Can Abortion be a Blessing?

[doug yowell]

I am not suggesting that a human zygote has no moral value. What I am saying is that the well-being of a developed human being is of more value. Therefore, when it comes to a choice between the two, I'd take the latter, in the same way that I would choose to preserve the life of an endangered mother over the unborn.

So why does the "well being" of the developed person carry the same moral value as the "endangered life" of the developed? Are you equating convenience,physical comfort,ect... with life itself? Is this lack of "suffering" worth more than the life of that "zygote"?

[doug yowell]

Gerry Cabalo wrote:

“I fail to see how an unwed young girl could possibly benefit by carrying an unwanted pregnancy that is the result of a forced entry.”

Perhaps you need to read the stories of girls who did refuse to kill their unborn babies in spite of the rape. Some of those babies grew up to become the pride of those women.

Ethel Waters was one of those benefits.A young unwed girl may also benefit from the knowledge that she gave that "unwanted" pregnancy a life and future rather than killing it.IOW a clear conscience.Along with that clear conscience goes the restoration of a self image once distorted by all the factors that accompany the rape.

[doug yowell]

If a girl sees a blessing in such a pregnancy, then let her carry it to term. But how about those that do not see it that way? Or if the parents of such a girl don't see any blessing in it? What do you want to do? Compel them to go through with it?

But you're arguing that the feelings of the mother or others are to be the determinate of the baby's worth.If those feelings change in the future and the abortion is already history it's then too late to change what's been done,and what was thought to be a blessing (eliminating the problem/evidence)now becomes a spiritual and mental curse.Obscurring the human factor of the fetus is generally critical to the decision to eliminate it. And the earlier the decision to kill it the less the chances that the mother will get emotionally attached to it and want to change her mind.Have you ever asked why the one girl will decide to keep the baby and the other decides to get rid of it? Does the one who decides to carry the baby to term love to be pregnant? Did she really enjoy the rape and it's consequences? Isn't hers a decision based on principle rather than emotion? Is there no particular honor in that?

[Gerr]

Gerry: “I am against abortion, EXCEPT - 1) when the mother's life is in danger"

Nick: We are in agreement here!

Well then, Nick, you are an abortionist as well! Reminds me of a story. A man asks a woman if she would have sex with him for $50k. The woman says she would. Then the man says, "Would you do it for $100?" Incensed, the woman replies, "What do you think I am?" And the man says, "We have already established what you are. What we are doing now is just haggling over the price."

We're just haggling over the price now, Nick!

[Nic Samojluk]

Gerry Cabalo wrote:

“Gerry: “I am against abortion, EXCEPT - 1) when the mother's life is in danger"

Nick: We are in agreement here!

Well then, Nick, you are an abortionist as well! Reminds me of a story. A man asks a woman if she would have sex with him for $50k. The woman says she would. Then the man says, "Would you do it for $100?" Incensed, the woman replies, "What do you think I am?" And the man says, "We have already established what you are. What we are doing now is just haggling over the price."

We're just haggling over the price now, Nick!”

Wrong illustration. There is no price involved in the duty to save as many human lives as possible. There was a case in Poland. The doctor told her in no uncertain terms that there was no way for her to survive the pregnancy. She would die and her baby would die as well. She refused to have her baby aborted for the sake of principle. Both died and several young children became orphans.

There was another case with the opposite result. A woman dying of TB was permitted to go home for Christmas and came back pregnant. Her physician advised an abortion, but the woman refused. The baby started to push against her lungs and the TB receded and then disappeared. She lived and the baby lived.

For long centuries it has been the policy of Christian countries to allow for one exception to the abortion prohibition: when the life of the pregnant woman was in serious jeopardy. I tend to agree with such wise policy. I believe that saving one life instead of loosing two is morally acceptable.

[doug yowell]

Well then, Nick, you are an abortionist as well! We're just haggling over the price now, Nick!

You just changed definitions,Gerry. The issue is not the word it's the reason why the word is there. Taking the life of one human being in order to save the life of one or more human beings is not the definitional equivalent of taking the life of a human being simply because that human being poses an inconvenience.Self defense is not defined as murder.

[Gerr]

The difference between Nick & me is that I just two more exceptions than he does!!!

[Nic Samojluk]

Gerry Cabalo wrote:

“The difference between Nick & me is that I just two more exceptions than he does!!!”

Yes, and the difference is fundamental. The question posed by the title of this thread was: “Can abortion be a blessing.” The correct answer, I believe, is: Yes, under extremely limited circumstances:

When a physician tries to save both the life of the baby and of the pregnant woman, but discovers that this is impossible. The only logical answer to this dilemma is to save at least one life instead of loosing both and leaving the woman’s other children orphans as it happened in the case I cited.

In other circumstances, if we choose the abortion alternative, we compound the problem instead of solving it. Adoption is a better alternative than the killing of an innocent baby.

Abortion forces the abortionist to rape again the victim with metal tools and it loads the woman with guilt which will last as long as she lives, unless she repents of her mistake and asks for forgiveness.