question about abortion

[cedric1200]

If your teenager daughter was sexually assaulted and got pregnant as a result, and she wanted an abortion, would you encourage her not to get an abortion?

 

[football5680]

Yes. Abortion goes against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

 

[Jade Margery]

I'd encourage her to make her own decision, and support whatever that decision was, abortion or not.

 

[Resha Caner]

If your teenager daughter was sexually assaulted and got pregnant as a result, and she wanted an abortion, would you encourage her not to get an abortion?

Yes. To be trite, 2 wrongs don't make a right.

To be more explicit, someone who is raped should seek counseling, and a good counselor will tell them that showing love is the best way to heal. Abortion could possibly become a means for burying what happened. Placing the child (should she decide not to parent) with a couple who can't have biological children is a loving act.

Many churches provide counseling services. To be honest, in my experience the Catholic church does the best job with these types of issues. I wish my church did more.

 

[Dave-W]

The person who raped her should be locked up permanantly.
The resulting child should not be punished for someone else's crime. Especially not capital punishment.

I would NEVER counsel her to get an abortion and would do anything in my power to prevent such a course of action.

 

[Golden Yak]

The person who raped her should be locked up permanantly.
The resulting child should not be punished for someone else's crime. Especially not capital punishment.

I would NEVER counsel her to get an abortion and would do anything in my power to prevent such a course of action.

Including forcibly confining her against her will until she gave birth?

 

[KitKatMatt]

The decision would be here to make, not mine. I'd support her either way.

It's her body and her potential child. I have no final say in the matter.

 

[jacknife]

It would be up to her.

 

[Resha Caner]

The decision would be here to make, not mine. I'd support her either way.

It's her body and her potential child. I have no final say in the matter.

It would be up to her.

I understand this is the politically correct answer, but do you answer this way about any difficult situation someone gets into? Are you proposing we leave people to make uninformed decisions?

 

[quatona]

If your teenager daughter was sexually assaulted and got pregnant as a result, and she wanted an abortion, would you encourage her not to get an abortion?

I am aware that all my principles are a result of going through a lot of conflicting, ambivalent considerations.
Thus, when trying to guide a person, the last thing I would do is to reverse engineer from this result, as if there weren´t any viable cases for the opposite result.
First thing I would do is ask for and listen to the aspects and criteria that are important, significant and relevant to her. Next thing (provided she is even interested in my advice) I would do is is to offer some of those aspects and criteria (for either decision), that would be important, significant and relevant to me if I were in her situation. Third thing would be to leave the decision to her.

 

[Skaloop]

Yes. To be trite, 2 wrongs don't make a right.

True, but only one wrong has been committed. The rape.

To be more explicit, someone who is raped should seek counseling, and a good counselor will tell them that showing love is the best way to heal. Abortion could possibly become a means for burying what happened. Placing the child (should she decide not to parent) with a couple who can't have biological children is a loving act.

You're not a psychiatrist, are you? Love is not "the best way to heal" and abortion doesn't mean burying what happened.

Many churches provide counseling services. To be honest, in my experience the Catholic church does the best job with these types of issues. I wish my church did more.

Really? The Catholic church does the best job? And what is your experience? How many unwanted pregnancies have you had? How many times have you considered abortion then decided against it based on the input from your church?

 

[quatona]

I understand this is the politically correct answer,

No, that´s not your "understanding", it´s an insinuation on your part.

but do you answer this way about any difficult situation someone gets into? Are you proposing we leave people to make uninformed decisions?

Nothing in the responses you quoted advocated the withholding of information.

 

[Resha Caner]

[quote="quatona";67281036]Third thing would be to leave the decision to her.[/quote]

It's good you would offer some guidance, but "teenage" could mean anything from 13 to 19. Do you really think all ages should be left to make significant life decisions?

 

[KitKatMatt]

I understand this is the politically correct answer, but do you answer this way about any difficult situation someone gets into? Are you proposing we leave people to make uninformed decisions?

I didn't answer that way because it was politically correct.

Why do you assume she'd be making an uninformed decision? Where did anyone say they wouldn't talk about the choices with her? I simply said that I have no final say in the matter because it is her body and her choice.

 

[Resha Caner]

You're not a psychiatrist, are you?

Are you?

Love is not "the best way to heal" and abortion doesn't mean burying what happened.

Yes, I've had experience with women who have decided they can't parent a child. If you've had experience as well we can compare notes. Until then I don't see why your advice would be better than mine.

 

[KitKatMatt]

It's good you would offer some guidance, but "teenage" could mean anything from 13 to 19. Do you really think all ages should be left to make significant life decisions?

In this hypothetical, a significant decision HAS to be made. It can't be put off. It can't be ignored. The pregnancy won't put itself on pause until she's older.

I'd rather my hypothetical daughter choose what is best for herself rather than me forcing my own choice on her. Again, it is her body, and her potential child.

 

[Resha Caner]

Why do you assume she'd be making an uninformed decision? Where did anyone say they wouldn't talk about the choices with her?

Because you didn't mention it. I'm happy to be wrong.

Would you just talk? Do you feel prepared for such a conversation or would you suggest help from others as well?

I simply said that I have no final say in the matter because it is her body and her choice.

So age would play no role in this? A girl of 13 is just as equipped as one of 19 ... or 29 ... to make such a decision?

 

[KitKatMatt]

I refuse to force her hand. I can't do that in good consciousness.

Pregnancy is dangerous for someone that young, but it is not my choice to terminate or carry.

 

[Resha Caner]

In this hypothetical, a significant decision HAS to be made. It can't be put off. It can't be ignored. The pregnancy won't put itself on pause until she's older.

Obviously. I guess I have my answer about age, but I disagree.

I'd rather my hypothetical daughter choose what is best for herself rather than me forcing my own choice on her. Again, it is her body, and her potential child.

Does that go for all decisions of your 13-yr-old daughter? Where she'll live? If she goes to school or not? What substances she takes into her body? Whether to drive drunk or while texting? etc. etc.

Since Skaloop brought it up, should we start discussing the psychology of teenagers?

 

[quatona]

It's good you would offer some guidance, but "teenage" could mean anything from 13 to 19. Do you really think all ages should be left to make significant life decisions?

No, but unfortunately the question wasn´t specifying the age any further.
On another note, I don´t think that maturity and age are necessarily the same.
On a third note: Seeing that there are adult persons who would advocate an abortion, and adult persons who would advocate abstaining from it, I don´t think that appealing to old age as the determining factor in giving good advice is getting us very far.