Abortion Lingo

[FaithLikeARock]

Since another thread has gone a bit off course in this matter, I'll post one here.

Is it ethical to call pro-choicers by names meant to incite emotion and anger (pro-abortion, pro-death, baby-killers, etc.)

Is it ethical to call yourself pro-life for being anti-abortion when you do not support life in other fields (being pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc.)

Other words concerning abortion.

 

[Fin12]

Since another thread has gone a bit off course in this matter, I'll post one here.

Is it ethical to call pro-choicers by names meant to incite emotion and anger (pro-abortion, pro-death, baby-killers, etc.)

Is it ethical to call yourself pro-life for being anti-abortion when you do not support life in other fields (being pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc.)

Other words concerning abortion.

For the pro choice thing.. no.

Purely because being pro-choice or not may not depend on how you ethically percieve abortion.

 

[Hypothetical]

I find it is usually best to name others as they name themselves.

 

[Supernaut]

Is it ethical to call pro-choicers by names meant to incite emotion and anger (pro-abortion, pro-death, baby-killers, etc.)

Absolutely not. Everyone is free to make their own choices whether you agree with that choice or not.

Is it ethical to call yourself pro-life for being anti-abortion when you do not support life in other fields (being pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc.)

That is a tough one! The babies death isn't deserved. Nor is the death by war though they "signed up for it". Being pro-death penalty is a little different though, they commited a crime knowing full well the potential consequences.

So yes, you can ethically be pro-life and still support the death penalty. You cannot ethically be pro-life and support war. You can ethically be pro-life and be anti abortion.

 

[mpok1519]

well, doesnt pro-choice mean pro-whatyouwanttodo?

pro-choice can mean pro-life, if adoption/having the baby is your choice.

in reality, everyone is pro-choice. Its not like someone can be pro-not choice, as in, support the inability to have choice.

I say everyone is just pro-choice, bc thats the reaity of it regardless of what you decide/choose bc you're making a choice.

pretty simple in my eyes.

---------------

but if someone is gonna call a mother who had an abortion "Baby-killer", then its okay to call that someone a lunatic.

 

[tulc]

But...if you can't call them by derogatory names how can you justify despising them and even committing violence against them, all in the name "supporting the right position"?
tulc(thinks treating with respect opinions that disagree with your own just leads to anarchy!)

 

[mpok1519]

if one shoots someone bc another had an abortion, they should be treated like a lunatic.

i suppose....

 

[lulou]

I personally believe it is wrong to call people PRO DEATH or PRO ABORTION because they are pro choice.

Pro Choice means I support the fact that women have a right to choose. I do not support abortions. There is a big difference.

 

[bigbadwilf]

I personally believe it is wrong to call people PRO DEATH or PRO ABORTION because they are pro choice.

Pro Choice means I support the fact that women have a right to choose. I do not support abortions. There is a big difference.

Agreed, and on the other side, Pro-Unwanted-Pregnancy is such a mouthful.

I think the best policy is to keep the terms as they are. Everyone knows what they mean, and gadflies from either side can abuse them as much as they like.

 

[PassionFruit]

Is it ethical to call pro-choicers by names meant to incite emotion and anger (pro-abortion, pro-death, baby-killers, etc.)

Well, even the emotional responses I still think it's ethical. After all, pro choice means just that, believing a woman should have the right to make the choice as to whether she wants an abortion or not.

Is it ethical to call yourself pro-life for being anti-abortion when you do not support life in other fields (being pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc.)

I think when people normally think of someone who labels themselves as pro life, they probably aren't thinking about it in terms of abortion. But if you're going to take on a label such as pro life, you may as well own it.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Since you're calling yourself something based on your support or condemnation of abortion, the moniker should reflect as such: anti-abortion and pro-abortion. But even then, it doesn't reflect the full range of opinions. Anti-abortionists might allow abortion in some cases, and pro-abortionists aren't exactly promoting the abortion of all pregnancies.

 

[Fantine]

Is it ethical to call pro-choicers by names meant to incite emotion and anger (pro-abortion, pro-death, baby-killers, etc.)

It's ineffective communication. Inciting emotion or anger is polarizing--it doesn't bring people together, it divides them. It hardens the pro-choicers against pro-lifers.

Is it ethical to call yourself pro-life for being anti-abortion when you do not support life in other fields (being pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc.)

It's inaccurate to call yourself pro-life if you don't support Jesus' mandate to "love one's neighbor as oneself" in every instance.

I don't know if I would call either of those things "unethical," just ineffective and inaccurate. It's not really unethical to delude ourselves into thinking we're better people than we are, just inaccurate. It's not unethical to substitute name-calling for well-reasoned arguments, just ineffective.

Other words concerning abortion.

 

[AngelaLynn93]

Since another thread has gone a bit off course in this matter, I'll post one here.

Is it ethical to call pro-choicers by names meant to incite emotion and anger (pro-abortion, pro-death, baby-killers, etc.)

No, it isn't, but nor is it ethical to call someone who is pro- life anti- choice or anti- woman. I've been called both by very angry feminists.

Is it ethical to call yourself pro-life for being anti-abortion when you do not support life in other fields (being pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc.)

I don't think it has to do with ethics, i think it's just an issue with language. Perhaps we do need a different name. hahaha how about pro- baby?

 

[levi501]

Well the term "pro-life" is a rather emotional term that's actually offensive, but I guess it needs to be to sell their irrational inconsistent position.

"Anti-choice" is a more accurate description of their stance.

 

[lawtonfogle]

Since another thread has gone a bit off course in this matter, I'll post one here.

Is it ethical to call pro-choicers by names meant to incite emotion and anger (pro-abortion, pro-death, baby-killers, etc.)

Is it ethical to call yourself pro-life for being anti-abortion when you do not support life in other fields (being pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc.)

Other words concerning abortion.

Really, if one is trying to have an honest discourse on the matter, then it is counter productive to be name calling. But for the folks who can't help but being counter productive, I have a new name. Any Christian pro-life person who is more interested in calling names than in discourse has earned the nickname of baby-damner. You see, aborted children go to Heaven (if you think God would send an unborn to Hell, then the only thing I have to say to you is going to be said by my fist as it tries to knock some sense into you), so by allowing the child to live, you are allowing it a chance to go to hell. That is all you are doing, being than in the end, when all is said and done, the only thing you are taking with you is your salvation. So in the end, by allowing the child to live, all you are doing is giving it a chance to be damned.

Luckily I have only had to use this lingo once, and it effectively shuts the person up as they try to fight the logic behind it. Of course, there is a psuedo logical defeat of it (it makes some assumptions, but any Christian should be fine with siad assumptions), but that is my sceret.

 

[Mling]

I think the language of abortion, on both sides, is pretty inaccurate and designed to incite fear.

Every "pro" suggests an "anti." Otherwise, why would a 'pro' be necessary? "Pro-choice" suggests that the other side is a group of goose-stepping fascists who think the books We and 1984 are instruction manuals.
"Pro-life" suggests that the other side is a bunch of death fetishists who drive around on motorcycles, shooting anybody they can find, impaling bunnies on bayonets, and ripping up flowers just to watch their soil-starved little roots wither on the hot asphalt.

If I'm asked a question about my stance, I try to avoid labels. Instead, I'll give an answer like, "I think abortion should be legal," "I find abortion morally wrong in these cases: x,y,z," or "I don't think I'd have one, but I think people should be allowed to."


What I really can't stand, though, are the insinuations on the "shouldn't be legal" side, that the 'death fetishist' image *is* true. Like, bumper stickers that say, "If you're pro-choice, aren't you glad your mother wasn't?" Um, my mother *is.* My mother is more definitely on the "pro-choice," side than I am. Why should it be so surprising that a person who identifies that way would have a kid? Would have two? Would have two, and then adopt a third? The suggestion *is,* very clearly, that if a person who identifies as "pro-choice" gets pregnant, abortion is just a forgone conclusion.
*That* really ruffles my feathers.

 

[ReverendDG]

No, it isn't, but nor is it ethical to call someone who is pro- life anti- choice or anti- woman. I've been called both by very angry feminists.

but don't "pro-life" people want to make abortion illegal? doesn't that remove choice?
if you don't want people to be able to choose to have an abortion, doesn't that make you against the choice to have an abortion? that makes you anti-choice when it comes to the topic of abortion
isn't that forcing women to do something they don't want? namely having a baby they don't want? that would make you anti-women.

I don't think it has to do with ethics, i think it's just an issue with language. Perhaps we do need a different name. hahaha how about pro- baby?

i think it does have to do with ethics, no pro-choicer i've ever met or read the words of is "pro-abortion" they want the choice of abortion to be there, to be chosen if the woman desires it. giving women a safe environment to have an abortion if they so chose is pro-women, since they would otherwise have go to a place that could kill them or do things that would kill them, like fall down stairs.

your choice of name is wrong, so called "pro-lifers" aren't "pro-baby", there are no babies to be pro for. plus even if you could count fetus as babies, i've never seen so called "pro-lifers" support babies once they are born, most pro-lifers are against national health care, to support babies and children, they are against bettering childrens lives through helping them with schools.
i've read plenty of pro-lifers that could care less about kids once they are born, i heard plenty of "let them fend for themselves" and "they need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and other such nonsense.
pro-baby? no, at most people should call themselves pro-blaming-women-for-getting-pregnant, but anti-women is good too.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

but don't "pro-life" people want to make abortion illegal? doesn't that remove choice?

It removes some choice, but not all choice. Arguably, people who are anti-murder are also anti-choice, since they argue against the freedom to murder whomever one wishes.

 

[jayem]

The question of legality is really at the crux of the conflict. The most specific terminology should reflect this. We could use terms like pro and anti-criminalization. This would allow for the common situation where someone doesn't necessarily like abortion, but he opposes making it illegal.

 

[Mling]

The question of legality is really at the crux of the conflict. The most specific terminology should reflect this. We could use terms like pro and anti-criminalization. This would allow for the common situation where someone doesn't necessarily like abortion, but he opposes making it illegal.

I like that.