Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A Rational Debate on Abortion

To my knowledge, there has never been one. Given the 'fire's stellar reputation as a forum where reason and respect for opposing viewpoints is the prevalent atmosphere, perhaps it is our duty to have a debate on this contentious issue.

According to our rules requiring full disclosure, I admit to being on the "pro-life" side of the argument, but with reservations.

Life begins at conception, since there is no other place to draw the line between existence and non-existence. So.... an abortion ends a life.

Conversely, contraceptives prevent the possibility of a life, but don't end one. Use of the "morning after pill" might end a life, but it is not a certainty, so I see no difference between it and a condom.

So.... the question comes down to WHO has the authority to end a life?

Homicides are committed daily. By definition, it is the taking of one person's life by another person.

Even among those which are not ruled justifiable, we make distinctions. Manslaughter to Capital murder, with several possibilities in between.

But.. "my side" allows no distinctions. Abortion is murder, period.

I admit to being troubled by that.

And you................ ?

I agree, abortion is murder. However is murder ever justified? We murdered someone in Texas last night and I don't feel one bit bad about that murder.

Is saving a mother's life by aborting a life anything but choosing one murder over another except in this case only one side can vote?

Many folks find this an easy subject to decide but I do not. I am not sure there is a 100% right answer.

BTW, My SIL was raped. The result of that rape, my nephew, is one of the finest young men I know and is just starting his medical practice to help folks in pain and suffering.

its 2014, were letting bad guys out of jail after 40 years on old "DNA"....I guy mite hope that the same science in this year and age would call it a life.....

Its the most simple of debates. Either its murder or it isnt. All this stuff about coat hanger abortions, unwanted children, over population etc doesnt really matter intil you have the fundamental debate. Is it a thing, or is it a child; that's all that matters. And possibly a deliniation of when its a thing and when its a child. Until you settle that, nothing really matters.

You ask for a reasonable debate, but start by calling those with opposing views "Murders"??

This is not how reasoned debate begins.

Nobody ever asked , "Is it a child?" until they wanted to kill it.

" Either its murder or it isnt."

Not exactly.

If you believe life begins at conception, then abortion is homicide, but not necessarily murder.

T thought I made that clear, as far as my stance.

You have to touch all the bases to score a run, even if you knock the ball over the fence.

I like discussions where the originator states clearly his position.

BS.

No, Amigo. THAT is NOT what I said.

If you want to argue that life does NOT begin at conception, then you wouldn't see abortion as homicide.

But then, you have to demonstrate where life DOES begin.

The Lord said "thou shalt not commit murder", Scott. HE did not say 'Though shalt not Kill', otherwise HE would not have directed the Battle of Jericho and others where HE instructed that ALL the enemy be killed (all, includes Children). He also commanded the elders of the church hunt down and kill a murderer. So, I don't think HE considers Texas's executioners to be murderers. I also don't think HE considers our US Army sniper team to be murderers or those who fought and killed the enemy in Desert Storm, WW1 or WW2.

If He had said we can't kill, deer hunting or using antibiotics would be a sin.

"But.. "my side" allows no distinctions. Abortion is murder, period.

I admit to being troubled by that."

Maybe you missed the quotation marks around "my side"?

Maybe you didn't read my next sentence?

Or maybe you are not REALLY responding.

Are you new here?



This will start polite enough, but it won't last. It's an emotional issue and most who post on this thread are entrenched in their position and not going to be swayed.

Not saying there's a thing wrong with that, it's just the way it is.

I'll bet a Pepsi this is a mess by tomorrow. Enjoy.

Shouldn't we be debating "when does life begin"?

Here are your options:

1. Conception

2. The "quickening", aka ensoulment or when conscious awareness begins.

3. Birth

If we follow historical legal traditions then the option 2 is the correct answer.

It seems to me that ANYONE should conclude that an abortion at 2 months is not exactly the same as one at 8 months, but a lot of folks don't.

infanticide is just plain wrong. Period. Life begins at conception.

Lot's of folks DO see the differnce.

To no one in particular-
1) If you don't think life begins at conception, try talking the baby or the mother out of the birth. Let me know how that works out for ya.

2) Don't kill babies, a price will be paid for that life.

Here we go again:

"For or against abortion?" 9-4-2012 (39 pages)

"Abortion questions" 3-8-2011 (31 pages)

"Interesting Argument, (Abortion)". 4-28-2011 (11 pages)

"Republicans and Abortion Rights?" 2-3-2010 (20 pages) started by curdog4570

"How can the abortion people ignore..." 10-14-2008 (5 pages)

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IMO, the killing of innocent, helpless, defenseless unborn children is so hideously and insanely wrong.

And a lot of folks - at least two posters on this thread - insist there is no difference.

For them, there is no room for debate.