Shocking wrote:
I draw a line somewhere. A fetus at (max 24 weeks old) has no discernable traits to identify it as a human being other than its possession of organs and its shape.
Nor does a baby. Even it's more developed functions are shared among mammals and most other animals as well.
It's as alive as the grass in your yard,
Present tense. This is what I'm asking, if something is not presently conscious, is okay to kill? You haven't addressed that question(as far as I've seen).
it's not murder as you can't possibly equate it to an actual human being at the moment of abortion, regardless of wether or not it could become a human.
I can because I can't see a meaningful difference between it and a baby. Unless you're willing to concede a baby as "non-human" I'm afraid I can't come to that conclusion.
And that in itself, for me, does not justify forcing any party involved to suffer; if the woman is not ready and does not want the baby I see no reason why you should force her to keep it. The 'every fetus deserves to live' argument really doesn't break it, it doesn't even make sense.
Altruism is noble in its intentions but impossible in application. Sometimes people suffer, minimalizing suffer shouldn't be the only focus of morality.
Are you going to be there to help the woman in her time of need or is the baby her own problem after you forced her to keep it?
I never forced her to keep it. She can always put it up for adoption. However, if you're asking me should we condone the ending of a conscious(I'll use that instead of murder) potential or otherwise, just to minimize suffering, no I don't. Her suffering is a direct result of her actions (with the exception of rape).
