How Can People Who Proclaim The Importance Of Science Be Pro-Choice?

Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi, once pro-choice but now beginning to see the pro-life side of things, makes an interesting statement today in a great column about the abortion issue:

…it’s difficult to understand how those who harp about the importance of “science” in public policy can draw an arbitrary timeline in the pregnancy, defining when human life is worth saving and when it can be terminated.

It is difficult to understand if you presume that those on the pro-choice side of the debate have arrived at their stance based on logic and reason and not emotion and convenience. Logically and scientifically speaking, of course a child still in the womb at any point after conception is a life. Life is a continuum of growth and development that begins at conception and continues until death, be it in old age or before being born under the scalpel of an abortionist. Trying to choose some point in the part of that continuum which takes place in the womb to say “before this there is no life but after this there is” is as absurd as drawing that line at a point in the continuum of life that happens outside the womb. Like, say, between when the child can walk and can’t walk.
There is simply no logical basis for it. But there are a lot of emotional arguments about being pro-abortion, most of them obscuring the fact that the people making them want abortion to be legal for convenience. So that they can always get rid of any unwanted children.
Regardless, there is no scientific argument in favor of abortion.

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  • http://Array duh moments

    And the latest food for thought dished to me by a friend–”You assume that pro-choice is the same as pro-abortion. They are two different issues. Not all people who are pro-choice are pro-abortion.” I agreed to disagree, but it does again bring this mode of thinking to the discussion.

  • george

    “You assume that pro-choice is the same as pro-abortion. They are two different issues. Not all people who are pro-choice are pro-abortion.”

    During the civil war, there were people who believed Africans were people and wanted to get rid of slavery. Then there were people who TRULY believed they were sub-humans… apes… and wanted to keep them as slaves.

    And then there were people who didn’t know for sure, or didn’t care, or just didn’t want to go to war. They wanted the south have their choice, and let the north have their choice.

    As we know, that was not a time to be pro-choice. Neither is this a time to be pro-choice. Thankfully, there are LOTS of outlets now for women in crisis, of which a few I’ve been affiliated with. There can and should be more. But one of them should NOT be abortion.

  • http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

    At what stage?
    And please, you don’t care about murder of innocence. If you can justify the death of innocents in war, especially your pet Iraq war, you have no morals. No consistent morals anyway.

    Collaterial damage is sad. But if the cost in lives is lower than not acting, than it is a case of lives saved. If, to use easy numbers, three people are dying a day, and you intervene, killing 5, but the death toll drops to 1 a day, then after 2 days you have saved lives at the rate of 2 a day. This is perfectly moral. As opposed to the killing of infants.

    If a greater good is served to go to war, than so to is a greater good served when a glob of cells has been removed, especially in the case of a mother who can die by carrying the child, rape or incest.

    Abortions kill whereas war can save lives. No comparison.

    And you aren’t worth it.

    And you’re too stupid to make such a case, as proved by your lies and foolishness so far in this thread.

    That’s a lie. First, YOU are the one suggesting the state should make laws banning abortion, I am for liberty in this area.
    I am also for liberty when it comes to legalizing marijuana. I am also for liberty when it comes to gay marriage.
    Why do you support the state monitoring us an the big nanny?

    When one’s liberty hurts another, it is immoral. Being for liberty in the case of abortion is akin to being for liberty in the case of rape, murder or robbery.

    How so? I said it should only be used in the case of incest or rape or if the mothers life is in danger, not for birth control.
    You aren’t very bright. Are ya?

    You’ve provided false evidence to the contrary too. Oops.

    Keep conning yourself lil guy.

    Shrug. You;re the one who called yourself a good guy. It is impossible to be in favor of abortion and be a decent person.

  • robert108

    DNA tells the tale: At the moment of conception, a unique human DNA profile is formed, and that defines a human being. Every abortion kills a human being; if you can justify that on the basis of convenience, you can justify killing anyone, if you can marshal enough “reasons” to do so. Abortion is a savage, ignorant and disgusting practice.

  • carrick

    Sparkie:

    science isn’t the only reason to do or not to do something, imho. people who are against abortion yet can rationalize hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths as collateral damage in their war against a concept (terror) which they are constantly trying to manufacture (Cheney) should back their hypocrite wagon up.

    Probably no worse than people like you using obviously flawed statistics to try and score a point. “hundreds of thousands”?

    You’re as flipping nuts as the idiots who invented the data for that study.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

    Those who support abortion should be killed as they are nothing but “globs of cells”.

    What’s good for the goose…

  • robert108

    Abortion is simply fascist eugenics.

  • http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

    “You assume that pro-choice is the same as pro-abortion. They are two different issues. Not all people who are pro-choice are pro-abortion.”

    But the leaders of the “pro-choice” movement are all pro-abortion. (That’s where the money is!)
    They get apoplectic if adoption or counseling or waiting periods or information about any alternative to abortion is proposed.

  • http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

    There are certain points in gestation I agree it becomes human. And unless the mothers life is at risk, it should not be used as birth control.

    Contradictory at best. It’s not human, but it’s still a moral thing and shouldn’t be birth control.

    Yeah, well a tree has cells as well, and it is not any more human that a few dividing cells either. But, at least I am trying to be rational. How about you?
    You are just emoting.

    No one calls a seed that is growning a “potential plant”. It’s a seedling, which means, growing tree. This double talk about life isn’t rational at all.

  • Hannitized

    If you answered “Yes” to any of those criteria then you must recognized that partial birth abortion is nothing less then murder at least.

    There are certain points in gestation I agree it becomes human. And unless the mothers life is at risk, it should not be used as birth control.

    Of course in cases of rape or incest, I think the right to abort is justified, but depending on the phase, just not morally so, according to some.

    As I think about it, your reducing an infant to “a glob of cells” is really creepy, as you can describe any human being- in fact, any living organism on the planet in those terms

    Yeah, well a tree has cells as well, and it is not any more human that a few dividing cells either. But, at least I am trying to be rational. How about you?

    You are just emoting.

  • Hannitized

    Those who support abortion should be killed as they are nothing but “globs of cells”.

    What’s good for the goose…

    And people like you Liqwid, are exactly the type of people who attacked us on 9/11…….because collateral damage happens….and what’s good for the goose.

    Carry that guilt. It’s true.

  • http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

    As I think about it, your reducing an infant to “a glob of cells” is really creepy, as you can describe any human being- in fact, any living organism on the planet in those terms

    You cannot openly argue the merits of killing children. They have to be dehumanized for the tactic to work. That’s the whole point.

  • Hannitized

    Shrug. You;re the one who called yourself a good guy. It is impossible to be in favor of abortion and be a decent person.

    Yeah, tell that to the Iraqis who before our invasion had a job, house and family….until the bomb hit.

    Your moral rationalizations don’t change bible, or it’s texts that murder of innocence is immoral.

  • http://www.thedailyslant.com/ Hairy Polemic

    Regardless, there is no scientific argument in favor of abortion.

    There is no scientific argument against abortion either.

    And while you can make a good moral argument against abortion, you cannot make a winning argument that government should legislate morality. So convenience, as an excuse for abortion, is as good excuse as any other.

  • Hannitized

    A blood clot, a tumor or a bad kidney are a defective part of a human body, that, if left untreated, can kill the whole being.

    Well, if you believe that, then you should be pro-choice when a baby can kill the whole being of the person who would bear the child.

    This is nonsense. Science doesn’t distinguish between cells and life.

    Not true.

    http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2006/07/wad_of_cells_does_not

    http://stemcell.taragana.net/archive/clump-of-cells-does-not-mean-human-life/

  • http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

    Well, if you believe that, then you should be pro-choice when a baby can kill the whole being of the person who would bear the child.

    Yes, that’s called triage.

    http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2006/07/wad_of_cells_does_not

    An opinion piece from a pro-abortionist.

    http://stemcell.taragana.net/archive/clump-of-cells-does-not-mean-human-life/

    A pro-stem cell blog filled with outright deception.

  • Hannitized

    Logically and scientifically speaking, of course a child still in the womb at any point after conception is a life.

    Science knows that at certain points of time, it is just cells, dividing. Our bodies have many cells that we don’t consider a life.

    A blood clot, a tumor, a bad kidney are all cells in our body.

    Abortion is a morally tough discussion. But most people understand that if it looks like a glob of cells, and it is a glob of cells, they are not killing what they consider a human being.

  • Hannitized

    If by “emotional feeling”, you mean “scientific fact” then yes. At conception, a unique human life is created. It slowly divides to become heart, lungs, brain, etc.

    At what stage?

    And please, you don’t care about murder of innocence. If you can justify the death of innocents in war, especially your pet Iraq war, you have no morals. No consistent morals anyway.

    If a greater good is served to go to war, than so to is a greater good served when a glob of cells has been removed, especially in the case of a mother who can die by carrying the child, rape or incest.

    One could even argue that America is served by abortions. Im not interested in making that argument.

    And you aren’t worth it.

  • Hannitized

    Contradictory at best. It’s not human, but it’s still a moral thing and shouldn’t be birth control.

    That is not what i said Kenny. Don’t be an ass.

    I said that when it does become human, it becomes a moral thing. To me, dividing cells aren’t a human life. You can argue that if you wan’t, but please don’t misquote me. It makes you look petty.

    No one calls a seed that is growning a “potential plant”. It’s a seedling, which means, growing tree. This double talk about life isn’t rational at all.

    I didn’t call a glob of cells a potential human. So quit arguing straw men with me. I called them a glob of cells, because that is what they are.

  • Hannitized

    WHFF puts his foot in his mouth:

    You worship the socialist state and its power over the individual. The state and the liberal politicians you worship that run it can never be wrong.

    That’s a lie. First, YOU are the one suggesting the state should make laws banning abortion, I am for liberty in this area.

    I am also for liberty when it comes to legalizing marijuana. I am also for liberty when it comes to gay marriage.

    Why do you support the state monitoring us an the big nanny?

    You hold life cheaply. Your views on abortion are just…..monstrous.

    How so? I said it should only be used in the case of incest or rape or if the mothers life is in danger, not for birth control.

    You aren’t very bright. Are ya?

    You view women are nothing more than convenient holes put there for your pleasure to be cast aside. All your boasts about your exploits show you view women as……almost like non-persons.

    Please, your inability to read me is embarrassing for you. I had dinner with an ex last night and after dinner she said to me that by watching me talk about my other relationships she can see that I am a truly great guy.

    Many women say that by meeting me I have added to their lives helped them grow spiritually. All my ex’s are my close friends.

    No man would ever want you to meet his daughter or to have you as a son-in-law.

    Keep conning yourself lil guy.

  • Fatalerror94

    it is a glob of cells

    Well, here’s a question: At what point does the “Glob of cells” stop being just a “Glob of cells” and becomes a real human being?

    When it has eyes?

    When it has a brain?

    When it has a functioning nervous system?

    If you answered “Yes” to any of those criteria then you must recognized that partial birth abortion is nothing less then murder at least.

    As I think about it, your reducing an infant to “a glob of cells” is really creepy, as you can describe any human being- in fact, any living organism on the planet in those terms

  • HG

    but rather empirical facts which moral values are superadded to as one’s political or religious agenda dictates.

    You mean what our coexistence dictates. Without morality there would be no justice, no order, no society.

  • Hannitized

    Kenny utters:

    At all points it is dividing cells. What is it before being human? Potted plant? Mineral? Fried egg with ham?

    A glob of cells. How many different ways do I need to state it to your dense ass?

    Or it’s a unique human life. Danicng around the truth.

    That’s your opinion, mine’s different. You say tomato, I say tom-ah-toe.

    Look, you are trying to hang your hat on your emotional feeling. You aint going to convince me a glob of cells is a human. Period, end of story.

    Quit trying to impress yourself.

  • sayanything-5371

    You aint going to convince me a glob of cells is a human.

    herpes, at what point in your fetal development did you change from a “glob of cells” into a human being?

    Do you ever think what would be if your parents were so cavalier about life as you are?

    I’ve read many of the things you post on here and two things stand out, which are related.

    You worship the socialist state and its power over the individual. The state and the liberal politicians you worship that run it can never be wrong.

    You hold life cheaply. Your views on abortion are just…..monstrous. You view women are nothing more than convenient holes put there for your pleasure to be cast aside. All your boasts about your exploits show you view women as……almost like non-persons. No man would ever want you to meet his daughter or to have you as a son-in-law.

    You can deny and obfuscate about these two deep personality flaws all you want, but everyone else familiar with your posting can see it. You have sociopathic tendencies and are mentally ill.

  • george

    yes, this is a great point and it’s the foundation of why even in cases of rape, abortion is still wrong. You can argue that having an abortion after rape just adds to the mental and physical pain and depression of rape, and you’d be right. But as good of a reason as that is not to have an abortion it is not the #1 reason.

    As you stated Rob, abortion is made an emotional issue and rape is “their” core emotional argument and clouds up the truth that again, a new, unique life has begun.

  • HG

    It amazes me how quickly people cry “morality” when they want their opinions and behavior protected from the conscience of others or society as a whole. It’s similar to playing a game of tag where that one piece of playground equipment is ‘safe’. It always seemed a little unfair that whoever was being chased had that advantage. Whoever was ‘it’ would have to find a way to maintain a pursuit angle that prevented his targets from reaching ‘safe’. I preferred the game without ‘safe’ where everyone had to rely on their own abilities to avoid hearing “tag, you’re it.”

    Morality is human. Whether you believe it is relative or absolute makes little difference because morality is necessary for society. Imagine a society without any moral boundaries whatsoever. It would be an utterly terrifying disaster. Morality is the truest friend of a just society. Remember that the next time you want to discount the morality of an argument, especially when discussing something as serious as abortion.

  • http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

    That is not what i said Kenny. Don’t be an ass.
    I said that when it does become human, it becomes a moral thing. To me, dividing cells aren’t a human life. You can argue that if you wan’t, but please don’t misquote me. It makes you look petty.

    At all points it is dividing cells. What is it before being human? Potted plant? Mineral? Fried egg with ham?

    I didn’t call a glob of cells a potential human. So quit arguing straw men with me. I called them a glob of cells, because that is what they are.

    Or it’s a unique human life. Danicng around the truth.

    There is no scientific argument against abortion either.

    That depends if one is using scientific fact to inform opinion or not. If it is a human life, and killing human life is wrong…then abortion is wrong.

    And while you can make a good moral argument against abortion, you cannot make a winning argument that government should legislate morality. So convenience, as an excuse for abortion, is as good excuse as any other.

    Then one cannot make a case against murder, robbery, rape, etc. Those are all clearly moral.

    science isn’t the only reason to do or not to do something, imho. people who are against abortion yet can rationalize hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths as collateral damage in their war against a concept (terror) which they are constantly trying to manufacture (Cheney) should back their hypocrite wagon up.

    Killing a few people by accident to liberate a country from a monster is sad, but morally ok to save lives. Only the morally bankrupt would see all war to be wrong.

  • http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

    A glob of cells. How many different ways do I need to state it to your dense ass?

    I don’t know. I’m allergic to bullshit and sneeze profusely when you utter your pro-abortion crap.

    By the time a woman realizes she is pregnant, the fetus is starting to develop eyes, arms, jaws, etc.

    As your two sources above prove, abortion lovers can’t make their points without lying.

    Look, you are trying to hang your hat on your emotional feeling. You aint going to convince me a glob of cells is a human. Period, end of story.

    If by “emotional feeling”, you mean “scientific fact” then yes. At conception, a unique human life is created. It slowly divides to become heart, lungs, brain, etc. There is no point during this that it is not unique human life. But it’s nice to pretend there’s this line that divides human from non-human. There is nothing to that argument but pure emotion.

  • http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

    Science knows that at certain points of time, it is just cells, dividing. Our bodies have many cells that we don’t consider a life.

    This is nonsense. Science doesn’t distinguish between cells and life. It talks about the various stages of development, but under no interpretation is it not life.

    A blood clot, a tumor, a bad kidney are all cells in our body.

    A blood clot, a tumor or a bad kidney are a defective part of a human body, that, if left untreated, can kill the whole being. No one believes that blood has rights, only the person who the blood flows through.

    But a fetus, from conception, is not part of the body. It is a unique being, with seperate DNA from the mother. Comparing a child to a kidney is not logic. It’s emotionalism and deception.

    Abortion is a morally tough discussion. But most people understand that if it looks like a glob of cells, and it is a glob of cells, they are not killing what they consider a human being.

    If it’s just a glob of cells, then why is it a morally tough decision? Even the pro-abortion talking points make no sense. Of course it’s life. And everyone knows it. Anything else is just apologetics for the snuffing out of a human life.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/sparkiearbuckle sayanything-81

    lik’s position is clearly flawed. that sort of generalization would have us saving our fingernail clippings.

    developmental biology tells us that there is no specific threshold where these zygotes become humans. normal old biology tells us that species are fictions, making the world ‘human’ a nominal convention. murder does not include abortions, by definition. definitional knowledge and scientific knowledge are different. definition based knowledge is called ‘analytic’ knowledge as one can have it by using the correct definitions and analyzing the situation. synthetic knowledge comes from definitions and from empirical knowledge of the world. murder is analytic. ‘human’, if it denotes, needs to be analytic because ‘species’ are pre-Darwinian fictions. ergo, this is an analytic problem and not a scientific or synthetic problem. naturally – it hinges on legal definitions.

    if you wish to push it back to right and wrong, we can do that, but those are cultural norms, bounded by a culture, language, etc. i think the case needs to be made definitionally because the science does not contain moral facts, but rather empirical facts which moral values are superadded to as one’s political or religious agenda dictates.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/sparkiearbuckle sayanything-81

    science isn’t the only reason to do or not to do something, imho. people who are against abortion yet can rationalize hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths as collateral damage in their war against a concept (terror) which they are constantly trying to manufacture (Cheney) should back their hypocrite wagon up.

    also, if all the right wingers knew how many abortions their daughters have had after ‘bedding’ worthless dirtbags, they’d probably get down and thank the lord for them.

  • http://suitepotato.blogspot.com/ sayanything-4808

    The biggest reason abortion is wrong is because it is not practiced as a no other choices solution to a life and death situation, but rather as a convenience. When killing anything is felt to be okay for such a low level of importance as personal convenience, then there’s something seriously awry with human conscience.

    Liberals look on warfare and cry crocodile tears over collateral damage and lateral casualties, but they are in favor of killing the least able to defend themselves for the sake of personal convenience, the same reason we have fast food and paper towels. A new life reduced to nothing more than a spill on the kitchen linoleum in the human mind.

    On top of it they are frequently cynical haters of their own species, figuring the world would be better off with few to none of us. They also have a frightening tendency for seriously supporting eugenics, euthanasia, sterilization and enforced poverty to name the top methods for population control which they embrace.

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