I am completely, fundamentally, utterly Pro Choice. And I don't like abortions. But, seriously, who does? The Pro-lifers would have us believe that being Pro Choice means that we think abortion is a glorious thing, something to be celebrated. How wrong they are. I have been pregnant 3 times, but I only have 2 children. I was pregnant in Dec 06/Jan 07 and I had a miscarriage. It was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. But if, and it is a big if, I was ever in a situation where I knew that I could not cope with a pregnancy or a child for whatever reason, I would consider an abortion. I possibly wouldn't have it anyway. However the point is, that would be my choice and my choice alone.
Choosing have an abortion is probably THE most difficult decision that a woman would ever have to make in her life. I know of no-one who has ever taken the decision lightly. Abortion cannot be limited to only medical reasons, for incest or for rape. It must include the emotional reason, the financal reason, infact any reason why a woman would need an abortion. Why? Because ultimately, in my view, the lives of the living must come before the lives of the unborn. Women do not just become incubators as soon as they become pregnant. Once pregnant, personality does not step aside and the unborn foetus becomes the dominant force.
I wonder if the Pro Lifers feel that an embryo/foetus does not have a soul? Because to me, whatever is that spark of life that makes us what we are is rewoven into the universe (whether that be heaven or whatever) when it's human life ends, and it moves onto where-ever it goes next. (I personally feel that a spirit of an aborted or miscarried embryo/foetus would create itself once more in another pregnacy.) I ask because it would seem that they don't think they have a soul otherwise surely they would feel that an aborted baby would go straight back into the loving hands of God?
What a woman does with her body is none of anyone else's business. If pro-lifers don't like abortion then perhaps they should campaign for other linked issues. Health care, contraception, education, poverty, all those issues that have an impact on abortion rates. If our children were educated better, including about contraception, they wouldn't get/cause pregnancy. If poverty was abolished, then women wouldn't have to worry about raising their children. Simple things, but ones that would actually take some more effort than just lambasting women for their sexual choices.
(As an aside, I can not understand the Pro Life brigade that believe that the life of an unborn child is completely sacrosanct, yet as soon as it is born, commits a crime, than that's it, game over.)
(Second aside, other than Thou Shall Not Kill, which is conveniently ignored once you are born, there is absolutely no reference to abortion in the Bible. Check out this link to Sacred-texts.com http://www.sacred-texts.com/wmn/abib/index.htm#cnote )
I think you must be my twin!
ReplyDeleteI utterly agree with you.
I probably would never have had an abortion ( thank the Goddess I have never been in a position where I have had to make the choice!) BUT It is MY right to make that choice, freely and without outside bigotry imposed on me etc..........
I, too, have had a miscarrige...and it was a truly horrible experience...and it was about the same time as a lot of abortions are carried out.
The difference between the two is CHOICE...and I do not believe ANY woman chooses to kill her unborn child without a "care in the world"...it is a hard and horrible decision I guess, but it is the decision ONLY the mother of the unborn child ultimately has the full knowledge of her circumstances, feelings, mental attitude etc....and only SHE has the right to make that choice.....
As you say, once a woman conceives she does not become "just" a walking, talking brooder chamber, she has to live with the consequences of carrying a child, and only SHE can decide what to do about it...
Otherwise we get into the realm of "The Handmaiden's Tale" again......