Why is abortion wrong?

[Bodhisattva4eva]

Why is abortion wrong?

When it comes to the topic of abortion, the teachings of Buddhism come to mind. Buddhism teaches that all the pain and suffering in this world is caused by desire. Only when people learn to control their desires will they be able to end all pain and suffering. In the case of abortion, people must learn to control their desires.

I guess that is the question we must ask here: Why have sex if you don't want to have a child? The only reason for sex is to reproduce. To comit such acts for pleasure is, but a sin of the week minded. They can't control their desires and for this they should suffer - only then will they learn their lesson.

 

[Osiris]

what if the person is raped...

but if I was in that kid's situation, I'd rather be put in an orphanage rather than being aborted.

 

[stubbornkelly]

How is having sex for pleasure weak minded?

 

[Bodhisattva4eva]

stubbornkelly,

Because the only reason for sex is to reproduce and continue human life.

 

[Natro]

stubbornkelly,

Because the only reason for sex is to reproduce and continue human life.

So the only reason for food is to restore energy. Have you ever eaten ice cream or anything with taste for pleasure? If you have then you are basicly haveing sex just for pleasure my friend. What you have stated there is what is called a slippery slope.

 

[TCapp]

If I desired to put your theory in action . . . about having no desires . . . would I suffer pain for that desire?

 

[Cory]

Why is abortion wrong?

When it comes to the topic of abortion, the teachings of Buddhism come to mind. Buddhism teaches that all the pain and suffering in this world is caused by desire. Only when people learn to control their desires will they be able to end all pain and suffering. In the case of abortion, people must learn to control their desires.

I guess that is the question we must ask here: Why have sex if you don't want to have a child? The only reason for sex is to reproduce. To comit such acts for pleasure is, but a sin of the week minded. They can't control their desires and for this they should suffer - only then will they learn their lesson.

Why is abortion wrong...

The unborn child is what? A penguin? A lizard? No it's a human. Nothing else comes from the human except another human. The point can be debated at what point life starts but how are you really going to know? So anytime a child is aborted a human is killed. Murder is wrong... So abortion is wrong. Even in the case of rape. Is the unborn anyless a human? If you kill an unborn because it was concieved from a rape you are still killing a human.

 

[coolangel]

It's wrong cause your killing a human being who never did anything wrong to you if u don't want it then why no go put it up for adoption where it can live and have a good life where someone cares for it

 

[MediocrityInAction]

Perhaps you could consider that sex is also a form of creating a social bond between two individuals. After all, don't two married people consummate their commitment between each other through sexual intercourse?

 

[cybermaxx12]

God made sex to be plesurable (between married couples) and part of that is having children. Children arn't a punishment their a gift. If its a situation to do with rape then I would have the baby and give it up for adoption. Children are as much a gift from God as sex is.

 

[Crazy Liz]

Why is abortion wrong?

When it comes to the topic of abortion, the teachings of Buddhism come to mind. Buddhism teaches that all the pain and suffering in this world is caused by desire. Only when people learn to control their desires will they be able to end all pain and suffering. In the case of abortion, people must learn to control their desires.

I guess that is the question we must ask here: Why have sex if you don't want to have a child? The only reason for sex is to reproduce. To comit such acts for pleasure is, but a sin of the week minded. They can't control their desires and for this they should suffer - only then will they learn their lesson.

Your statement, "The only reason for sex is to reproduce," indicates a utilitarian ethic that won't hold up. It seems to assume that the continuation of human life has some intrinsic value, yet at the same time it denies any intrinsic value in human relationships and sexuality. It reduces humans to something that is sub-human. Also, if desire is to be completely overcome, it would seem a human should have no desire to reproduce, any more than a desire for pleasure.

Now, to say that human desire should be disciplined is to say something else. It is to affirm the intrinsic value of human relationships and sexuality, but at the same time to say this value is best affirmed within the types of human relationships that are also suitable to reproduction.

I don't think even Buddha taught that all human action should have a utilitarian purpose such that neither pleasure nor desire should play any part in human life. Being Buddhist, you can probably correct me, but I have heard that Buddha himsef died from eating poison mushrooms prepared for him by a friend, and that on his deathbed he affirmed the pleasure of eating them, even though this was going to result in his death.

 

[Robby]

Because the only reason for sex is to reproduce and continue human life.

What's funny is this used to be the view of christians.

 

[EvolvEarth]

Sex isn't just to reproduce. We see in nature that other animas have sex purely for pleasure sometimes. Our evolutionary siblings the bonobos, an ape as closely related to us as the chimpanzee, are all bisexual and they do a lot of explicit things to each other that I would get in trouble for mentioning. Anyway, sex shouldn't just be there for reproduction.

 

[water_ripple]

Abortion is wrong not only because a baby is human but also a person consciously makes a decision to completely eliminate the chance of the unborn to grow. That unborn child could grow up to change the world or touch the life of just one person. Children continually touch the lives of their parents. They are the greatest gift given to us. Children are filled with imagination and heart...Even if I were raped and became pregnant I would raise up the child..That innocent soul is not to blame for the pain the father caused. That child deserves a chance in the world. That child deserves to be loved.

As for sex only being for reproduction..that is not it's only purpose. I have come to learn what other benifits come from sex since being married...It's not just about the pleasure or the physical sensations..It is a deep expression of the love one has for their husband or wife. Sometimes words and conversations cannot accurately convey the love one has for their spouse, and a sexual relationship is one that can actively express love. This of course is not the only active way to show love for a husband or wife, but it is one basic part of our nature. Sex in marriage takes on a new aspect..It becomes mixed with commitment, love, and respect. It becomes one way in which the souls bind together..and when a married couple concieves (at least for us) that relationship grows even bigger. Difficult really to explain how different sex becomes between married people.

I have not been a Christian all my life, and I had sex before I was married. Sex before I was married was nothing compared to what it means and represents now...I mean the physical sensations were pleasureable, but the kind of love and commitment that I have now lacked. Lots of fun for the moment, but after I felt empty like I was missing something...And I was in a manogamus relationship for 4 1/2 years..Also those early sexual relationships gave me baggage that I carried on and projected unfairly on my spouse. It's not that God wants to control your life..He wants to protect you from the pain that comes along with making bad choices. Those of course are hard learned personal lessons. Lessons that could have been avoided if I would have heeded Him.

 

[revolutio]

stubbornkelly,

Because the only reason for sex is to reproduce and continue human life.

I consider pleasure and happiness extremely good reasons to do things.

 

[Bodhisattva4eva]

Buddha himsef died from eating poison mushrooms prepared for him by a friend, and that on his deathbed he affirmed the pleasure of eating them, even though this was going to result in his death.

You said that "Buddha himsef died from eating poison mushrooms prepared for him by a friend, and that on his deathbed he affirmed the pleasure of eating them, even though this was going to result in his death." - I don't know if this is true, but that is the thing - He was willing to accept the consequences of the pleasure. If people are going to have sex they better be ready to take care of a child.

 

[Crazy Liz]

You said that "Buddha himsef died from eating poison mushrooms prepared for him by a friend, and that on his deathbed he affirmed the pleasure of eating them, even though this was going to result in his death." - I don't know if this is true, but that is the thing - He was willing to accept the consequences of the pleasure. If people are going to have sex they better be ready to take care of a child.

I don't know if the story is true, either. I agree about accepting the consequences. This is not the same, though, as saying, "The only reason for sex is to reproduce. To comit such acts for pleasure is, but a sin of the week minded." The sin is trying to take only one part of what sex is about and not the whole package. Your proposal that reproduction is the only purpose also isolates only one part, and is just as wrong.

Now, in order to prevent this thread from going a completely different direction, I'm not saying that sex is wrong if one part or another of its purpose is missing on a particular occasion. I am just saying isolating only one part from the whole is wrong.

 

[Bodhisattva4eva]

I don't know if the story is true, either. I agree about accepting the consequences. This is not the same, though, as saying, "The only reason for sex is to reproduce. To comit such acts for pleasure is, but a sin of the week minded." The sin is trying to take only one part of what sex is about and not the whole package. Your proposal that reproduction is the only purpose also isolates only one part, and is just as wrong.

Now, in order to prevent this thread from going a completely different direction, I'm not saying that sex is wrong if one part or another of its purpose is missing on a particular occasion. I am just saying isolating only one part from the whole is wrong.

I see your point...

I guess you are right because although the only reason for sex is to reproduce, having a child illustrates the love between two people. But if you are going to have sex you should be committed and ready to have a child.

What I am trying to say is that abortion is wrong because you shouldn’t have sex if you don't want a baby and thus, sex is wrong if you don't intend to have a child.

The reason I "separated" the two aspects of sex (love/reproduction) is to show that love is just an aspect because the people having sex should be in love. Love is caused by feelings. Reproduction on the other hand is natural.

The belief in Christianity used to be that the only reason for sex is to reproduce and should only be done to have a family. It is implied that people should be in love when they intend to have sex because they are supposed to spend their life together. Anyways, what I want to know is why a few unnatural ways of preventing children makes it OK to have sex for pleasure, or in "justified" terms, to "express love".

Oh yeah abortion is also wrong because you are basically killing........

Well, I hope you see what I am trying to say. By the way, I know I sound like a broken record, but my thoughts are hard to explain.

 

[BInC]

In my opinion, abortion is stupid. It is a way humans invented to do something they like without having to worry about the consequences. Of course it is ok to have pleasure in sex, otherwise God wouldn't have made it that way. But you have to realize that when you do that, you are most likely going to end up with a baby. If you are ready for a baby, great. If not, then don't do it. You don't shoot a friend just because you might really like hunting. You know if you pull the trigger your friend will die, so you resisting the urge to do it. It is that simple. If you don't want will inevitably result from your actions, then just don't do it. It is that simple. As for rape victims, I guess it would be up to the mother to either keep the child or put it up for adoption, but for goodness sakes don't kill it. Murder is a sin. God didn't say "Thou shall not murder, unless the human hasn't left the womb."

 

[burrow_owl]

But if you are going to have sex you should be committed and ready to have a child.

Why? This is just begging the question, by already presupposing that abortion isn't acceptable; being question-begging, it's vacuously circular.

In other words, it provides no reason against abortion, but rather is an empty restatement of the position that abortion is wrong.