- where the pregnancy endangers the health or life of the mother
Life, yes. Health, no. All pregnancies pose some risk to the woman's health. If the woman's life is clearly in danger, then the child's life would also be in danger.
- where the pregnancy endangers the mental health of the mother
No. Hormonal changes are a part of every pregnancy.
And are your beliefs based on religion or personal conviction?
My personal convictions are rooted in my religious beliefs.
I believe your answer best describes my beliefs as well.
After a reported rape they do a D&C as a standard procedure to clean out the crap that was put in as a result of the rape, for the protection of the mother. If there happens to be an egg attached at that time, too bad. I'm ok with that.
Beyond that I feel that the American public has LOST the RIGHT to CHOOSE by abusing it, and that all abortions ought to be illegal.
The woman doesn't have to keep it, but if she drops her knickers and gets pregnant, she damn well ought to have to carry it.
You know, of all the arguments surrounding abortion, that's the one that rubs me the most raw. I keep coming back to the prospect of a husband, possibly myself, having to watch another man's child grow in wife's body as a result of a rape.
I know that some men simply could not handle it. I'm not even certain that I'm not one of them. What I do know, is that no one involved in a rape, even peripherally, is going to start healing if the woman is pregnant. Is prolonging her suffering for 9 months, and perhaps the suffer of her family as well, worth it?
On the other hand, I don't see where this thread serves any useful purpose. If a Freeper really wants to know where other Freepers stand on this issue, there are abundant threads in the archives that can be browsed at leisure. The short answer is that Freepers are widely divided on this issue:
Religious conservative freeper position is mostly represented by TexasEagle,
A-religious or moderately conservative Freepers (less libertarians) tend to allow all three exceptions noted in the original posting (rape, health/life, and mental health),
Libertarian Freepers tend to advocate no restrictions whatsoever.
I agree with you on the rape issue, but I would compromise on that one only because it is the only circumstance where the mother didn't already have a choice. That doesn't make it right or moral, but I would compromise on that one mainly because I think it is an argument we will never win. It is also pretty rare.
Less than 1.5% of all abortions are performed for the "health of the mother, or rape". It is birth-control basically. I have read of many women who carried their rape-produced baby to term because they could see no reason to force the baby to take the 'rap'. There is absolutely never any reason, other than to rub it in the face of the 'pro-lifers' to perform a partial-birth-abortion. Stalling the birth process while the late term baby is in the birth canal is detrimental to the health of the mother, even when she is healthy! Maybe it will take the death of a few of these healthy women for all to realize what this procedure is all about. It's a slap in the face, as well as for the use of the viable fetus cells, DNA, stem cells, etc for research, cosmetic products, etc. They are guinea pigs. Besides that, viable body parts are used for infants needing transplants. But that should never be the reason to kill a normal, healthy baby.
"If the woman's life is clearly in danger, then the child's life would also be in danger."
Oh thank you for saying this. I always think this and always wonder why anyone supposes that you can get a live baby from a dead mother. Of course, in sudden death cases you sometimes can, but that is not the point here.
I will say that there have been women who have sacrificed their own lives to save those of their unborn children. But I'm not sure I think that should be something that is imposed on anyone.
I like what you said!
Whenever I hear this argument I want to puke. Carrying a baby for nine months, effecting your life and your health and a 9 month reminder of a violent horrible experience. And then...GIVING UP THE CHILD. How anyone can convey this as a GOOD THING has to be mentally ill.
"- in cases where the mother was raped?
No. The abortion will not undo the rape. Giving the child up for adoption would be the best way to turn a bad experience into a good thing.
- where the pregnancy endangers the health or life of the mother
Life, yes. Health, no. All pregnancies pose some risk to the woman's health. If the woman's life is clearly in danger, then the child's life would also be in danger.
- where the pregnancy endangers the mental health of the mother
No. Hormonal changes are a part of every pregnancy.
And are your beliefs based on religion or personal conviction?
My personal convictions are rooted in my religious beliefs."
Your's is the best stated, rational and moral oppinion.
Matches my own.
What's sad is, led by our Supreme Court, the people of America are directly responsible for the murder of OVER 44,000,000 (that's 44 million) of our own children...
More than double of even the Nazis. Worse, these were not done by force of a murderous tyranny, rather voluntarily, one at a time.
Jefferson was right when he said, "I tremble when I remember God is just..." some 50 years before the Civil War.
A much greater catastrophe awaits America if we do not turn around.