What are your views on abortion?

[Iormlund]

Other: Morally neutral as long as it's just a clump of cells without higher functions. Necessary evil in case of significant risk to the mother. Morally good in case of significant malformation or disease. Understandable in case of rape.

[Phillip V]

Yeah, I think personally most people would fall somewhere between option 3 and 4 on the poll (I know I fluctuate between the two). So it makes me wonder why there is so much controversy on this issue (most recently in Poland) - it seems like extremists on both sides tend to hijack the issue for political gain.

I don't really get the rationale of #4.  I understand it as a practical matter, but it isn't really logical.  It seems to me that the unborn fetus either is or isn't a human being.  If it isn't, then #2 would seem to be the logical choice.  If it is, then #5 would be the logical choice.  If it isn't a human life at conception, but becomes human at some point before birth, then #3 (or really, a blend of #2 and #3) makes sense.

I don't claim to know at what point a developing fetus becomes human.  I think it probably is human some time before birth, but I have a lot of doubts about it being human at conception.

I consider the fetus to be human life, but the woman writes her own Constitution inside her body, so the castle doctrine is usually applied, meaning she can legally kill her unborn baby.

[Monoriu]

I have no problem with ejecting the combination of a sperm and an egg from a mother's body, one day after the sperm has entered the egg, for whatever reason.

I have serious problem with shooting the belly of a pregnant woman one day before the baby is born and getting away with murder. 

I think a line needs to be drawn somewhere in between.

[grumbler]

I presume, since the question is what my views are, that they would be my morals

I find it very unfortunate and I hope we can work on birth control technology to give women control of their bodies before pregnancy occurs. As things stand now legal and safe abortions are only rational way to go. I hope, though, that eventually we can make them unnecessary or at least extremely rare. Human life should be as sacred as possible, under the circumstances.

That's pretty much my position word for word.

[grumbler]

I don't really get the rationale of #4.  I understand it as a practical matter, but it isn't really logical.  It seems to me that the unborn fetus either is or isn't a human being.  If it isn't, then #2 would seem to be the logical choice.  If it is, then #5 would be the logical choice.  If it isn't a human life at conception, but becomes human at some point before birth, then #3 (or really, a blend of #2 and #3) makes sense.

I don't claim to know at what point a developing fetus becomes human.  I think it probably is human some time before birth, but I have a lot of doubts about it being human at conception.

I agree that #4 has always puzzled me.  Why should rape or incest be an issue?  If the issue is the right of the woman to control her body, then rape and incest don't come into it.  If the issue is the right of the fetus to live, then the method of conception is irrelevant, since the fetus had nothing to do with the method of conception and is as innocent as it would be if the sex was consensual.

[CountDeMoney]

If it can fit in a blender, puree it.

Whatever gets traffic moving in the morning.

[DontSayBanana]

I personally couldn't make the call if it were me.  However, this isn't a perfect world, and biology's made it so I'll never have to make the ultimate call on that.

Killing is killing, so I actually view it as a range where the limits are set by medical science.  If the fetus could reasonably survive with minimal to moderate medical assistance, I'm against abortion (with the caveat that the mother isn't held liable for the infant's care).  As medical science improves, I see there being less and less of a window where abortion is acceptable, but like Valmy, I hope that contraception advances at roughly the same rate (especially emergency contraception for the cases of rape, incest, and significant maternal health risk).

[Eddie Teach]

I agree that #4 has always puzzled me.  Why should rape or incest be an issue?  If the issue is the right of the woman to control her body, then rape and incest don't come into it.  If the issue is the right of the fetus to live, then the method of conception is irrelevant, since the fetus had nothing to do with the method of conception and is as innocent as it would be if the sex was consensual.

Well, the way the quiz is worded, #4 is also what you'd pick if the only exception you'd grant is when it endangers the life of the mother.

Though I can understand why some people insist on a rape and incest exception as well. At heart, you're balancing the right to life of the one organism vs the right to privacy/autonomy/getting rid of a parasite of another organism. In most cases, the second/mother bears some of the responsibility for the state of affairs. A temporary loss of privacy could be weighted more heavily if the mother is a victim of someone else's assault rather than her own bad judgment.

[Martinus]

For the record, no. 4 just lists possible examples (which are most commonly applied by restrictive legislation), it does not have to mean you agree with each of the examples - the idea behind voting for no. 4 is you believe abortion should be illegal except in exceptional circumstances where there is a special motive (whereas under no. 3 you believe that abortion should generally be legal irrespective of the motive).

[viper37]

Because we haven't had that discussion for a while.

somewhere between 2 and 3, depending on what you mean exactly.

I sure don't think it's cool or casual (really, I don't believe anyone, well, any woman, would gladly get an abortion any day of the week), I'm not totally certain it's totally neutral, yet I don't find it "morally negative".

I think for the most part, the Quebec system is working, and I'm glad we are investing a little more in sexual education now, from a younger age, despite the teacher's protests.  It could lead to a reduced abortion rate, maybe.  And that would be a good thing.

[jimmy olsen]

1st Trimester should be legal. 2nd and 3rd Trimester should be illegal unless the life of the mother is endangered.

So, halfway between 3 and 4 on that list.

The state should provide free pre and post natal care, ensure manditory maternal leave, etc.

[Solmyr]

This poll is somewhat useless anyway, since most Languishites are men and don't have any grounds to decide what women do with their bodies.

[Martinus]

This poll is somewhat useless anyway, since most Languishites are men and don't have any grounds to decide what women do with their bodies.

[Lettow77]

I view it as something not to talk about on Languish.

This is the most appropriate response. It's a very divisive and unclean subject.

[Martinus]

I view it as something not to talk about on Languish.

This is the most appropriate response. It's a very divisive and unclean subject.

That is why I asked people to vote in a poll, not to necessarily debate different positions. I tried to represent all typical stances and while some people immediately started to challenge some of them as ridiculous, the fact that people in fact voted for all of them is a proof that they are legitimately held.

I think it is one of these topics were a compromise and middle ground is actually helpful because you have a legitimate contlict of values.