Abortion

I made a post in Cultures Shocked on abortion yesterday. It was funny since I considered myself pro-life, but I ended up sounding a bit choicy.

Basically, I believe that life starts at conception when the sperm get into the egg. So, therefore, unnatural destruction of it should constitute murder.

I also believe that most pro-choice argument stems from greed. They don't want to worry about a child so they will get rid of it. They could have the baby and give it up for adoption but they don't want the guilt of the possibility of giving it to a messed up system.

Another justification I heard thrown around was "it could turn into a serial killer" but I say it could turn into a really inspirational person who pulled themselves up by their boot-straps (pardon the cliche), so what gives you the right to make that judgment call?

I believe that reducing this life with terms and phrases like "mass of cells" "fetus" and I even saw someone mention an interesting comparison to "parasite" is all a tactic to feel less guilty. That way we'll play around and tweak meanings until the law fits our wishes.

However, I do have points where I struggle.

I don't believe it's right for a rape victim to be forced to go on with the pregnancy. Aside from the psychological problems that can manifest themselves physically there is also the way that it just seems fundamentally wrong...But how can I say abortion is murder and then allow a special case?

A poster pointed this out. Legal abortion may be worth keeping just for the avoidance of the unsafe alternatives.

And a distressed and potentially pregnant poster brought in a pro-choice argument from a more Christian perspective. She implied that she believes in predestination and/or election and that if God had a purpose for that life he would have picked a better host. While it's compelling, I still sustain that we cannot know for certain. After all, the "saved from potential abortion" story may be part of a bigger picture.

Also, I refrained from posting this since the environment seemed a bit hostile to opposing viewpoint but I am 17 years old. I am a virgin. I believe in abstinence. I was not raised in a bubble and I do think about sex. As a result, I do not really have much compassion for those who get pregnant and want an abortion, unless they've been raped. I do believe that abstinence is possible and we should all be aware of what we risk even with "protection." After all, things happen and we should take responsibility. Do we really want to put complete trust into mass-manufactured products that can have glitches for something as important like this?

However, I must admit that my stance on what qualifies as living is a bit wavering. Perhaps there is a small window where things like the "Morning-After Pill" can come into play so no major damage is done.

X-posted here.