There is a simple response to that that shows how silly and absurd that is:
The next time someone says that, ask them if they have an opinion about something like murder (Or, if you would prefer, grand theft auto, or something similar). If they answer in the affirmative, ask them if they have ever committed a murder (or grand theft auto, etc.). If they respond negatively, ask them why they have an opinion, since according to the “Only women can have opinions about abortion” logic, only murderers (or thieves) can have opinions about murder (or theft).
It’s silly because it presumes that only a person that can or has experiences something morally questionable can judge it as being right or wrong, i.e. “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it”. This is utterly absurd.
I agree. Men are still capable of ethical reasoning, no? (edwest, are you paying attention? We actually agree on something!
)
The (valid) reason that people consider experience important when making decisions (including ethical ones), is that when you have a certain experience, it can reframe your understanding of the ethical issues involved. For example, many people think it’s wrong to use a leash for your child (or one of those cute backpacks disguised as leashes), but they have no real answer for what to do when you are 6 months pregnant with a 2-year-old who likes to dart out into parking lots and you already strained your groin muscles lunging after them once and those muscles never
did end up healing until after you gave birth …
My point is that in many cases experience has a way of revealing what the true ethical issues are. In the leash example above, the true ethical issue is the safety of the child and the health of the pregnant mom (rather than the issue as it appears to non-parents of the appearance of demeaning a child who truly doesn’t care one way or the other whether they are wearing a leash).
However, in other cases, experience is irrelevant. No amount of experience changes the fundamental nature of the evil that abortion is, just like no amount of experience changes the fundamental nature of the evil that genocide is, just like no amount of experience changes the fundamental nature of the evil that rape is. I trust my point is clear.
Just remember, the average abortion supporter hasn’t really considered what it is they’re supporting, they’re just paying lip service to the same tired rhetoric they see on the leftist televsion shows and MTV.
This is certainly true. This happens a lot with a particular highschooler on my Facebook (she’s a lesbian who is pro-gay marriage, but also pro-life in
every sense of the word, including pro-animal rights). She will post some picture or link and get ganged up on by all the other high schoolers, telling her she doesn’t know what she’s talking about (when in fact, if that’s the case,
they don’t know what they are talking about either). I particularly enjoy swooping in and coming to her defense. Once I join the conversation, no one on the opposing side really has anything to say to me.
I will go further and say that the man gets what he gets when he sleeps with someone who is not his wife.
This I will agree with. Ironically, in many cases it’s the guy who wants to use a woman for sex who suddenly freaks out when there’s something about the process (i.e. her choice to use him right back or her pregnancy in this case) that he doesn’t control.
I would argue that the child itself is (or should be) an independent consideration, but I already know what your opinion is.
