How would getting rid of abortions have a positive effect on society?

Okay. So this is so stupid complex that it could never be covered in one post. There's so many "worst case scenarios" and "BUT WHAT ABOUTS." I'm going ballpark here. Ballpark. I don't want to do fight about whether people agree or not etc. I'm answering the question. "We" in this context means "society at large."

So yes, there are plenty of evangelical, über Christian people who are pro-life, but there are plenty of not-so-religiously-inclined people who are pro-life as well. I am not stating the (many, many) nuances of my opinion because I seriously don't want the argument, but I am trying to express some of the thought process that goes into people that can lean or are wholly pro-life.

I think it ultimately comes down to the value of human life and the human person and questions surrounding who should/shouldn't live and what life "we" consider worth living. We as a society and science can't even agree on what "life" is, FFS.

A baby at three months gestation is considered a beloved gift by one woman and "not even a life" by another. Is a life not worth living just because you're poor? Disabled? Who is to decide what makes life good? There are plenty of people who lived happy lives even poor, disabled etc. It's only a relatively recent thing where an entire society says poverty is a reason to not exist. For the majority of the damn world, it's a reality and many of them wouldn't say that their life isn't worth living.

There are serious issues with social safety nets etc. that have been discussed. But instead of applying pressure where it should be (the state), we allow an option that absolves it from its responsibility. Then we circle back to "is life not worth living if you're poor? Who gets to decide that?" Rinse and repeat.

Regarding sexual morality outside religion, even I personally question people who think they can completely absolve themselves from the consequences of their actions. Sex is for reproduction. It feels good so you do it again... to reproduce. You can take all the birth control you want (go for it), but ultimately there is always a risk of pregnancy every time you engage in the act. Then there's shocked Pikachu when it happens, but unfortunately now it involves a separate being, however someone likes to think of it. (Obviously not talking abuse situations etc.) If you think of it as a clump of cells, maybe it makes it easier to dissociate, but if anything else above it, it very quickly becomes a dilemma.

Ultimately, the goal should be for a society that encourages life, because most people think life is sacred... whenever they consider that life to have begun. That means having social systems that support mothers and don't look down on women with children. Some areas have caught on, like having daycares in colleges etc. with great success.

(I am not commenting on whether places succeed at this because we all know stats and attitudes on that, but that's the intent. This is entire books worth of content.)

While pro-lifers have plenty of hypocrisy, pro-choice should be being just as likely to drive a woman for her pre-natal appointment as they would be to drive them to an abortion clinic. I don't see that. Supporting a women's choice means supporting both. In my personal experience, that hasn't been the case. When R v. W got overturned, suddenly everyone who did nothing was mobilized to help women. As someone who has done charity work for years, I was actually super disgusted by that, but then I realized it was easier for a woman to help another by one quick drive than to provide ongoing support for a child as it grows. Is that something reflective of what we should consider a "moral society?"

In the perfect world, outlawing abortion would inspire people to step up and help mothers and create the "village" we should have in a "good" society. It would empower women to know that despite all the obstacles they may face that they can have and raise their children and achieve their dreams of education etc., which is commonly cited as the reason to not continue a pregnancy even if they want it. It would allow for people to choose their sexual partners more carefully knowing that the risk, however small, of having to raise a child with this partner is rare. Having "better" partners would result in respectful relationships. Children would be born and bring the gifts into the world that don't show up in statistics. We all know then when we are with friends and family we love. Unfortunately, these are not things that show up in statistics quickly and without a lot of subjectivity so of course "abortions = less crime stuff" is more compelling (and not something with direct causation, I believe).

Again... Perfect world.

/r/TooAfraidToAsk Thread