One person wrote: My mom had me at age 19. I was conceived before my parents were married...and I’m so thankful my mom chose to give me life! This why I’m pro-life...I wouldn’t be here without my Mom determination to keep me. It was hard for my parents going through college with a baby, and living paycheck to paycheck. I will be a VOICE for the unborn for the rest of my life. ✝️💓
Anotgher Person Responsed: At the age of 19, she was an adult, and could make that decision because your father also chose to stay and help her.
What about that poor 11 year old girl whom was raped? Delivering a child in a CHILD'S body could kill her. Should she be forced to carry said fetus.
So what about this argument? Should abortion be allowed because of the horrors of rape and the dangers of pregnancy to a young body?
First, we need to make the basic case for why abortion is immoral and should be illegal in normal circumstances.
Here is the case as laid out by Scott Klussendorf of the Life Training Institute.
- Premise #1: It is wrong to intentionally kill innocent human beings.
- Premise #2: Abortion intentionally kills innocent human beings.
- Therefore, conclusion: Abortion is morally wrong.
The key point in this argument is the value of the unborn child. If the unborn child is a unique human life, then he or she should be afforded the same right to live as all other humans. If the unborn is not a human life, then what is it? What exactly confers humanity on a child? When do we / should we get human rights and when can they be taken away?
The science is clear that a new human life starts at conception and that any other point along the way is simply arbitrary decision making. If human rights are only conferred on us when someone wants us or we provide some value to society, then they can be taken away arbitrarily too. Protecting the lives of the innocent and defenseless whether they are in the womb or out of the womb is really an act of protecting the right to life for everyone.
The science is clear that a new human life starts at conception and that any other point along the way is simply arbitrary decision making. If human rights are only conferred on us when someone wants us or we provide some value to society, then they can be taken away arbitrarily too. Protecting the lives of the innocent and defenseless whether they are in the womb or out of the womb is really an act of protecting the right to life for everyone.
Therefore, when talking about the issue of conceptions by rape, we are still talking about the lives of two people, the woman and the child. If the child is a human then the fact of how it was conceived does not take away its humanity before or after it is born. If it is not human before birth because of the crime done in the act of conception then are those people that are now born but who were conceived by rape not human? Of course, they are human and should have all the rights given to other humans, and so should those babies not yet born no matter how they were conceived.
I know that the primary argument though is the physical and mental health of the woman, especially in this argument about a young girl. Now in the case of physical danger to a woman, whether younger or older, then most pro-life people make the case that sometimes an unborn baby has to be killed in order to save the life of the mother. The option here though is not between 2 people living and 1 person living. Rather, in the case of severe physical danger to the mother, you would have two people dying or you can have one live. In cases of severe hypertension, cancer in the mother, or in particular ectopic pregnancies these hard decisions of life or death sometimes become medically necessary to save the one life that can be saved.
On the issue of mental health, it is not at all clear that the mental health of woman is helped by abortion in the cases of rape. Sometimes, the grief and pain of an assault can be compounded with guilt about the abortion. Furthermore, in the cases of young victims, abortion can be and is used by abusers to cover up the abuse, and makes it possible for the abuse to continue without being found out. Abortions providers sometimes will not even report the possible abuse when an adult brings in a young minor for an abortion. Here are some examples of that.
I know that the primary argument though is the physical and mental health of the woman, especially in this argument about a young girl. Now in the case of physical danger to a woman, whether younger or older, then most pro-life people make the case that sometimes an unborn baby has to be killed in order to save the life of the mother. The option here though is not between 2 people living and 1 person living. Rather, in the case of severe physical danger to the mother, you would have two people dying or you can have one live. In cases of severe hypertension, cancer in the mother, or in particular ectopic pregnancies these hard decisions of life or death sometimes become medically necessary to save the one life that can be saved.
On the issue of mental health, it is not at all clear that the mental health of woman is helped by abortion in the cases of rape. Sometimes, the grief and pain of an assault can be compounded with guilt about the abortion. Furthermore, in the cases of young victims, abortion can be and is used by abusers to cover up the abuse, and makes it possible for the abuse to continue without being found out. Abortions providers sometimes will not even report the possible abuse when an adult brings in a young minor for an abortion. Here are some examples of that.
So to sum up my points:
- Being conceived by rape does not take away someone's humanity.
- Medical necessity to end a pregnancy is the exception written into all pro-life legislation and is a clear moral exception.
- It is not at all clear that abortion would help the emotional and mental state of a raped woman, and in some cases may even be used by abusers to cover up their crimes so they can continue their abuse.
Finally, this is not just an academic exercise for me. I have two daughters, one of whom is 11. I get the emotion behind thinking about your kids hurting and wanting to help them, but I am convinced that abortions would hurt them more than help them.
Furthermore, I have even had to counsel a young woman with an ectopic pregnancy and help her understand why there was no possibility of having her baby live. She was devastated because even at that early stage her unborn baby was her child. Every mother I know who has lost a baby due to miscarriage has grieved over the loss of their child.
If you know of someone with an unplanned pregnancy of any type, I would and many pro-life people would love to help them. We would help them with prenatal care, care after their child is born, and even find someone to adopt their baby if that is what they want.
If you have had an abortion and have guilt, remember that God will forgive you. There is no sin that He cannot forgive. We (pro-life people) do not hate you, and neither does God. We desire for you to find peace with Him.
Furthermore, I have even had to counsel a young woman with an ectopic pregnancy and help her understand why there was no possibility of having her baby live. She was devastated because even at that early stage her unborn baby was her child. Every mother I know who has lost a baby due to miscarriage has grieved over the loss of their child.
If you know of someone with an unplanned pregnancy of any type, I would and many pro-life people would love to help them. We would help them with prenatal care, care after their child is born, and even find someone to adopt their baby if that is what they want.
If you have had an abortion and have guilt, remember that God will forgive you. There is no sin that He cannot forgive. We (pro-life people) do not hate you, and neither does God. We desire for you to find peace with Him.
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