because I'm a good little religiousite. I get myself pregnant by doing so. I can't have an abortion, so I go through to term. I then have a child I don't love. To put it up for adoption would be frowned upon, so I bring up a child I never wanted and that I'm largely disinterested in. The child isn't likely to do too well in life. Where's the religious forgiveness and tolerance in all of that? And why should the child suffer for the sins of the parent?