I am struggling. I am not as great with words as some others are on goEMAW. When we are having a serious conversation, I really want to keep it an open conversation, but I am easily swayed to turn it into name calling and general stupidity.
One great, general point somebody made is that it is difficult to explain exactly how you feel on a message board without someone interpreting your opinion as rash and stubborn at best or mean at worst (paraphrased). This leads to one other concern I have about attempting to have this discussion on a message board, which is that I honestly don't believe I will change anyone's opinion on this subject and may be more likely to cause someone to dig their heels into the ground even further against my position.
I am pro life (freely admitted somewhere back on page 2 whereby my admittance basically meant that I was a Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)). I believe that human life starts at conception. Really, I don't have much more of an argument other than to tell you that I am a father and each time my wife and I confirmed we were pregnant, it changed my life. My life didn't stay the same up until the birth or in the 3rd tri-mester, it changed as soon as we knew we were pregnant. I would go further and say that even before we knew for certain we were pregnant but suspected we might be, I felt my life changing. I don't believe that a clump of cells does that. I can also tell you that it is beyond me to know how anyone it today's world can look at an ultrasound and then believe that a baby isn't a human until it is born.
The other nonfactual argument I would offer is that I personally know of women that have had abortions that are haunted by it for the rest of their lives. I have never met someone who said, "I sure wish I would have aborted that child of mine." I realize there are many women who have abortions and have no issues with after the fact and there probably are even a few women that wish they would have aborted one of their kids. I am only stating that I have experienced distraught people after having abortions and I have never personally met someone who wished they would have had one. I know others will not agree with my position, but that will not change my position.
There was one point that was made in favor of abortion that got some praise on here which I wanted to address. It basically equated that killing one infectiously sick person for the sake of many, perhaps thousands, is worth it. What really struck me about that post is that it is basically saying that Scott Roeder was in the right, as he thought he was killing one to save many, perhaps thousands. For the record, I agree with neither the premise of killing one infectiously sick person for the sake of many nor do I agree that George Tiller's killer was in the right.