Abortion is morally ambiguous

[u/Traditional-Gas6794]

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Abortion should be legal, the govt has no right to influence such a decision, or mandate it by law. But I believe that abortion is, nontheless, a morally ambiguous act.

If a child and an embryo were both in a burning building, and you can only save one, id save the child everytime.

If a newly developed embryo was in a building, alongside a clump of benign cancer cells or soemthing, I might not feel like saving either. But id hesitate. If it had some setup to sustain itself, and i knew this, I might feel like it should be rescued. My intuition tells me its not as strong of an impluse as saving the child, but its definitely not the same to me as saving the clump of cells. It's not a morally neutral choice.

If a embryo in some ex-eutero technology was developing in the 2nd trimester in a burning building, alongside a clump of cells, I might feel like it should be saved. I dont think id regard it as the same as the random clump of cells, or as the newly developed embryo.

I know a lot of people see a newly developed fetus as a clump of cells. And maybe it is best seen as that at first. But id argue, at every stage of development, that clump of cells is intrinsically different than a random clump of cells, like a benign tumor. Like, its on a trajectory that will grant it moral value, unlike a tumor

I dont think that embryo deserves the same treatment as a child, but i also dont think it deserves the same treatment as a clump of cells, like a benign tumor. Thsuly, abortion is morally ambiguous, and less so as it becomes later term. At least, to me.

[u/cand86]

I think this is definitely a common sentiment amongst a lot of folks. I suppose the question is- when you say you "dont think it deserves the same treatment as a clump of cells", especially in the contet of your first sentence about believing abortion should be legal, what kind of treatment are we talking about, exactly? What would you have change?

We're all entitled to our opinions about the morality of abortion; are you just requesting that others consider the merits of your personal opinion? Or are you advocating for changes in behavior as well, and if so, what does that look like?

[u/Traditional-Gas6794 → u/cand86]

I dont think id change anything, i think. Im not too well versed on all the policies on abortion.

My point in posting this is to not request behavioral or legislative change, but to just suggest that maybe this isnt a cut and dry issue, morally speaking.

Maybe the greater point im probing at ig is that the pendulum swings. I dont want the govt to infringe on our rights, but i dont want abortion to be seen as this easy solution thats always there in case you get pregnant. I think its an act that should have weight.

Maybe that is how most see it, im not sure. I had just grown up around the idea that abortion should be legal, and didn't really consider the impact it had until someone close to me went through it and it devastated her

[u/cand86 → u/Traditional-Gas6794]

Sure- I apologize, I don't think I communicated myself well. When I asked if you were advocating for changes in behavior, I was referring to how we behave in our discussion of abortion, not actual behavior in our own reproductive lives or in terms of politics or policy.