Is Abortion Morally Equivalent to Murdering Someone?

[Marilyn. 340]

How so?

An ex-boyfriend wants her to have an abortion, but she refuses, so he beats her. The cops are called. He is arrested. She is rushed to the hospital. She is suffering internal bleeding, and the only way to save her life is to terminate her pregnancy early. All attempts are made to preserve the life of her premature child, but at 24 weeks, the situation is close to hopeless, and the infant dies after only a few hours. The mother recovers fully, at least physically.

Should the ex-boyfriend be charged with murder? Did he kill a human being?

I was looking for a news story I heard a long time ago but I couldn't find it but I did find this one...

Keith Antonio Rucker was charged Wednesday with the murder of Kacy Magnolia Roberson and her unborn child in Anderson.

Roberson died of strangulation and a hard blow to the head, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore, who performed an autopsy Wednesday. She was 14 to 15 weeks pregnant with a girl, Shore said. South Carolina law mandates that a person who kills a pregnant woman be held accountable for the death of the woman and the unborn child and face punishment for each.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2011/jan/19/man-charged-murder-pregnant-woman-unborn-child/

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Dude, 6 weeks after conception it still has a freakin' tail!

For many opponents of abortion, it is human life the moment of conception. This is the Catholic Church's stance as well. I understand and accept that sanctity of all life, but I cannot in good conscience believe that human life begins at conception. This is a real problem for me and many modern Catholics.

[The_Dude 1,142]

For many opponents of abortion, it is human life the moment of conception. This is the Catholic Church's stance as well. I understand and accept that sanctity of all life, but I cannot in good conscience believe that human life begins at conception. This is a real problem for me and many modern Catholics.

What a great idea! Lets impose a religious based morality onto everyone regardless of whether or not they are adherents.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

In my opinion the law should be left out of it.

In my opinion it is equivilent to murder, but my opinion should not be forced on others by law. Hence I am anti-abortion in my personal choices and life, but pro-choice when it comes to what LAWS should say.

[Marilyn. 340]

this one might fit better with the scenario...

A 24-year-old Aitkin man has been charged for the attempted murder of an unborn child after allegedly kicking and punching his pregnant wife in the stomach.

Rory Francis Northrup was arrested at a rural Aitkin residence Thursday morning and charged Friday in Aitkin County District Court with first-degree premeditated attempted murder of an unborn child and third-degree assault. Judge Earl E. Maus set unconditional bond or bail at $500,000 and bond or bail with conditions was set at $100,000 with a bond or $15,000 cash.

Aitkin County Sheriff Scott Turner said deputies responded to the rural Aitkin residence at 3:19 a.m. Thursday after the 29-year-old female victim reported Northrup had beat her up and that her eye was swelling. The victim’s name was not released by the sheriff’s department.

Through the investigation deputies learned that the victim was pregnant and that Northrup had repeatedly punched and kicked her in the abdomen area, and that during the assault Northrup also made threats to end the life of the unborn child.

The victim was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd. Information was unavailable on the conditions of the victim and her unborn child, but Turner said the last he had heard both mother and her child were going to recover.

http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2011-01-17/aitkin-man-charged-attempted-murder-unborn-child

[^_^ 5,021]

For many opponents of abortion, it is human life the moment of conception. This is the Catholic Church's stance as well. I understand and accept that sanctity of all life, but I cannot in good conscience believe that human life begins at conception. This is a real problem for me and many modern Catholics.

I personally find "life begins at conception" to be just as absurd as "life begins at birth". The former implies that a bunch of cells is "human" while the latter implies that the defining line of "human" is defined by the date the OB scheduled the C-section (or by how long labor lasts or something just as trivial).

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I personally find "life begins at conception" to be just as absurd as "life begins at birth". The former implies that a bunch of cells is "human" while the latter implies that the defining line of "human" is defined by the date the OB scheduled the C-section (or by how long labor lasts or something just as trivial).

I agree. Some abortion opponents have been pushing to get the Supreme Court to define what is a human being, which would be one potentially effective way to reverse, partially or fully, Roe v. Wade.

[Amby 490]

I was looking for a news story I heard a long time ago but I couldn't find it but I did find this one...

http://www.independe...n-unborn-child/

what about the guy in CA? Scott something. He was charged with the murder of his wife and unborn child.

[Ban Hammer 13,469]

what about the guy in CA? Scott something. He was charged with the murder of his wife and unborn child.

scott peterson?

[The_Dude 1,142]

what about the guy in CA? Scott something. He was charged with the murder of his wife and unborn child.

Scott Peterson? He was tried and convicted I believe for two counts of murder. They considered his intent in determining the 2nd count of 1st degree murder. He wanted to kill his wife and unborn child so that he could be with his mistress.

[sandinista! 1,816]

I personally find "life begins at conception" to be just as absurd as "life begins at birth". The former implies that a bunch of cells is "human" while the latter implies that the defining line of "human" is defined by the date the OB scheduled the C-section (or by how long labor lasts or something just as trivial).

a human zygote possesses the same genetic material that distinguishes it as being a ** sapien though. it possesses the human genome, the same as you or me. while there are developmental changes, that genetic material never changes. unless you have a different definition for what constitutes a human, other than genetic material? do tell.

[The_Dude 1,142]

a human zygote possesses the same genetic material that distinguishes it as being a ** sapien though. it possesses the human genome, the same as you or me. while there are developmental changes, that genetic material never changes. unless you have a different definition for what constitutes a human, other than genetic material? do tell.

A consciousness?

[slim 1,530]

Would you rather be in prison for the duration? Is probation really that bad? You broke the law, hence you forefit some rights (in your case until it is restored). If you don't like it, you can always move to Somalia where there is no government intervention. Do you think that everyone should be issued a firearm upon their release from jail or probation? Sorry, I'd rather not arm the criminals.

I'm not in prison for the duration so why are some of my rights being stripped? Also, I'm on probation for longer than I could've been imprisoned. Therefore the government has "control" over me for longer than they legally could've had I done all my time locked up.

I can't move to Somalia, I'm on probation.

As for issuing guns to folks released from jail or probation I don't think we should pay to arm them but if they're already privately armed I don't see a problem with them remaining under arms, provided they're otherwise legally allowed to do so. What probation does is it strips the rights away from folks who would otherwise be free to practice them.

I don't see any reasoning behind that other than folks just don't know it's going on. Prior to this incident, I had no idea citizens convicted of misdemeanors (non-DV charges) were being stripped of their rights to own firearms. That's a problem.

Why did he wait till 24 weeks to beat her? He should have beat her much earlier

Exactly! Some folks would have you think it's OK as long as it happened after a certain date. That's #######! Either it is or it isn't.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A consciousness?

Under both your definitions, your are getting more that 99% of the way to defining chimps as human.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Exactly! Some folks would have you think it's OK as long as it happened after a certain date. That's #######! Either it is or it isn't.

You meant before, didn't you?