restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations
Viewing Human Life as Property: Logically Defeating Liberalisms Slippery Abortion Arguments
Basically, the abortion argument can be simplified down to three basic questions:
A. Do you view the conceived entity (embryo, fetus, baby) as a human being?
B. Do you place any value on this life?
C. What basic rights does this entity deserve?
I dont see how this conceived entity could be interpreted as anything other than a human being, homo sapiens, or any other moniker denoting humanness that you wish to give it. Its certainly not a duck or an alligator. In the earliest stages of pregnancy, the baby may not resemble a full grown human being, but some people with physical deformities do not resemble normal people either. Does this mean we can indiscriminately kill those with deformity due to their different physical characteristics?
When do you place value on human life? Do some people have more value than others? Does an innocent life have no value and deserve death due to the motives of others and not its own merit? Does an unborn baby who is 6 weeks old have less value than an unborn baby of 20 or 30 weeks? Does an unborn baby have less value than a baby who has been delivered? If so, what has changed other than the fact that the delivered baby breathes air and the unborn does not? Does a human life that is incapable of surviving on its own merit deserve to die? If so, do we then kill all of the premature babies kept alive by machines in the neo-natal ICU? What kind of standards are we using to determine the value placed on a particular person?
Are all people created equal, or are some more equal than others and more deserving of life? Do those who cannot defend themselves verbally or physically deserve whatever we determine their fate should be? Do those who cannot (as yet) sustain their own life deserve death? If so, do we immediately kill the elderly and infirm whose life is currently being sustained by life support or other measures, such as a feeding tube? What is the difference between an elderly person who is incompetent (physically and/or mentally) and a human fetus other than the physical size of the people involved?
Do we view people as property, determining value based on the intent of the property owner? If a baby is wanted by its mother does it have value? If it is unwanted does that value disappear? Do the whims of the mother dictate the very value of the life of the child? My television has value until I decide I do not want it anymore and put it out on my curb as trash. Do we now treat human life in the same manner that we treat property? To be disposed of when it no longer holds value for us like so much trash?
Do the unborn deserve any basic human rights? Terrorists and prisoners of war held in Guantanamo Bay Cuba receive more courtesy and human rights than the unwanted unborn. Do the unborn deserve the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? If you believe they do not deserve any rights, why not? Because they cannot speak (as yet)? Deaf mute people do not speak. Should we forcibly dismember them or burn them to death and throw them into a dumpster like we do with aborted babies? Do the unborn have no value because they cannot communicate in the same way as adult humans do? Should we empty the hospitals of unconscious persons and those in comas to toss them out with the garbage? Those in comas may never recover, while a baby will surely be capable of speech and communication in just a short time if left to its normal developmental processes.
Sadly, the unborn do not have any rights or value today in America. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness applies to some, but not all, of us. Apparently, it only applies to those who are capable of defending themselves from such brutal attack.
If you support abortion, please ask yourself the questions above. Think about your answers and the mental gymnastics required to support the continued legalization of abortion. Do we as Americans want this holocaust as our legacy? Denial, self-delusion, and ignorance cloud the abortion debate. Critical thinking and logical conclusions are necessary for the average person to form an intelligent and informed decision regarding this topic. So much liberal propaganda and outright false information envelops this subject that it is difficult to have an intelligent debate with abortion supporters.
This argument has been based on logic, and not religious imperatives. Religious imperatives, I have found, do not necessarily exclude some Christians from supporting abortion. For religious arguments and Scripture that opposes abortion, as well as descriptions of the horrific methods of abortion, see my web page on this topic.
July 7, 2004
John Leone is a police officer in New Jersey, the editor of the Silverback Standard, and a staunch defender of biblical and constitutional government. He may be reached for comment here.