Where do you stand on abortion? Are you for it, against it or don't care? Millions of people feel strongly that a woman should have the right to abort her unborn fetus. They are said to be pro-choice. Millions of other people feel strongly that a woman should have no such choice. They are said to be pro-life. But there are also millions of people who are unable to say unequivocally that they are either pro-choice or pro-life. For them there is a middle ground somewhere between absolutely pro-choice or absolutely pro-life. Some of them might accept abortion only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Others might accept all forms of abortion except partial-birth abortion. Others even go beyond opposing abortion and actually oppose the use of contraceptives.

I'm offering a scale that will assign a value to a postion on abortion -- or more accurately, on life versus choice. I will call it the Life-Choice Scale. My purpose is to enumerate a range of positions so that you can decide where you stand. The scale won't address abortion performed to save the life of a woman or to prevent severe injury or severely degraded health. I think most people agree that the need for such abortions is settled law.

The Life-Choice scale:

LC1: You believe that when children reach puberty they should start having sex and producing babies, and continue to do so without the use of contraceptives for the rest of their reproductive lives, in order to maximize the opportunity for life.

LC2: You believe that only adults should have sex, that they should use neither contraceptives nor the morning-after pill, and that all pregnancies should go full-term and result in the delivery of a live baby.

LC3: You believe that only adults should have sex, that they may use contraceptives but not the morning-after pill, and that all pregnancies should go full-term and result in the delivery of a live baby.

LC4: You believe that only adults should have sex, that they may use contraceptives and the morning-after pill, but that all pregnancies should go full-term and result in the delivery of a live baby.

LC5: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to abort an unwanted pregnancy, but only in the first six weeks of that pregnancy.

LC6: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to abort an unwanted pregnancy, but only in the first twelve weeks of that pregnancy.

LC7: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to abort an unwanted pregnancy, but only in the first 24 weeks of that pregnancy.

LC8: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to abort an unwanted pregnancy at any time during that pregnancy up to but not including the day of delivery.

LC9: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to have a partial-birth abortion performed, where a partial-birth abortion is the act of killing the baby before the entire baby is clear of the birth canal.

LC10: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to insert one of her baby's legs into her vagina and then kill the baby within two weeks of her baby's birth.

LC11: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to kill one of her offspring at any time.

LC12: You believe that a woman should be lawfully able to choose to kill one of her offspring and her offspring's father at any time -- if she knows the father and can find him.

(Modified 10/26/06:  LC2 - LC4 were changed.)

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The Washington Times and Britain's Independent report that:

Britain's Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has called for debate on whether to allow euthanasia of severely disabled newborns.  The college says there is some support for the move by some parents, medical ethicists and geneticists.  In a request to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the college says active euthanasia should be considered for the overall benefit of families, who would otherwise suffer years of emotional and financial stress.

Looks like I may need to modify my Life-Choice Scale.

(via PowersPoint)

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