Reply #16: I can understand your postion

[Malva Zebrina]

I have just a couple of comments

First--it is important to be word conscious-- the majority of abortions performed, are not performed on a "baby". I have said this over and over. It is a fetus.

The term "baby" may be used by a pregnant woman who actually wanted the pregnancy. She will often proudly refer to the growing fetus as her "baby" but has no right to refer to another woman's uterine contents as a "baby" This is one area where the religious right has changed wording and language to force pregenancies by activating guilt in the woman by convincing her she is a murderess.

When discussing abortion, the majority of which are done quite early on the pregnancy, the fetus cannot be referred to as a baby, simply because it is not. It is a fetus--a group of cells, unaware, not conscious, and by no means a baby.

Second--forced pregnancies are never a good idea. Every pregnancy carries risk to the mother.

The Catholic religion forces pregnancies, in effect, by guilt association ie, accusations of sin, and this attitude stems from primarily paternalistic values. It is nice to provide homes and shelters to those who would put the baby out for adoption, but the choice to abort should NEVER be referred to as a sin, or as murder, or a pregnancy as some unchangeable condition for the purposes of forcing a pregnancy on any woman. The use of birth control, if someone really wants to help the plight of women, should be taught up and down, backwards and sidewards and those homes for pregnant women should provide that service as well if they really care about women. I know, though, they also consider the use of birth control as a sin, unacceptable, even in casese of rape, and that the Catholic hopsitals refuse to offer emergency care to women who are raped, and refuse to perform tubal ligations or vasectomy

So, while all are free to choose according to their belefs, many women do not see a fetus as a
baby" and do not need to be counseled to carry a pregnancy to it's completion for the sake of saving a "baby". They have things to consider that are vital to their lives, and to the rest of their family at times.

The use of the "pro-life" mantra is also specious and intellectually dishonest.