Pro-life

[[File:Pro-life-march.png|thumb|Pro-Life demonstration in Washington]]
{{abortion}}{{Bronze}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[consistent life ethic]]. For the [[Idaho]] [[perennial candidate]] with the name "Pro-Life", see [[Marvin Richardson]].}}
{{cquote|…[they] believe that life begins at conception and ends at [[birth]]…|||[[Barney Frank]], speaking of anti-abortion legislators<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/10/02/to_be_frank/?page=4 To Be Frank] by Charles P. Pierce (October 2, 2005) ''The Boston Globe''.</ref>}}
{{cquote|We're [[conservatives]], and the one way we don't like to kill things is [[Abortion|that way]]!|||Stan Smith, ''American Dad!''<ref>[http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=american-dad&episode=s01e07 American Dad Episode Transcripts: Deacon Stan, Jesus Man]</ref>}}
{{cquote|We command all [[satanic]] pregnancies to miscarry right now!|||Paula White, pro-life spiritual adviser to [[Donald Trump|President Trump]]<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/01/26/paula-white-miscarry-metaphor/ Trump's spiritual adviser called for 'all satanic pregnancies to miscarry.' It was a metaphor, she says.] by Derek Hawkins & Angela Fritz (Jan. 26, 2020 at 10:24 a.m. PST) ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlW1gehhwA4 Paula White, Trump "spiritual advisor": “We command all Satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now!] (Jan 25, 2020) ''[[YouTube]]''.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200126204914/https://paulawhite.org/ Paula White Ministries] (archived from January 26, 2020).</ref>}}
{{cquote|These people aren't pro-life--they're killing doctors! What kind of pro-life is that? What, they'll do anything they can to save a fetus but if it grows up to be a doctor they just might have to kill it? They're not pro-life. You know what they are? They're [[Misogyny|anti-woman]]. Simple as it gets, anti-woman. They don't like them. They don't like women. [[The Handmaid's Tale|They believe a woman's primary role is to function as a brood mare for the state]].|||[[George Carlin]], in his opening bit from his 1996 HBO special <i>Back in Town</i>}}

'''Pro-life''' is a [[marketing]] [[euphemism]] to avoid having to say "''anti''", as in '''anti-abortion''';<ref>[https://qz.com/896566/where-does-the-term-pro-life-come-from/ A brief history of a marketing masterpiece: branding the anti-abortion movement “pro-life”] by Annalisa Merelli (Published January 28, 2017; Last updated February 3, 2017) ''Quartz''.</ref> it is a political neologism and [[loaded language|emotionally loaded term]] used to define people who are allegedly in favor of 'protecting the [[life]] of every [[human]] [[fetus]] and [[embryo]]' regardless of the consequences, and are thus opposed to [[abortion]] and seek to discourage, restrict, obstruct, and/or outlaw its practice. [[Ironically]], some 'pro-life' supporters are also pro-[[death penalty]].<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/14/opinion/costello-pro-life-pro-death-penalty/index.html Can you be pro-life and pro-death penalty?] by Carol Costello (May 28, 2014) ''CNN''.</ref><ref>[https://thefederalist.com/2018/11/26/completely-consistent-pro-life-pro-death-penalty/ Why It’s Completely Consistent To Be Pro-Life And Pro-Death Penalty] by Benjamin R. Dierker (November 26, 2018) ''The Federalist''.</ref> Some jurisdictions get so strict about this that giving stillbirth or [[miscarriage]] is considered murder.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jul/06/el-salvador-teen-rape-victim-sentenced-30-years-prison-stillbirth El Salvador teen rape victim sentenced to 30 years in prison after stillbirth], ''The Guardian''</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/28/opinion/abortion-pregnancy-pro-life.html?mtrref=undefined When Prosecutors Jail a Mother for a Miscarriage: Women grieving after a lost pregnancy or a newborn’s accidental death are being charged with crimes.] (Dec. 28 2018) ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/25/miscarriage-murder-roevwade-personhood Is miscarriage murder? States that put fetal rights ahead of a mother's say so] by Sadhbh Walshe (25 Jan 2013 08.15 EST) ''[[The Guardian]]''.</ref> The more common and neutral term '''anti-abortion''' and the political/[[feminist]] terms '''anti-choice''' and '''forced birth''' are also in use. The pro-life platform often extends to opposing [[embryo]]nic [[stem cell research]], assisted [[suicide]] or [[euthanasia]], and in some cases artificial [[birth control]]. Its adherents' tactics range from the benign (e.g., [[prayers]] in church or fliers) to the aggressive (e.g., heckling patients walking into clinics, using the legislature to push their agendas, vandalizing clinics) to the deceptive (e.g., setting up [[crisis pregnancy center]]s, showing unwanted graphic pictures of inaccurately labeled or doctored photos, sneaking into [[Planned Parenthood]] as "undercover" and then fabricating/distorting evidence of wrongdoing) to outright [[terrorism]] (e.g., [[Eric Rudolph]] bombings, the assassination of [[George Tiller]], and {{wpl|Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting|killing doctors|).}}

[[File:Avorteurs_assassins_-_Nouvelle_Action_française_(1971-1978).jpg|thumb|right|200px|Pro-life propaganda by the French political party "Nouvelle Action Française". In English its translation is, "Abortionists Murderers! [[France|The Republic]] kills."]]

==Origin of the term==
Because being "pro-life" has largely become a politically conservative stance, it tends to have a high correlation with support for [[war]], [[gun nut]]tery, and [[capital punishment]] (i.e., killing may be, at times, approved of as a method of defending the lives of innocent persons) and with opposition to euthanasia, [[welfare]] programs (such as food stamps), and potentially life-saving [[stem-cell research]]. Hence the trenchant [[pro-choice]] assertion that pro-lifers' defense of life begins at conception, ends at birth, and starts again at [[Terri Schiavo|brain death]]. However, even this may exaggerate "Pro-lifers" concern for "life", as these people also generally oppose universal access to quality, affordable [[healthcare]] (including universal pre-natal and maternity care), most often with the reasoning that [[Socialized health care | government public-health programs]] are unnecessarily costly and inefficient, whereas private-sector efforts are able to help more people with significantly less cost. In other words, they have a firm belief in the [[free market]]{{efn|But not apparently, in the fetus or letting the free market deal with abortion.}} and in [[Small government|minimal government]].

This was originally not the case. The origin of the "pro-life" movement was in the [[Roman Catholic]] left during the [[Vietnam War]] among Catholic [[social justice | social-justice]] activists, who opposed the war, capital punishment, and abortion alike. Those who hold this particular combination today now use the term "[[consistent life ethic]]". According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the term "pro-life" was first introduced to modern language in 1960 by A. S. Neill in his book ''Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Childrearing'': "no pro-life citizen would tolerate our penal code, our hangings, our [[Homophobia|punishments of homosexuals]], our attitude towards bastardy."<ref>[https://www.google.com/books?id=7SSfAAAAMAAJ ''Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing''] by {{wpl | A. S. Neill | Alexander Sutherland Neill}} (1960). Hart Publishing, page 343.</ref><ref>[https://qz.com/896566/where-does-the-term-pro-life-come-from/ Annalisa Merelli, A brief history of a marketing masterpiece: branding the anti-abortion movement "pro-life", ''Quartz'', January 28 2017]</ref> The specific sense of "opposed to induced abortion" had developed in North America by 1970.<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'', s.v. "pro-life".</ref>

==Post-''Roe v. Wade'' (1973-2022)==
In the United States, after the ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' decision by the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] in 1973, the largely [[Protestant]] [[religious right]] latched onto abortion as a holy crusade and made it a core part of conservative politics, conveniently forgetting the other issues. Mostly their opposition to abortion seems to stem from them seeing it as part of a [[feminism|feminist]] plot to empower women with control over their own [[reproductive rights]], and with the [[sexual revolution]] more generally. [[Jerry Falwell]] and his [[Moral Majority]] played a big role in making abortion a [[moral panic]] among conservatives and [[evangelical Christians]] starting in the late 1970s and 1980s. Today, being anti-abortion is almost a given among members of evangelical [[megachurch]]es, with dissenting views on abortion met with accusations of near-[[heresy]]. It is used as a [[wedge issue]] (or a single-issue litmus test) to convince many who otherwise hold liberal, moderate, or [[libertarian]] politics, to vote [[Republican]].<ref>Ladd, D. (March 11, 2019). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/the-white-women-who-flipped-the-price-of-changing-your-conservative-views The white women who flipped: the price of changing your conservative views]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved March 23, 2019.</ref> Anti-abortion politicians have spent the last two decades trying to find ways to "[[Circumventing Roe v. Wade‎|fight the holy war]]" with a variety of new tactics from bills attached to health care reform to revised (read: impossible to do) building codes.

==The anti-abortion movement and U.S. racial dynamics==
In recent years, anti-abortion activist groups in the United States have turned their attention to [[African-American]] women. In 2011, one such group chose February – Black History Month – for a billboard campaign announcing that "Black children are an endangered species."<ref>[http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/03/past_and_present_collide_as_the_black_anti-abortion_movement_grows.html Miriam Zoila Pérez, "Past and Present Collide as the Black Anti-Abortion Movement Grows," Colorlines, 3 March 2011]</ref> A spokesperson for a [[Texas]]-based anti-abortion group which ran a billboard campaign featuring a young black boy and the caption "The most dangerous place for some children is in the womb" said that "the overwhelming majority of abortion facilities are in minority neighborhoods", and that the people living in those neighbourhoods needed to be informed of the alleged effects of abortion.<ref>[http://www.kxan.com/news/racial-anti-abortion-ads-hit-austin Erin Cargile, "Anti-abortion ads target black women" KXAN, 22 December 2010]</ref> Also in 2011, anti-abortion activists covered the south side of [[Chicago]] with billboards featuring the likeness of [[Barack Obama]], with the slogan "[[Great Beethoven fallacy|Every 21 minutes, our next possible leader is aborted.]]"<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/22/black-women-anti-abortion-movement_n_852591.html Laura Basset, "Anti-Abortion Movement Targets Black Women In Latest Efforts," Huffington Post, 22 April, 2011]</ref>

Anti-abortion activists often bolster this "abortion=racism" stance by citing [[Margaret Sanger]]'s admittedly problematic (though hardly unusual for her time) support for [[eugenics]]. Critics counter that anti-abortion conservatives are cynically employing a [[genocide conspiracy]] theory to drive a wedge between two groups of traditionally liberal Democratic voters (African Americans and feminists).

These efforts are reflected by some more radical factions of the African-American activist community. Some [[black supremacy|black supremacist]] and black nationalist groups, including the [[Black Panther Party]] and the [[Nation of Islam]], have long denounced abortion and [[contraception]] as alleged tools of [[black genocide]].

All of this becomes more than a little bit [[ironic]] when you consider that there are others who oppose abortion at least in part because they see it as contributing to the [[White genocide|"demographic winter" of ''white'' people]],<ref>[http://www.thenation.com/article/missing-right-babies Kathryn Joyce, "Missing: The 'Right' Babies", The Nation, 14 February 2008]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/08/27/how-white-nationalists-aligned-themselves-with-antiabortion-movement/ Ari M. Brostoff, "How white nationalists aligned themselves with the antiabortion movement", The Washington Post, 27 August 2019]</ref><ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/anti-abortion-white-supremacy/ Alex DiBranco, "The Long History of the Anti-Abortion Movement's Links to White Supremacists", The Nation, 3 February 2020]</ref> And yet others who organize anti-abortion conferences that openly support eugenics.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/04/natal-conference-austin-texas-eugenics Revealed: US pro-birth conference's links to far-right eugenicists: Natal conference, to be held in Austin in December, promoted on far-right podcast circuit and set to host self-described eugenicists] by Jason Wilson (4 Sep 2023 05.00 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref>

Anti-abortion arguments also tend to overlook or to distract from historical discrimination against African Americans, who more likely to be in poverty and thus in need of access to abortions (as many cannot afford to raise a child).

==Abortion in philosophy==
In her 1971 paper, [[philosopher]] Judith Jarvis Thomson proposed a [[thought experiment]]:<ref>[https://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil160,Fall02/thomson.htm "A Defense of Abortion"] by Judith Jarvis Thomson (1971) ''Philosophy & Public Affairs'' 1(1):47-66.</ref>
{{cquote|You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with an unconscious violinist. A famous unconscious violinist. He has been found to have a fatal kidney ailment, and the Society of Music Lovers has canvassed all the available medical records and found that you alone have the right blood type to help. They have therefore kidnapped you, and last night the violinist's circulatory system was plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own. The director of the hospital now tells you, "Look, we're sorry the Society of Music Lovers did this to you — we would never have permitted it if we had known. But still, they did it, and the violinist is now plugged into you. To unplug you would be to kill him. But never mind, it's only for nine months. By then he will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you.}}
The thought experiment is meant to show that personal autonomy should be more important than saving a life when the two are interconnected. Although this particular thought experiment would seem to support abortion only in the case of [[rape]], Thomson constructed similar thought experiments that broadened the permissibility of abortion in a wide range of scenarios.<ref name=brighouse>"Why Is an Argument Clinic Less Silly than an Abuse Clinic or Contradiction Clinic?" by Harry Brighouse (2006) In: ''Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think!'', edited by Gary L. Hardcastle & George A. Reisch. Open Court. ISBN 0812695933. Pages 53-63.</ref>{{rp|60-61}} Nonetheless, right-to-life proponents are not very likely to find this line of reasoning convincing.<ref name=brighouse/>{{rp|61}}

==Abortion in religion==
{{main|Religion and abortion}}
The [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian Universalist]] religion strongly supports abortion rights.

[[Buddhist]] views differ, but the [[Dalai Lama]] said that abortion should be viewed according to each situation. [[Wiccans]] similarly have varying views on the issue, with no set precedent.

It seems to be possible to [[quote mine]] the [[Bible]] to support either side of the argument.<ref>[http://www.abortion.org.au/abortionbible.htm Biblical abortion references]</ref> (No surprise there perhaps.) But all of the verses referred to seem to require substantial interpretation in order to get the required meaning, and are only of interest to one particular religious group. Evangelicals of the 1950s and 1960s (in contrast to 21<sup>st</sup>-century ones) often quoted the Bible to argue that life does ''not'' begin at conception — mostly as a criticism of the [[Catholic]] [[dogma]] that [[soul|ensoulment]] happened at conception. This view persisted in fairly mainstream evangelical thought until the late 1970s.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/02/18/the-biblical-view-thats-younger-than-the-happy-meal/ The ‘biblical view’ that’s younger than the Happy Meal]</ref>

Some pro-choice campaigners claim that abortion is mentioned in the Bible, in {{bible|Numbers|5|11|31}}. Called "the Adultery Test", the passage is an instruction to priests on how to deal with a woman accused of [[adultery]] by feeding her "bitter water", which afflicts her with "the curse". Specifics aren't given in [[Numbers]], but the curse of the "bitter water" is described very clearly as affecting her child-bearing ability. Like most Bible passages, however, there is a catch: translations differ exactly on what this magic potion is supposed to do. In the [[King James Version]] (KJV) the relevant passages read:
:<sup>'''27'''</sup>And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.<ref>{{bible|Numbers|5|27}} (KJV)</ref>

Some translations specifically suggest "miscarriage" in Numbers 5:22. The [[New International Version]], as opposed to the poetic and subtle KJV, suggests it directly:
:<sup>'''27'''</sup>If she has made herself impure and been unfaithful to her husband, this will be the result: When she is made to drink the water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering, it will enter her, her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse. <sup>'''28'''</sup> If, however, the woman has not made herself impure, but is clean, she will be cleared of guilt and will be able to have children.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+5%3A11-31&version=NIV Numbers 5:11-31 (New International Version)]</ref>

This sort of translation issue is common throughout [[holy text]]s, and is most likely due to the use of a [[euphemism]] in the original [[Hebrew]] that never really caught on in English.<ref>[http://www.pantokrator.org/2006/03/06/womens-thighs-falling-away-new-bible-diet/ Women’s thighs falling away – new Bible diet?]</ref> Less literal translations agree that the "thigh" in the literal version is plainly a euphemism for "womb" (so it's not just modern [[Bible thumper|Bible-thumpers]] who are squeamish about female anatomy) but whether The Curse is an induced miscarriage or just rendering the woman sterile isn't clear from most attempts to get the passage into English. Any crude substance capable of causing sterility, or by the more literal translations causing "genitals to shrink" is likely to induce a miscarriage anyway. Either way, it's Biblical evidence for priests playing very fast and loose with the reproductive cycle, which is hardly "pro-life" as many self-described pro-life proponents claim it to be!

Another verse that somewhat touches on the issue is {{bible|Exodus|21|22}}: 
:<sup>'''27'''</sup>If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

This suggests that inducing abortion was viewed as only a misdemeanor, though it does not touch upon cases when this was done by the mother or someone else at their instruction, but traditional [[Jewish]] interpretation has been that killing is murder only after birth.<ref>[http://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Niddah.5.3?lang=en&layout=lines&sidebarLang=all Mishnah Niddah 5:3] ''Sefaria''.</ref> However, abortion was usually prohibited by reference to {{bible|Genesis|9|6}} ("Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."), though not as murder, while allowed to save the life of the mother.

Anti-abortion activists, to the contrary, are usually likely to quote {{bible|Jeremiah|1|5}} (''"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee…"''), which has overtones of [[Calvinist]] [[predestination]],<ref group=note>Taken to its logical conclusion, this would suggest that life begins ''before'' conception, which anti-abortion activists prefer not to think too hard about.</ref> and {{bible|Deuteronomy|30|19}} (''"…therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live"''), which in context is about [[faith]] in [[God]] and has little to do with abortion.

==Abortion and Nazism==
{{main|Godwin's Law}}
Linking abortion and [[Nazism]] is a common anti-abortion tactic by comparing the relationship of ideas on what constitutes a human life found in abortion supporters' beliefs and those of the Nazis. One reason the Nazis had no problem murdering millions in cold blood was because they had lowered their expectations on what was considered a human life, therefore removing any moral objection to their killings. In summary, anti-abortion activists consider third party individuals who define living in order to signify that abortion is not murder as followers of this Nazi montage.

Nazi decriminalization of abortion in Poland and Eastern Europe was condemned by the War Crimes Tribunal during the Nuremberg Trials.<ref>Rita Joseph, ''Human Rights and the Unborn Child,'' p. 186.</ref> However, this was explicitly aimed to reduce the population of Slavs, i.e. for racist, genocidal purposes — certainly not reproductive freedom (hence it was condemned as part of the Holocaust).

Some anti-abortion activists also bring up China's controversial [[one-child policy]] as a [[straw man]] argument, accusing their opponents of secretly supporting forced abortions, because wanting women to have a choice in their reproductive health is totally the same as a government enforcing strict control of child births, right?

===Rush Limbaugh===
The conservative commentator [[Rush Limbaugh]] coined the term "[[feminazi]]," defining it this way:
{{cquote|[A feminazi is] a feminist to whom the most important thing in life is ensuring that as many abortions as possible occur … There are fewer than twenty-five known feminazis in the United States.<ref>Limbaugh, Rush. ''The Way Things Ought to Be'', pp.193, 296.</ref>}}

That Mr. Limbaugh is missing the entire point of [[radical feminism]] can probably be agreed upon even by [[anti-feminist]]s. Whether the comparison of abortion with the actions of the [[Nazi]]s holds water is a separate question.

===Refutations===
Before accepting the parallel between abortion and the [[Holocaust]], one should keep these points in mind:
#'''The Nazis only used abortion for eugenic and genocidal means.''' Weimar-era [[Germany]] was, for its time, fairly [[liberal]] on the abortion question.<ref>[http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/air/air_vol16no1_2001.html The Abortion and Eugenics Policies of Nazi Germany] by John Hunt (2001) ''Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values and Social Change'' 16(1). Reprinted in ''lifeissues.net''.</ref> In 1939, the Nazis ushered in laws that did away with this general permissiveness, forbidding abortions by "Aryan" women while promoting it among non-"Aryans."<ref>"Abortion and Eugenics in Nazi Germany" by Henry P. David et al. (1988) ''Population and Development Review'' 14(1):81-112. doi:10.2307/1972501.</ref>{{rp|94}}
#'''The Holocaust was a [[genocide]].''' In these days, the Holocaust is less objected to for its large body count than for the fact that it was a ''genocide'', or, as the [[United Nations]] says, an explicit attempt to destroy a nation, ethnicity, or race, or practitioners of a religion. Not only do [[fetus]]es not form any such group, but they are not even being targeted on the basis of being fetuses.

==Anti-abortion and anti-science==
{{main|War on Science}}
The theme of the 2019 anti-abortion March for Life in Washington, DC was "Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science".<ref name=boorstein>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/01/18/march-life-says-its-pro-science-despite-medical-consensus-favoring-abortion-access/ Trump and Pence give surprise addresses at antiabortion March for Life] by Michelle Boorstein, Julie Zauzmer & Marisa Iati (January 18, 2019) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Despite this proclamation, the anti-abortion movement has been rather anti-science, for example opposing stem-cell research, promoting many falsehoods on abortion such as the [[Evidence linking abortion to breast cancer|debunked abortion and breast cancer link]], abortion and mental health problems link, having doctors abuse their credentials and patient trust to promote the falsehood of "saving" ecotopic pregnancies,<ref>Osberg, M. (October 1, 2019). [https://jezebel.com/the-anti-abortion-doctor-who-believes-ectopic-pregnanci-1838220334 The Anti-Abortion Doctor Who Believes Ectopic Pregnancies Can Be 'Reimplanted']. ''Jezebel''. Retrieved October 2, 2019.</ref> and deceiving women to go to religious crisis pregnancy centers. The March promoted two "scientific" non-[[peer review]]ed papers.<ref name=boorstein/> One paper was published by the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute:<ref>[https://lozierinstitute.org/a-scientific-view-of-when-life-begins/ A Scientific View of When Life Begins] by Maureen Condic (June 11, 2014) ''Charlotte Lozier Institute''.</ref>
{{cquote|Because the [[zygote]] arises from the fusion of two different cells, it contains all the components of both sperm and egg, and therefore this new cell has a unique molecular composition that is distinct from either gamete. Thus the zygote that comes into existence at the moment of sperm-egg fusion meets the first scientific criterion for being a new cell type: its molecular make-up is clearly different from that of the cells that gave rise to it.}}
At best, this is a gross oversimplification, and the origin of a human life is more of a political question than a scientific one.<ref name=boorstein/> The egg and the sperm are also each alive; why not criminalize [[masturbation]] or other forms of non-procreative sex for all the living sperm cells deliberately killed?

The second paper was an opinion signed by a few hundred members of the [[American College of Pediatricians]] stating that life begins at conception.<ref name=boorstein/> The American College of Pediatricians is regarded as a fringe anti-[[LGBT]] hate group by the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]].<ref>[https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/american-college-pediatricians American College of Pediatricians] Southern Poverty Law Center</ref>

===Fetal pain===
{{main|Fetal pain}}
Some pro-life organizations argue that ''all'' forms of surgical abortion will cause [[pain]] to the fetus. Human Life International, an anti-abortion organization, claiming that abortion providers themselves back this claim up.<ref>[https://www.hli.org/resources/fetal-pain-reason-end-abortion/ Fetal Pain Is a Reason to End Abortion] (October 6, 2021) ''Human Life International''.</ref> This is patently false because fetuses are incapable of feeling pain before about 30 weeks, when evidence of [[consciousness]] begins (EEG readings of the fetal brain).<ref name=lee>[https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/201429 Fetal Pain: A Systematic Multidisciplinary Review of the Evidence] by Susan J. Lee et al. (2005) ''JAMA'' 294(8):947–954. doi:10.1001/jama.294.8.947.</ref> This is because "Pain perception requires conscious recognition or awareness of a noxious stimulus."<ref name=lee/> Nearly all abortions occur during the first trimester (13 weeks).

==Post-''Roe v. Wade'' repeal (2022-)==
{{main|Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization}}
===Anti-science, anti-healthcare===
{{cquote|The decision in ''Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization'' and the subsequent overturn of ''Roe v. Wade'' and ''Casey v. Planned Parenthood'' forced physicians and patients across the country to prepare to navigate the ethical quagmire that abortion bans present. That preparation requires an assessment of the full scope of abortion restrictions' effects, including how physicians' ethical obligations to their patients and to the practice of medicine may be reshaped, redirected, or even contradicted by the threat posed by [[Anti-science|laws not founded in science]] or based on [[evidence]].|||The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists<ref>[https://www.acog.org/education-and-events/webinars/acog-nyu-how-abortion-bans-betray-americas-patients-physicians Webinar: Breaking the Law or Breaking the Oath? How Abortion Bans Betray America’s Patients and Physicians] ''The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists''.</ref>}}

{{cquote|What we have is laws that are not representative of medical practice, that are not framed in ways that we think or speak as medical professionals, and that makes it confusing.|||David Turok, associate professor of OB/GYN at the University of Utah<ref name=rowland>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/08/06/abortion-maternity-health-obgyn/ A challenge for antiabortion states: Doctors reluctant to work there: Recruiters say OB/GYNs are turning down offers, a warning for conservative-dominated states already experiencing shortages] by Christopher Rowland (August 6, 2022 at 12:05 p.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>}}

Following the nullification of ''Roe v. Wade'' by the ''Dobbs'' ruling, the [[willful ignorance]], or just plain ignorance of the biology of pregnancy by anti-abortion activists has come into focus as states have proposed new anti-abortion laws or re-examined archaic anti-abortion laws that were never nullified following ''Roe v. Wade''. Examples of common misunderstandings about pregnancy are:<ref>[https://www.sciencenews.org/article/abortion-roe-v-wade-pregnancy-biology-supreme-court-ruling 5 misunderstandings of pregnancy biology that cloud the abortion debate: The U.S. Supreme Court’s scrapping of Roe v. Wade leaves abortion laws up to the states] by Laura Sanders (June 24, 2022 at 1:58 pm) ''Science News''.</ref>
#The number of weeks of pregnancy is not based on the day of egg fertilization, but rather the first day of the most recent menstruation preceding pregnancy. This is not biologically sensible, but it is used because it is the most reliable measurement. Actual fertilization usually follows two weeks following that day. This is significant because abortion restriction laws are usually based on the number of weeks of pregnancy.
#Actual pregnancy does not start when the sperm and egg join, but rather when the embryo implants in the uterus. The egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube that connects the ovary to the uterus, the fertilized egg-turned embryo must then travel from the tube to the uterus. If the embryo does not reach the uterus, it can lodge in the tube and become an [[ectopic pregnancy]], which can never become a viable pregnancy. It will kill the pregnant person unless it is removed medically, usually by methotrexate which dissolves the cells.<ref>[https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ectopic-pregnancy/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372093 Ectopic pregnancy] ''Mayo Clinic''.</ref> This is significant for anti-abortion laws that apply to the fertilized egg.
#'Fetal heartbeat' is based on ultrasound views of early pregnancy that can show movement primitive heart muscle in the shape of a tube and without chambers. The ultrasound is usually shown to the pregnant person and close relatives, and is accompanied by a "lub dub" sound. The sound is not actually made by the heart muscle but by the machine itself. This is significant because anti-abortion [[Propaganda|propagandists]] had a billboard campaign falsely claiming that fetal heartbeat starts at 18 days,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220415232152/https://www.twincities.com/2012/07/20/minnesotans-baby-billboard-effort-against-abortion-running-strong/ Minnesotan’s baby billboard effort against abortion running strong] by Richard Chin (July 20, 2012 at 11:01 p.m. | UPDATED: November 9, 2015 at 11:31 p.m.) ''Pioneer Press'' (archived from April 15, 2022).</ref> and because [[Texas]] an anti-abortion "heartbeat law" 2021.<ref>[https://revealnews.org/article/jonathan-mitchell-texas-abortion-law/  Mastermind of the Texas ‘Heartbeat’ Statute Has a Radical Mission to Reshape American Law] by Amy Littlefield (April 5, 2022) ''Reveal''.</ref>
#[[Pain]] is a complex concept that is difficult to measure and requires the nervous system to send signals to the cerebral cortex in the [[brain]]. Knowing whether a fetus feels pain is impossible to determine, but [[fetal pain]] could not exist before the connections between the nervous system and cerebral cortex are connected at 28-29 weeks. The number of abortions at that time is extremely small since 90% of abortions occur before 13 weeks.
#The time of fetal viability is not fixed but babies born around 20-24 weeks either die or have major health problems.

Many of the abortion laws are intentionally [[vague]],<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/24/abortion-state-laws-criminalization-roe/ Abortion is now banned in these states. See where laws have changed.] by Caroline Kitchener et al. (Updated July 19, 2022 at 3:59 p.m. EDT; Published June 24, 2022 at 10:23 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> making them of dubious legality, but also having a chilling effect for healthcare workers who are likely to err on the side of caution rather than risk imprisonment even if it means endangering the life of the mother. For example, in Malta, which bans all abortions to save the mother's life, it is suspected that doctors unnecessarily remove the fallopian tube in cases of ectopic pregnancy in order not to be charged with performing an illegal abortion.<ref>[https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/lifestyle/health/106343/ectopic_pregnancy_treatment_highlights_health_risks_of_abortion_ban Ectopic pregnancy treatment highlights health risks of abortion ban: Pro-choice doctors say Maltese doctors surgically remove fallopian tube to avoid criminal liability of abortion in ectopic pregnancies] by Laura Calleja  (9 December 2020, 6:56am) ''Malta Today''.</ref> In 2022, an American tourist visiting Malta had an incomplete miscarriage in which the placenta separated from the uterus, making continued pregnancy impossible. Maltese doctors refused to treat her unless she was nearly on the point of death fearing that that they would be charged with an illegal abortion otherwise. The woman was forced to be emergency medically evacuated to [[Spain]] to save her life.<ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-06-24/woman-who-had-miscarriage-in-malta-taken-to-spain-to-abort Woman Who Had Miscarriage in Malta Taken to Spain to Abort: A pregnant American woman who suffered an incomplete miscarriage while vacationing in Malta is receiving treatment in a hospital on the Spanish island of Mallorca because Maltese law prohibits abortion.] (June 24, 2022, at 12:46 p.m.) ''Associated Press'' via ''U.S. News & World Report''.</ref> In Texas, a woman was forced to carry a dead fetus for two weeks because feared risking being criminally charged with abortion if they extracted the dead fetus with the standard and necessary D&C abortion procedure.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/20/abortion-miscarriage-texas-fetus-stell/ Woman says she carried dead fetus for 2 weeks after Texas abortion ban] by Timothy Bella (July 20, 2022 at 4:16 p.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Other cases have been reported where medical procedures have been unnecessarily delayed, thus further endangering the mothers' lives.<ref name=tanner>[https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-medication-lupus-e4042947e4cc0c45e38837d394199033 Abortion laws spark profound changes in other medical care] By Lindsey Tanner (July 16, 2022) ''AP''.</ref> In several cases, the procedures were delayed nine days until fetal heart activity stopped:<ref name=tanner/> a strand of fetal heart muscle was more important than the whole pregnant person.

====Unintended consequences====
*A significant number people have chosen to be sterilized rather than risk an undesired or life-threatening pregnancy in an anti-abortion state, an unintended consequence of the law.<ref name=tanner/>
*Anti-abortion laws are making access to dual-purpose medicines difficult to obtain, as in the case of methotrexate, which is used both to terminate ectopic pregnancies and to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis  and lupus (autoimmune diseases).<ref name=tanner/><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08/08/abortion-bans-methotrexate-mifepristone-rheumatoid-arthritis/ Abortion bans complicate access to drugs for cancer, arthritis, even ulcers: Some chronically ill women face questions about critical medications that could be used to end a pregnancy.] by Katie Shepherd & Frances Stead Sellers (August 8, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Abortion-inducing medications also have broad uses in medicine, including management of miscarriage, induction of labor, cervical dilation before surgical procedures, and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage.<ref name=dey>[https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/24/texas-abortion-law-pregnancy-care/ Abortion restrictions threaten care for pregnant patients, providers say: Women’s health care providers are holding back when counseling pregnant patients about treatment options, doctors report pharmacists are hesitant to distribute some prescriptions, and OB-GYN training is diminishing for Texas medical school students.] by Sneha Dey & Karen Brooks Harper (May 24, 2022) ''The Texas Monthly''.</ref> Misoprostol is used to induce abortions as well as to treat peptic ulcers.<ref name=dey/> Even when such medications are available, it is likely to make doctors reluctant to prescribe them even when they are the best option available for fear of being charged with inducing an abortion.
*The confusion about how to interpret anti-abortion laws, and in some states the inability of medical personnel to even mention the option of abortion to patients has resulted in a reduction of recruitment of doctors to states that either have or are likely to have anti-abortion laws, states that already have doctor shortages.<ref name=rowland/>

===Intentional cruelty===
Some anti-abortion laws are intentionally cruel, making no exceptions for rape, [[incest]], or age of the mother. Shortly after the voiding of ''Roe v. Wade'', a 10-year old girl was raped and became pregnant in [[Ohio]] where the abortion ban made no such exceptions. The girl was forced to travel to neighboring [[Indiana]] for an abortion.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/09/one-source-story-about-10-year-old-an-abortion-goes-viral/ A one-source story about a 10-year-old and an abortion goes viral] by Glenn Kessler (Updated July 13, 2022 at 1:27 p.m. EDT; Published July 9, 2022 at 3:00 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> The effect of the no-exception anti-abortion laws has been called 'forced birth', and is particularly cruel in states without paid family medical leave (PFML).<ref name=schnakemahl>[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10524009/pdf/nihms-1896470.pdf Forced Birth and No Time Off Work: Abortion Access and Paid Family Leave Policies] by Alina S. Schnake-Mahl et al. (2023) ''Am. J. Prev. Med.'' 65(4):755–759. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.04.01.</ref><ref>[https://www.springgroup.com/state-of-states-whitepaper/ Status of the States: Paid Family and Medical Leave in the U.S.] by Karen Trumbull English (February 17, 2023) ''Spring Consulting Group''.</ref>
{{cquote|These two policy areas [abortion bans with reproductive rights restrictions and PFML] illuminate the conditions placed upon birthing people in many US states, whereby state legislators and governors force birth and then compel mothers to either work to the detriment of themselves and their infants or leave the workforce by denying them access to paid leave in the weeks following birth.|||Alina S. Schnake-Mahl et al.<ref name=schnakemahl/>}}

Some anti-abortion politicians even want to give the death penalty to pregnant people who have abortions, such as Texas Representative Bryan Slaton in 2021<ref>[https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jun/28/instagram-posts/headline-about-texas-lawmakers-anti-abortion-bill-/ A Texas GOP lawmaker recently introduced a bill that would allow the death penalty for women who have an abortion.] by Gabrielle Settles (June 28, 2022) ''PolitiFact''.</ref> and a 2022 [[North Carolina]] bill (NC Bill 158) sponsored by five representatives.<ref>[https://www.thefocus.news/author/alexandraciufudean/ Will North Carolina punish abortion with the death penalty? NC Bill 158 explained] by Alexandra Ciufudean (July 19, 2022) ''The Focus''.</ref>

Some legal experts have argued that because the Supreme Court's ruling on ''Roe v. Wade'' repeal denies the federal right to bodily integrity, the same legal argument could be made by a state to allow eugenics-based forced sterilizations such as had existed in the US between 1929-1974.<ref name=venkataramanan>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/07/24/forced-sterilization-dobbs-roe/ She survived a forced sterilization. She fears more could occur post-Roe.] by Meena Venkataramanan (July 24, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> The Supreme Court ruling that first allowed forced sterilizations in 1927, ''[[Buck v. Bell]]'', has been cited twice by Justice Thomas in his dissents against abortion rulings.<ref name=venkataramanan/> Thirty-one states still have forced sterilization laws that would go into effect if the Supreme Court allowed them again.<ref name=venkataramanan/>

[[Statistical]]ly, the statewide abortion bans that have gone into effect in 2022 will cause increased deaths of pregnant people because in the United States, the risk of death from pregnancy is 14 times higher than the risk of death from abortion.<ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22270271/ The comparative safety of legal induced abortion and childbirth in the United States] by Elizabeth G. Raymond & David A Grimes (2012) ''Obstet. Gynecol. 119(2 Pt 1):215-9. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e31823fe923.</ref><ref name=rubin1>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/27/science-is-clear-abortion-ban-forced-birth-laws-will-kill-more-women/ The math is clear: Forced-birth laws will kill more women] by Jennifer Rubin (July 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> The risk of death from pregnancy for [[African American]] women is higher than the national average, so their death rate would be increased proportionally.<ref name=rubin1/>

===Theocracy===
That the Supreme Court ruling in ''Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization'' is [[theocratic]] is transparent. The six justices who supported the ruling are all conservative Catholics ([[Samuel Alito]], Amy Coney Barrett, [[Brett Kavanaugh]], [[John Roberts]], and [[Clarence Thomas]]) except for Neil Gorsuch who is either Catholic or [[Episcopal Church|Episcopal]].<ref>{{wpa|Demographics of the Supreme Court of the United States}}</ref> Alito, the author of the ruling, felt compelled to cite archaic English [[common law]] (while dismissing an important part of common law, ''[[stare decisis]]'' out of hand) that preceded the establishment of the United States:<ref>[https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf Dobbs, State Health Officer Of the Mississippi Department Of Health, et al. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization et al.] ''Supreme Court of the United States''.</ref>
*Matthew Hale {{lived|1609|1676}}, called "eminent" by Alito, but who sentenced two [[European witch-hunts|'witches' to death]].<ref name=hasday>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/09/alito-roe-sir-matthew-hale-misogynist/ On Roe, Alito cites a judge who treated women as witches and property] by Jill Elaine Hasday (May 10, 2022) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Hale also doubted women's accusations of rape and exempted [[marital rape]] from prosecution.<ref name=hasday/> 
*Judge Henry de Bracton {{lived|c. 1210|1288}} was also cited several times with his book ''De Legibus et Consuetudinibus Angliae''.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/read-justice-alito-initial-abortion-opinion-overturn-roe-v-wade-pdf-00029504 Justice Alito's initial draft abortion opinion which would overturn Roe v. Wade] ''Politico''.</ref>{{rp|16,17,25,26,44}} Bracton describes the 'proper' procedure for determining whether a woman is pregnant: "carefully examine her by feeling her breasts and abdomen and in every way", and if the exam was inconclusive she would be locked in a castle at her own expense and examined every day until conclusion.<ref name=milbank>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/09/alito-13th-century-law-roe-opinion-snl/ That 13<sup>th</sup>-century law treatise Alito uses? Here’s what else it says.] by Dana Milbank (May 9, 2022) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Bracton also stated that in cases of suspected fraud, "the woman cannot exceed the gestation period by a single day, even where the issue dies in utero or turns into a monster."<ref name=milbank/> Although [[democracies]] did not exist at the time of Bracton, he did emphasize the point that England was a [[theocracy]] in his book by stating that the [[king]] was the "vicar of [[God]]" with no equal.<ref name=milbank/>

It should also be clear that the decision is grounded more in conservative Christian religion than in law, since opposition to abortion is primarily among conservative Christians,<ref>[https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/05/13/which-religious-groups-members-abortion-poll Which religious groups’ members are most likely to identify as pro-choice?] by Jamie Ballard (May 13, 2022, 10:31 AM GMT-7) ''YouGov America''.</ref> and the Supreme Court was intentionally stacked with conservative Christians to rig this opinion.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/12/no-gop-didnt-engage-court-packing-it-did-plenty-court-stacking/ The GOP’s court-stacking: Democrats say it’s actually Republicans who have engaged in court-packing. That’s not right, though. Here’s why "court-stacking" is a better fit.] by Aaron Blake (October 12, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> In contrast, abortion is usually considered permissible among religious Jews and Muslims (up to 120 days).<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/02/abortion-bans-violate-religious-liberty ‘Theocratic’ US abortion bans will violate religious liberty, faith leaders say: The anti-abortion side has monopolized arguments based on religion. But some say their faith supports the right to choose] by Melody Schreiber (2 Jun 2022 08.42 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref>

A Florida synagogue sued the State of Florida in July 2022, basically claiming the recently-enacted Florida law (HB 5, "The Act") that banned abortions after 15 weeks is theocratic because their is no religious exemption for Jews:<ref>[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22060281-complaint-ldor-va-dor-vs-state-of-florida-final?responsive=1&title=1 Complaint of ''L’Dor Va- Dor v. Florida''] ''Document Cloud''.</ref>{{rp|19-20}}<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/24/abortion-bans-need-conscience-exceptions-jewish-religious-freedom/ Doctors and patients deserve a ‘conscience’ exception to abortion bans] by Jennifer Rubin (July 24, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>
{{cquote|The Act reflects the views of [[The United States as a Christian nation|Christian nationalists]] who seek to deny [[religious freedom]] to all others, under the arrogant, self-righteous notion that only they are capable of understanding God’s law and judgments and the religious views of all others are false, [[evil]] and not entitled to respect or constitutional protections. Proponents of this way of thinking used their political power to enshrine their narrow religious views as the law of the State of Florida, which not only results in irreparable harm to Plaintiff and all others who espouse a different view, including many of their co-religionists, but it also threatens and harms the very framework or our Democracy, and the cherished ideal of the [[separation of church and state]] which has been the cornerstone of American democracy since its inception and the reason why has been so successful and the envy of [[freedom]]-loving people throughout the world.}}

Even within Christianity, there is no consensus about abortion, leaving the total ban on abortion [[dogma]] primarily within the Catholic realm.<ref>[https://www.au.org/the-latest/church-and-state/articles/say-it-out-loud-behind-the-debate-over-abortion-there-lies-a-troubling-truth/ Say It Out Loud! Behind The Debate Over Abortion, There Lies A Troubling Truth] by Rollin Russell (Jul 15, 2022) ''Americans United for Separation of Church and State''.</ref> For example:
*[[Presbyterian]]s have twice ruled (1970 and 2006) that an abortion decision is an "ethical decision of the patient".<ref>[https://www.presbyterianmission.org/what-we-believe/abortion-issues/ Abortion Issues] ''Presbyterian Mission Agency''.</ref>
*The [[United Church of Christ]] issued a statement supporting "Freedom of Choice Concerning Abortion" in 1971.<ref>[https://www.uccfiles.com/pdf/GS-Resolutions-Freedom-of-Choice.pdf General Synod Statements and Resolutions Regarding Freedom of Choice] (1971) ''United Church of Christ''.</ref>
*The [[United Methodist Church]] has stated, "Critical to preserving life is ready access to proper medical care. This includes access to medical care that may include abortion when that is the way to preserve the most life possible."<ref>[https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-is-the-united-methodist-position-on-abortion What is the UM position on abortion?] ''The United Methodist Church''.</ref>

==Anti-abortion individuals and organizations==
*[[Center for Bio-Ethical Reform]]
*{{wpl|Democrats for Life of America}}
*[[Lila Rose]]
*[[Operation Rescue]]
*[[Randall Terry]]
*[[Secular Pro-Life]]

==Anti-abortion media==
Examples of anti-abortion media include LifeNews.com (formerly Pro-Life Infonet) and [[LifeSiteNews]] – although both claim to be independent, the latter has a historic connection with the {{wpl|Campaign Life Coalition||,}} a [[Canadian]] [[lobby]] group that opposes euthanasia and [[same-sex marriage]] as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lifesitenews.com/about|website=LifeSiteNews|title=About|accessdate=25 September 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Susan B. Anthony List]]
*[[Consistent life ethic]]
*[[Fun:Monty Python#Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983)|''Every Sperm is Sacred'']]
*[[Fun:Pro-life argument bingo]] — to make debating anti-abortion Internet dwellers a little easier.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

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Categories: Abortion, Conservative deceit, Culture wars, Discrimination, Misnomers, Neologisms, Political movements, Political euphemisms, Propaganda, Pseudoscience promoters, Sexism, Theocracy, Trumpism, War on science, We're on a mission from God