My Thoughts On Abortion

I believe I’ve stated some things on this before, but I’m going to again, after reading Almost a Sarah’s entry about partial-birth abortions.  I’m not going to comment on those because I don’t know enough, I’m just going to stick to the regular debate.

So many people want to debate and argue the merit of the "when life begins" argument.  If it’s not a conscious being that has thought patterns and brain waves and all that, it’s not a person and therefore isn’t murder and is therefore excuseable.

Well, I’m out here in the state of Kansas, though I’m sure I never edited that for OD and it says I’m still in New Jersey, and this place is the tip of the Bible belt’s buckle, I’m sure.  I saw abortion sign after abortion sign coming here.  Two stuck in my head: :God is pro-life," and "How much does an abortion cost?  One human life."

Going from the religious angle, you’d think that the people in the Bible belt, the ones out here who claim to be so God-fearing and religious would realize that no, God wouldn’t be pro-life.  Pro-life means that the baby is born, no questions asked.  Which also means that the mother is stripped of her rights to make a decision to abort or not.  Which means she no longer has free will.  Which is what God granted us.  Therefore, no, God is not pro-life, because it takes away the right to free will He granted us.  He gave us the ability to make our own choices and though I’m sure it saddens Him when abortion is the choice a woman makes, He granted us that ability.

Now the second sign, I agree with wholeheartedly.  People can debate however long they want about when life begins and all that, but the end result is clear.  You are making the decision to abort something that would have, whether you believe it is now or not, would have become a baby.  And that is a heavy price to pay.

Most people who know me know that I don’t approve of premarital sex.  I especially don’t approve of the casual way that people talk about it.  "Oh, yeah, I got laid for three hours last night by my girlfriend," and such like that.  I seriously don’t understand how it’s just become something to do on a Saturday night instead of the sacred bonding between two people one their wedding night.  I admit, Mike said this initially, but I still agree completely.  There are almost no brides anymore who can truly wear white.  White is supposed to represent a virginal color, purity.  And a big part of that purity means that you haven’t given yourself to anyone in a sexual way before.  Too many people not only have had sex with the one they’re walking down the aisle with, but with multiple people before them!

And again I state that if the two people honestly believe they’re in love, why not wait?  Why not wait until those rings are on your fingers and it’s something special that you know you’ve both waited and saved yourselves for?

I do understand and acknowledge that it’s the couple’s choice of when/if to have sex and whether they do it when they’re married or not, but it ties back in with the abortion issue.  Because so often, people have said to me, "Well, we’ve talked about the consequences."  Whoop-dee-freakin’-do.  All the talking in the world won’t help if pregnancy does happen.  Babies take a lot more than just talking.  They require planning, money, space, time, and a Hell of a lot of responsibility.  And if someone isn’t ready for everything that a baby entails, then they shouldn’t have sex.

Yeah, I know.  I probably sound like I’m preaching.  I guess in a way I am, because even those I know, or have heard of, who talk things out with their partner and are ‘mature enough to make their own informed decisions,’ and such are not ready, in my opinion, to truly be able to deal with ALL of the consequences of having a child.  Maybe they have the money issue down.  Okay, what about time or space?  Maybe they can handle the responsibility, can find baby-sitters, can manage the time, have the space, but what about money?  Maybe they have the time, but nothing else.  Maybe they have the space, but nothing else.

Having sex is a gamble, plain a simple.  And there are more than enough times in a married couple’s life where that gamble is one they want to win.  They want to have that child, they want to continue their bloodline, etc.  But if someone takes that gamble before they’re ready to handle everything that comes with it, there’s a very good chance they’re going to lose, and a baby is going to pay as a result of it.  Whether through abortion and never getting to have a life, or being adopted out/having to stay in an orphanage for however long, or being kept by the original parents/parent and possibly living in poverty their entire childhood life.  Or being mistreated, made to feel they were a ‘mistake.’  Whichever choice happens, the kid is the one who pays because of the parents’ misjudgment.  Talk about the sins of the father falling on the son, huh?

Now granted, that’s not a guarantee of the life a child might have.  Dolly, for instance, is forging a pretty good life for her and Bobby.  She’s away from Eric, she’s getting married to Zeb, Bobby’s going to have two good parents who will treat him right and at least try their damnedest to never let him lack for anything.  But to be honest, that’s the rare exception instead of the rule.

Okay, I’m going to step off my soapbox now.