This Debate/Discussion will be different from other threads on abortion. Most debates on abortion within Christian circles reduce the discussion to whether it is morally right or wrong, so that one is forced to argue either that God approves or disapproves the procedure. That approach to the topic is too narrow. There are certain moral standards that are shared by all societies and reflected in their legal codes: predating by centuries the Bible the Code of Hammurabi prohibits murder and theft and perjury. So do all societies.
Though the bible does say that Gods laws are written on our hearts through our conscience.
Murder and Perjury and Theft are categorical. They require no debate. It is universally obvious to men that a person must not enter uninvited the home of another and murder that other and run off with his possessions. It is universally recognized that should a witness to these events lie in court, that witness is culpable. The moral code against murder and theft and perjury is intuited, not reasoned.
I am not sure about that in todays postmodern culture where self referential truth over rides factual truth. Or the long held truths held by western Christian nations.
People are actually reasoning that a murder that takes out someone who is percieved to have hateful beliefs is justified. Even for the good of society. Something we would not have entertained in the past.
But I agree primarily these wrongs are intitively known as wrong. We can tell the difference between killing for selfish gain or hate and one that was an accident or necessary for the sake of others.
But there are other ethical codes that invite debate and are therefore not categorical: the Bible itself is diverse on its ethical take on divorce.
Actually divorce has always been wrong. Christ clarified this when the pharisees tried to trick Jesus over 7th commandment and Moses allowing divorce.
Christ said that anyone who divorces apart from sexual immorality is commiting adultery. So it is clear and therefore a hell of a lot of people including church members have comproimised and are breaking the 7th comandment.
And Christians have from the beginnings of the Church debated whether there is such a thing as lawful War.
This is a hard one. I think we can find the truth of whether there is a lawful war. Only God can determine this. In fact the bible examples are not war. There is no protracted war. Its Gods judgement and punishment which happens pretty quick.
Otherwise just as people may justify war they will then justify murder. Making the determination for murder less categorical. I think there is defense. In that Christians never initiate war or violence. But should defend their families and communities if harm comes to them.
There are then two spheres of ethics that overlap but are not coterminous: ethical codes that are universal and ethical codes that are limited to various religious societies.
The US constitution was intentionally geared toward the universally binding ethical codes. It intentionally left explicitly religious codes of ethics to that religion's practitioners.
I think this is the case. From a secular position there can be no specific religious requirements for morality or law for society. Thus it usually comes down to consensus and social norms. Whatever moral standards the democratic society holds.
Though sometimes when things become polarised on morality and the split is close then this can be a problem as it does not represent a big part of the nation. Thdere is no clear consensus. This leads to culture wars.
But Christians or any religion should not impose their beliefs and morals. Just like we would say Islam should not be imposed. Or communism or any ideology.
The question for debate is, does abortion violate the universal code of ethics, or does it only violate a Christian code of ethics? If only the latter, should the US government intervene and outlaw abortion?
What is the universal code. If God put the moral law on all humans hearts then we would know the same moral code. I don't think abortion is seperate to Christian morals. Christians believe abortion is murder. So this is breaking the 6th commandment.
The issue about whether a fetus is human life or not is about science and not morality. The worlds ethics will use science because they don't believe humans are created by God. So life is just clumps of tissue and cells. If people did believe this was life from conception then they would not be so quick to have an abortion.
But nevertheless I agree that within secular society people should have the right to determine what is moral or not according to oither reasons besides the bible or any religion if they choose.
In saying that I don't think any reasoning to allow abortion can be done without some moral belief. It will still be like religion in that people will form an ideological belief about who humans are and how the world should be ordered. That there is no God or gods and humans are their own gods as far as determining moral truths.
However its done there needs to be some objective basis outside humans that morals can be grounded in. Otherwise it becomes preferences. One persons or groups preferences over another.
