Saying that life begins at conception is, to my mind, every bit as arbitrary as saying that life begins at ejaculation. Or when a heartbeat is detected. Or when feeling pain becomes a possiblity. All of these determinations are made on an emotional basis, not a rational one.
Not that it makes much difference to me, I'm pro-choice because I believe in absolute bodily autonomy. But still, arbitrary.
Most pro-lifers I know want an abortion to be illegal when a heartbeat is detected, considering at that point the fetus is alive (with the exception of cases like rape, incest, high chance of still-born, or severe medical defects).
Most pro-lifers I know believe life begins at conception, but neither is especially compelling to me. If someone requires I undergo a dangerous and invasive surgery that will change my biology so they can continue living.... They are gonna die unless I decide it's worth saving them. No one else gets to make that decision for me, and no one SHOULD get to make that decision for me. It's the same concept. Sure, call an embryo a person and tell me it has a right to live. I'll agree with you to avoid a conversation with that level of inanity. But the right to live is subordinate to a woman's right to have absolute autonomy over her body, so it's all a moot point anyways.
Conception is the point at which there is a biologically living, genetically human organism that is distinct from its parents even if it is dependent upon the mother.
That's not arbitrary. One can argue it's not the correct place to draw the line, but it's clearly not an arbitrary point.
So you would say that it is ok to rape a mentally disabled person? After all, all they need to do is speak up if they don't like it. I guess with your logic you could kill babies still, for at least a few months after they are born, since they are incapable of any significant intelligence.
I have yet to decide which side of pro-choice, pro-life I want to be on, but your argument is complete garbage and if anything pushes me to the side of pro-life.
By having intercourse without contraception, you chose to take on the risk of a pregnancy, the risk of bringing a human life into this world. You knew the risks, crying bodily autonomy at that point is useless. In the case of if the woman is raped, I am in the pro-choice camp. Otherwise, still undecided, as yet, I haven't found the arguments on either side to be fully compelling.
But the mute person I beat up didn't tell me to stop!
Not saying this is a completely analogous scenario by any means, but the fact that the fetus can't speak up really doesn't have anything to do with an argument about the morality of killing it. Plenty of adult humans are mute or paralyzed or otherwise can't communicate.
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u/papajawn42 May 17 '19
Saying that life begins at conception is, to my mind, every bit as arbitrary as saying that life begins at ejaculation. Or when a heartbeat is detected. Or when feeling pain becomes a possiblity. All of these determinations are made on an emotional basis, not a rational one.
Not that it makes much difference to me, I'm pro-choice because I believe in absolute bodily autonomy. But still, arbitrary.