And just to put my cards on the table, I believe no woman should have to carry any child against her will.
I also believe that to destroy an unborn child is horrendous.
If anyone can reconcile those two beliefs, I will have a coherent position on abortion.
That sums up my views on this as well.And just to put my cards on the table, I believe no woman should have to carry any child against her will.
I also believe that to destroy an unborn child is horrendous.
If anyone can reconcile those two beliefs, I will have a coherent position on abortion.
I completely disagree. There are 3 parties involved; the mother, the unborn child and the father.So, for once, can be have a referendum confined to people who care, are involved? It is about women,I do not jest, let females only vote.
So, for once, can be have a referendum confined to people who care, are involved? It is about women,I do not jest, let females only vote.
I completely disagree. There are 3 parties involved; the mother, the unborn child and the father.
OK, let's assume I'm female and with an unwanted pregnancy. I want an abortion. I do not inform anybody I'm pregnant. So I arrange a "shopping trip" to London and have an abortion. An Irish solution . . . no need for a referendum . . .I think
That is basically the way things are at present. There are at least two problems with that.
The first is that the cost involved is prohibitive for many.
More importantly to my mind is that this is a fundamentally dishonest position for Irish society to take. As we mature as a people we seem to feel the need to take these issues out from hiding and deal with them honestly.
And as for "when we mature as a people" words our political representatives cannot wait to use. Please pass the bucket.
I could not agree more with the above.If we as a people decide that the life of an unborn child cannot be ignored when a woman has an unwanted pregnancy then what’s legal or illegal in another jurisdiction is of no consequence.
I hope we never get to a point of maturity as a people where we consider the termination of a viable unborn child as an acceptable form of contraception
Let's keep this issue with Abortion, not with teachers who beat children, nor with the homosexual issue, nor with divorce, nor with hunting unionists into with a united Ireland. We are talking about the right to abortion here.Anyone who was an adult in Ireland in the 70s or 80s knows that Irish society has developed a more mature approach to many issues since then.
AT that point the law and and society's attitude on many issues reflected an unthinking acceptance of centuries old ideas.
Since then we have considered and decided new approaches to many issues.
We no longer allow teachers to beat children in schools.
We no longer criminalise homosexuals
We no longer force people to stay in marriages against their will
We no longer try to force unionists to join the 26 counties against their will.
Most of these changes occurred as a result of intense public debate and with widespread public support, and were mediated through the political process. The changes were both legal and in the mindset of the people.
So don't tell me we haven't matured as a society. And your cynicism about politicians is just sloganising.
The one issue that has not been resolved in this process is abortion. Not because we haven't discussed it but because the issue is intrinsically difficult.
Forget for a moment the specifics of this issue and instead look at the premise of the argument; something is legal in a neighbouring country and our citizens can travel to that country freely so that something should be legal here...
That point still doesn't represent a strong argument for the introduction of abortion here; the mantra that availability of abortion is the mark of a mature society is ill-conceived.The point in relation to the UK, is that because they have abortion there we can ban it here without having to accept the full consequences of that ban. That is hardly a mature position for a society to take.
That point still doesn't represent a strong argument for the introduction of abortion here; the mantra that availability of abortion is the mark of a mature society is ill-conceived.
Is it gaining ground? Despite elements of the media cheer-leading for such, I don't think so. Unlike you I do know my own opinion and that is that any right to life should not be predicated on how conception transpired.I don't know my own opinion on abortion, I started this thread to address the idea which is gaining ground in Ireland at the moment that we should permit abortion in the case of rape.
Few would disagree with that.My point on abortion in the case of rape is that in practice it would be a complete minefield.
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