Abortion Debate Index

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Biology

Regarding when life begins

Biologically there’s no consensus on when life begins.

What do we mean by “alive”? Are viruses alive?

A zygote isn’t “alive” yet. Many zygotes don’t even implant.

Embryos are like sperm, eggs, or skin cells.

Regarding fetal development

Embryos don’t have hearts or heartbeats.

Ultrasounds are just detecting electrical activity, not heartbeats.

A 9 week embryo isn’t even visible to the naked eye.

Embryos are parasites.

Fetuses can’t feel pain.

Regarding miscarriage compared to abortion

Personhood

You aren’t a person until…

…you’re viable/can live independently/don’t require someone else’s body to live.

…you have consciousness.

…you have self-awareness.

If life begins at conception…

…what does that imply about IVF?

…why don’t people mourn miscarriage?

Are you a vegan?

The Burning IVF Lab thought experiment

Other general personhood discussions

Bodily Rights

Bodily Rights (SPL YouTube playlist)

It’s my body; I can do what I want with it.

It doesn’t matter if the fetus is a person or not, because no person has the right to use your body against your will.

Forced organ donations (kidneys, car crashes, etc.)
  • Abortion isn’t like refusing to donate a kidney (TikTok, YouTube)
  • “So you support forced kidney donation” (TikTok, YouTube)
  • “Do you support requiring people to donate their kidneys?” (TikTok, YouTube)
  • “If you caused a car crash, should you be forced to donate blood?” (TikTok, YouTube)

Abortion isn’t about killing; it’s about ending a pregnancy.

Abortion procedures involving feticide or dismemberment.
Artificial wombs and abortion rights
  • Abortion isn’t just about ending a pregnancy; it’s about killing a fetus. (TikTok, YouTube, and blog post)
  • “The right to avoid genetic parenthood” (TikTok, YouTube)
  • Artificial wombs and the right to not be a biological mother (TikTok, YouTube)

Consent to sex is not consent to pregnancy

Outlawing abortion leaves women with fewer rights than a corpse.

Healthcare

  • Abortion isn’t like treating lung cancer (TikTok, YouTube)
  • Later elective abortions aren’t done in hospitals (TikTok, YouTube)
  • Hospitals don’t perform later elective abortions (TikTok, YouTube)
  • Abortion isn’t just about ending a pregnancy; it’s about killing a fetus. (TikTok, YouTube, and blog post)
  • Society of Radiologists: don’t acknowledge that embryos are living (TikTok, YouTube)
  • Society of Family Planning gives guidelines on “inducing fetal asystole” (TikTok, YouTube)

The “Hard” Cases

How many pro-choicers support elective abortion? (TikTok, YouTube)

What about when her life is in danger?

What about when there are fetal anomalies?

Interview series: stories of prenatal diagnoses

Life-compatible anomalies
Life-limiting anomalies

What about when she was raped?

Please note Secular Pro-Life does not take an official position on whether abortion restrictions ought to include an exception for rape. We detail our reasoning here.

Abortion Procedures and Medications

(WebMD) What are the types of abortion procedures?

Abortion pills

Abortion pill reversal

Surgical abortion

  • “There is no dismemberment in abortion. Ever.” (TikTok, YouTube)

Later abortion

Later abortions are always or almost always for medical emergencies.
Later abortion is just birth.
Third trimester abortions are only done in medical emergencies.

Effects of Abortion Access

On women

On others

Effects of Abortion Restrictions

On women

Women will be forced to carry pregnancies.

Denying women abortion will destroy women’s lives.

Women will be prosecuted for abortion.

Abortion is 14 times safer than childbirth.

On children

Did Texas’ Heartbeat Law increase infant mortality rates? (TikTok, YouTube, and blog post)

Abortion bans mean more children will be born unwanted.

On society

No, Dobbs hasn’t caused “sweeping changes” in where doctors practice medicine (TikTok, YouTube, and blog post)

Abortion restrictions don’t decrease abortions.

Abortion restrictions are imposing Christian religious views on everyone else

Abortion limits are a globally recognized human rights violation

Stereotypes of Pro-Lifers

You’re not pro-life; you’re anti-choice.

Pro-lifers are pushing their religious views on everyone else.

No uterus, no opinion/Men shouldn’t be making laws about women’s bodies.

Pro-lifers hate women.

Pro-life women hate themselves/are internalized misogynists.

Pro-lifers are right wing extremists.

Pro-lifers are anti-sex/want to control people’s sex lives.

Pro-lifers are anti-contraception.

You’re pro-life because you lack real world experience.

Pro-life is just pro-birth.

Bumper Stickers

Don’t like abortion? Don’t get one

Keep your rosaries off my ovaries

An acorn is not a tree

If abortion is murder, then masturbation is genocide

If the fetus you save is gay, will you still fight for its rights?

God is the biggest abortionist of all.

The unborn are a convenient group of people to advocate for

Guess we can’t get rid of tapeworms

Yeetus the fetus

  • “Yeetus the fetus” (TikTok)

It’s pro-choice, not pro-abortion

Dialogue Strategies

Talking about abortion with pro-choice friends (YouTube playlist)
3 things you need to motivate people (TikTok, YouTube)

General strategies

Tell people you’re pro-life.

Seek to understand the other’s perspective.

Find common ground, and possibly friendship.

Be patient, and relentless.

Regarding in-person discussions

Regarding online discussions

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