Abortion: A Secular Debate

1. Rebuttal1. A) It is intellectually dishonest for my opponent to call my questions "absolutely ridiculous, ignorant, or idiotic", when Pro is fully aware that the questions are asked in the context of my position that a fetus is a live human being.What Pro is really doing here is deflecting my questions. The audience should note that instead of explaining why in his view there is a difference between my comparison of a grown adult and a young child and the comparison of a fetus and a newborn baby, he simply reverts to claiming that a fetus is not a human being.This is a circular argument. Pro is saying: "A fetus is not a human being and should not be afforded human rights."I respond: "Why do you not consider a fetus to be a human being? How is a newborn baby any more of a human being than a fetus when they are, in my opinion, just at different stages of human development, but both definitely live humans?"Pro says: "Ridiculous! A fetus is not a human being because a fetus is not a human being."Now, I will not say that my opponent is being "ridiculous" or "ignorant" when he claims that a fetus is not a live human being and cannot be compared to a newborn baby. I understand that this is the position that he is coming from. I would just like for him to treat my arguments with the same respect, and explain why he feels there is a difference and where he feels the difference lies. Pro's opinion may be valid, but it cannot be evaluated until he explains his reasoning satisfactorily.B) It is a woman's choice to have an abortion. That is not being contested. What is being contested is whether it is morally right for a woman to have an abortion.My position boils down to this. Is it morally right for a woman to kill her newborn baby if that baby came to life through a case of rape or incest? I say no, because that baby is a live human being and deserves a chance to live. I also say that a fetus is just as much of a live human being as that newborn baby, and should be afforded the same rights.Now, Pro is claiming that just because I say so, I believe a woman's rights should be taken away. Which rights is Pro referring to? Are there any rights a mother has that are equally important to the right of a fetus to live? Absolutely. Her right to live. And that right is not being taken away by carrying a baby to term.2. ArgumentsMy argument remains that a fetus is a live human being. If it would be helpful for my opponent, I can be more specific.When I say that I believe a fetus is a live human being, I am specifically referring to baby at the fetal stage of development, not the embryonic stage of development.The embryonic stage of development spans from conception to 8-10 weeks gestation. During this time, the embryo really is just a clump of cells dividing and multiplying, with no developed brain or nervous system (no way to experience or interpret physical or mental/emotional sensations). I do not consider an embryo to be a live human being.By the 10th week of gestation, the fetal stage of development is in full swing. The fetus has a face, limbs, internal organs, a developing brain, a nervous system, and has begun to move independently. The fetus, in my opinion, is a live human being who can experience and interpret sensations.Keeping the above in mind, there are two different categories of abortion: Medication Abortion, and Surgical Abortion.Medication abortion is only effective during the embryonic stage of development. It is essentially a series of oral medications that the mother takes to induce her period, thereby flushing her uterus in the same fashion that her body naturally does each month.Surgical abortion is necessary once the fetal stage of development has begun. This type of abortion, in my opinion, is murder, as it deliberately causes the death of the fetus, which I believe to be a live human being.Thank you and I look forward to reading your arguments!Sources: http://umm.edu...http://www.plannedparenthood.org...