Mainstream Media: Pre-term Baby’s Survival Will Have Big Impact on Abortion Debate

LifeSiteNews ^ | 2/22/07 | Gudrun Schultz

[MHGinTN]

Please see #104 above ... the trick is to refer to that single fertilized cell as an ORGANISM ... once fertilization occurs there is an ORGANISM.

[starbase]

Ah yes, I see, good point. I'll pick that up. Once it's addressed as an organism its full destiny cannot be denied.

But, just to play devil's advocate, the silly arguments could still be used, "But is it a viable organism?", "But is it really a human organism?".

I was trying to focus on their transparent motives. As a point of behavioral psychology, life forms (human and otherwise) will not engage in pointless activity they see no stimulus in. What's the stimulus of stopping a process? To avoid the conclusion of it. What's the conclusion in this case? A baby, ergo the abortionist is crystal clear on what they want to destroy.

[supercat]

I'm sorry, but I find it difficult to follow your logic on this one. Using phrases like "blob of cells" and "viable" are just misleading gibberish which mask the much simpler truth.

Perhaps I should clarify. If a baby is sufficiently well-formed that it can be removed from the womb and still survive, even many pro-choice people will have trouble regarding it as anything other than a baby even if they would regard earlier forms of prenatal life as nothing but a "blob of cells".

If the pro-life forces would focus their efforts on protecting those unborn children whom 90% of the public would regard as babies rather than "blobs of cells", that would help create a split between the hard-core abortion advocates and the more moderate middle.

While I wouldn't want pro-life groups to say that the younger unborn children were merely "blobs of cells", I wouldn't suggest that they contest that claim too strenuously right now. Focus instead on improving the status quo.

The extremely vast majority (probably over 90%) of people believe abortion should be legal in at least some cases but should not be totally unrestricted. The only way pro-lifers will be able to protect any unborn children is if they can win the support of a sizable percentage of that group. If they can agree to disagree for the moment about the status of the unborn children who are not yet viable, I think they could win supermajority support for protecting those that clearly are.

[supercat]

I did not know until then that one of my students had an abortion at six weeks gestation when she was 18.

One thing I've posted before and will post again: in addition to working on an incremental strategy to roll back abortion, pro-lifers should also put forth another message which isn't purely about abortion, but could pay them enormous dividends:

1. A person who has done a bad thing, recognizes that it was a bad thing, and seeks to atone for it, their bad deed will no longer make them a bad person and will no longer trouble their conscience.
2. A person who has done a bad thing, but seeks to deny that the deed in question was bad, will be damaged by the deed as long as they continue their denial. No amount of pretending the deed was really "okay" will ever clear their concience.
3. Acknowledging one's mistakes is often difficult, but it's the only way to ever be free of them.

While the above message can work well in a religious context, there are many people for whom religious messages are worse than meaningless. The secular message should still be effective for religious people, but unlike the religious one should also be effective for atheists.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[don-o]

Pro-choice is all about the 'right' to a dead baby

That cannot be repeated too often. "Pro-choice" and right to choose" is rhetoric dreamed up by pro aborts to deflect attention from the dead baby and the injured mother.

[cgk]

Pro-Life/Pro-Baby Ping!

Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Pro-Life/Pro-Baby ping list...

[Kevmo]

Thanks for the ping. I think I already added Duncan Hunter to the keywords, since he is the best pro-life candidate for President.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[juliej]

That little baby survivied for a reason! G-d bless her.