[Ark2]

Originally Posted by Frankster

In my opinion, it's about making a responsible decision before it comes to pregnancy. In my example, both parties knew they were not ready to be parents. They should have used some forms of birth control to reduce or eliminate the risk of pregnancy rather than "oh well, if we get pregnant, we can always have an abortion.

I still am not sure that I understand your point on this one. When you say "making a responsible decision before it comes to pregnancy" I assume that you mean taking measures that would limit the potential of an unwanted baby being born. Isn't that what abortion does? Ensures that an unwanted baby is not brought into this world? Seems to me that if you don't believe a fetus is a human life, then one form of birth control would be morally equivalent to another.

I've not looked into any numbers to support my theory, but it seems that there are enough unwanted/unloved kids already on this planet, there isn't the need to add more when a woman/couple knows abortion is the right path for them.

I'm not so sure of that. In Canada for instance, the birth rate has been declining, and as a result, we are having to look at increasing our annual immigration numbers. Don't get me wrong, I am pro-immigrant and by no means do I think having more enter the country is a bad thing, but it certainly gives me pause when it comes to the idea that we don't need more people in this country. I think of my aunt and uncle who were on an adoption wait list for years before they were able to adopt. I also think about my wife and I, trying to have a child. If we are unable to, we would love to adopt, but the idea of having to wait 3-4 years is pretty depressing.

How do you feel about when a female is raped and becomes pregnant only because of that rape?

I am against the death penalty, so in cases such as this, I believe that the rapist should spend the rest of his life in prison. At the same time, I believe that an unborn baby is a human being that is entitled to rights and protections and that does not change regardless of how it was conceived. I do not say this lightly, as I understand that bearing a child, even under the most ideal and consensual circumstances, is an incredible sacrifice that a woman is making. In instances of rape, I can only imagine what it is like. Having said that, I do believe that the right to life is the most important right and cannot be invalidated because of rape.

In the interest of full disclosure, while I consider myself pro-life, I have not been able to determine when I think life begins. I am certain that it is before birth, but not certain that it begins at conception. These days, I find myself aligning with the Georgia in that life begins once a heartbeat has been detected, but I realize that that has its shortcomings as well.