Abortion: What do you think is the primary way of reducing abortion

[The_Reginator]

I feel that the primary CAUSE of abortion is the widespread use of birth control. This leads to ‘casual sex’ and promotes sexual immorality.

To reduce the number of abortions we need to reduce sex outside of marriage. Even withing marriage couples need to learn to practice self control.

 

[LongingSoul]

I think I’m the “cheese stands alone” in the discussion in choosing no. 1. ‘Increasing legal restrictions’, as the primary way of reducing abortion!

I ask you consider the issue of racial discrimination. Years and years were spent in arguing the immorality of such discrimination, but once it was codified in law back in the 60’s, in terms of social change… racial discrimination was taken very seriously and people were forced to confront their consciences on a daily basis due to the force of law.

I know it seems like these moral dilemmas should be evangelisation issues, but there is nothing like the law getting involved to make the issue black and white. We should be expecting a lot more from our high profile Catholic representatives in forcing issues of law.

 

[polytropos]

Every element seems necessary for me. I voted for legal restrictions because that is what can have an immediate effect, but results will be limited without handling the other issues, which are really what cause it.

 

[ahs]

#4 - it’s inclusive of all of the above.

This is how I voted as well. Theoretically, if we were able to achieve #4, #3 would naturally follow, as might #2, and #1 would not be necessary.

 

[BellsMom]

More reliable contraception.

 

[z_0101]

If we really wanted to stop abortion mills.
we’d cut off all funding.
That is to say, there is no amount that the individual may charge anyone for performing the act; furthermore, proof must be provided that shows that the cost of the act has not been transferred in way shape or form… that is, the individuals in involved in performing the act must do so an an economic loss to themselves and the business.

As for the need for an abortion… we can hopefully minimize the rate of undesired pregnancies by honest and open education of our youth, “even once” is enough, “even the first time” it can and does happen. We must make sexual encounters to be less of a “right of honor” for both men and women (as of now, “hooking up” is something that is to be admired). so that such acts are not the norm. We don’t need them to be shameful, we just need to remove the “ata-a-boy/girl - way to go - wink-wink-nudge-nudge” from the act.

Finally, we need to make adoption something that is actually affordable for those that want to adopt. I have a friend that has been working thru THREE states, on the waiting list for the past 5 years, has spent close to $50000 (yes, fifty thousand US) in fees to the states for home visits and background checks and you name it - all to the STATE. He and his wife were finally “up” on the list and the state changed the rules and now the child they might have received was placed back into the “system” because they have to take on a foster child for 3 to 5 years before they are allowed to re-petition for another adoption. He’s quit his job and is moving to a new state where they don’t have a fostering requirement. $50,0000.

 

[JimG]

I feel that the primary CAUSE of abortion is the widespread use of birth control. This leads to ‘casual sex’ and promotes sexual immorality.

To reduce the number of abortions we need to reduce sex outside of marriage. Even withing marriage couples need to learn to practice self control.

Yes, the contraceptive culture ultimately created the need for abortion, and continues to do so. There was a lot less abortion when Christians were united on the immorality of contraception, as they were all united–Protestant and Catholic–up until 1930.

Then came contraception. Then came sexual immorality. Then came abortion.

 

[zz912]

The most immediate impact and quickest results are with #1. It isn’t even close. It will also have the added impact of providing HUGE incentive to people to be more sexually responsible, as they won’t have the option of killing the child as a “safety net”.

 

[zz912]

More reliable contraception.

Nope.

The contraceptive mentality is what creates the environment for abortion to exist.

Contraceptives divorce the idea of children and sex, so that babies become an unwanted and unexpected intruder into the results of sex.

The more contraception you encourage, the more abortion you get.

 

[rossum]

More reliable contraception.

More reliable contraception and also easier access to contraception. If you don’t get pregnant then you can’t have an abortion, obviously.

Mothers in the fifties were supposed to tell their daughters, “Be good. And if you can’t be good, be careful.” We need to be sure that the “be careful” option is available since very few people can be good all of the time.

rossum

 

[thewanderer]

Honestly I don’t like any of the options given in the poll. (nor do I like the idea of increasing access to contraception). The real way to fix this is by providing better support for those who find themselves pregnant and don’t think they can handle it. This means more than just economic support, but real, personal, one-on-one support. I guess maybe this can be said to be included in changing the culture, but it is more specific and I would say the most important aspect of changing the culture. Changing the culture so that we all learn to be more supportive of people who find themselves in this difficult situation and so that we set up real, practical, and personal help so that it is actually available to all those who need it. That is the primary way of reducing abortions.

 

[OraLabora]

None of the above. All put the cart before the horse. The only real answer is successfully evangelizing.

Until people truly find God again, it’s a hopeless battle. We are a society that has lost all notion of God. Without a strong moral sense and love of God, human concupiscence will always win. We have in fact become a society of gods (small “g”), in fact each individual has to some extent or another become his/her own god.

We need, as a society, to find the one true God again and turn our lives over to Him.

What we can do as Catholics to support that process is to evangelize through the witness of our own lives.

 

[LongingSoul]

More reliable contraception and also easier access to contraception. If you don’t get pregnant then you can’t have an abortion, obviously.

Mothers in the fifties were supposed to tell their daughters, “Be good. And if you can’t be good, be careful.” We need to be sure that the “be careful” option is available since very few people can be good all of the time.

rossum

What would you consider more reliable contraception? Aside from abstinence, permanent surgical sterilization is the most certain way to prevent pregnancy but this is not ever going to be an option for young people who make up the majority of the abortion clientele.

People have a primal instinct to preserve their fertility, especially men. What possible answer do you envisage?

 

[MrSnaith]

I selected #4 for the following reasons:

If you do #1, you will continue to have illegal abortions. Moreover, the law of the land follows the culture of the land. Thus, before the law can be changed, the culture has to change.

If you do #2, you will continue to have abortions of convenience (as opposed to abortions due to the specter of not having enough money to raise a(nother) child).

If you do #3, you will continue to have abortions for unplanned pregnancies (within marriages). As long as people continue to see abortion as a viable option, it will continue to occur.

If you do #4, then regardless of the law, regardless of the economic situation of the pregnancy, and regardless of whether the child was conceived morally or immorally, the abortion won’t happen. In the past, this was true. Out of wedlock, the father might step up and do the right thing. Not enough money, the child might have been given up for adoption. Abortion would have been the last thing to be considered, and only in the most desperate of situations.

In the end, changing the culture will change everything else; economics, law, and sexual morality. Going for 1, 2 or 3 will be less-lasting solutions than 4.

 

[LongingSoul]

If you do #1, you will continue to have illegal abortions. Moreover, the law of the land follows the culture of the land. Thus, before the law can be changed, the culture has to change.

I disagree with that premise. I think what drives many people into public office is the belief that laws can change culture. In a previous post I gave the example of how racial discrimination laws changed the culture relatively quickly after many years of using religious and moral arguments through the pulpit and media werent making a dent.

There are also many minor laws such as speed and traffic laws or taxation related laws that if put to the popular vote would not make it through. We do entrust to our government an authority to implement laws that serve the greater good as they perceive it.

This is why I think we should be demanding a very high standard of our Catholic politicians and leaders. Also being a strong force in the field of legislative ethics.

Of course the other options are highly important as well but I still go with #1 as a *primary *focus.

 

[BellsMom]

What would you consider more reliable contraception?

I’m imagining some sort of medical advancement where women or men could temporarily block their fertility with either chemicals or surgery in a way that will be more consistent (for instance, no “break thru” ovulation) and not require daily maintenance. These means are available right now but all come with a chance of failure. Perhaps in the future that failure rate can be reduced.

I also think that teaching people to use multiple forms of contraception can 100% guarantee no pregnancy. The chances of a women who uses the pill and a diaphragm in addition to her partner using a condom has a better chance of winning the mega millions lottery then getting pregnant.

 

[isaacalsop]

Nope.

The contraceptive mentality is what creates the environment for abortion to exist.

Contraceptives divorce the idea of children and sex, so that babies become an unwanted and unexpected intruder into the results of sex.

The more contraception you encourage, the more abortion you get.

AMEN

 

[isaacalsop]

Honestly I don’t like any of the options given in the poll. (nor do I like the idea of increasing access to contraception). The real way to fix this is by providing better support for those who find themselves pregnant and don’t think they can handle it. This means more than just economic support, but real, personal, one-on-one support. I guess maybe this can be said to be included in changing the culture, but it is more specific and I would say the most important aspect of changing the culture. Changing the culture so that we all learn to be more supportive of people who find themselves in this difficult situation and so that we set up real, practical, and personal help so that it is actually available to all those who need it. That is the primary way of reducing abortions.

In immediate reality, yes this is true, but in the long run this doesnt totally end abortion, just prevents a few. I think that this is an immediate solution, but in the long run we need 3 or 4.

 

[LongingSoul]

I’m imagining some sort of medical advancement where women or men could temporarily block their fertility with either chemicals or surgery in a way that will be more consistent (for instance, no “break thru” ovulation) and not require daily maintenance. These means are available right now but all come with a chance of failure. Perhaps in the future that failure rate can be reduced.

I also think that teaching people to use multiple forms of contraception can 100% guarantee no pregnancy. The chances of a women who uses the pill and a diaphragm in addition to her partner using a condom has a better chance of winning the mega millions lottery then getting pregnant.

But the reason that the chemical/surgical options are not embraced more is because of the effect they have on future fertility. It’s already known that the increase in human infertility is in great part, the result of prior chemical/surgical contraceptive choices. The problem is that you can’t just manipulate the body like an inanimate machine. It is a living organism that ‘thinks’ and when the fertility is treated like it is a disease, the body will ‘evolve’ to eliminate it from it fundamental functioning.

That doesn’t leave many other options. Many young men don’t like condoms and taking into consideration the natural ‘live for the moment’ attitude of the young, education has limited effect in forcing their use. Even the presence of AIDS doesn’t faze some young men.

IUDs aren’t ever going to be a mainstream solution because many people that believe in contraception do not believe in abortion and devices that work by causing abortion rather than blocking initial conception… are naturally abhorrent to many.

There really are no contraceptive options that will ever be universally acceptable to the contraception believers.

 

[ManOnFire]

I went with 3. Ideally we would make it illegal but we need to first convince everyone how wrong it is. As a teenager, I can definitely say that our society, especially younger people in my experiences, are far too obsessed with sex. If we could fix this, there would naturally be less abortions and the practice would slowly die out as people learned to keep it in their pants. It would make it easier for us to get people to understand how immoral such a practice is.

4 is also pretty good though so it was a tough choice. People need to understand how important life is. My sister actually acknowledges that it is a living human from the moment of conception and has said that she would never get one because it would be murder, but she still thinks people should have a choice. I can’t even begin to comprehend that frame of thought.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the belief in God or Not. As Doestoyevsky said “If God doesn’t exist, then all acts are permissible.” It’s difficult for most religious people to think about what this really means. If you believed that God doesn’t exist, then why not become a hedonist whose goal it is to feel base pleasure for most of one’s lifetime? In which case you’d likely be using a 3 year birth control implant if you’re a young woman. Think about it. The issue is that most of the media and academics are atheists, so they say what’s popular and what to believe, and the new Followers believe it. Religion used to be “the opiate of the masses.” Now, opiates and sex are the new opiates of the masses. It’s the new religion. It’s easy to see how an unromantic progressive atheist woman wouldn’t hesitate to have an abortion. The problem is those women in the middle: the ones who are sexually liberal but yet at the same time, too conservatively romantic to have an abortion, and they are 41% of the US population and rising. We’ve become too unromantic for marriage, yet not unromantic enough for foolproof birth control. Fascinating.