[AKA_Monet]

Originally posted by IvySpice
There are only two ways for an abortion decision to be made. The woman can make it. Or the government can make it for her.

When we make statements like, "She should be able to have an abortion under circumstance X, but not circumstance Y," what that means in practice is that in circumstance X, we leave the decision to the woman, and in circumstance Y THE GOVERNMENT makes the decision about who will bear a child and who will not. Is that a power the government ought to have?

Think about the last few presidents. Do you trust them to make personal moral judgments on your behalf? Do you think that they are such extraordinary experts on moral questions that they will do a better job than YOU will?

MTSUgirl, religious reasons are certainly as valid as the others when you are making moral judgments -- for example, when you are making your own decisions, or when you are arguing that abortion is morally wrong.

But religious reasons are NOT as valid as the others when the topic of discussion is what the LAW ought to be. "God says it's bad" is not a valid reason to outlaw something in this country. (After all, my God says abortion is OK, so we're at an impasse.) If you want to convince people who don't share your religious beliefs, you're going to have to come up with something else. Some religions hold that meat is murder; should we pass a law requiring everyone to be vegetarian? Talk public health, talk greater good, talk about the Constitution, or else accept that you're not going to change anybody's mind.

Also, several people pointed out that abortion carries emotional risks...e.g., sadness on what would have been the baby's birthday. Do you think birth moms who give their babies up don't experience guilt and loss? For that matter, don't women who keep their babies take on an enormous emotional burden? If you're pregnant, these are the only options. Every single one carries serious emotional risks.

Ivy, J.D.

You'd know more than I do!!! Finally, someone who KNOWS the law...