au1929 wrote:Brown
Difficult to put this into words. However, let me try.
The religious right believes that life begins at conception therefore abortion at any time is immoral. And thus based upon their religious concepts abortion should be made illegal. My answer to that is if you believe it to be immoral don't practice it. However, what right do you have imposing your religious beliefs upon me.
When does life begin? Science doesn't provide an answer for this one. This decision must be based on something more than science.
My wife is 3 months pregnant. We have heard the heartbeat and I must say, to me this baby is very much alive (and you would risk bodily harm if you suggested otherwise to my wife)
The debate about when life begins is interesting. Some way "conception", some say "when the baby is viable" and perhaps others would say "at birth". All three of these points in time are scientifically defined. I can measure the point of conception with great accuracy and the point of viability has a very well defined meaning.
Science says absolutely nothing about when life begins. What you believe about this is based on your values, and yes, your religion.
Finally, I have never argued that I, or anyone else, has the right to impose their religion on you.
However, without question, society has the right to impose
values on you. This means that as a society we decide what actions we feel are so immoral that we will not accept from you.
I will not allow you to have sex with kids kids. Period. I will not allow you to own a slave or to buy a kidney from a poor person even if you both agree. These are all morals that are imposed on you. Sorry, but that is the price you pay for living in a society.
The morals are agreed on by us as a society and instituted in laws. We have a democratic process for making these decisions.
Whether people hold these values because of a religion is irrelevent. Like it or not, most of us come from Christian backgrounds and most of us still indentify is Christianity. But it really doesn't matter, people can and will base their values on whatever they want.
If a vast majority of people in a society believe that abortion is immoral, than abortion will be made immoral. Rape is illegal for exactly this reason.
Other than dictatorship, there is no other way.