First discussion
Discussion PromptCOLLAPSE
Abortion is one of the most difficult and controversial moral issues we will consider. Listen to both sides, even if it is difficult to do. Both sides have important moral insights, even if ultimately these insights are outweighed by the insights of the other side. The goal of this discussion is not to convince you to accept one position over the other, but to help you to understand both sides. As you consider this difficult issue, it is important to distinguish two questions:
- Is abortion morally wrong?
- Should abortion be illegal?
Choose one of the questions above and argue both sides with supporting evidence. Please write your discussion choice in the title line. Remember to respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.
1st Discussion responses one
I do believe that abortion is morally wrong in most cases because I do believe life to be sacred and everyone should have a chance to live, even if others think the “quality of life” does not meet their standards. With allowing abortion to be legal, it constitutes the action that it is accepted and desensitizes that act. In desensitizing such an act on a human life, humans may become numb to killing in general. Abortion is murder, only it’s easier to look past because no one has met the fetus also known as a baby, yet. Imagine the gang initiations, where a new member is told to go into a store or into a neighborhood, and kill the first person they see. They do not know that person, so it seems easy for the person being initiated, does it not? In turn, desensitizing killing for human nature. I feel this example is exactly what abortion is. In turn, this leads us into negative eugenics once again, because as told in chapter 4, researchers take it too far and begin researching on babies. Why? Because they babies, “fetuses were going to die anyway, why not use them in experiments to help other fetuses?” (Pence, p.84). Utilitarianism is seen here in the researchers claims of thinking of the greater good. All in all, continuance of desensitizing the sanctity of a human life. A fetus may not have personhood, but the fetus is still a person. The cognitive criterion does not make sense because that would put humans in their late stages of Alzheimer’s disease, permanently comatose patients or anencephalic babies at risk of not being specially protected (Pence p. 93). Some consider a two year old to be more of a person than a newborn baby (Pence, p. 93). This begs the question of personhood from young to old age. Imagine desensitizing this act to the point of personhood being only valid past the age of when a human can speak. At this point, should we be able to kill infants as well? My thoughts of abortion go to speak for those whom cannot speak for themselves. They were not asked to be conceived, yet they were, and now someone gets to kill them? That is the part that is particularly hard for me to grasp and in that, I can not see abortion as ethical. On a differnt outlook though, if a child is raped and ends up pregnant, is it that child’s job to take care of a baby? This is where my morals become a challenge, because how could I expect a victum of that type of trama to forever be reminded of the trama? This topic is by far the most difficult to feel what is most ethical. It can not be black and white, I feel it needs a gray area.
Responses two
I think the morality issue mostly comes from our inner self and our personal feeling that may be coming from our religious upbringing. The text shows that abortion in itself is not spoken about in the bible. Both the old and new testament does not condemn abortion (Pence, 2020, p. 88). The issue with its morality comes from the church itself. It’s no secret that the church oversteps its bounds and tells us what is and is not moral. An example of this overstep is the catholic church’s stance of birth control being a sin (Pence, 2020, p. 91). Since the bible does not talk about abortions being a sin then it must be moral to get one if the woman decides to do so. The personhood of a fetus also points us to the fact that abortion is moral. As a fetus is not able to be cognitive at the point of abortion then we must not make the possibility of future cognitive possibilities into question. Everyone and everything has a possible future to think, feel, and breathe in some capacity but that is not a point to be held in therm of abortion. Viability is another moral issue to think about. I think that abortion is moral up to a certain point of growth. I think a fetus to the point of viability is moral. To me, viability is where the fetus can live outside the womb on its own without intervention as well as being able to grow into adulthood. The text on the other hand uses and viability as a fetus living after abortion even “for a second” (Pence, 2020, p. 95). It must be moral to have an abortion as the fetus will not live anyway.
The play devils advocate here, it is also essential to show how abortion is immortal. Morality is a weird creature in itself. Even though the bible does not talk about abortion, we get our morality from the church. In our upbringing, we are taught that killing, in general, is a sin. So if think about a fetus being a human being, then aborting it is killing and it is wrong. A living human being inside a womb is considered a person then abortion is morally wrong if we call ourselves Christian and heed the old testament commandment “thou shall not kill” (Mashos, 2015). Personhood is another immortality issue we must debate. A fetus is a person in that it will later have cognitive abilities later in life. It is immoral to abort a potential person who will have feelings, pain, and a thought process. Viability is also a moral issue against abortion, even in the late trimester and further. These later second and early trimester abortions are completely immoral. Babies can now be medically assisted into being viable babies. Doing these late-term abortions that sometimes take the baby out in pieces where they could have lived pulls at the moral core of everyone.
2st Discussion responses one
When looking at and thinking about test taking stratgies that I have implimneted, I have a few to share that have helped me. As we Prepare for the post test I think one of the main test taking strategies that I can suggest is re-reading the question! I have noticed that rereading the question allows me to fully comprehend and understand the question and allows me to answer it correctly. I personally start to read the questions fast and sometimes misinterpret what the actual question is asking–rereading the question allows me to fully understand. The other Test taking strategy that I can suggest is going into the test prepared. The reason for this is obviously, we have to make sure that we understand the information before we are tested on it. Making sure we are reviewing The information before we are tested on it, as well as making sure that we are mentally prepared to take the test and placing ourselves in a situation where the environment allows us to take the test is also important. Testing goes beyond just knowing the knowledge, testing is the application, solution, and overall ability to conquer a question. I can use my two test taking strategies and other general education courses because it allows me to take a double look, and overall be prepared for a variety of situations. What I noticed about tests in college versus test in other situations is that test in college, especially at West Coast University, are application based questions–We need to be prepared for application based questions because it goes beyond what we just learned a textbook!
Discussion responses two
I think that developing strategies during test is so so important! It is important to know what is best for you since tests and exams make up so much of your grades in school! For me personally, I like to take my time and read through the questions carefully and calmly. I find that I usually get really nervous when I am taking a test, and my brain can be all over the place sometimes. I read the question a couple times and really understand it before I jump right into it. I also like too check my answer when I am done and make sure that I am confident in what I have chose as the answer. I think that this can be extremely useful in other gen ed classes. As I mentioned, tests make up so much of your grade so it is important to study hard and do well. If you are not a good test taker, it is important that you find the strategies that work for you. I personally get really nervous so I calm myself down, and read the question a couple times. This is usually what helps me do so good on exams. Hope this helps, and hope youre having a great week!
