Posted on 03/09/2006 11:44:59 AM PST by cpforlife.org
Rape and Incest… Is Abortion Ever Okay?
Many advocates for life are challenged with myths and tough questions. Is abortion the answer in some cases? No! All life has value and therefore should be respected and protected. Much of the truth about abortion receives little attention in public discourse, for it exposes what we, as a nation would rather not see. Following are myths and questions frequently raised by abortion proponents, and facts about the "hard cases" in the abortion debate.
ACCEPTING ABORTION FOR HARD CASES SUCH AS RAPE AND INCEST IS ONLY SENSIBLE. DOESN'T ABORTION NEED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THESE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS? Pro-lifers must emphasize that no matter the circumstances of conception; there should never be embarrassment about bringing a child into the world. The value of a person is not determined by the circumstances of his or her conception. Rape and incest victims need support and compassion, not a "quick-fix solution" like abortion. Abortion only adds to the trauma and injustice already inflicted upon the mother.
ABORTION IS USED MAINLY AS A LAST RESORT, MOSTLY FOR PREGNANCIES THAT RESULT FROM RAPE OR INCEST. In a study conducted by the pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute, entitled “Why Women Have Abortions,” women were asked to give specific reasons why they had an abortion. The top three answers were: 1. Unready for responsibility 2. Can't afford baby now 3. Concern about how having a baby would change her life. The three reasons, which came in last place and were tied at 1 percent included: 1. Was a victim of rape or incest 2. Husband or partner wanted the abortion 3. Didn't want others to know she has had sex or is pregnant. Studies and statistics consistently show that pregnancies due to rape and incest are rare. According to Guttmacher that 1% due to rape and incest is 14,000 babies per year. Therefore, abortion is not mainly used as a last resort.
ABORTION MUST BE ALLOWED IN ORDER TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER. "There are rare instances where a choice has to be made to save the mother's life over a child's," according to Kathleen M. Raviele, M.D. Dr. Raviele specializes in adult and adolescent gynecology and practices in Tucker, Georgia. Physicians now have the ability to treat the mother and child separately as the two individuals they are. Considering today's medical technology, it is extremely rare that an unborn baby's life must be sacrificed to save the mother' life. A very important distinction must be made between abortion, and removing an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy or inducing early delivery. While the former intends to destroy a life the latter seeks to preserve it.
WHAT ABOUT FETAL DEFECTS? WHY WOULD PRO-LIFERS PUNISH MOTHERS BY FORCING THEM TO HAVE BABIES WITH DISABILITIES? The value of human life cannot be measured by one's abilities or lack thereof. As human beings, we have unalienable rights despite any physical, mental or emotional disabilities we may have. Denying another's humanity on the basis of some concept of productivity or "perfection" is a very dangerous proposition. The door is then open to other forms of "mercy killing."
IF SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE WOMEN WILL BE DRIVEN TO DANGEROUS BACK-ALLEY ABORTIONS, RESULTING IN NEEDLESS INJURY AND DEATH. It should be remembered that a death occurs every time an abortion is performed - the death of an unborn child. It should also be emphasized that abortion is a surgical procedure, and though legal, it puts many women at serious physical, mental and emotional risk. Increasing attention is being focused on the fact that many women suffer post-abortion complications. While abortion proponents allege that thousands of women died from abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, such numbers were actually made up by individuals and groups pushing for abortion's legalization. The truth is that no one knows exactly how many women died from illegal abortions for the simple reason that illegal abortions were not reported. What we do know is that women - and their children - are suffering and dying now from legal abortion.
WHAT IF STATES PASS ABORTION-RESTRICTIVE LAWS THAT ALLOW FOR RAPE EXCEPTIONS? 1. Laws permitting abortion for pregnancy resulting from rape illustrate well the legal dictum "hard cases make bad law." Exceptions seem to make the rule.
2. Laws allowing abortion for impregnating rapes are unenforceable and easily abused.
3. Legislation allowing this exception has historically led to abortion on demand. Former President Reagan has attested to widespread abuse of the rape exception in his home state of California while he was governor. That exception became a legal loophole leading to abortion on demand due to overly broad interpretations of the law. Likewise, in England, the 1967 Abortion Act was passed to allow abortion for 'exceptional' cases. The outcome has been abortion on demand.
It is noteworthy that an entire U.S. Supreme Court case was predicated on the lie of a gang rape. That case, the now notorious Roe v Wade, brought us abortion on demand in this country.
SHOULDN'T ABORTION AT LEAST BE AVAILABLE TO VICTIMS OF RAPE AND INCEST? The last thing a woman who has been through the trauma of rape needs is the added trauma of an abortion. Rather than mitigating the original shock of the attack, abortion compounds it. Clinical studies demonstrate this. A study done at the University of British Columbia's Department of Psychiatry, as reported in the March 3, 1978, issue of Psychiatric News, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, showed that abortion often exacerbates a woman's psychological stress. That study concluded in part: "Whatever may be the case at the conscious level, at a much deeper level abortion is regarded by many women as infanticide." Abortion advocates have used the rape and incest exceptions as a smokescreen - first to legalize, then to promote abortion on demand.
STILL, CAN'T ABORTION BE THE TRULY COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE TO RAPE? A cornerstone of the 'pro-choice' movement is that abortion is the treatment of choice for rape. Yet pregnancy rarely results from rape; the vast majority of abortions (over 99% according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute statistics-14,000 per year in the U.S.) are for far more convenient reasons than rape or incest. Vicki Seitzer in Volume 32 of the Journal of the American Medical Women's Association stated: "Perhaps more of a gross exaggeration than a myth is the mistaken and unfortunate belief that pregnancy is a frequent complication of sexual assault. This is emphatically not the case, and there are several medically sound reasons for it. Honesty requires us to say that it is unjust that a woman carry to term a child conceived through rape, but that it is a far greater injustice to kill the child. This is a rare situation in which injustice cannot be avoided; the best thing that can be done is to reduce it. The first injustice lasts for nine months of a life that can be relieved, both psychologically and financially. The second injustice ends a life, and there is no remedy for that."
WHAT ABOUT INCEST? Abortion actually protects the perpetrator of the crime by concealing the incestuous act. Returning the girl to the same environment after an abortion does nothing to solve the primary problem. By taking away the result of the incest, abortion advocates think they can take away the act itself. Consider the example of Edith Young, a 12-year-old incest victim, who writes 25 years after the abortion of her child: Throughout the years I have been depressed, suicidal, furious, outraged, lonely and have felt a sense of loss...The abortion which was to 'be in my best interest' just has not been. As far as I can tell, it only 'saved their reputations,' 'solved their problems,' and 'allowed their lives to go merrily on.'...My daughter, how I miss her so. I miss her regardless of the reason for her conception.
IF PREGNANCIES FROM RAPE AND INCEST ARE UNUSUAL, WHY CAN'T PROLIFERS COMPROMISE ON THIS ONE ISSUE? It is absolutely indisputable that the life within the womb is a unique human being. To say that this irreplaceable life can be destroyed for a crime its father committed is to deny the intrinsic humanity of the unborn. Civilized societies don't stoop to routine violence in an effort to conceal their social problems.
Abortion doesn’t stop rape! Abortion stops the life of the unborn child!
Didn't know it was all about a woman's choice. Figured the husband/father might have some say in such a decision.
It ain't HER child if it was concieved by evil force. And I'm guessing 80% of women would abort in such circumstances. Anymore than if you were abducted by aliens and they put a ET fetus in your arse.
So, it's a choice, not a child?
Using your logic, any woman whose birth control method fails is entitled to abort, because she did not choose to be impregnated.
Pissant, it's always a child. And your ignorance of biology is stunning.
SD
You are comparing faulty birth control to a crazied animal holding a knife to a woman's throat?
Yup, that must be it.
Fire away, my flame suit is on - I disagree.
While most of this is good information I find the case made regarding Rape/Incest overly simplistic.
I also find the argument that compromise on this one element would make a difference politically to be lacking. I have absolutely no doubt that if the pro-life groups gave in on this issue that the liberals and pro-abortion groups would fall back on something else. I think we all realize that they are hanging on to the rape/incest item strongly and loudly as means to an end, not because this is the only item about which they need resolution. If this were truly the only item in need of resolution I think it would have been addressed long ago.
Crap. The woman didn't "choose" to be impregnated. We're beyond "being reponsible for your own actions" and into the land of "you will be a vessel for the pleasure of a cretinous rapist'. No thanks, this is not a very libertarian thing to force a person to do against their will.
It's a child. Yes they all are. My opinion is different from yours.
If Soothing Dave is impregnated by aliens, is it your child?
If Osama abducts your daughter and has her implanted with His and Helen Thomas' embryo, is it her child?
If the gov't has a program of forcibly impregnating 15 YO girls, is it her child?
Far fetched, huh? Well, none of the above is as F*****G VILE as a gang rape. If you want to convince your wife or daughter to have Ted Buundy's child, fine by me.
The difference between failed birthcontrol in a loving realtionship and a violent rape may be lost on you, but it ain't on me.
Evil people FORCING pregnancy upon a woman is PURE EVIL. And FORCING a woman to carry the child to birth is more than cruel.
You can have your opinion, it bothers me not. But you sure aren't going to change my thinking on the subject.
It is pissant who has embraced the pro-abortion argument that the unborn is only worthy of protection if the mother chooses to consider it so.
It is either a child or a choice.
SD
What is wrong with you pissant? Haven't you been reading this board?
There are no "rape victims" as made clear by the quotes and statements on this board.
They are all adultresses running around with faulty birth control.
And I even saw the sick animals being referred to as FATHER on one post.
Read post 68. It IS a child. I am pro life, ardently so. But some things justify ending that life. Just as I support Capital punishment, even though an innocent will be killed on ocassion. Just as I support leveling Tehran's nuclear program, even though innocent Iranians may die in the process.
Using your logic, any woman whose birth control method fails is entitled to abort, because she did not choose to be impregnated.
Pissant, it's always a child. And your ignorance of biology is stunning.
SD
62 posted on 03/09/2006 5:12:32 PM EST by SoothingDave<--
Yes, you believe some children deserve death.
If Soothing Dave is impregnated by aliens, is it your child?
What are you talking about? If a woman's ovum is penetrated by a man's sperm both of them are the parents of the resulting child. Whether there was choice involved or not. Biology doesn't change depending on one's attitude.
I have no idea how alien lifeforms reproduce, so can we stick to earthling anatomy?
If Osama abducts your daughter and has her implanted with His and Helen Thomas' embryo, is it her child?
Are you perhaps confused about how rape victims become pregnant?
If the gov't has a program of forcibly impregnating 15 YO girls, is it her child?
Why are you so hysterical in defending the right of rape victims to kill their children? No one is adocating anything like you are talking about. Stay on subject.
Evil people FORCING pregnancy upon a woman is PURE EVIL.
Yes, I am firmly against rape.
And FORCING a woman to carry the child to birth is more than cruel.
How does murder undo rape? I have seen firsthand the results of your preferred method of dealing with rape. It doesn't solve anything, it compounds the problem.
Turning an innocent victim into a murderess doesn't help.
SD
You are more than "silly" if you believe murder cancels out rape.
SD
Cite just one example
I'm just giddy.
No, you aren't.
But some things justify ending that life.
How do you think empowering a rape victim to murder her offspring is justified? Is it payback to the rapist?
Is a woman less traumatized by "fighting back" against the unborn?
SD
Silly again. I know there are real rape victims. I know one. Having her parents take her for an abortion did not help her out, it left her mentally scarred to this day.
It left her convinced God was punishing her when she had later fertility problems. It left her thinking herself unworthy when she finally did carry a beautiful baby girl into this world. It left her clinically depressed.
Murder is not the antidote for rape. I know.
SD
"The value of a person is not determined by the circumstances of his or her conception."
Some of the most lovable and loved children I know were "accidents", "handicapped" and originally "unwanted".
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