# Of Infanticide and Abortion **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 5, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-infanticide-and-abortion/523695 "2010-01-05T00:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 26
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-infanticide-and-abortion/523695/26 "2010-01-05T18:47:37Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Not wanting a child is one thing; killing a child is another. Abortion is morally okay because it is _not_ the killing of a child, it is the killing of a fetus prior to it becomming a child. > > Way I look at it is this: being forced to bear a child is no different conceptually from being thrown into a cell with some stranger’s baby. I may not want the baby, and our association is forced on me by my captors (for whatever twisted reasons of their own) - but I’d not be justified in throttling the tot. If the tot’s screaming and crying were damaging your mental health, you would probably have a good case that it was necessary throttle the tot. Also, if you believed your own life was in danger by the tot’s presence or that’s the tot’s death might facilitate your escape, you could probably get away with it. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-infanticide-and-abortion/523695)._