Ask a Pro-Life Atheist: Amir P.
Once a month or so, the Secular Pro-Life blog features a short interview with a pro-life atheist or agnostic. (See the full series of interviews here.) Although Secular Pro-Life is not exclusively for atheists and agnostics, historically they have played a key role in the organization. As they become more prominent in the pro-life movement generally, we’re excited for the opportunity to share their stories. This month, we welcome atheist Amir P.
How did you arrive at the anti-abortion position?
By the notion that the concept of unborn life is true. If that is the case, the question then becomes at what point is an organism considered a living person, and every other alternative to the moment of conception seems to me to be arbitrary.
As such the only consistent, objective, and moral position would be to consider a baby in the womb to be a living person and as such deserving of protection.
How did you arrive at the atheist position?
I became an atheist because I found myself no longer able to believe in a supernatural deity. I then justified my beliefs by logical arguments.
How do you contribute to the cause of saving lives in the womb?
By questioning the supporters of abortion, and trying to understand their logic and questioning, whether their beliefs hold under scrutiny. In my experience, it rarely (if ever) does. Once the proponent acknowledges that human life should be protected, they will always find themselves in a losing situation, as there is no other alternative to acknowledging that human life starts from the moment of conception.
If they say that human life is not worth protecting, and it is other attributes such as consciousness or ability to think, then they will have to, in order to be consistent, agree that people in temporary comas can be executed without objection. Likewise, If brain capacity determines the right to life, then to be consistent, they must adopt a hierarchy of values where the more intelligent a person is, the more right they have to their lives.
[Read more – Quick tips for making online abortion debates worthwhile]
What words of wisdom do you have to share?
I would say that the biggest propaganda in this question has been to position a woman’s right to her body in conflict with a child’s right to life. Once this illusory tension is removed, one can see that a woman’s right to her body is not compromised by the right of a child to live. Nothing is lost by a child getting to live, but everything is gained.
If you appreciate our work and would like to help, one of the most effective ways to do so is to become a monthly donor. You can also give a one time donation here or volunteer with us here.
