Thread: Birth Control = Abortion?

"Birth control = abortion"

This is a one line (and off-topic) response I recieved in the "No Birth Control for You" thread. At first I dismissed the idea, but then I decided that I would just love to hear someone defend this position - which I now invite.

Before I open the floor though, let me make a few opening statements. First of all, "birth control" is a pretty vague term. Abstinence and the rhythym method are forms of birth control and I doubt anyone could compare them to abortion. Therefore I suggest we limit the discussion to chemical birth control (the pill, IUD, Norplant, etc...) and mechanical birth control (male/female condoms, diaghrams, etc...).

If you cannot tell from the first paragraph, I do not in any way agree that abortion and birth control are comparable. I would like very much to hear a reasoned argument why they are.

No it's not equal.

But the extreme-right Republicans should be against birth control. They should also be against masturbation, sperm donations, in-vitro fertilization, etc. because all those result in lose of potential life.

Of course the Right should also be against eating period as most eating involves the killing of animals and their eggs, plants, bushes, tree parts, fish and their eggs, and poultry and their eggs. They should also be against any animal experimentation of any kind. Also, neutering and spaying.

I'm just saying.....

Originally Posted by CosmicMariner

"Birth control = abortion"

This is a one line (and off-topic) response I recieved in the "No Birth Control for You" thread. At first I dismissed the idea, but then I decided that I would just love to hear someone defend this position - which I now invite.

Before I open the floor though, let me make a few opening statements. First of all, "birth control" is a pretty vague term. Abstinence and the rhythym method are forms of birth control and I doubt anyone could compare them to abortion. Therefore I suggest we limit the discussion to chemical birth control (the pill, IUD, Norplant, etc...) and mechanical birth control (male/female condoms, diaghrams, etc...).

If you cannot tell from the first paragraph, I do not in any way agree that abortion and birth control are comparable. I would like very much to hear a reasoned argument why they are.

The entire Birth Control = Abortion argument is rather ridiculous.

To be honest it's nobody's business, if people want to use contraception, that's their business and nobody elses.

There's too much obsession with snooping into a persons bedroom.

Who the heck wants to indulge in abstinence? I don't.

The Rhythm Method is notoriously unreliable....it'd be foolish to use it, unless you wanted to run the risk of an unplanned pregnancy of course.

Originally Posted by Common Sense Craig

No it's not equal.

But the extreme-right Republicans should be against birth control. They should also be against masturbation, sperm donations, in-vitro fertilization, etc. because all those result in lose of potential life.

Of course the Right should also be against eating period as most eating involves the killing of animals and their eggs, plants, bushes, tree parts, fish and their eggs, and poultry and their eggs. They should also be against any animal experimentation of any kind. Also, neutering and spaying.

I'm just saying.....

They should also be against bombing people, as bombing people results in the loss of life.

Heck I wish they could be at least consistent with their pro-Life positions....you know that ALL life is supposed to be Sacred.

Originally Posted by ...of J.Temperance

They should also be against bombing people, as bombing people results in the loss of life.

Heck I wish they could be at least consistent with their pro-Life positions....you know that ALL life is supposed to be Sacred.

True, true.........

Hmmm... only people who I can think of that might even remotely compare these 2 are the Roman Catholic Church... although I'm Catholic meself, I really don't think you can even relate those 2.

Birth control prevents a sperm and an egg from coming together, and if those 2 aren't together, then there ain't life. Abortion deals with a growing fetus, which is totally different and alive (although that's being disputed in another thread ^^).

then there ain't life

Sure there is. The sperm and egg are each alive.

Sure there is. The sperm and egg are each alive.

Semantics Life defined as

4.a corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence conceived of as belonging to the soul

In other words, human life (or soon to be human life in the case of the fetus, since even at the moment of union there is definitely no soul)

I propose, due to clarification, that we use the following terms:

1. Human
2. Non-Human
3. Human Person
3. Human non-person
4. Non-Human non-person
5. Non-Human person

It makes it a lot more clear.

Not all Humans are persons
Many are persons
Personhood is what makes Human life, or the degree of it, special to us, not really the fact that we are biologically Human. It's the characteristics which can be independent of the individual or species, hypothetically. We ought to take it on a case-by-case basis in order to avoid generalizations. It wouldn't be right to treat every human like a person if he's really not. It throws away any real philosophical justificaiton for valuing human life and actually disrespects the value of a person.

Originally Posted by Common Sense Craig

No it's not equal.

But the extreme-right Republicans should be against birth control. They should also be against masturbation, sperm donations, in-vitro fertilization, etc. because all those result in lose of potential life.

Of course the Right should also be against eating period as most eating involves the killing of animals and their eggs, plants, bushes, tree parts, fish and their eggs, and poultry and their eggs. They should also be against any animal experimentation of any kind. Also, neutering and spaying.

I'm just saying.....

There is a big difference between "potential life " and a life already formed in the womb. I also wouldnt equate plant and animal life to a human life. Abortion is an attack on the most innocent and unfortunately it's usually justified by the threat of an inconvience or a responsibillity that may come with raising a child.