In response to a comment in another thread about the unreasonable nature of the 'Pro-Life' crowd, this is a thread to discuss what is a very important subject.
Abortion - either the removal of 'unwanted biological material' or unthinking genocide.
That's not hyperbole, it's what I believe is the severe reality of the question.
Either unborn babies/foetuses are human beings or they are not. If they are not, then what you do with them is subject to rules about what you do with your own body, or something along those lines. If they are then what you do with them is subject to the laws governing human persons and their rights and that means millions of human children have been being killed for years now.
My position on this is clear. I believe that foetuses are full human beings. I've found no argument convincing to the contrary. I have no desire to be cruel or unkind to mothers in difficult situations, but whatever the difficulties that must, compassionately, be faced, they must be faced in the same way as we would a mother with a newborn baby or small child. Just as it is not right to kill a small child to solve even the most serious problems caused to someone else - the same is true for foetuses.
I have to say that even if I felt unsure about the status of the child I would still be against abortion because the potential question would be the same. A human life would be too big to risk in such uncertainty.
Considering this question - what makes us human? Why do we have rights?
Naturally speaking, (I will leave theological questions out of it) - all human beings have at least this one thing in common. We are all born having gone through the same process. The gestational process is part of what it means to be human. Stating that humans somehow 'become' human along the way seems completely arbitrary and artificial and irrational. What are the other things which make us human? Age, intellect, physical ability, ability of expression, physical location? We are who we are. Can we steal away the rights we give to all human beings simply because they are young, unable to speak, or of limited mental and physical capacity? Even 'viability' (there's a euphemism I dislike) outside the womb is irrelevant. If a perfectly health human baby is born, it will still require the care and sustenance of other human beings or it will die. The feeding method or shelter may change but the principle is the same. A needy human being, dependent upon us.
That for me is the central question.
All other arguments are contingent upon this one and can be answered by simply asking whether the problem could otherwise be solved by killing a 5 year old.
Now, that said, the whole issue in general brings up many social issues which need consideration. Some of the most serious of which being - how to care for unwanted children - how to best to recognise and care for the needs of pregnant women (especially those facing social stigma) - how best to identify the needs of and care for victims of rape. These need looking at and solving. However, I don't believe the answer to any of these can ever be - kill someone?