Originally posted by: Tom
"If you want exceptions to the law for the life of the mother, I'll gladly discuss that separately."
Why seperately ? You do not think the woman is alive ? Do you understand the legal and philosophical reasoning why abortion has to be legal if a woman is considered a person ?
I'm well acquainted with the legal and philosophical reasoning on both sides of abortion. I've taken several courses in medical ethics, and this is always a big center of discussion.
The woman being alive does not automatically give her the right to control everything about her life. The law dictates what she may and may not do to:
1 - her own body (organs, drugs, etc...)
2 - other persons' bodies (murder, rape, assault, etc...)
The question is whether the fetus is a
person that may be assigned rights.
It doesn't matter if you consider the point of conception the point where a human being begins, there is still a conflict between the right to life of the woman and the right to life of the unborn.
Person A may infringe on the right to life of person B if and only if person B is infringing on the right to life of person A. This is the reason self defense is allowed, and the reason that abortions must be allowed if and only if the life of the mother is truly endangered by bearing a child. I've not seen any studies indicating that the mother's life is the reason for even 0.1% of abortions. If such a reason exists, it is so miniscule as to not even be presented by studies and is therefore negligible in analysis of the issue.
Your position is that the state has the right to compel a woman to risk her life and/or her well being, in deference to the unborn?
Her well-being - yes. Her life - no. Same reasoning as above.
Where do you believe this right of the state to force people to give up their lives should begin and end ? Is it ok to forcibly remove the organs of one person to keep five other people alive ?
The mother cannot remove her own kidney, nor can she have it surgically removed unless it poses a threat to her life or it may save the life of another (via organ transplantation). You do not have an absolute right to control your own body. I don't see what your statements here have to do with the issue at hand.
Linky to a study regarding reasons for abortion. You'll note that the health of the mother nor the life of the mother even appears in the study. The study wording states that the category "Woman gave other reasons" does not include a doctor's recommendation for the mother's life or health.