Opinion

Rape and abortion are wrong for the same reason

While abortion and so-called “women’s rights” were being brought forth by the Obama campaign as part of the presidential elections this year, the question of how rape impacts abortion was never at the forefront – that is until Congressman Akin, running for U.S. Senate, made his “legitimate rape” comment earlier this week.

This comment was condemned (not surprisingly) by the Democrats. However, it was also condemned by the GOP – specifically by several lead players in the GOP, including presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Akin was told to withdraw or, in the alternative, not to expect any funding from the GOP. Romney said the congressman’s comment was “insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly, wrong.”

Two posters by Abolish Human Abortion, an abortion abolitionist group, help illustrate why rape should not be a reason for abortion.

Rape and abortion are wrong for the same reason – they are both violent acts of aggression upon other people’s bodies.

Two wrongs cannot make something right. Yes, rape is a hideous crime. Yes, the perpetrator should be punished. But when a child is conceived as a result of rape, he or she is not the perpetrator. The child is an innocent victim, just like the mother. Just as there should have been someone there to protect the mother from the crime of rape, someone needs to be there to protect the child from the crime of abortion (i.e., murder).

Which of these human beings was conceived in rape? And which of these children does not have the right to live?

A child conceived as a result of rape is not any less a human than a child conceived in the absence of rape. The child in the former instance should not be given lesser protection than a child in the latter instance.

It’s good that the question of rape in relation to abortion is being discussed, but it is disappointing that politicians are willing to accept rape as a valid reason for abortion. While rape is inexcusably wrong, abortion is, too.

   
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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ian-John-Philoponus/100001330288727 Ian John Philoponus

    Yall should add the most recent Abolitionist poster dealing with Rape and abortion to this post. It can also be found on AHA’s facebook page. It says, “I did not choose to have a rapist for a father, Must I die because of it?”

    Thanks for using our posters, feel free to do so any time that you like.

    -Ian John Philoponus, Abolitionist

  • http://www.facebook.com/kimkimberlyb Kim Mains Houston

    You obviously know nothing of which you speak! Are you a rape survivor? Are you a child born from a rape or incestual rape? Until that happens, I suggest you educate yourself. How dare you make presumptions about what another woman should do with her body until you’ve walked in those shoes.

    • Question the norm

      I don’t need to educate myself to know that a child conceived of rape does not deserve the death penalty for the sins of his / her father.

  • Didaskalos

    [LifeZone] The Elliot Institute found 73 percent of rape victims chose to give birth to their babies.
    In 1981, Dr. Sandra Makhorn conducted a major research of pregnant rape victims in the USA. Of the 37 women, 75 – 85% choose to give life to their children.
    Pregnancy and Sexual Assault, New Perspectives on Human Abortion. Makhorn. 1981

    Most women in Dr. Makhorn’s study felt that abortion was an act of violence and that issues relating to the rape experience, not the pregnancy, were of primary concern in counselling and rehabilitation. The baby is entirely innocent and is not to blame for the crimes of the father. Many women in the study spoke about this and emphasised their desire to protect the innocent child in their wombs from such a brutal death. Lastly, there was a realisation that abortion does not make you unpregnant.

    Early in the pregnancy there may be feelings of resentment and hostility towards the child. In her study, Dr Susan Mahkorn found that negative attitudes consistently changed to positive ones as the pregnancy progressed; the overwhelming majority of the women had a positive view towards the child by the time of delivery as well as much improved self-images.Approximately 70% of all women believe abortion is immoral, even though many also feel it should be a legal choice for others. About the same percentage of pregnant rape victims believe abortion would be just another act of violence perpetrated against their bodies and their children.Some believe that their child’s life may have some intrinsic meaning or purpose which they do not yet understand. This child was brought into their lives by a horrible, repulsive act. But perhaps God, or fate, will use the child for some greater purpose. Good can come from evil.Victims of assault often become introspective. Their sense of the value of life and respect for others is heightened. They have been victimised and the thought that they in turn might victimise their own innocent child through abortion is repulsive.The victim may sense that if she can get through the pregnancy, she will have conquered the rape. By giving birth, she can reclaim some of her lost self-esteem. Giving birth, especially when conception was not desired, is a totally selfless act, a generous act, a display of courage, strength and honour. It is proof that she is better than the rapist. While he was selfish, she can be generous. While he was destroying, she can be nurturing.

    • Detroiter327

      Dr. Makohrns study was based on a grand total of 37 women. In 2010 there were 84,767 rapes reported to the FBI. We must emphasize that this is the reported statistic, about 2/3 of rapes in general go unreported. So lets round up even the slightest bit and say there are 100,000 rapes a year. Ill be kind and I wont even double it. That would mean Makhorn sampled .00037 of the population of women who were raped. Not to mention the study was done over 30 years ago. Can you really say this study is credible and worth repeating knowing that?

  • ProTruth2

    So, what penalty should be given to rape victims who participate in the ‘crime’ of abortion?

  • peach

    Then I certainly hope all of you are in favor of providing victims of rape with the morning-after-pill. Oh wait, most of you are against that too, even though science shows it’s not an abortifacient. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/health/research/morning-after-pills-dont-block-implantation-science-suggests.html?pagewanted=all

    As for that second poster, neither of those fetuses have the right to live. They have no rights at all.

    • Erin

      You are 100% correct. Neither fetus has any rights. Just keep in mind that until the civil war, almost no African Americans had any rights either, and in ancient Athens, no women had any rights. It doesn’t mean that pre-civil war African Americans or ancient Athenien women aren’t people.

  • sssbd

    Response To Saudi Rape Victim Gets Lashes – The Hidden Truth About
    The Qatif Case – http://calltoislam.com/pdf/The%20Hidden%20Truth%20About%20The%20Qatif%20Case%20-%20Response%20To%20Rape%20Victim%20Gets%20Lashes.pdf