AJ "How would you police a ban on abortions?"

The same way you police anything else unlawful.
Police investigate allegations, press charges (primarily the doctor as they performed the act) and present evidence in court, the judge deciding the merits of each case.

NSW law has already been judged by courts, but their rulings are being stretched beyond the original decision ("preserve the woman involved from *serious* danger").

Shockadelic,

Policing is about more than just responding to crimes. Policing is also about the prevention of crime. So, your response doesn’t really answer my question. How would you go about preventing a woman seeking out dangerous, illegal backyard abortions?

Even if you don’t care about the woman’s life (and it doesn’t sound like you do), the life of the unborn human child is still at risk.

If a stance against abortion is about more than just a misogynistic desire to punish women who threaten insecure men by exercising some control over their reproductive organs, then you would need to explain how we would protect the unborn human child's special right to life by preventing pregnant women, who we know do not want their pregnancy, from committing suicide or seeking out unsafe methods of abortion.

Dear Not_Now.Soon,

«...Yuyutsu? You're ok with the senseless killing of children too?»

This must be taken in context. It is not meant as a rule for me and you or for anyone else who is interested in God.

One should first make a sincere effort to follow ALL the better options.

But let us assume that one does not care about leading a holy life, say it doesn't mean a thing to them, say they do not believe that it is even possible. Let us further assume that they are incapable or disinclined to provide their children with wholesome education for a righteous living. Let us further assume that they are unwilling to give up sex, perhaps because they erroneously believe it to be the most important thing in life. Let us further assume that they failed to do the sensible thing in that situation which is to use contraceptives or better still, to perform a vasectomy or close their fallopian tubes. Let us further assume that they are in the habit of killing on a regular basis anyway and have no second-thoughts about killing animals for food which are even more developed, physically mentally and emotionally, thus already have more to lose than the baby in their womb.

Under all these tragic circumstances, what is better for the baby?

To live a meaningless life of confusion, crime and sin?
To be devoid of proper direction, instruction and wisdom?
To brutally compete for resources with another 8 billion humans?
To be fed with murdered animals?
To waste a lifetime with polluted minds and unwholesome activities?
To recursively provide even more bodies for more confused souls like themselves?
To end their life feeling even more guilty than how they started?

I say, better wait, don't push, wait patiently for better times and for better parents!

The golden rule says: "What you hate done unto yourself, do not do unto others", but had I been in the situation of that baby, then I would pray to be killed in the womb rather than be exposed to all that evil outside.

"Policing is also about the prevention of crime."

Which in this case, loops right back to how to prevent pregnancy, a matter discussed at length already in this and numerous other threads.

"Exercise some control over their reproductive organs" by contraception (cheaply available), surgery (if they definitely never want children), abstinence (wait until you know the man actually wants children), yummy non-reproductive sex (too numerous to mention).

Police would learn of any networks, just as they do for other "organised" crime, etc.

As for women taking their own lives, that is the only valid way to abort. It shows your commitment.

Dear Yuyustu. Life and death are both in God's authority. If you kill yourself it is wrong. God placed you here and hasn't called you back yet. So there is more for you here. The same goes to anyone else who is alive. You should not kill an innocent person, because it's very wrong. God placed them where they are just as He placed you where you are. Don't complain, just do as you should. That is our tasks in the world. Love God and love your neighbor. In this way you will act to help heal the world in the places that you can. We are here for a service in a broken world. Each and every one of us.

Do not even joke about killing another because of their innocence, nor about killing yourself out of pain. Both murder and suicide are terrible and tragic events. It should not have to be explained why. Don't try to spiritualized death or find excuses to kill. This is the world we live in. Take it for what it is and live.

AJ Phillips. You ask for a solution. The answer is simple but not easy.

1). Don't have sex until your ready to have children. This mentality is with more then just for the sake of abortion. For abortion though if people hold this as a strong value, it will effect the abortion rates.

The second part is not quite as difficult but is faught more strongly against.

2). Know that abortion is wrong. No more excuses that the unborn baby isn't alive, isn't a real person, or is in some way less then human. If as a culture we can respect pregnancies in this way then even if we do get pregnant, we'd respect the life and bring it to full term to it's birth.

These two attributes to live by and to teach would change a world that screams that abortion is a right, instead of a tragedy. Change the culture and change the world we live in. If we can do this much then we will also be able to make the laws to fit this and the concerns of rape, incest, and medical emergencies. But first we need these two elements to be pursued.