Stupid things religious people say

[Angrboda]

The word murder, especially if moral opprobrium is implied,  refers to extra-legal killing.  Some abortion qualifies, some does not.  It's not clear exactly what you're trying to say, but using words correctly might get us closer.

Murder is also a colloquial term for taking the life of another human; particularly in an unjust fashion. This can be found in both the OED and Britannica if you do not believe me, and it's why I originally said that I believe only the doctors are guilty of murder in most situations.


I was arguing from a a moral/ethical standpoint as the legal standpoint should derive from there and assuming people could use context clues and common sense, but if that's causing confusing then I will change "murder" (the ethical statement) to "homicide" (the legalistic statement.)

I think that we have to argue over these words in the first place shows the ridiculousness of the anti-life stance; the nitpicking to avoid any meat and gravy.

Your attempt to poison the well is noted. In that taking a life without justification is immoral killing, it applies to things that are already born. In that taking a life of something that is not yet born, it is unlike the clear case of unjustified killing of those already born. As Hume stated the point, the further away from the thing being analogized, the less force an argument has. Thus the further you get from the clarity of unjust killing of someone already born, the more your claim that it is murder becomes an exercise in propaganda and conflating unlike things. When you apply it across the entire spectrum of those not yet born, you transition into what is basically an ipse dixit declaration to wit that "these unlike things deserve the same treatment because I say so." I don't recognize that as a valid argument. Your use of loaded language obscures that quandary, which is why you use it.