u/Big_Move6308

▲ 12 r/prolife

Counter Arguments to common 'Pro-Choice' claims and slogans

The following are the most common 'pro-choice' claims and slogans I've seen in debates and interviews. The counters include simple logical deductive arguments. All have the same structure (i.e., Modus Tollens mixed hypothetical syllogisms).

1. "It's not alive"

The scientific consensus is that life beings at the moment of conception.

>If unborn babies are not alive, then they do not grow and develop in the womb,
Unborn babies do grow and develop in the womb,
Therefore they are alive.

2. "It's not a human being; it's a zygote / embryo / foetus"

It's a human zygote / embryo / foetus. 'Zygote' / 'embryo' / 'foetus' is just a name for a stage of a human development, like 'child' and 'adult'.

>If unborn babies are not human beings, then they are other species (such as bananas or aardvarks),
Unborn babies are not other species (such as bananas or aardvarks),
Therefore, unborn babies are human beings.

3. "It's not a person"

'Person' is a legal - not biological - definition. The legal definition also includes non-human legal entities such as corporations, trade unions, and other organisations. Thus, some human beings - like unborn babies - are not legal persons, and some non-humans are legal persons.

>If 'person' and 'human being' are the same, then legal entities like corporations and trade unions are human beings while unborn babies are not,
Legal entities like corporations and trade unions are not human beings while unborn babies are,
Therefore, 'person' and 'human being' are not the same.

4. "It's just a clump of cells"

All multicellular organisms are. That includes you and me. All people are.

>If human beings are not clumps of cells, then they are single-celled organisms like bacteria or algae,
Human beings are not single-celled organisms like bacteria or algae,
Therefore, human beings are clumps of cells.

5. "If abortion is murder, then so is discharging eggs or sperm, or removing a wart or tumour"

The part is being confused with the whole. In the same way a part of a car such as a tyre is not itself a car, and a part of a house such as a bathroom is not itself a house, a part of a human being such an egg, sperm, blood, wart, organ, etc., is not itself a human being.

>If discharging eggs or sperm, or removing a wart or tumour is murder, then these parts of human beings are whole human beings,
These parts of human beings are not whole human beings,
Therefore, discharging eggs or sperm, or removing a wart or tumour is not murder.

6. "It's a parasite"

Parasites are overwhelmingly different species than their hosts. Otherwise, no parasites of the same species are the offspring of their hosts. For example, some bees place their eggs in other bee hives to be raised (social parasitism), and male Anglerfish fuse with females after mating with them (sexual parasitism).

>If unborn babies are parasites, then they are either a different species (i.e., they are not human beings) or they are not offspring of their own mothers,
Unborn babies are not a different species (i.e., they are human beings) and they are offspring of their own mothers,
Therefore, unborn babies are not parasites.

7. "They can't survive on their own / are dependent on their mothers to survive"

Most people can't survive on their own as we are interdependent on one-another such as for food, shelter, clothing, medicine, etc. This especially applies to babies, children, the disabled, the sick, and the elderly.

>If it is justifiable to kill an unborn baby for being dependent on another to survive, then being dependent on others to survive is a justifiable basis to be killed (e.g., babies, children, the disabled, the sick, and the elderly),
Being dependent on others to survive is not a justifiable basis to be killed (e.g., babies, children, the disabled, the sick, and the elderly),
Therefore, it is not justifiable to kill an unborn baby for being dependent on another to survive.

8. "They are not sentient / don't think / are unaware"

Neither are people that are unconscious, such as if in a deep sleep, a coma, etc.

>If it is justifiable to kill an unborn baby for a lack of consciousness or awareness or sentience, then a lack of consciousness or awareness or sentience is a justifiable basis to be killed (e.g., when unconscious, such as when asleep),
A lack of consciousness or awareness or sentience is not a justifiable basis to be killed (e.g., when unconscious, such as when asleep),
Therefore, it is not justifiable to kill an unborn baby for a lack of consciousness or awareness or sentience.

9. "Abortion is healthcare"

Being killed is neither healthy for nor caring towards the unborn baby.

>If abortion is healthcare, then being killed is healthy for and caring towards unborn babies,
Being killed is not healthy for nor caring towards unborn babies,
Therefore, abortion is not healthcare.

10. "Babies conceived from rape should be aborted"

Killing unborn babies conceived from rape punishes them for the crime, not the rapist.

>If it is justifiable to kill an unborn baby for being conceived by rape, then it is justifiable to kill an innocent for the crime of their father,
It is not justifiable to kill the innocent for the crime of their father,
Therefore, it is not justifiable to kill unborn babies for being conceived by rape.

11. "Babies with disabilities should be aborted"

Eugenicists like Margaret Sanger agreed, which is why she founded the Planned Parenthood abortion clinics. She also wanted other 'undesirables' aborted, such as the babies of the poor, and especially of non-whites. Her own words in her own books. Sanger got what she wanted: the disabled, the poor, and especially non-white babies are the most aborted.

>If it is justifiable to kill an unborn baby for being disabled, then being disabled is a justifiable basis to be killed,
Being disabled is not a justifiable basis to be killed,
Therefore, it is not justifiable to kill an unborn baby for being disabled.

12. "No uterus, no opinion"

An unborn female baby begins to grow a uterus within about 6 weeks. Yet despite possessing a uterus, her possible opinion or desire to live is ignored.

>If the inability to do something such as to have an abortion prevents opposing it, then the inability to do things such as to own slaves or commit genocide prevents opposing them,
The inability to do things such as to own slaves or commit genocide does not prevent opposing them,
Therefore, the inability to do something such as to have an abortion does not prevent opposing it.

And

>If possession of a uterus entitles the right to oppose abortion, then female unborn babies are entitled to the right to oppose their abortion,
Female unborn babies are not entitled to the right to oppose their abortion,
Therefore, possession of a uterus does not entitle the right to oppose abortion

13. "My body, my choice"

Unborn babies have separate and distinct bodies of their own. The choice is about and concerns their bodies.

>If the choice to have an abortion only affects the mother's body, then that choice does not affect the unborn baby's body,
That choice does affect the unborn baby's body,
Therefore, the choice to have an abortion does not only affect the mother's body.

And

>If the body of an unborn baby is not separate from their mother's body, then pregnant women grow extra heads, arms, legs, etc.,
Pregnant women do not grow extra heads, arms, legs, etc.,
Therefore, the body of an unborn baby is separate from their mother's body.

14. "If you don't adopt unwanted babies, then you can't oppose their abortion"

You don't need to adopt abused children to oppose their abuse, or take slaves into your home to oppose slavery, etc.

>If the adoption of babies to be aborted is necessary to oppose their abortion, then the adoption of abused children is necessary to oppose their abuse,
The adoption of abused children is not necessary to oppose their abuse,
Therefore, the adoption of babies to be aborted is not necessary to oppose their abortion.

15. "They're unwanted / will be born into poverty / will suffer"

Many people are unwanted, unloved, suffer, and/or live in poverty. That does not justify killing them. Adoption also exists.

>If it is justifiable to kill unborn babies for being unwanted, unloved, or for actual or potential hardship, then being unwanted, unloved, or actual or potential hardship is a justifiable basis to be killed (e.g., the homeless, children in orphanages, the unemployed, people with depression, etc.),
Being unwanted, unloved, or actual or potential hardship not a justifiable basis to be killed (e.g., the homeless, children in orphanages, the unemployed, people with depression, etc.),
Therefore, it is not justifiable to kill unborn babies for being unwanted, unloved, or for actual or potential hardship.

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u/Big_Move6308 — 10 hours ago