Is a compromise on the issue of abortion possible?

Question

Please don't answer yes or no. If you are not willing to compromise please explain why (for either side).

I'm not a Christian but I do believe that life begins during some stage of fetus development. I have 1 son and another on the way. It is very hard to dispute that life exists while the baby is in the belly in the latter stages of pregnancy. They can feel pain and respond to all sorts of other stimuli. That said, in the very early stages of pregnancy it is somewhat difficult to call a fetus alive. It may have genetic makeup but that is about it.

I've been trying to underside both sides of this debate that has been twisting political elections. What I don't understand is why there can't be some compromise (other than the politicians and others in power don't want us to compromise I mean). From what I gather there are two main camps. Once camp is for the rights of women and the other the rights to life for the unborn. I have a few questions for each side.

Women's rights camp: If abortion were legal for the first 2-3 months of pregnancy would that not allow a woman to be able to have a choice? If it could be proved scientifically that life exists in later stages of pregnancy would the right to life supersede this right? Finally, would you be willing to accept a limitation on later term abortion (after 2-3 months or so) if it could be guaranteed that early term abortion would remain legal?

Christian camp: I could talk about the impact that no legal abortions would have on women, and I do assume that many of you care about women, especially since many of you are women. However, from what I gather that is not as important to you as the right to life (which does to me seem to trump all other rights but correct me if I'm wrong). So, really the only thing that is important here is when does life begin? I've been trying to find references in the Bible to life beginning at conception but I can't find anything. All of the Christian sites that talk about abortion use verses that cite how God knows each person before they are born, but that doesn't mean that the early term fetus was going to be born. They also point to a verse in the book of Psalm that talks about God having a role in our formation in the womb, but that doesn't mean necessarily at conception and could just as easily mean at a later point in pregnancy. Another passage in the book of exodus prescribes a penalty for killing an unborn child being the same as for killing an adult. However, this passage seems to be pointing to a more developed child, not the tiny marble sized fetus that exists in the begging of pregnancy. In those beginning stages the woman would not likely have been considered as being pregnant (if you have historical evidence that would show otherwise please do share). In short, I just don't see any Biblical basis for life beginning at conception and I would really like it if someone who does interpret this differently could please explain this to me.

Also, non-Christians who believe in life at conception please give your input too!

Answer 1

how can you comprimise its a simple yes or no their is no inbetween possale or can you half terminate  

Answer 2

I agree with the first answer from a fellow who's name I cant remember.

in my opinion, if you're just too stupid to be safe, abortion shouldnt be an option.

however, if you were raped and can prove it, abortion could be SLIGHTLY forgivable if within the first month or two (I'm not a doctor, or a mother or anything so I dont know the proper terms)

Answer 3

compromise on murder!?!?!? no way!!

well okay, if they're raped i can understand.

i wouldn't get one, but i can't expect anyone else not to in those circumstances.

Answer 4

During the first trimester, unconditionally.

At any other time if that is what the woman wants, unconditionally.

NO ONE has the right to tell a woman what to do with their body.

This would NOT be a discussion if men were able to bear children.

~

Answer 5

NO!

Abortion is not an issue that lends itself to a solution that involves a comprise.

Abortion is an absolute moral wrong and cannot be tolerated regardless of the circumstances.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.

God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.

2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae," "by the very commission of the offense," and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

2322 From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.

2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."

Answer 6

Kudos for an unbiased, well reasoned answer.

I think abortion should be legal in the first trimester under all circumstances, and after that for rape/incest/mother's life.

Partial Birth Abortion is NEVER okay.

For people against it: Don't want one, don't get one.

Pro choice means just that. It doesn't mean "I love abortions."

It means "None of my d**n business."

Answer 7

I'm pro-choice and I agree that it would be a good compromise to allow abortion in the first couple of months or so.

However, there are also cases in which it should it should be allowed later on, such as if the baby had a defect which would cause them to suffer heavily and die very early in their life.

____

Answer 8

Anyone who claims to be a right to lifer. Should whole heartily support s*x education and accessibility to birth control.  These people don't.   As far as I see it there whole goal is to punish "sin".  If you gave one rat's *** about people you would do everything under the sun to make sure people (women) don't have an unwanted pregnancy in the first place.

Answer 9

Sorry for me there is no compromise. The heart beats at 6 weeks, many doctors say pain is felt as early as 8 weeks.

http://www.abort73.com/HTML/I-A-2a-pain....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjNo_0cW-...

Answer 10

I am not for abortion I am against  any kind of suffering

But you know what is worse

When a person is starving and this land of plenty will not help them

When 1 % of the people make the rest of the people suffer

Katrina is a prime example

I do not care if you are an Atheist,Hobo,Christian,Jew,Black,

White or g*y if you are hungry and you come to my door I will feed you.No forms to fill out and no questions asked

I can not stand to see people suffer

And anyone who claims to love Jesus or even to be a descent human being that does not do this I feel sorry for them

And I sure can't afford to build a 29 million dollar bridge to no where if you understand what I am trying to say

Answer 11

Because my position on abortion has to do mainly with my faith in God,,.God is not some politician on the take by lobbyist groups in washington who needs to compromise to try and please everybody to  get reelected . God is holy and just and does not compromise with evil. Which abortion is. And neither should we as his children compromise either..Hope this helped..God bless you !

Answer 12

There can never be a compromise because people are already set in their ways. However, what some people fail to realize is that everyone has the ability to make their own choices and live with their decision. Whether its moral or not in your eyes, its none of your business what someone does to their body. End of story.  

Answer 13

I would say that a good compromise is to allow the use of the morning after pill.  This would also help those who can't use the other methods of birth control such as the pills.  The pills are suspected of giving cancer and also the birth control pills run off has gotten into the water system and cannot be flushed out.  This is causing many problems such as irregular bleeding in women which is a horrible nuisance.  I could go on and on about that.  But will not here.  So suffice it to say that the morning after pills would be better.  You only have to use them if you had s*x and not all the time like the birth control pills.

Answer 14

I am not certain of when life begins.  It can't be right at conception because then a person would cease to exist when they split into twins, which is bizarre. But after that I don't know. I think of it as a continuum of potential until the baby is old enough that it can, if removed through ceasarian, survive outside the womb.

I'd actually prefer abortions done only within two to three months, with the possibility of abortions if the mother's life is in danger (or, as another poster mentioned, the baby has a terrible congenital deformity) further along. With the availability of pregnancy tests, I don't think it's too much to ask that women check after a skipped period if they're sexually active. They'd still have two months to make a decision.

Edit: But since the pro-life camp can't compromise, I tend to have to stick with today's model. *shrug* Maybe in a few more generations we'll be able to be more nuanced.

Answer 15

Vdogpapa...please allow me to answer this question, with the rest, and I will use the term fetus since that is what you in this question has called a baby. I personally call at the conception a baby.

You have read scripture pertaining to this subject, yet you don't see where it says when life begins.....I can't understand where you think when God says "He knows us before we are born" and then you state doesn't mean the early term fetus was going to be born, if that was what God was talking about He wouldn't have said anything about knowing us, it would have been pointless to even mention.

A baby (person) that God knows before they ar born, means He is the one that caused the creation of that fetus (baby) as God breathed life into Adam, God breaths life into the fetus(baby) at the moment of conception.

In a scientific approach if you have ever watched how the seed of man looks for the egg of woman....that seed is alive and searching for the woman's egg to become a baby... once the mans seed finds the egg and comes together it is now a living breathing human.

Let me give you one more scripture in GENESIS 38:9, 10

9) "And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so it came about that when he went into his brothers wife, he wasted his seed on the ground, in order not to give offspring to his brother"

10) "But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He took his life also."

In other words Onan was using a form of birth control, because life is in the seed, so God took his life for taking that life.

Back then God meted out judgment then, today if you abort innocent babies without repentence before you die, you will face Gods judgment on judgment day for the lifes taken by abortion.

The point of this scripture is the "Seed" Onan knew once that seed went inside his sister-n-law it would be a life.

This is talking about back then when a man died without children, his brother was to take the brothers wife and give offspring for his brother.

People can call that baby a fetus because it doesn't attach life to the baby that way.

Not only does a person need to have spiritual understanding of what God says about knowing us before we are born, he gave us common sense, so since you say you are not a Christian, then common sense is called for here.

Thank you for letting me ( and Gods word) give you our point of  view to this question.

Answer 16

I'm all for the 2-3 month thing. I can't see why you'd wait 2-3 months with a baby in your womb and then go get an abortion. Personally, I just think people need to be more responsible.