h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Survey: atheists' views on abortion

When religious people enter debates to oppose abortion, they often put forward ethical arguments alongside religious ones. I have not yet come across an atheist who opposes abortion. It would interest me to know the opinions of atheists on this topic. I don’t really want to start a big debate here, hence the word /survey/ in the title of this thread.

Note: 'Abortion' here stands for 'intentionally induced abortion'.

TRiG.

I'm an atheist, and my considered point of view is that it's the woman's right to choose what happens in her body. Nobody else's.

That really is all I have to say on the matter.

Ivan.

My feelings:

It's circumstantial. Abortion is inherently wrong but sometimes the best option. If a child is going to be born to parents that can't provide a stable & supportive upbringing (for whatever reasons) it's probably better to abort.

That is a simplified synopsis of my complicated feelings on a complicated issue.

My feelings would be the same as Ivan's, and I couldn't word it any better.

its nothign to do with religion eiher for , or aginst views.
at the end of the day.
it depends on what satage of development we're talking about.
but at any stage it is the womans choice., and it should always remind a choice. when it doesn't it is not* on religious grounds, but on the road to a dictatorship state.

abortion is murder and should not happen unless the womans health is at risk .

b******s. is it murder wehn you have a shower? a bath? w**k? I don't think so. Abortion in the first few weeks is as much the same in the physical amount of cells lost. they are only cells.

parents that cant cope >>>>>have they never heard of condoms etc .

yes. they normally have. try asking a rape victum.

Just'moi/tig/shifty - are you an atheist?

No. I'm not any religion. nor any 'non' religion either I'm a scientist by trainign

2 legs do you have to be so crude , ok you say rape but let me ask you somthing how many women have led men on ,yes there are poor souls that get raped but there are also people who love leading people on .

Just'moi - are you an atheist?

no i'm not

OK then. TRiG, you can disregard just'moi's comments. They fall outside the scope of your survey.

I'm an athiest, and I think that the boundries that are already in place are good - ie. that you can't have an abortion after a certain time (the first trimester?). I think that the medical profession is better suited to answer the question of when life "begins" than any religious "professional" or theologian.

>>you can disregard just'moi's comments.<<

Sounds like a plan


>>I think that the medical profession is better suited to answer the question of when life "begins" than any religious "professional" or theologian.<<

The problem with medical people having that power is that as the age of viable survivial of premature babies decreases so the cut off date for abortion decreases. I think it's up to the state to set the laws, but I'm with Ivan that ultimately it's the choice of the individual woman.

I'm not an atheist and I'm not religious.

I'm not an atheist, but I'm also not religious.

I am pro-life for myself and pro-choice for the rest of the women in the world, as it a choice that only each individual woman can make for herself.


az

I'm against abortion personally. Particularly if the child was created in consensual intimate realationships. If the adults are old enough to do that, they're certainly old enough to deal with the consequences.

If the child was a result of an inconsensual intimate relationships, then it is up to the mother to decide what she wants to do. Again, if it is harming the mother's health.

I guess that at the end of the day it is up to the mothers, and taking away the right to abortion, is impinging on people's freedom of choice. But at the same time, what about the father's right of view? What if he wants the child, but the mother doesn't - Granted the mother is the one carrying the child for 9 months. But the father should have some say in what happens, given it is his child too.

I'm an agnostic.

Basically abortion is okay say if the female was raped or the child will be born with a life treatening problem. But as a form of conterseption it is wrong.