What about our moral obligation to protect human life? Why should we facilitate the destruction of a genetically unique individual in the making if there are other options to be considered? Adoption is one.
In Sweden, people who can't conceive and who want children aren't able to adopt any Swedish children, because there aren't any to go around; they've all been aborted.
Maybe we would also do well to encourage having sex when in a situation to take care of inconvenient bi-products, like babies and such. But I guess that doesn't fly with the "do what you want with your own body" spiel. From estcst101 :
"and if you really want to start arguing about the idea of something --
or the conception of something constitutes it's existence (in our case
a fetus having rights from the moment it is conceived), aren't you
forced into the belief that the ONLY sex you can morally have is sex
intended for baby making?
why start at conception -- take up an every sperm is sacred
argument, where intentionally waisting the opportunity of life is like
killing a baby. "
Nope, what would follow is the only sex you can morally have is one wherein you are able to deal with the consequences of sex without wasting life. Your slippery slope ends when you begin talking about gametes as actual zygotes. Haploid cells aren't potential lives until joined.
And crazyfuck, you're on the ball with this one "if you're so against abortion, don't have sex". It's about consistency, and you nailed it. I'd add "... until you're in a situation to take care of unexpected consequences".
However: "if the mother is at some kind of risk, if she's not suited to be a
mother, of if the baby is a result of a rape or incest, abortion should
absolutely be an option the mother should be able to consider."
If the mother's life or child's life is at risk, the problem is way more complicated, rape and incest as well. But these are not the majority of cases, nowhere close. It's easy to play the fetal heartstrings on such matters as rape and incest, because who in their right mind wouldn't be opposed to such a thing? But it does come down to the "suited to be a mother" argument. You don't have to be suited to be a mother to bring a child full term. And I hope it crossed both parties' mind before the act that the consequences are very serious in sex. If you'd like to play like an adult, you should also be willing to accept adult responsibilities.
But that idea doesn't make the front page, and it sure isn't popular.
"Owning up to your actions" just doesn't cut it. You should do whatever
it is you want, and the consequences shouldn't involve sacrifice.
And on the matter of rape. I know a woman who escaped the Rwanda genocide, and who was raped while in hiding. She kept the child, and he's now 15. Somehow I think his life is worthwhile. Tell me when it would have been OK to negate him as an inconvenience.
Really, when it comes to human life, we seem way more ready to negate responsibility then with, I dunno, some beginner suing a ski station for overshooting a jump and getting wrecked. I'm sure it crossed your mind and other's that this dude was skiing and should accept the consequences of his decision. But when someone has sex and gets pregnant? Suddenly nirvana is just a pill away.