are the principles of a woman's right to choose and the sanctity of life irreconcilably opposed?
815375
It depends on whose life is at stake.  In some situations, women without options are drawn to drastic measures such as suicide.  Some of these women have other children.  Who ultimately loses?  I don't think it's a situation where anyone can win, really.  It should be a matter about who gets to suffer the least.
836717
The Libertarian view on abortion is a shaky one. Some Libertarians are for abortion, some arn't. Me. I am for it but only to a certain extent. I believe that during the embryo stage, because it isn't able to live outside the body, it is still part of the woman and should be allowed if wanted. But at the later stage when it is able to live outside the body, I believe it is a seperated individual, and should not be done. But that is my views many Libertarians don't view that. But we do believe that the decision should be made at a state level and not a federal one.\n\nThe thing is if this was a Libertarian governed country, it will all depend on what the State believes. That is if the State thinks partial birth abortion is wrong, then it would be illegal for that person to get a partial birth abortion. But because Libertarians believe that the govt, should not intrude into the Abortion Clinic's business, it would be hard for that to be enforced. I hope that makes sense. I think I'm confussing myself. (Alot of deletes.) But I really don't know how this would be taken.\n\nIf you really would like to know more about Libertarianism, email me at Chsel_06@yahoo.com. I don't know everything, but I'm pretty knowledgable about many issues and principles regarding Libertarianism.
1108382
The answer here is very easy. When you talk about the legalisation of abortion in a country, you are not talking about whether or not abortion (or life) is a good thing or a bad thing. That is a question of ethics and/or religious belief. It is not a question of law.\n\nWhether or not to have an abortion is a choice. People who believe that abortion should be legal believe that women should have that choice. People who believe it should be a crime thus want to take away that element of choice. By defiition then, they are anti-choice.\n\nI have heard a lot of 'pro-life' people call the opposition 'anti-life'. They are specifically trying to bring the legal question back into the religious agenda, and they are overgeneralising.\n\nIt is possible to be pro-life, ethically, and pro-choice, legally.
1124356
I don’t agree it’s a “woman’s choice”. First because a man is involved as well, second because a new human is involved, third because a doctor is forced to do the operation which is perhaps against his/her ethics.\nAs for snakeman’s idea, the problem is that quite a few people are viable before their teens. Kids in the womb have reaction to outside effects at quite an early time.\nAmhark is right, however, that it may lead to underground activites, as it was in previous centuries. I guess more and far better youth institutes are needed without encouraging mothers to leave their babies there.\nI’m against abortion, except for special cases, like when a woman is raped or when the baby would risk her health. If you don’t want a baby, use protection.
114187
*Stepping into this* 1st it should be nobody's business what a woman does with her own body, besides that particular woman.\n2nd If you are male and trying to tell a woman what to do on this topic, simply shut up. We men will never fully understand. (Unless someday science allows males to conceive, carry and birth a baby.)\nOn the topic, I'm neither pro or con, just realize something as personal as this is a personal decision and respect that fact.\nNow, if you are for the war and/or capital punishment you should go away and rethink your values as you are a hypocrit.\nThose who are left, you have your opinion, great I respect that, but you know what they say about opinions...\n\nBut if you want to see the number of abortions go down, make our government allow "The Morning After Pill" like the rest of the civilized world has. It is the fault of each and everyone of you that abortion still exists when we know of far better methods. Take responcibility and do what is needed so we have ALL options available!\n\nWelcome to the world where right wing religious conservatives think they have a right/duty to take away everyone else's rights and force them to do what they want you to do.\nSeems to me that is not the freedom countries are founded on.\n\nIf it bothers you, be very very sure that you vote freedom of choice for every bloody official position there is, from school board to president. It is time the pendulum swung back to the middle instead of the victorian insanity we see today...\n\n*Editing in a note* See below, that was not I who is trying to make a clump of cellular tissue into a baby.
807051
I believe that's taking it a bit too far. I consider myself to be anti-abortion but at the same time, I realize there are certain cases when abortions should be a choice for the woman just like how the death penalty and divorces should only be reserved for extreme situations. Those cases include rape, incest, performing the operation to save the woman's life, or finding out that the baby will be born so deformed that it'll die in less than a year.\n\nOn the other hand, I don't believe a woman should simply choose to have her own baby killed just because she decided to get drink just a little too much at last night's party or willingly gave in to her boyfriend because "[she] thought he loved [me]." When that happens, I'll have absolutely no respect for her if she chooses to go to one of those alley-way abortion clinics.
232765
It is a good question that I too have. Some of the answers have clarified the matter somewhat.\n\nI am also pro choice. I believe in choice of action and deed, choice of religion and choice to decide how your body is used.  As a biologist I have no issues with abortions for medical, genetic or psychological reasons. I think that if by the first trimester you have not figured out what you want, then it is too late. Except for medical reasons, this is a touchy area. I disagree with the statement that your destiny is prechoosen. That an aborted baby could have cured HIV. That same baby could have just as easily turned into an oppressive dictator. It is a moot argument as it has no basis in fact. I may cure AIDS next month, but it has little to do with my parents choices years ago.\nI used to have strong feelings that I would not only support a womens right to choose, that I would sleep soundly after the procedure was done on someone I cared for. Unless for genetic or medical reasons, I now feel it is not an appropriate form of birth control except in cases of rape, or medical reasons.\n\nAs for capital punishment. I fear our justice system is not sound. While I think that murder should be dealt with swiftly and with equal justice, I feel that too many innocent people are railroaded by the system. Poor people, minorities, lesser educated are often singled out and targeted and end up convicted. Mistaken identy for a crime is scary as I can attest. If it had been a more serious offense, the unreliability someone typing data into a computer could have ruined my life. That said, for those where guilt can be proven 100% (i.e. you rob a bank in LA on live tv and shoot someone- kinda hard to not be guilty of that) then you should be executed without years on death row.\n\nSo in the end, I guess I belive in moderated killing of fetus' and moderated killing of adults.
471273
Two unrelated issues.\n\nOne, should people have abortions. That's entirely dependent on your personal religious/moral beliefs, and what you think is right/wrong or proper/improper based on way too many specific circumstances (married/unmarried, adult/teen, possible rape/incest, how late in the term, etc.) The bottom line is that many people have very passionate ideas about whether it is right/appropriate or not.\n\nThe second issue is who gets to make those choices. I think it's a great thing that people are allowed to have thoughts and beliefs on the subject. I think it's wrong for any group to enforce their moral/religious opinions/beliefs on someone else. Just because 51% percent of the population may happen to believe something is a sin is no reason to force that religious belief on the other 49% who disagree.\n\nPersonally, I'm opposed to abortion except in certain limited circumstances. But that's my own personal belief system, and I'll do everything in my power to ensure that someone who disagrees with me is still allowed to make their own choice, based on what they belief.
977631
No, it's like this: You let it be born, and if it turns out horribly bad you kill it.  Keep the good ones.  Kill off the bad ones.  There is no fallacy or conflict in this thinking.  Kiling a fetus is a different line of reasoning than killing a mass murderer.  You cannot equate the two.  thus, anti-abortion and pro-death penalty are not in conflict.  Two different things entirely.\n\nReligion is not above killing.  More people have been killed in religious conflicts than from any other cause.
396381
Interesting point, but somehow I don't think it will fly. As to your question, I think that life begins at conception, yet I do not believe that a fetus is viable until the point where it can survive outside the womb. I think that the fetus should be protected, but I am also pro-choice. If a woman decides to terminate a pregnancy, then it is her choice. I do not however, feel that women should use abortion as birth control. If one does not want to conceive, then they should prevent conception. There are too many ways to do so in this day and age. If a fetus is endangered by the mother's gross neglect, such as drug abuse, and the end result is the death of a viable fetus or damage to the child upon or after birth, then the fetus should be protected. Proving gross neglect however, is rather difficult.
501166
Natural law are the God given human rights.  Samuel Adams, the father of the American Revolution, elaborated that man has a right to life, liberty, and property in that order.  \n\nThese rights follow a sequential order and to deviate from that order would violate someone's human rights.  Take slavery for example.  The slaveholder would argue that the black person is their property.  The abolishionist would say they are a human being entitled to liberty.  Same with abortion.  Pro-abortionists would say the unborn is a part of the womans body, a mass of cell tissue.  Pro-lifers would say it is a living human being entitled to the right to life.\n\nThere are more details but this should suffice.  If you need to know more just let me know.  These principles are in our Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  It is too bad most Americans and people are too ignorant about natural law.  This is the foundation of civil rights.
134413
No, we wouldn't have to factor in the unwanted people if legs would be kept closed and there plenty of people who want but can't have. If self control was practiced we would have a lot less trouble with this topic. There are the few that get raped and whatever the other excuses are but there is adoption for that and as for health...my child has a right to live more than I do...abortion isn't really great for a woman's health either ya know?
828071
It goes both ways. Extremists on both sides are wrapping the issue up with other issues. For example, people who are pro life are often also in favor of women being subservient, staying home, being married, making less money and stuff like that.  And pro choicers often refer to abortion as a reproductive right without considering the life of the child a right.  This is just another example of how extremist views are flawed.  The truth is in the middle.  Address the reasons for abortion, increase womens rights, access, equality, etc. and then only make abortion illegal without attaching any other bills to it.  It might work.
413933
Of course.  The Bible is silent on abortion, despite what the "Thou shalt not kill" fanatics have to say.  The trouble is, no one really knows--in the Christian way of looking at things--when the soul enters the body.  Is it at conception?  A month later?  Nine months?  When the baby leaves its mothers body?  Different people have different opinions about the issue and I would think that a person of conscience could easily be a Christian and think abortion should be legal (which is the key issue for our culture), whether the idea of the procedure thrills them or not.  That's where I place myself.\n\nThat said, I think Christians should be wary of cultural features that do not honor life, and abortion is certainly callous about life.  However, Christians should also be wary of cultural features that take away the rights of individuals to make decisions about their own health and freedom.  For many people, abortion might not be deadly, but it certainly could take years off their life (diabetics, for instance).  That's why, whether moral or not, the government has no business making abortion illegal.
127848
I think should be a CHOICE.  I am not for using abortion as birth control, but if there are other factors involved I think it should be up to the woman.
530855
annie red\nI am unsure about religion and I am a woman.  I have yet to hear a logical reason why abortion should be allowed at any time for any reason other than to save the Mother's life.  Partial birth abortion is not only murder.  It is murder by torture.  Stop stereotyping members of the pro-life movement.\n\nBy the way.  Why do liberals assume that conservatives have been brainwashed into their beliefs?  Has it never occured to you that the asker has already looked at all sides of the issue?\n\nPro-choice doctors are just as biased as pro-life doctors.
660173
"2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. \n\nMy frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. " ( St. Charles Borromeo)<1> \n\nMy opinion is that it is murder.  I have a strange feeling that God created us at creation.  When God spoke to Abraham about his decendents being "Countless as the Stars"  is when God announced all life arrivals (the moment of conception).\n\nPlus, it seems that babies have imaginations.  When parents are in the 9 month waiting period, they do little stuff like play classical music and talk to the baby in the womb.  Many of the baby resurch does indicate that this can help the baby grow smarter and more social.  Now, baby research is indicating that a baby can be taught to 'Eat right' in the womb.  \n\nSadly, many abortions happen because the man, woman, or both do not take time to understand life.  It is all about their own 'Self-enjoyment'.  Many times, the woman wants the child, but is bullyed into an abortion when she realizes that the man does not love her the way she imagined him to love her.  This realization comes when he puts his fist through a wall, or starts cusing saying, "How dare you ruin my life" (again selfishness).  Even sadder is when a woman is rapped and has an abortion.  This fear drives her to an action she does not understand and typically the baby of a rape incident is the saving force for the woman many years down the line.\n\nIn short, my opinion of abortion is that it's killing the imagination of a fellow human being who is helpless and cannot protect themselves.  It is a waste!!!