Yes, it does. Thank you. I'm probably not asking the right questions though. The idea of abortion at 8.9 months really bothers me. What I am trying to wrap my head around is whether there is a point at which it is generally accepted that a fetus can survive outside the womb before birth. The idea of aborting a baby at 8.9 months bothers me much more than a woman taking a "morning after pill". I'm just not sure if science, or the courts have decided when life is sustainable (even with assistance) outside the womb.
It would seem that if a life could be sustainable outside the womb (even with assistance) allowing adoption rather than abortion might be the way to go.
I realize these are very personal matters. Another consideration I am wondering about is the rights of both the child, and the child's father. If the child could survive outside the womb at 8.9 months, I would think that the father might be granted some rights and asked if he wants custody of the baby rather than just killing it.
If someone's actions cause the accidental death of an in utero child, some states can levy charges of manslaughter. If that is true, why wouldn't that same logic be applied to aborting a fetus of the same age?
This is all inconsistent logic to my way of thinking. I think that logic should be applied consistently. However, if manslaughter charges can be pressed for the inadvertent death of a fetus, why wouldn't the deliberate death of a fetus bring the same charges?
Obviously, I have far more questions than answers. I'm not trying to challenge anyone's point of view because mine isn't totally fixed. I realize that being in favor of the death penalty should mean that I am pro choice/ pro-abortion, but I can't accept late term abortions where the fetus could live outside the womb. If the woman doesn't want the baby, I am sure there would are plenty of people who would gladly adopt the child once the hospital is ready to release it from care.
Let me see if I can answer your concerns/follow-up questions.
If a person (baby) is born prematurely at 6 months why don't we just let it die? The answer is obvious. That person, for whatever reason came out of the womb earlier than expected. In most cases the parents will want to see that premature person given the best medical care possible because they recognized the little thing to be a person.
With that in mind, now try to justify killing the same person at six months of development. The only difference is the location - inside versus outside the womb.
Let's carry this a little further. Is it right for someone or a group of people to apply an arbitrary standard on the taking of a life? Should that standard be applied at one, two, three, four, five or six months? At 8.9 months? At conception?
How does that group of people defend that arbitrary standard? Notice that I said "arbitrary." A standard must be derived from factual information and concrete evidence. If a standard is derived by arbitrary means then that standard can be changed over time.
1 + 1 has always equaled 2 for as long as the universe has existed. Mathematics hasn't changed. Science doesn't change. Now there are some scientific facts we may not know. When that information becomes available, we have more to go on to adjust the standards.
For thousands of years, we didn't know what the back side of the moon looks like. With the advent of space craft, we have an accurate picture of what it now looks like.
Even though it has always been understood that an embryo is, indeed, a human being, we have more scientific information available to back up that premise.
The pro-death crowd, by advocating a
post-birth abortion like New York, have made the pro-lifer's point. The only difference in the abortion advocate's mind is the size, location and level of development of the person they want to abort (kill).
Even some folks in favor of abortion have recoiled at the thought of killing a new born baby. Those same folks now have to ask themselves the question; if it's wrong to kill a new born baby then why is it okay to kill the same baby just because it is living in the mother's womb?