The topic of abortion needs no introduction. It is all over the media currently and is sadly littered with name-calling and emotive language. There is often a lack of clarity and open discussion in the issue and instead it is brought down to a tit-for-tat slanging match.
Pro-life campaigners are nothing more than ageing fuddy-duddies stuck in the past. They are religious zealots, imposing their beliefs on the rest of the population. Modern day Ireland has understandably run out of patience with religion being rammed down throats and judgement rather than justice being poured out on those on the receiving end. Conversely, pro-choice campaigners are murderers, worse yet, baby-killers who kill babies merely for convenience. Pro-life is called ‘anti-choice’ and ‘anti-woman’; pro-choice is called ‘pro-abortion’ and ‘anti-life’. Such polarisation never helps anyone; it only serves to divide.
It is important to note that neither side genuinely lacks compassion. The pro-choice activist sees the hardship and strife that can come from an unwanted pregnancy and wants to provide for a woman in that situation. The pro-life activist sees the foetus as a vulnerable, individual human being without the ability to speak up for itself and wants to advocate for the foetus and provide support for both the woman and the foetus in the case of an unwanted pregnancy.
We need to have a meaningful, respectful, kind, generous, polite and well-balanced discussion on this issue.
Although many who support a pro-life view have a Christian faith, my conviction is that we need to have secular rather than faith-based dialogue when discussing the Eighth Amendment. This is an ethical issue for all, regardless of beliefs in God and the value of human beings in God’s sight. The key question in my view is: “Is a foetus a human being worthy of protection?” irrespective of whether you believe a foetus is made by God or otherwise. If that foetus is a human being and deserves protection, we are obliged to provide it. If the foetus is not and does not, only then do we have no such obligations. I would tentatively argue that as abortion is the action of bringing an end to a foetus, the burden of proof for lack of humanity lies with the pro-choice side. However, I also want to advocate for the foetus in this and defend its rights, alongside the rights of its mother.
We held a seminar called ‘To Repeal or Not To Repeal’. We considered a variety of issues related to abortion including cases of so called ‘fatal foetal abnormality’, cases of incest or rape, human rights and so on. We looked at the history and statistics of abortion in Ireland, the UK and the US, foetal development and some pro-choice arguments. For those who are interested in what the Bible says about abortion, I also included a brief study of some relevant passages at the end.
The purpose of the seminar was to raise awareness of the issues and to facilitate a greater understanding of what is being campaigned for to enable more educated and tolerant debate on abortion. Attached are the seminar notes and powerpoint if you didn’t manage to make the seminar this time.
Please put it in your diary to attend the Rally For Life on July 1st in Parnell Square from 2pm to support the pro-life movement and show your support for the 8th amendment.