From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!hplabsb!pc Newsgroups: net.women Title: beliefs/Truth/right-to-choose Article-I.D.: hplabsb.1356 Posted: Fri Feb 11 08:49:56 1983 Received: Sun Feb 13 04:29:23 1983 With all of the debate about the right to abort a pregnancy, it seems clear that the issue is one of personal conviction and religious beliefs. People on both sides make strong arguments for their positions, BASED ON THEIR A PRIORI BELIEF STRUCTURES. I find it difficult to accept that any individual has a hold on a Single Ultimate Truth, although many religious convictions are held with a kind of resoluteness which suggests the believer is convinced that his/her belief is Truth. Beliefs, however deeply felt, are not the same as "facts." And "Truth" remains the proper study of philosophers. The debate about abortion always seems to boil down to a difference in beliefs. An individual's beliefs represent his/her FAITH that some statement "has the ring of truth" for him/her. There is no "scientific proof" of factuality. THIS DOES NOT LESSEN THE RESPECT DUE TO BELIEFS (vs. facts). It merely puts beliefs in a different category. In the debate about abortion, there is clearly a wide diversity of fundamental beliefs at work. Fortunately, we are free to pursue our own religious (spiritual) and moral convictions. It would be apalling to force a woman to abort a pregnancy if it were against her beliefs. And, I would argue, it is equally appalling to force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term if her beliefs tell her it is "right" to terminate the pregnancy. (There is no "proof" that embryos are "Living Persons" while it is clear that human entities which "live" outside of the womb are People (for whom we guarantee a right to life). When "life" begins remains a matter of personal belief [and possibly science's ability to sustain life outside of the womb]. Many of these beliefs have been expressed in articles posted to this network group.) The issue of abortion is the issue of a person's right to choose. It is not an issue of facts and truths but an issue of personal convictions and beliefs. In any area where there are no "proofs" of the truth of one hypothesis (belief), we should respect the right of individuals to pursue their own beliefs. Anti-abortionists must be free to have as many children as they wish (regardless of the "moral" implications of their actions [risk to a mother's life, world overpopulation, etc] ) and pro-choice believers must be allowed to terminate their pregnancies if they consider the pregnancy to be "wrong" (despite the religious/moral/spritual repugnance to others). There are compelling moral arguments for and against abortion. At this juncture, there seems no reasonable alternative to allowing individuals the freedom of their beliefs.