Valid reasons

[JulySheMustFly]

Some of the other treads got me thinking.
What woud you consider a valid reason for having an abortion and why?
If you think it is unacceptable in any situation please do not reply.

 

[Phred]

What woud you consider a valid reason for having an abortion and why?

A valid reason to have an abortion? Because a woman chooses to... Why? It's her body.

 

[ChristianCenturion]

Some of the other treads got me thinking.
What woud you consider a valid reason for having an abortion and why?
If you think it is unacceptable in any situation please do not reply.

That it is known beyond reasonable doubt that the mother WILL die; although either death would be grievous and some women may choose to proceed with a high risk to their own life, it shouldn't be a requirement that she forfeit her life.
That would be my own fallible reasoning and may or may not be supported in Christian teaching.

 

[loriersea]

I think there is a certain time frame (no shorter than 8 weeks or longer than about 14) in the pregnancy when no valid reason for an abortion is needed, beyond the woman not wanting to be pregnant. After that time frame, I think that valid reasons would be the mother's life or health being endanged, or a fatal fetal abnormality. I do NOT consider non-fatal fetal abnormalities to be a valid reason for aborting, after the first trimester.

 

[Phylogeny]

I think abortion is ok as long as the women agrees to it without coercion. Even if the fetus/embryo is equivalent to being a person, to me, that is no different than finding out you are spending your money and effort to feed, clothe and shelter someone you don't want. Sorry, but even if that person would die without your support, you are not obligated to support them. Morally, I think a person, unless they profess hardship, should feed and shelter someone who would otherwise die, but, in my view, that is different from what should be legally required to do.

Now, I guess one can make the argument that if someone got pregnant when they were careless, there should be less acceptance of allowing them to abort, and I can somewhat see that point of view, but in the end, you are telling someone that they have to take nutrients from their own body and nourish a 'person' that they do not want to feed, and protect with their own body someone they do not want to shelter.

I really don't want to think a women's right to control her own body has been reduced to her uterus. Women are not incubators and as long as she has a sound mind, I don't believe people have the right to tell her what she can or cannot do with her body.

Also, I would like to add that since the development of the nervous system does not occur until 2 weeks after pregnancy, I don't believe it matters whether abortion occurs for whatever reason before those two weeks---not that this idea will actually change the landscape of abortion politics but since there is no nerve cell, there is no brain AT ALL, the embryo is no different than an blob of tissue---like a baby without brain, if you will. Society, after all, have no problems with letting a baby without a brain die, I don't think that's any different than letting a embryo die before a brain develops.

 

[CSmrw]

COnsidering I am pro choice I guess it would be quicker to come up with a valid reason a woman shouldn't get one. But I can't.

On the other hand we might argue over what consititutes "valid".

 

[hernyaccent]

The only valid reason IMO--

is because the woman choose to have one.

Her reasons are none of my concern.

 

[loriersea]

Society, after all, have no problems with letting a baby without a brain die, I don't think that's any different than letting a embryo die before a brain develops.

There actually isn't anything resembling a brain until about 10-12 weeks gestation. Before that, a neural tube begins to develop, that is like a very, very primitive spinal column, but there is nothing akin to the brain or any brain wave activity at all.

 

[Velo Princesse]

Some of the other treads got me thinking.
What woud you consider a valid reason for having an abortion and why?
If you think it is unacceptable in any situation please do not reply.

There are many levels to this answer.

In my life: there is no valid reason. If I were raped, I would still carry the pregnancy to term and care for the baby afterward the same way I do my children from my husband. I could not find it in me to abort a baby.

For my daughter: if she got pregnant by rape or abuse abortion would be fine with me, not that it would be my choice. If she got pregnant very young AND would not be able to continue on a good path as a result, it would be less fine with me but I could accept it. Other than that, I am against abortion for my daughter.

For the general public: if a woman wants to abort a pregnancy for any reason it is completely acceptable. Although I could never understand how she could or why she would do it, whatever her reason it is valid. Mostly because it's not any of my business. We each have to choose our own path in this life and sometimes we have to do things that others don't agree with to go down that path. If you aren't hurting me, my family, or anyone else for that matter, do your thing. All reasons are valid.

 

[Phylogeny]

There actually isn't anything resembling a brain until about 10-12 weeks gestation. Before that, a neural tube begins to develop, that is like a very, very primitive spinal column, but there is nothing akin to the brain or any brain wave activity at all.

Good point. I was just saying that two weeks it the point where neurons begins to develop so people have absolutey no room to say that the embryo is a sentient life form since there is no brain associated with it.

 

[Helo]

Ideally, I would like to see abortion legalized for rape or for cases where the mother's health is at risk.

But...it IS the woman's body and it IS her choice. I would rather see a child raised in a healthy home than one that doesnt/cant care for it

 

[vajradhara]

Namaste trying hard,

thank you for the interesting post.

What woud you consider a valid reason for having an abortion and why?

well.. for one, if a female was raped by a male relative, that would be a valid reason for me.

there are others, to be sure, but that one is pretty high up on my list of such things.

i suppose that i should say that, overall, my view is such a until there is sufficient brain matter to house human consciousness, abortions do not constitute the killing of a sentient being.

metta,

~v

 

[jayem]

The most valid reasons to terminate a pregnancy, IMO, are rape, and medical problems. This means serious maternal illness and the presence of severe fetal abnormalities (like Tay-Sachs, and anencephaly, but I'd also include conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Down syndrome.)

Other reasons, like economic straights, or being overextended by responsibility for existing children are less valid, in my personal opinion. But I wouldn't dispute anyone's right to obtain such an abortion.

 

[Apex]

The only reasons I consider valid, rape or incest, danger to the mother, or the baby is not going to survive.

 

[flicka]

I don't feel the need to dwell on what is 'valid' for anyone other than myself since it's all subjective. That's the beauty of being prochoice .

 

[Phred]

To all of you who claimed rape as a reason... why? The child, if born, will be just as loving as a child who was born of a one-night stand or out of love.

Rape is not the fault of the child. So why is a woman allowed to abort it?

 

[FSTDT]

Some of the other treads got me thinking.
What woud you consider a valid reason for having an abortion and why?

Not wanting to carry a pregnancy to term, nothing else matters. Abortion is only wrong if the unborn fetus meets any measure of moral value. But, for the time that it doesn't, there are no competing moral claims against a mother's interest in not wanting to carry a pregnancy to term, no matter what her reasons are.


Its not true for all pro-lifers, but I'm very uncomfortable with them saying abortion is allowable for cases of rape. They believe that life is valuable for being genetically human, so unless they think rape babies are non-humans, I can't imagine on what basis they believe a rape baby is less entitled to life than a baby conceived any other way.

 

[flicka]

To all of you who claimed rape as a reason... why? The child, if born, will be just as loving as a child who was born of a one-night stand or out of love.

Rape is not the fault of the child. So why is a woman allowed to abort it?

Interestingly enough I agree with this. When you get right down to it there are only two positions: pro-fetus above all else, even the life of the mother OR pro-choice with varing restrictions depending on your own personal convictions. Since we can't hold a public hearing on each and every abortion to decide if the reason is valid enough to meet our requirements the only solution is to leave it to the woman and her doctor. It's my personal opinion that most people are pro-choice, they just don't realize it or want to admit it.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

It's my personal opinion that most people are pro-choice, they just don't realize it or want to admit it.

Sadly, I would have to agree with you. This is a disturbing realization that I came to a few months ago. I finally looked at the issue from a whole picture/society point of view and not from a moral right/wrong point of view.

Thanks to all those who responded. It helped me understand the views out there without degenerating into name calling.

 

[flicka]

Thanks to all those who responded. It helped me understand the views out there without degenerating into name calling.

Isn't is nice when that happens!