Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

BBC: Richard Dawkins: 'Immoral' not to abort Down's foetuses


Zguy28

Recommended Posts

Isn't that the hard right's stance? No abortion but no welfare for struggling families?

 

they usually go with welfare as it is structured is wasteful and counterproductive.....a golden safety net that holds down more than it saves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

C'mon now we all know agnostic is somebody who does not believe in god but doesn't want to say it :D

This. He was quoting me, and to further lump Atheists with Agnostics most of the people I know who claimed to be Agnostic graduated to full on Atheism within a decade.

For a great deal of people it seems like the polite way to tell people they're not religious all while avoiding an intense theological discussion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't that the hard right's stance? No abortion but no welfare for struggling families?

 

Maybe that is, I'm saying I've never seen that be someone I've met's stance. Ever. But I see it written often by liberals who are defending abortion. I'm not saying there aren't people out there who feel that way, I'm sure there are, but there seems to be alot of exaggerations happening in regards to how many actually feel that way. 

 

Not everyone who is against abortion is a right wing, conservative republican. That is the problem with looking at every situation in America from a political perspective. It's stereotyping someone's opinions as either one of two parties, and there is a significant amount of our population who could agree with both parties depending on what the topic is. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just don't tell me you got the measuring stick for what it means to "respect life"

 

Far from it, I have to fight the desire to take life regularly.

where would you say they belong on that imaginary stick though?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you see anything ethically questionable in enjoying luxury items while others are dying of hunger?

Say, what if these people were right next to each other, instead of being in different countries? Would that influence your moral compass?

This question is greater than simply respect for life.

There is certainly something wrong with it. It's our animal instinct to take care of our own, and ourselves, clashing with our calling to be greater than that. The bible instructs that what you describe is one of the keys to salvation. Jesus couldn't be clearer on this issue. The line of separation between goats and sheep is assistance provided when faced with the scenario you've presented. There is no talk of belief or forgiveness, simply that when faced with great need the saved responded with great charity. The damned refused.

While this moral question appears to be simple in truth it isn't. There are consequences, responsibilities, priorities, fears, wants, and a lifetime of conditioning to fight off in order to simply let go of materialism and respond with selfless charity at every opportunity. How would your kids react if they had to dress in used clothing because you gave your money away? Would your wife look kindly upon arriving home with a car load of homeless people? Can you handle working hard only to live humbly, on what you need, while around you everyone you know enjoy the finer things and looks at you strangely? The calling to truly let go of materialism and exist to help others is terrifying. That's why so few ever answer it. We are flawed. We are weak. We know what is right but we turn from it. Some of us deny it outright and cultivate a hatred for those in need so that we can feel good in denying them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I feel is immoral or injust may not be the same to others.

 

I could not terminate a pregnancy for any reason.  I will not look down on others if they choose to do so. 

 

In my mind, I cannot find a reason good enough to do it.

I dated a woman once who told me a story of getting an abortion in college without the guys input.  It made feel a little funny that she took the decision upon herself but I also could relate to that.  It was interesting conversation we had about it and it makes me think a little differently today.  Marriage throws a whole different spin on it but even so, the decision is never completely in our hands as men (NM if you're a woman!). That's not to come down on you for your take at all.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

This. He was quoting me, and to further lump Atheists with Agnostics most of the people I know who claimed to be Agnostic graduated to full on Atheism within a decade.

For a great deal of people it seems like the polite way to tell people they're not religious all while avoiding an intense theological discussion.

 

most of the agnostics i know cant quite swallow (and believe) religions as they are packaged now, but also aren't quite willing to completely toss out the whole concept.

 

-- so they aren't afraid of admitting they are atheists in polite company, they are afraid of pissing off God...on the off chance that he actually exists :)

 

 

I think agnostics usually fall in the camp of:    "i can see all the human faults and hypocrisy inherent in anything that involves human beings ...and in the case of organized religions, the potential for putrid fetid corruption is off the charts"  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I could understand making the argument if he was talking about some of the incredibly nasty diseases or complications that are out there, the kind of thing that is 100% fatal and the baby is never going to see the outside of a NICU.  You can argue the morality of abortion vs bringing a baby into the world so that it can spend a few days or a couple weeks suffering before dying.  But ds is not at all on that level.

 

 

I was thinking about my own comment when I read over the weekend that Wendy Davis is sharing the story of 2 abortions she has had. 

 

Davis had the abortion in 1996 when doctors said her baby girl would be blind, deaf and in a permanent vegetative stage if she survived to term.

"Our baby had a severe brain abnormality," Davis told Roberts. "We knew that the most loving thing that we could do for our daughter was to say goodbye."

 

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wendy-davis-fought-abortion-restrictions-texas-reveals-abortion/story?id=25313478

 

Yeah, that's where you can make a solid moral argument in favor of abortion.  Dawkins is still an ass.

 

(fyi, for the curious who had not seen this story yet, the 2nd one was an ectopic pregnancy)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...