Missouri Republican: 'Legitimate rape' rarely causes pregnancy

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wfz said:

IIIIITHE1IIIII said:

MrBubbles said:
"but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”

i agree with this position, in theory...but i really cant argue for it. the rape itself would be a great trauma for them to deal with, so i dont know how many women could deal with carrying the child even if its just going to be put up for adoption.

It's the way he is saying it. I would never refer to a fetus as a child, just like I wouldn't with a newly fertilized egg.

 

If only there was a way of measuring when they become self-conscious. In my opinion that's when abortion should not be acceptable anymore.

I like the line of when the heart starts beating, personally.

 

Also, the day-after pill, which is still effective up to around 72 hours after sex, works wonders at stopping unwanted pregnancies (particularly in the cases of rape where the woman wasn't necessarily prepared). I don't know why this pill is never spoken of in debates, though. 

The day after pill works post conception (very briefly). Given it kills embryos it qualifies as abortion and hence is not a viable option for anti-abortionists.

Seems to me the issue for secular types is rather fraught. There really isn't a definitive point you can identify that makes a foetus or embryo not a person on one side and a person on the other. So any stage of the pregnancy that's chosen as a legal definition as an element of arbitrariness to it.

It's much cleaner for those who believe that the human soul comes into existence at the moment of conception. I.e. it's a human from minute 1 because what makes us human is the existance of the rational soul, not the state of development of the physical body. However that still doesn't make it cut and dried, because then you have to formulate a moral framework around when it is and isn't acceptable to terminate that life. Severe foetal defects? Rape? Significant risk to the health of the mother if the baby is carried to term (or viability then born by cesaerian)? For the most part inconvenience isn't acceptable for those who are religioulsy inclined, so some things are easy to put on the not acceptable side of the line.

But, the other matter for the religious is whether they can legitimately impose their spiritual beliefs on those who believe differently. In a secular democracy, where there is meant to be strict separation of church and state, religious views on abortion should not dictate public law. Religious people should folloow their religious law, and secular law should not force them to act against their religious beliefs (with certain caveats). What they should do for the less religiously minded is pray for the dead babies, and pray that the baby killers realise the grave error of their ways, but that's as far as they should go. Leave punishment and justice to God if you are so confident in his ability to judge and punish. What we sow in this life we reap in the next, or something like that.

The religious angle also gets tied in knots if you believe that babies go to hell unless they are bapstised in Christ, or some such. Doesn't say much for the justice of God if you honestly believe that. But if you believe innocents are looked after if they die prematurely then there's not a great deal of suffering for the aborted child. In fact they get a get out of jail free card and a go directly to go and collect $200 by bypassing the trials and tribultations of this life. I wouldn't want to say they are fortunate if this is how things are for aborted foetuses because the plan, surely, is for a strong character to be forged in the fires of trial and tribulation. But it's not something for those who are not directly involved to fret over. The spiritual suffering, if there is any to be had, is on the mother and the facilitators of abortion. If there is a spiritual element and spiritual consequences, I don't think rape victims are going to suffer spiritual torment on top of the trauma of being raped. It would be nice for a rape victim to have the mental fortitude to have, raise and love the child. But I don;lt think the law should place that sort of burden, or expectation on anyone. The choice should the victims.