Abortion Question: Can You Please Be Honest?

Question

In the Saddleback debate, when asked if he believed life began at conception or not, Obama said this was above his "pay grade" to answer. Is that an acceptable response? Conider this analogy:

You are a construction engineer and you are about to demolish a building, but, you have been informed that there may be a person inside the building. No doubt, since you are not sure of the accuracy of the information, you will check out the report first before you demolish the building. After all, youi would not want to accidentally kill someone, would you?

So, if by his own admission, Obama is not sure if the babe in the womb is a human being or not, how can he believe that it is okay to kill it when he's not sure if he's killing a person or not? Is this not a dangerous position? "When in doubt, kill?"

Answer 1

Watch out you'll get the mantra"Keep your Bible out of my womb".

Man what a sorrowful response he gave.Man if I gave out that response at my job at Great Adventure I'd be fired(Maybe I'll try it tomorrow).

Answer 2

Your analogy is completely flawed. One thing that always stands out about pro-life analogies is that they always compare the woman to a machine or, in this case, a building.

A better analogy would be that you are a doctor who's patient is being taken away for a kidney donation (or perhaps other medical procedure comparable to pregnancy). The patient tells you that he ended up there by mistake (perhaps his own foolishness) and he does not really intend to make the donation. Now, you do not know if there is somebody desperately in need of this kidney who will die without it. You are not sure whether or not a life hangs in the balance. What you are sure of is that the patient does not give his consent for his body to be used.

Here most of us (pro-life or not) would say that it is the patient's consent that matters. Not being sure as to whether a life hangs in the balance (in fact, even if he were entirely sure that a life hung in the balance) the doctor does the right thing by respecting the patient's right to bodily privacy.

The difference, obviously, between your analogy and mine is that you see no negative consequences in prohibiting abortion. The woman, in your view, is like a building that is going to be demolished. Just as the building's consent doesn't matter, the woman's consent doesn't matter. Your analogy says more about your view of women than it does about the ethics of abortion.

Answer 3

Obama's statement simply meant that it is constitutional for a womann to have an abortion.  There are three branches of government, He is currently in one branch, the one that makes laws, he would like to be in the branch that enforces laws, but the one that determines which laws are legal has already ruled on the issue.

I have no idea what the construction engineer has to do with anything.

Answer 4

I'll take you at your word and give you a serious answer.  

Some Hindus consider the cow to be sacred.  As a Catholic, I doubt it.  But can you and I be sure they're wrong?  No, we can't be sure.  Well then, shouldn't the beef industry be outlawed -- just to be on the morally safe side, of course?

Maybe Hinduism doesn't have much traction; so, let's try the closer analogy of Judaism.  Judaism uses the same Bible as we Catholics (except of course for the New Testament), and it contains numerous dietary laws.  We Catholics don't view those dietary laws as morally binding, but we might be wrong on that count.  Can we be sure we're right and Judaism is wrong on that issue?  No, we can't.  So, by your logic, shouldn't we err on the side of caution and adopt Jewish dietary law?  By extension, shouldn't we pass laws requiring our society, as a whole, to err on the side of caution and abide by such restrictions?  

As Catholics, we are taught (and I believe) that God has given each of us "free will."  God has invested each of us with the freedom to make our own choices and act accordingly.  If we really believe that, then we are kidding ourselves if we think we can legislate these issues -- people will still make their own choices, albeit in the shadows.  

I think that getting people to make moral choices on abortion is not done through the heavy hand of legislation nor moral condemnation.  (Jesus' ministry was successful beyond measure and yet it didn't involve either -- that's not His form of Catholic Crusading.)  Instead, Jesus was the embodiment of empathy for the sinner, forgiveness of the sin and a powerful moral appeal to the individual to behave in a manner more in keeping with the will of God.  

We make a profound error when we try to address these issues through governmental action.  

Answer 5

In your analogy, it is physically possible to search the building to find if there is someone inside. The question of when life begins is a philosophical one with no known (scientifically proven) answer.

Answer 6

It is pretty obvious that he believes life does not begin at conception. He was only answering vaguely because he didn't wish to displease the evangelical voters. He just made himself look unqualified in my opinion.

"If it isn't a baby, then you aren't pregnant, so what are you aborting?"

Answer 7

Really poor analogy. Personally thing there should be a LEGAL definition when life starts. Would be against anything that said before mid term, but think there should always be strong safe guards for doctors who rarely and honestly do it to save mothers life. Hoping for day when almost not states allow it as birth control, and few states allow very early for genetic decisions.

Answer 8

Everything about Obama is scary.

Answer 9

You've added and subtracted so many words to and from what was actually said that I think it's YOU who needs to examine what "honesty" entails...

Answer 10

He is for abortions and I think he even is for partial birth abortions also. It doesn't make the crime any worse than it already is, an abortion is an abortion, a killing, a murder of an innocent baby. I find when questioned on anything he is wishy washy Very scary man to allow him in our head position of this country. And these supposibly intelligent people that are backing him, Like Oprah, are real stupid. Their common sense is missing. He's a baby killer for sure. No judgement just stating a fact from his record. God Bless you.  

Answer 11

When you are beholden to the Baby Death Machine for millions and millions, no it is not a dangerous position.  Victims of abortion do not vote, OR fund political campaigns.

The dangerous, or, I would say, courageous position is to stand up for innocent people who may or may not vote for you someday, and may or may not grow up to donate to your campaign, simply because they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that, among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness"

Answer 12

He doesn't want to define life. It was the same when that women was in a vegetative state and the libs wanted to define her is not alive. He supports late term parcel birth abortions also.

Under the same definition if you hit someone in a car say by drunk driving and a person loses their baby you will be charged with murder.      

Answer 13

Better response than McCain saying there are human rights at conception. McCain wants to deny abortion to 12 year old victims of incest  That is sick and disgusting, just what I expect from a guy who has no remorse for the babies he slaughtered.

Answer 14

good point. although even being an 18 year old, I know that life doesn't begin at conception. If it did, masturbation would be like mass murder. But 4 months, or whatever the legal limit is now, may be too far along.

Answer 15

My honest answer is that NO ONE should be

allowed to interfere with any baby growing in

anyone's womb. Even if by incest, let the baby

complete it's growing until birth, then decide if

you want to keep it or put it up for adoption so

other couples who are desperate for a baby

can adopt it. We don't need to kill babies for

any reason, before or after birth.

Answer 16

Obama will say whatever it takes to get a majority vote.  Whats sad is for someone who is Soooooo   Christian, Abortion would always be wrong.