2008 Woodie Awards
A pro-life stance that is wholly pro-life
Issue date: 4/2/07 Section: Op-Ed
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Being pro-life isn't easy. In the post-modern era that we live in today, labeling yourself as "pro-life" is akin to asking to be bulldozed with a barrage of negative stigmatism. The declaration of a pro-life view automatically lumps a person into the same category as Christian extremists, right-winged Republicans, anti-feminists, people that bomb Planned Parenthood and perhaps most popular of all, George W. Bush. It is much more socially acceptable to be pro-choice, as this particular label is associated with someone who cares about women's rights.
However, as most true philosophers know, just because society says something is okay doesn't necessary make it true. While Roe Vs. Wade has made abortion legal since the 1970's, I believe that abortion in all forms is immoral, and should be outlawed in the same way that murder is a crime. While my fundamentalist Christian ideals definitely play a role in that belief, the general opinion that murder is wrong is something that is shared between many faiths, even among those who would call themselves atheists.
If the average person is asked, "Do you think the killing of an innocent life is wrong?" more likely than not the answer will be "yes."
The issue at hand is whether or not life begins at the moment of conception, a topic that has been debated for countless years. Scientifically, evidence exists to support both theories. However, thus far there hasn't been enough sufficient evidence for anyone to speak up and say, "scientific evidence clearly proves that life begins at conception" or
"Life does not begin at conception, it begins at the 3rd/4th/etc trimester." It is clear that nobody on Earth knows exactly when life begins. However, ignorance like this can become very dangerous when it is in the wrong hands.
I am reminded of the conversation that Socrates had with Euthyphro in Plato's The Last Days of Socrates. In the book, Socrates makes the argument that Euthyphro does not know the difference between right and wrong; yet, Euthyphro is willing to put his father to death simply based on the law of the land. Socrates asks Euthyphro, "Aren't you afraid in taking your father to court that you too might turn out to be an unholy deed?" (Plato 13) In the same sense that Euthyphro cannot know if he is truly doing the right thing, humans cannot know whether or not they are killing a life when an abortion occurs.
However, as most true philosophers know, just because society says something is okay doesn't necessary make it true. While Roe Vs. Wade has made abortion legal since the 1970's, I believe that abortion in all forms is immoral, and should be outlawed in the same way that murder is a crime. While my fundamentalist Christian ideals definitely play a role in that belief, the general opinion that murder is wrong is something that is shared between many faiths, even among those who would call themselves atheists.
If the average person is asked, "Do you think the killing of an innocent life is wrong?" more likely than not the answer will be "yes."
The issue at hand is whether or not life begins at the moment of conception, a topic that has been debated for countless years. Scientifically, evidence exists to support both theories. However, thus far there hasn't been enough sufficient evidence for anyone to speak up and say, "scientific evidence clearly proves that life begins at conception" or
"Life does not begin at conception, it begins at the 3rd/4th/etc trimester." It is clear that nobody on Earth knows exactly when life begins. However, ignorance like this can become very dangerous when it is in the wrong hands.
I am reminded of the conversation that Socrates had with Euthyphro in Plato's The Last Days of Socrates. In the book, Socrates makes the argument that Euthyphro does not know the difference between right and wrong; yet, Euthyphro is willing to put his father to death simply based on the law of the land. Socrates asks Euthyphro, "Aren't you afraid in taking your father to court that you too might turn out to be an unholy deed?" (Plato 13) In the same sense that Euthyphro cannot know if he is truly doing the right thing, humans cannot know whether or not they are killing a life when an abortion occurs.
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