Why 'reduce' if there's nothing wrong ?

In Obama’s speech at Notre Dame he said, “we must work to reduce the number of abortions” - Why ‘must’ we reduce abortions,if there’s nothing wrong with them ?

I believe you are missing the point..

Being pro-CHOICE…doesn’t mean that he thinks there is nothing wrong with abortions, he just feels that a woman should have a say over what happens to her body.

And I believe that he meant that he wants to promote sex education so as to have less unplanned pregnancies and therefore less abortions…which is a great idea.

Exactly, fillet and jimahl. Amblessed, do you support sex education that teaches about ALL forms of birth control from abstinence to condoms to oral birth control? and do you support condoms being given to HS students?

Amblessed are you saying you support sex education where birth control and STD prevention are taught? How about giving HS students condoms?

I don’t think Obama’s statement is trying to throw the christian right a bone. I think it is a logical conclusion that the vast majority of pro-choice supporters understand… The key to it is sex education and birth control. Through the years I have found that most of those protesting against abortion outside clinics and on street do not support birth control or sex education. The only focus is on stopping abortion, apparantly not understanding or admitting the fact that abortion would be reduced by promoting birth control and sex education. I would have more respect for the pro-life movement if I saw them getting that connection instead of proclaiming “abstinence” is the only solution.

And even if Obama is trying to throw the christian right, or anyone else a bone, that is fine. I am glad to have a President who respects and acknowledges the fact that our country contains more than one religion, race, political party, gender, etc. instead of fanning the flames of a partisan, good ole boy attitude.

fillet, you paint with a mighty broad brush - my utmost cocern and priority has been for Human Life - the most vulnerable and innocent have no voice, no choice, never given a chance at making a lifetime of wonderful memories like you and I.

“Then maybe we should worry ourselves with fixxing the education system before we condemn people to die for their parents mistake. Funny the only Christian this community seems to respect is the one who has desecrated his own faith. So then being a Christain is fine as long as you dont practice it. Is that about right?”

tseirpeht, you continue to make yourself sound like an idiot. Is Michelle Obama going to have an abortion? Are they going to allow their daughters to have one? You know nothing about how they practice their faith personally. But he is the leader of this country, not the leader of his church.

When you clowns on the right stop invoking christianity every time this subject comes up, then maybe you might get someone to listen to you. If you can’t come up with a better reason for opposing it, other than god said so, you have already lost credibility with most people.

If you really cared about reducing abortions, you would at least agree that reducing unwanted pregnancy is a good start. You can not completely elliminate them, because even if they are not legal, they will still happen illegally.

amblessed, Which do you think Obama thinks is better; a teenager having an abortion, or a teenager who didn’t get pregnant in the first place?

Which do you think is better?

No one, Obama included, really thinks that abortions are perfectly ok, and are no big deal.

Couldn’t both sides of the debate at least agree that reducing unwanted pregnancies is a good thing? Or are you just too bent on painting Obama as a wannabe baby killer in order to score political points.

…plus he’s trying to throw people like Amblessed a bone. I’m not sure why he wastes his time on it though, there’s no way in hell thell vote for him in 2012.

I’ve long thought that the “pro-life” position is more obsessed with sex than with the “sanctity of life.” Most of the conversations I’ve had with lifers eventually got around to a comment like: “well, if she kept her legs together she wouldn’t be in this predicament.” Many conservatives can’t stand the idea that someone can have premarital sex without consequences. So condoms are immoral because they allow kids to fornicate without having the scarlet letter of pregnancy, herpes, or AIDS.

There will be no common ground with most of the anti-abortion community because the bee in their bonnet isn’t abortion, it is the idea that kids are having sex.

“notice the continual slamming of my Christianity - sure wish it would be stopped:”

No one is slamming your christianity, just your selective practice of it. Like when lying seems to be ok if it scores you political points. Pointing that out is not slamming christiantiy, it is just slamming you. And rightfully so.

Just re-read the whole speech - my question is exactly what I got from it - it’s my opinion - you got something else that’s fine.

From a purely secular perspective, abortion is still seen as a suboptimal, since fertility often wanes after an abortion, sometimes there are life threatening complications (all medical procedures involve risk), and many women feel regret later on.

But these are not sufficient reasons to ban it, even though they are sufficient reasons to want to discourage it. Do you really want a nanny state that prohibits every action that carries any risk?

Sadly there are some who do use it AS birth control - I’ve read that percentage is high and I’ve seen it on the site before, ‘convenience’ - I’ve heard testimony of abstinence working, so with some it did get somewhere - so on those we can agree to disagree but again my question is exactly what struck me from the speech - my opinion of which I am entitled - definitely agree with your points of safe sex / teen pregnancy / responsibility need to also be stressed…Take care !!

notice the continual slamming of my Christianity - sure wish it would be stopped:

not amblessed, he’s a good christian and would not try to alter the meaning of something. <<

“You’ve been on FunAdvice long enough to know that American teenagers, in particular seem by & large clueless when it comes to these kinds of things…”

Then maybe we should worry ourselves with fixxing the education system before we condemn people to die for their parents mistake. Funny the only Christian this community seems to respect is the one who has desecrated his own faith. So then being a Christain is fine as long as you dont practice it. Is that about right?

Because even someone who is pro-choice doesn’t love abortions. It’s not like we believe they should be used instead of birth control. He probably meant that through sex ed (not abstinence education, as that obviously got us no where the past 8 years), teens could learn about safe sex, thereby reducing teenage pregnancy.

Sheesh. How could you disagree with that Bill?

After reading way too much of the speech he gave…this is the worst example I’ve seen of taking a quote out of context.

Given that his point was, specifically, to ensure that kids learn about safe sex, about diseases and about responsibility…that will decrease the number of abortions because there will be a LOT less unplanned pregnancies.

You’ve been on FunAdvice long enough to know that American teenagers, in particular seem by & large clueless when it comes to these kinds of things…

Amblessed, You can not be clueless enough to think that someone who supports pro-choice, thinks that abortion is a great thing. No one passes up a day at the beach to get an abortion. It is not like the circus is coming to town.

It is about birth control and safe sex…

Hmmm…taking a quote out of context…not amblessed, he’s a good christian and would not try to alter the meaning of something.

This is not the pro-life movement to punish women who have made bad choices. It is the simple goal of protecting life when their are signs of life. By all means keep sex education, based on the questions I have seen on this website we could stand to teach a little more on it. Can we not agree though that the risk vs reward of a teenager engaging in sexual activity isn’t worth it? Granted yes we shouldn’t be able to tell a women what she can and can not do with her own body, but do we not try to stop them from jumping off a building? No amount of debate can change the hearts of so many people who believe in protecting human life. I understand that it must be a hard decision for a lot of people to make, and I wouldn’t want someone to mother a child who wasn’t ready for it. But at least find an alternative. I know I am just an idiot, you are always kind enough to remind me that I serve no value to the human race what so ever. Trust me if I could off myself I would but I have a family that depends on me and a church that needs me. (by the way I still say G-d bless you) But I would be more then happy to pay a little more in taxes to help fund a chance for these kids. Grow the adoption and foster care agencies and lets see where that can take us. If we care so much for our children’s safety and future to take them off of their parents hands then we should offer it for anyone.

Why ‘must’ we reduce abortions,if there’s nothing wrong with them?

We’re seeing more and more that ‘abstinence education’ is not working. Let’s face facts- young teens are going to have sex, it’s becoming more prevalent. So, wouldn’t you rather these kids had the knowledge about proper contraception (ie: condoms, IUDs, the pill, depo-shots etc), as opposed to not having it, and having abortion being the only option? Or do you want to delude yourself and continue spreading the message of ‘don’t get jiggy before you’re married’?

notice the continual slamming of my Christianity - sure wish it would be stopped

Don’t even get me started mister!

Notice YOUR continual slamming of Obama- you continue to post loaded questions about him, taking things he has said completely out of context (but hey, maybe if you watched something other than FOX news, you’re get a better perspective), and generally slagging him off at every opportunity without any logical reasoning. I think most of the site knows you’re still upset McCain didn’t win. But man, do most of us wish you’d stop that already!

I know plenty of young school children who can let things go easier than you- maybe it’s time to start acting your age?

anyone who would vote against giving a baby born out of a botched abortion medical help to keep it alive or to write an executive order sending taxpayers dollars overseas to fund abortions there has absolutely no morals at all. Abortion is wrong. to say waterboarding is wrong and abortion is ok is absolutely ridiculas. Obama has set the wrong standard, the reason 99% of all abortions are performed aren’t for the safety of the mother it is because of the unwanted child, why not just give it up for adoption to some family who wants children but can’t have them.

cancersurvivor … perhaps you should do some research … your lack of knowledge on this subject is embarrassing. We understand that you are pro-life…but your confusion on the issues is mind blowing.

I agree with utopia…and oh just for informations sake…not a lot of children do get adopted…

No one answered the question though. From the pro-choice view, what is wrong with abortion, just the fact that it is an inconvenience, like having to go get a filling, or is there anything morally wrong with it.

I personally like Obama’s speech of reducing unplanned pregnancies, but what is the moral equivalent of getting an abortion, from the pro-choice perspective?

“No one answered the question though”

Almost everyone, both pro and con answered the question.

* the reason 99% of all abortions are performed aren’t for the safety of the mother it is because of the unwanted child, why not just give it up for adoption to some family who wants children but can’t have them.

My guess is it’s higher than 99%. Some women do choose adoption, but even if you disagree with legal abortion, you must at least acknowledge that not everyone believes that a conceptus is a person. If you can understand that not everyone believes as you do, then you may understand why not everyone would want to carry to term for adoption. Afterall, if I don’t view it as a person, why should I put myself through all that? For your sensibilities? I don’t think so.