Those of you attacking Paula focus on the weakest area of her belief, that is that a few day old embryo is life. I grant this is not an easy psition to intellectually sustantiate, but is a valid belief.
However to those of you who do not beleive this is a life. When do you believe a foetus is a life then?
Would it be at birth?
Would it be when the baby is 'viable'? Which is an ver decreasing number of weeks. And if so why are we so fixted with the idea of viability? As if being dependent on another makes a life worthless.
Very premature babies are often entirely dependent on technology to keep them alive. There is a professor in the US (can't remeber the name) who argues that these babies should also be legally and humanely killed, and that profoundly disabled babies even born at term should be able to be legally killed also.
This he argues is logically consistent with abortion law as it stands.
Of course this also fits with infanticide recognised in some cultures for the same reasons many of you use to justifty abortion.
Of course this deals with abortion at the very late end of the spectrum, when alot less, but still a large number of abortions take place.
So what about a 12 week foetus? Surely the not a life and just a clump of cells opinion does not apply here? Or does it?
How many of you pored over your 12 week photos, marvelling a the little fingers and nose and how beautifully formed they were? Is this not a life?
Bassmama told PPb that she should not express her opinion as it causes hurt to women who have had abortions, and that women who've had abortions go through immense depression and hurt. You will find if you look back through the thread that others earlier were disagreeing with PPb when she was expressing the hurt abortion causes women, and claiming this hurt was a myth and they felt nothing but relief about thier abortions.
Of course if women do suffer depression and hurt following abortion ( and I know some who have and some who haven't) we need to consider why that might be??
This is a painful topic, but in order to have an adult debate, certain facts and opinions need to be heard.
Certain opinions against Paula, have been much more ludicrous than anything she has said.
E.g.
'don't you take antiobiotics?' I would have thought anyone following this deabte would appreciate the life is sacred attitude is refering to human life, and either that was willful misunderstadning or plain stupidity.
Also 'cancerous tumours are alive should we kill those?' er yes. Surey we all agree on that? (and comparing foetus to cancerous tumour..nice.)
Anyway just wanted to highlight that the arguemnts against Paula are not as logical and well constructed as you may be thinking.
Try to argue away from the extremes and the whole debate gets tricker. Let's not discuss the 4 cell embryo, or the women with such severe mental health problems that she might commit suicuide. They do exist but are the minority.
What about a 14week foetus with a mother who has a boyfriend and job, but who does not want a child at this point in her life due to career and lifestyle?
I understand Caligulas point of view (but obviously disagree) that womens rights are paramount, and therefore her, I don't care if it's a life comment fits with that and is consistent.
Paula and I care whether it is a life or not, and those of you arguing on this point presumably do also?