On enacting laws banning abortions, I do not think we are in as much disagreement as you think.
I agree that before enacting any laws banning abortion (or any other law) the consequences of its enactment should be considered. Prior to Roe V. Wade most states had laws that prohibited abortions except in some circumstances yet illegal abortions were relatively infrequent, especially in comparison to what we see today. Would we return to that equation if abortions were once again made illegal? Probably not - once the practice has become widespread and acceptable in the eyes of much of society it becomes almost impossible to take us back to the way it was.
If the vast majority of the populace agreed on the reasons for banning abortions, enforcement would not be a problem but that is not the case - those who do not look at abortions as "the taking of a human life" would look for ways around whatever anti-abortion laws were enacted. For that reason I do not think that making abortions illegal is a viable solution at this time in our nation and that will probably remain the case. As a practical matter, laws that are not agreed with by a large part of society simply become unenforcible. In a perfect world I would support a ban on abortions, but we are far from being in a perfect world. Until such time as laws banning abortion have much more public support, my opposition to abortion will have to be confined to attempting to persuade others to alter their support for it.
That does not mean that I believe abortions are acceptable - I do not. As I have posted to you before, for myself the question comes down to "when is the fetus imbued with the breath of life" and I do not know the answer to that question. I have been looking into the Judaic position based on Genesis 2:7, and have found it equally unconvincing as a proof text. Adam was created from the dust of the ground in his fully adult state, never going through the normal stages of gestation and birth, so to take his case as the norm seems to be reading into the text more than what is there. So far, I have not found any other support for the position, but I am still looking.
I have never advocated making homosexual behavior illegal, and feel the same way about that as I do abortions (#msg-787044). I continue to believe that homosexual behavior is a sin before God and is wrong as very clearly stated in numerous passages of Scripture, but passing laws to criminalize the behavior would be a waste of time and effort. Like for all sins, the ultimate Judge will be the Lord.
While I am at it, I also would not want this to become a "Christian nation" by fiat (#msg-787217).
Zeev, with all due respect I don't fully understand your position on abortion. Because I have grown to appreciate your reasoned approach to so many issues, I am certain that you gave much thought to something this important before taking a stand. Perhaps you could clarify your thinking for me.
While appreciating the concern that you have for those who would continue to seek abortion were it made illegal in this country, I don't hear much sympathy for the other life involved. I realize there is disagreement as to what stage a "fetus" is considered a life. Still, it would appear that this is a weak argument. We all know, after all, that it is only a matter of time, and not a question of whether birth would otherwise occur. In the development of your position have you considered the scientific evidence of the birth process?
I wish that you would not so readily disqualify those who oppose abortion simply as religious "vigilantees". Surely pro life reasons are every bit as considered as those who would favor choice. If those who oppose the destruction of the fetuses were not to stand up, who would defend the rights of the only innocents amongst us. I don't pretend to fully comprehend all issues of a woman desiring the right to terminate a pregnancy. Certainly there are instances which tear at our heartstrings to include rape, incest, deformities and the possible loss of life of the mother. Each of these issues create ethical dilemmas on which I am hard pressed to form an opinion. Still I admire the women who choose to carry these pregnancies to term because of their reverence for the value of the life within them.
But, it is the convenient destruction of a perfectly formed baby developing in a womb simply because one is unwed, or financially not prepared, or unwilling to have their lives complicated that evokes outrage in those opposed to abortion. This while there are would be parents who must wait for years for the opportunity to adopt a child.
I appreciate your position that abortion is already permitted and to reverse Roe vs Wade would constitute a take back. But how can those who believe abortion to be nothing less than licensed murder find any solace with that argument? No one is completely unsympathetic to the plight of women with unwanted pregnancies. No one wants women to again be subjected to the back alley butchers who would prey on those electing to abort despite its illegality. The dilemma is monumental and there can be no perfect solution. But to those who respect the sanctity of life, the laws as they stand are untenable.
Zeev, I was born just after WWII, but I would hope that, had I been living in Germany during the persecution of the Jews, I would have been one of the first to step forward to oppose a government which so callously denied the rights of a group of people simply because of their ethnic persuasion. While I realize that the Nazi government took the lead in Semitic persecution this was only possible because reasoned people did nothing to stop it. Could the public be excused for their inactivity simply because this treatment was made lawful in their country. How different is it then from the rights of the unborn, those unable to fend for themselves, that can be vacuumed from a womb limb by limb; protected only by a 24 hour moratorium?
This issue is not being pressed by a small faction of "religious zealots". There is hardly a Christian or Catholic Church that does not oppose abortion in a land reported to be 70% Christian. I am not pretending that all Christians think like-minded any more than any other faith or ethnic group. I am suggesting that those who oppose abortion are significant, are organized and are demanding to be heard on this issue. Roe vs Wade will be revisited in the courts and this issue will continue to be contested regardless of the outcome.
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