Is It Ok To Have An Abortion On The Grounds Of Gender?

[Ellipsis]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10290200/Abortion-laws-left-meaningless-as-doctors-put-above-the-law.html

Following the decision not to prosecute two doctors who agreed to arrange abortions of baby girls purely because of their gender, even though there was enough evidence to charge those doctors, it seems fair to say that Britain's abortion legislation has become, up to 24 weeks at least, "meaningless".

Is it acceptable that a woman can de facto have an abortion on any grounds, including gender?

[andy-hughes]

I have always believed that any woman has a right to an abortion if she needs one.

It is a highly complex moral argument, and as a man, I feel myself unqualified to empathise with a woman carrying a foetus which she feels she cannot deliver and raise as a child.

But my opinion, as it is, is that a woman has the right to choose what she does or does not carry in her body - but i am wary of making that statement sound simplistic - clearly it is anything but.

[Sqad]

andy......excellent post......I agree.

[keyplus90]

Abortion is a murder and there is no question what the gender of the baby is.

[albaqwerty]

IF the female foetuses carry a gene which may impact on their health, then it is up to the mother (mostly) to decide whether to carry on with the pregnancy or not.

Keyplus, this could develop into a huge argument, if a tumour is growing nside of you and you want rid, then surely that is murdering the tumour?

[ClaryS]

No, its not acceptable to abort a baby on the grounds of Gender. This would indicate that the pregnancy had been welcomed but only if the baby was male. In every other situation regarding the right to Abort a baby I would agree with andy-hughes, although personally would regard any abortion as murder I respect that not everyone feels the same and they should have a choice.

[pusskin]

What if you was raped and wanted an abortion. I cant call that murder.

[chelle7272]

Completely agree with ClaryS.

[ClaryS]

albaqwerty are you comparing a human foetus with a heartbeat to a tumour?

[ClaryS]

pusskin an abortion after a rape is something the individual would have to make a choice on, that is why I believe there should always be a choice. IMHO The killing of a healthy foetus with a heartbeat is murder.

[albaqwerty]

if it grows inside you, and you don't want it, then get rid of it.
No, I'm not comparing the 2, however, they are both unwanted.

[chelle7272]

But in most cases you have a choice in creating a foetus, if not wanted then use a contraceptive, really not the same as a tumour imo.

[ummmm]

Abortion is NOT murder.

[ummmm]

Chelle - I got pregnant whilst taking the pill.

[pusskin]

i dont believe you should abort because of wrong gender.
It is very wrong in my eyes.

[andy-hughes]

keyplus - that is exactly the sort of blanket generalisation that I tried to avoid.

I don't belive any of us have the right to sit in moral judgement over a woman with such a difficult decision to make.

Any anti-abortionist who imagines that any mother takes the decision to have an abortion lightly knows less about the concept of preganancy than they should, if they are taking the moral high ground.

From my perspective, what ever the reason for the abortion, the mother has to live with her decision for ever - and that is a burden that does not need adding to by the condemnation of the morally sanctimonious among us.

[albaqwerty]

friend of mine became pregnant when on the pill too, Ummm, another one became pregnant and then found out the shyster was married.
Both friends had abortions.

Another friend miscarried a longed-for child, she was horrified to find out her medical records stated she had aborted the baby.

[chelle7272]

ummmm fair enough, I have friends also who have got pregnant whilst taking contraceptive, and if that's the case it is your decision whether or not to continue the pregnancy.

My point in that post was more in reference to the comparison with a tumour than about when abortion is acceptable.

[jomifl]

Keyplus, at what point do you consider that a killling foetus is murder, is taking a 'morning after the night before' pill murder. Does an early miscarriage merit a full muslim burial? or is the dead 'person' flushed down the loo? Some consistency would be good.

[albaqwerty]

my apologies, I typed in haste to compare to 2. I really should have said abortion is not murder.

(Red mist had descended and should have thought before I hit the submit button)

[ChillDoubt]

Anyone who believes an abortion is not murder, for no other purpose than it is not the gender required or as a result of a blasé attitude to contraception has obviously not been present at one.
It definitely has the atmosphere of murder, particularly some of the later stage ones.