Irish lawmakers back bill on life-saving abortions

Associated Press ^ | Jul 2, 2013 3:18 PM EDT | Shawn Pogatchnik

[Olog-hai]

Ireland appeared on course to legalize abortion in limited circumstances as lawmakers voted Tuesday to support a bill that would permit a pregnancy to be terminated when deemed necessary to save a woman’s life.

Catholic leaders warned that the proposed law, which faces potential amendments this week and a final vote next week, was a “Trojan horse” designed to permit widespread abortion access in Ireland. But Prime Minister Enda Kenny insisted Ireland’s constitutional ban on abortion would remain unaffected, and his government’s Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill won overwhelming backing in a 138-24 vote.

Ireland’s 1986 constitutional ban on abortion commits the government to defend the life of the unborn and the mother equally. Ireland’s abortion law has been muddled since 1992, when the Supreme Court ruled that this “ban” actually meant that terminations should be legal if doctors deem one essential to safeguard the life of the woman—including, most controversially, from her own suicide threats. …

[Olog-hai]

Ireland does not need to add this to their many curses.

[Cowboy Bob]

How many abortions are conducted (annually) to save a woman’s life?

[Secret Agent Man]

And how many irish women have died directly due to the pregnancy because they haven’t had an abortion?

I would think if one could be found she would have become the patron saint postergirl for abortion in Ireland overnight and forever.

[Secret Agent Man]

None.

If there were they’d have been ALL OVER the news over there.

And ectopic pregnancies are NOT abortions. They are hardly a desired outcome, the baby being no more is hardly the desired outcome in these cases. The goal of EVERY abortion is solely the baby being no more.

[fruser1]

Almost none, however, Doctors overstate the need which would artificially inflate any numbers actually reported.

E.g. when someone has or has had cancer. Doctors will say the pregnancy threatens the weakened condition of the cancer patient.

That type of “risk” is about as strong as the second hand smoke argument, in my opinion.

Here’s a link to an article about the lawsuits that prompted this:

http://www.lifenews.com/2010/12/16/int-1719/

Contrast that to a more serious case where, at least I think, the risk is more significant. The link below is about a south american 9yo that got excommunicated for her abortion. Doctors recommended it because, even though she was obviously mature enough to conceive, her pelivs was too small to effectively carry.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1883598,00.html