Re: The life and soul debate.

Ok, I just got home from a Debate super conference, so I decided to type this post while in a debatable mood :]

While on my search for other opinions, I found many people who were willing to offer theirs up. Other than my blog, I reached out to the Myspace community and the gURL.com forum boards, and I got quite a few responses. I picked out the ones that mainly caught my eye.

This one is from Meg, from the gURL forum:

Oh gawd PLZ dont get me started on this -oops too late- I am SOOO against abortion. its wrong!instead of abortion have the baby...put it up for adoption!yeah...if u did get raped and u dont want to have if coz of the memory...put it up 4 adoption! i mean CMON! im SOOOOO sick or ppl asking advice on abortion! go wit ur heart;hopefully ur gunna make the right choicebut remember.abortions have side effects lyk 4 ex; guilt;depression;sadness;ect

Love

Meg

Well Meg, if you actually read my post, you would see that I in fact am not pregnant, but ya know, I get what you're talking about with the side effects. However, it's only suitable to think that if they're going through with the abortion they would fully know what they were getting into. Also, what would you suggest for a baby born of incest? They could be born with many health, or physical problems-- don't forget if they want to actually look for their parents, imagine how freaked out they would be if they found out that their parents were brother/sister uncle/niece or other things.

Another reply from hopefullymommy on gURL(same thread):

That is a personal decision. I'm in the middle. It's not my business if someone decides to have one. I wouldn't have one myself. The only time I think it's absolutely horrible is when it's used as a form of birth control. I have an "ex" friend (we just don't talk anymore) who has had 4+ abortions- and I think that is wrong, she uses it as BC. BUT it had no effect on our friendship, and it was her choice.

Now, with your friend, that is where I start to question abortion. However, it was her choice-- so I guess whatever works for her, it's her money and fetus.

This was from meaniechristeanie from gURL:

I personlly believe life starts at conception, because right then and there, God knows EXACTLY who that baby is, and what that baby will do with it's life.

And while in the womb, the baby can think, considering it can tell the difference from there mothers voice, to anyone elses voice.

Ok, it says that ". You have no thoughts, you are basically just there and growing. I remember when I was three and my parents lived in a tiny apartment and I played on the stairs."

Well, i don't remember anything from when i was 0-3 years, so why can't you just kill me then, i wont remember anything? Thats basically what you're saying. And the baby does have a soul in the womb. What makes a difference between the baby in the womb one second, and it coming out of the vag in the next 3 seconds? Everything that baby does when it come out, it could do when it was in the womb. You just can't see it.

Yes, I know while in the womb a baby moves around, which is why when people get abortions they get them early on. I never said that I wanted to abort babies in the third trimester or anything. Also, the soul/memory issue didn't apply to that, I was just stating how I think that when we are babies, we're basically like empty shells. Sort of like a clean slate also.

Also, my friend Asstin replied to a bulletin I sent out:
Here's some comments also from the bulletin:Yes, Lizzel you did in fact tell the truth. Right now my inbox is so spammed it's not even funny. The least they could do was spell abortion right.

And Michelle, don't you think the term mass murder is a little harsh? I mean as my friends Stormy and Bekka say, Look at China: no offense, but they are over populating the world, which of course leads to food shortages, and impoverished families. Again with the adoption issue-- I already mentioned it. Also, no my mom didn't have an abortion, but I bet she's wishing she had one now after all the crap I put her through.

Now for some of the comments from my blog:

Periodic Encounters--

I am also pro choice/legalized abortion for many of those reasons. I personally think that life begins at birth, but abortions do get more dangerous the further along someone is and for that reason if someone decides to have an abortion they should definitely do it as soon as they can. As for the religious stuff, I'm not religious so that doesn't apply to my views on what is wrong or right. Also, just to add another bit about why I believe in legalized abortions, I don't think some people realize that some women get pregnant and they just cannot support a baby and then the whole adoption argument arises. Here's the thing though, going through a pregnancy, even if you don't plan to keep the kid, is still extremely expensive (checkups, vitamins, etc) if you do not have health insurance and many people don't. Sure, they got pregnant in the first place, but what if it was because of a broken condom? Or rape? Or something as simple as forgetting to have protected sex? Should someone who has no desire to have a baby be forced to carry it to term? Another thing while on the topic, Bush wants to redefine abortion and make contraceptives illegal (birth control, etc) for women which I think is a horrible idea. Not only will this completely do away with many "safe sex" practices seeing as BC is the most affective, but it send us back in time where just having contraceptives was something to be scorned. People are going to have sex, it's just how things are, they should have the means to at least chose practices that don't lead to pregnancy. Not to mention, there will always be women who want abortions and, if they aren't legal, they're going to turn to dangerous methods to get them. Most importantly, like you stated, women get to choose what happens to them, its their body and I don't think other people should have an influence over that.

Wow, again I'm always happy to read your comments. They're very informed, even for a comment that was probably composed in a couple of minutes. Plus you basically just covered almost all the arguments that are being made against me in my inbox -.-

Koko--

i make a concious decision not to choose either side, because I would, in effect, be putting the other side down.. and I refuse to do that.. "to each his own" and whatnot..

I will say that around the end of the second/beginning of the third trimester womb-babies do cry, suck their thumbs, open their eyes, etc.... so PERHAPS the SOUL starts then, which is why it is DEFINITELY illegal to abort during that time..

either way, nothing says it better than: don't do what YOU don't agree with... and mind your own business...

It's good that you've made that decision for yourself. Also, with the soul issue, I think that might be true-- but then again all we have is theories. I really like that thought though.

Celery--

i have to say, i agree with about 50% of ur blog, and disagree about 50%. i personally dont support abortion, but i dont look down on people that do. i do have to say though, that i believe that all aborted fetuses should go towards stem-cell research.

just one of the reasons i dont support abortions is i see it as a cowardly thing to do. im not saying that people that have abortions are cowards, i just feel that they are taking an easy way out of a careless mistake. i believe that if you are "mature" enough to make the decision to have sex, you should be responsible and consider the cons of ill-preparation. i definately agree that we should be left to make our own decisions, and that no one should have the audacity to look down on anyone for their actions. but although we should all have the right to make our own decisions, i believe that if you get pregnant, then you should have your baby and put it up for adoption, if you still feel the same after having the baby.

OFF TOPIC:
is it just me, or is the spelling of fetus really ignorant looking?

I get what you're saying, and I like the stem cell research idea. At least then, you could argue that the dead fetuses are going toward a productive cause. And of course, you have your own personal preference, but it's nice that you don't discriminate. Dude, now that you mention it, the spelling does look really stupid...... hehe.

Overall, I liked how this turned out. It was an informative thing that I might consider doing again, however for the sake of my brain and all the school work I have to do I might not do another collective debate for a while. Also, my time has now been pre occupied with DDR seeing as how my parents bought it for me last night!