Performing Abortions Should be Illegal

There are a lot of claims here, But frankly your position is unclear. You say a lot about what certain communities think but what YOU think is not clear. I'm going to address and try to clarify your arguments and mine. Let me know what you disagree with, But please know it is not clear to the judges or myself from what you've said. Claims: 1. Your position seems to be that abortion is not moral because a fetus is "life. " We as humans don't typically care about 'life' by itself. What we care about is the philosophical concept of personhood. For example, All animals are alive. Most people don't assign them moral consideration just because they are alive. There are also no reasons to value only human DNA. Other intelligent life is more likely than it is to not. Any definition of what gains moral consideration without allowing for intelligent alien persons is not a complete moral definition. For another example, We can keep a human body's heart beating even after their brain is dead. Few people consider pulling the plug on a vegetable to be killing someone. If you are the same then you do not value the heartbeat. Animals also have heartbeats. Animals also breathe. Despite what you said, Doctors don't really value heartbeats or breath when determining if a person is still alive. It is only the brain. The line for death is brain activity. Why should the line for life be any different? Additionally, Science has a different definition for life than Medicine. These two should not be confused, Nor is the definition of life complete yet. As such, For me, The most consistent position is to value personhood as beginning at when the brain waves start consistently. The brain simply existing is not enough. We are who we are based entirely upon our brain waves. This means for me, ALL abortions prior to around 8-26 weeks are morally neutral. Despite what you said, Brain activity doesn't begin until between week 8 and 16 i. E. "The Quickening". Regular brain waves do not begin until around 26 weeks. ALL abortions prior to week 8 are completely morally neutral. We don't say someone dies when their heart stops beating. This means we shouldn't say someone begins to live when their heart starts. We don't say someone is any less a vegetable if they have occasional brain waves and jerky reflexes. Entirely morally neutral to destroy the body when the brain is not present. Consistent brain waves happen fairly consistently by week 26. On top of this element, A secondary element is that the species must have presented multiple cases of sufficient intellect to justify 'personhood. ' With this, Several animals DO qualify under my definition. Dolphins, Ravens, Several Parrots, Et cetera. Killing other animals is morally neutral. While they do have brain waves, That is not sufficient in and of itself to call them people. To clarify, This means prior to week 8 all abortions are morally neutral. 8-26 is a grey area. 26+ is killing a person. This implies morally wrong, But there is more to it than that. 2. We kill people all the time. Most people do not understand the difference between "killing" and "murder. " It is simple. Killing can be legal. Murder is not legal. All murders involve killings. Not all killings are murders. Our soldiers kill people all the time. These are not murders. As such, Murder is a legal term. You can say abortion ought to be considered murder. You require more justification for this position than "it ends a life. " Abortion is not currently murder. To kill a person without it being called murder one must have a justification for the killing sufficient for society. If someone robs your house, You can kill them. If someone presents a danger to you or your family, You can kill them. Abortions are all justified because the fetus is stealing from the mother. Financially it steals. Nutritionally it steals. It makes them sick. It effects their lives. It can ruin their lives. It can end their lives. You believe in the last one. If a fetus is going to end the mother's life, You accept killing the fetus. Do you also believe that people robbing you or threatening your family deserve to live even if they don't intend on doing you harm? The harm is still done regardless. This is also to account for nothing about a woman's bodily autonomy. To conclude, Pro must justify his belief that a fetus should have moral consideration at conception or 5 weeks or whatever he believes. He cannot simply declare life to be what he values unless he consistently values all life the same, At which point other problems arise, But at least we could agree both positions are consistent. He must then justify why killing this 'person' should be illegal. Why is is not a justified killing. Saying 'it is alive' is not sufficient. I will cover practical reasons why abortion should be permitted and solutions to the abortion problem as soon as I am able. There are solutions. May your thoughts be clear, -Thoht.