Conception

Interesting discussion on abortion at Megan Mcardle's blog.

I have a couple of thoughts/ideas of other people that I have adopted. I oppose legalized abortion in all cases where the pregnancy is the result of consensual sex and where carrying the pregnancy full-term would not pose a significant threat to the life or good health of the mother. The idea that life begins at conception seems a bit ridiculous, even in a religious context. I do not necessarily think that abortion is on the same level as murder as some would have us believe. But that doesn't mean this is a practice that should be encouraged or legal for frivolous reasons. It is a line that I don't think we should lightly be messing with.

The point to me seems to be that there should be a basic respect for procreation and human life in general. If you want to have sex, there should be inherent responsibilities that go with that decision. Basically, I don't see a fundamental human right to sex without any risk of actually accomplishing what sex is designed for: making babies.

As for the inevitable teenage parents and other couples who get pregnant with no real way to provide for the child, there is a responsible option: adoption. If this option is distasteful, and it would certainly be a heart-wrenching experience to give away a child, use birth control or don't have sex. Such situations are not happy (nor should they be I don't think), but I don't see any problem with making people live with their choices. Contrary to what some people think, celibacy before one is married is possible and is practiced by many. Also, birth control is very effective and available in many different configurations for all tastes, budgets, and situations (from condoms to morning-after pills).

The shaky moral ground of abortion is with very few exceptions completely avoidable by a little planning and a little personal responsibility. There are, of course, situations of rape, incest, birth defects, and concerns for the mother's health. As far as rape goes, there are no good decisions, but I can think of no justification for making a woman support a child whose creation she did not approve by consenting to sex. In such situations, she should have the choice to abort the pregnancy. As for the other situations, they are not situations of birth control but medical concerns that for obvious reasons fall in completely different moral territory.