Posted by CB on June 07, 2022 at 14:22:34
In Reply to: Re: Abortion posted by Pastor Don on May 16, 2022 at 20:19:59:
Wouldn't you say a woman who has an abortion in order to save her life has done what is best for herself?
Ectopic pregnancies (where the fetus implants in a fallopian tube) are fairly common occurrences. Women with ectopic pregnancies die if the pregnancy is not terminated. In many states, including mine, abortion laws have been written than do not allow women with ectopic pregnancies to get a therapeutic abortion.
What about a pregnant woman with cancer who needs chemotherapy? Does she get to do what is right for her and take the powerful drugs that could save her life, but will most likely destroy or damage the fetus? What about a pregnant woman seriously injured in an auto accident whose chance of survival improves dramatically if the pregnancy is terminated? What about the woman with a psychotic disorder who becomes actively suicidal as a consequence of pregnancy?
Here's the thing: It is virtually impossible for lawmakers to account for all the complex circumstances and conditions that negatively impact the health and well-being of a pregnant woman and put her life is at risk. It is most likely due to the difficulty in judging when to apply exceptions to an abortion ban that so many states have passed pro-birth laws that do not make an exception for rape and incest.
Who gets to sit on the ethics panel and decide which situations justify an abortion and which do not? According to the Talmud, Jewish women are required to have an abortion if the mother's life is at risk. Are we going to let Talmudic law govern our health care decisions regarding abortion?
Maybe it's a better idea to mind our own business and let pregnant women and their health care providers privately decide what is in the woman's best interests.