I've just joined up today and want to say there are some interesting comments in this thread - too many to read them all I'm afraid.

The author of the original article is to be congratulated for her well constructed and refreshingly intellectual approach to an oft emotion charged issue.

I note the usual flurry of men quickly ducking any responsibility for their roles and abrogating sole responsibility for procreation to women - a weird position in 2006 but nevertheless still commonplace amongst certain types.

Enjoyable forum so far, thanks for the interesting read.

I'm male by the way so I'm not man-bashing.

Connor
”the issue is that RU 486 is NOT safe, it is a seriously dangerous drug whether the TGA acknowledge it or not.

That is for the TGA to evaluate and decide, objectively and not for you to dictate.

“We need to look at ways to give women faced with an unwanted pregnancy real help, support, real health care,”

Why on earth should we fund such lavish excesses in public spending?

I might suggest, those women seeking abortion could have the best of medical plans and support money can buy.

I would further suggest, regardless of the level of health care or support, they have decided to abort. It is their free choice and no amount of bribes, funded from my taxes are going to change their minds.

That they choice is contrary to your wishes is irrelevant.

As for ‘national negative population growth’,
bearing in mind the biggest danger to future humanity is the current world population explosion, a declining population is a responsible thing (not that I encourage abortion as a way to maintain it).

Being male and beyond child bearing age, I do not need to worry about taking RU486.
However, if I were in circumstances where I needed to consider it, I would sooner use a safe and suitable oral pill than face the experience and risks of a surgical procedure.

Dovif, re “Dizem That is a horrible argument you run.”

Actually it is usually the pro-life brigade who rant on and bring up inappropriate analogies to death, genocide ( ah that is one I have heard before, the genocide of abortion and comparisons to Pol Pot).

I recall on a parallel thread Francis calling pro-choice ““apostles of the culture of death”

(Article “Pro-choice and Catholic: A mother's story” Posted by Francis, Thursday, 9 February 2006 12:44:16 PM)

I take it you are as willing to criticise Francis as you are Dizem or would you rather been seen as a hypocrite?

YngNLuvnIt “Women's rights begin in the womb”

Yep and it is her “womb” and therefore her choice!

Thanks for pointing that out.

The debate over RU486 doesn't revolve around agreeing upon 'when does life begin', as if knowing the answer will change the decision of the mother. The drug is simply an alternative to what's already available & whether it's better or worse depends on where you already sit.

There is serious medical evidence regarding the dangers of Aspirin. It causes 1000+ deaths a year in the U.S. (US Surgeon General).

Perhaps we should ban it.

Geez Col Rouge... I agree with you... I feel faint...lol

Having witnessed what happens to a young 18 year old girl who was a friend who faces the dilemma of what to do when she is pregnant is mind boggling.

Her parents abandoned her, her grandparents abandoned her, her boyfriend abondoned her, her other friends abandoned her and it was left to me to counsel her through the options available to her which included 1. Keeping the baby 2. Offering the baby for adoption & 3. Having an abortion.

I told her it was totally her decision and she knew I would support whatever decision she took and did so psychologically, emotionally and financially.

The hell that girl went through I wouldn't wish on anybody. I believe she is now happily married and I hope she has had a wonderful life. Hopefully she has never had to regret the decision she took.

Count O,
Science teaches that Life begins at conception and is a continuum until death. Nothing is added, the unborn human continues to develop in utero needing only nourishment and protection from the mother. I can back this up with quotes from eminent scientists:
-“It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception.” Professor M.Matthew-Roth,HarvardUniversity Medical School.
-“By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception.” Professor Hymie Gordon, Mayo Clinic.
-“Life has a very long history,but each one of us has a very precise beginning and that is the moment of conception.”Dr.Jerome Lejeune,genetics professor at the University of Descartes, Paris.
-At 18 days the heart begins to beat(when the mother is only four days late for her first menstrual period), and by 21 days it is pumping,through a closed circulatory system,blood whose type is different from that of the mother.J.M.Tanner, and the Editors of Time-Life Books,Growth,New York:Life Sciences Library.
It is precisely for these reasons that we stand up for and speak out in defense of the unborn. Science supports our beliefs and God gives us the courage and strength to do so, whether you like it or not
We speak the truth. It is you who is intellectually blinkered. You say that we are” forcing the views of one religion onto the remainder of the Australian population”. What religion do you have a bias against? Those involved in the protection of the unborn come from many different cultural and religious backgrounds, but work together to protect and speak out for the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn human being.
RU486 is a deadly drug that kills the unborn and may severely harm the mother.

"You say that we are” forcing the views of one religion onto the remainder of the Australian population”. What religion do you have a bias against?"

Umm Shanti, actually its the Vatican. Nobody else has a world
wide campaign going on this topic, like they have. I guess the question of the infallibility of the pope is at stake here, so they plod on regardless.

You still don't get it. An organism is not a person. No brain = no person, its as simple as that.

Now tell me why the rest of us thinking indivuals, who can reason without being influenced by Catholic dogma going back to Onan and the holy sperms, should be forced to live based on Catholic dogma?

To me that is religious tyranny!

As Darwin clearly noted, if you read his "Origin of Species", far more potential individuals of any species will be be created, then can ever survive. Thats the reality of it. Even Catholic dogma is not beyond the laws of nature.

What say that we start to be a little more concerned with all those thinking, feeling, breathing, living people on the planet, before we get carried away by potential people. That is humanitarian, not just religious dogma.

Just to clarify a point. RU 486 works fine in European countries,
where people have healthcare, much like in Australia. In fact the data shows that its far safer then birth. Its time that the anti abortion lobby stopped distorting data in the name of religion.