Abortion and Women's Rights

[Lek]

Fetuses (fetusi??) don't go to heaven or hell. They don't have souls till their first breath, so they are not marked by original sin. They are no more a person than a wad of hair, a severed limb, or fingernail clippings.

It's in the Bible. Really

Really?! Where? I would say that more pro-lifers are women because women christians seem to take heir faith more seriously. I believe newborn babies go to heaven because the sacrifice for sins has been accomplished and they haven't had a chance to accept or reject God. (Mark 10:13-16 - And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.)

[vorlon13]

Genesis 2:7

Yes, I am aware most mainline pro-lifers professing Christianity seem to have some very muddled thoughts about how souls work. The soul is inspirated with that first breath upon birth.

It is also related to why people say 'God bless you' when someone sneezes. It is possible during a particularly vigorous sneeze the soul may become dislodged, presumably, God's blessing at that instant will put things to right.

All of this suggests some interesting experiments;

Is it possible for souls to interchange bodies during a mass sneezing attack? I'd suggest sneeze powder and an enclosed arena with a powerful ventilation system with 80,000 volunteers, perhaps the currently disused Astrodome. It would be interesting to have various TV preechurs make some predictions as to the outcome.

Also, would air manufactured in an an entirely closed system, such as a nuclear submarine or a space station contain any nascent souls should a baby be born ? It might be 'handy' to have large numbers of persons, unensouled, for some experiments. Do they have innate morality? Are they like Frankenstein's monster? If eventually exposed to normal atmosphere, even as an adult, will a soul then implant ?? Will holy water burn the skin of an unensouled 'person' ??


There are probably many, many interesting experiments to be performed !!!!

[Losty]

I just died of laughter

[Rampant.A.I.]

It was also thought in the Middle Ages that demons entered the body through the nose and mouth, and saying "God Bless You" would prevent that from happening.

[John V]

Ah, the bible says that a person doesn't get a soul until first breath because people say God Bless You when someone sneezes. Thanks for clearing that up!

[Losty]

Ah, the bible says that a person doesn't get a soul until first breath because people say God Bless You when someone sneezes. Thanks for clearing that up!

No you actually said that backwards

[Minimalist]

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read...r-a-sneeze

The custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it).

[Bittersmart]

From my own experience with pro-life women (my family is full of 'em), they believe that conception is a miracle. A baby is a blessing. They are gifts from god and god deems these gifts of life as sacred, and so they do, too. As they put it, to have an abortion is not only a sin (murder), it is a blasphemy against god's wishes, since it's god's will that a woman get pregnant (or not). Traditionally, Christian women take the role of motherhood very seriously, too. They see it as their god-given role in life...a childless woman is a sad thing, apparently. So, in summation, god gave women the role of child-bearer (which is important, just not as important as being a man, apprently) and babies are his blessed gift to humanity, and it should be an honor to any woman to have one. To have an abortion is to spit in god's eye and his plans for humanity. Or so I've been told.

[The Valkyrie]

From my own experience with pro-life women (my family is full of 'em), they believe that conception is a miracle. A baby is a blessing. They are gifts from god and god deems these gifts of life as sacred, and so they do, too. As they put it, to have an abortion is not only a sin (murder), it is a blasphemy against god's wishes, since it's god's will that a woman get pregnant (or not). Traditionally, Christian women take the role of motherhood very seriously, too. They see it as their god-given role in life...a childless woman is a sad thing, apparently. So, in summation, god gave women the role of child-bearer (which is important, just not as important as being a man, apprently) and babies are his blessed gift to humanity, and it should be an honor to any woman to have one. To have an abortion is to spit in god's eye and his plans for humanity. Or so I've been told.

"...a childless woman is a sad thing, apparently"

I'm a single woman, pushing 30, with no rugrats, no plans to have rugrats, and I couldn't be happier.

[vorlon13]

I'm thinking women in that orbit need to be citing chapter and verse for their position then.

And then they have to convince me anything they find somehow supersedes Genesis 2:7.