# Pro-Lifers, May I Have A Moment Of Your Time? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483 "2001-08-16T01:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483/61 "2001-08-28T07:42:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > **Oh, and I never claimed that all pro-lifers think this way. I responded to a poster who brought up the point that some people think this way. I didn’t say that all pro-lifers think that rape can’t cause pregnancy,** No, but you said that the people who **do** must believe that those women actually enjoyed the rape. Once again, I invite you to substantiate your accusation. > [@](#): > > \*\*I said that because I can’t see any other way they could justify their position. \*\* Oh, please! Maybe they just think that the trauma of rape makes pregnancy biologically impossible. (They would be mistaken, but it would be a perfectly obvious explanation for their stance.) Or perhaps they just heard some mistruth, and haven’t given the matter sufficient thought – after all, many people are scientifically illiterate, and many others are just plain gullible. To state that these people must believe that the women actually _enjoyed_ being raped is ridiculous, inflammatory and clearly unsubstantiated. Unless such accusers can demonstrate mind-reading powers, they had better be prepared to provide **some** evidence for their claims! And of course, I’ve yet to see anyone actually _cite_ a case wherein some pro-lifers said it was IMPOSSIBLE to get pregnant through rape. Many pro-lifers believe that women are much LESS likely to get pregnant through rape, but that’s a far, FAR cry from saying that it’s “impossible.” ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483/62 "2001-08-28T09:38:09Z")
I really don’t want to open a can of Worms, since this has been very good so far, but I just want to know, Why should a religion try to push a law that will affect people outside of their religion? If my girlfriend got pregnant, she dosent have the choice to terminate in my country because of a Law that the Catholic Church refuses to allow to be debated. The last time there was a referendum, the Catholic Church basically told people that they would go to hell for voting yes. I don’t want to appear Anti-Church or anything, just this debate gets me a little aggrivated. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483/63 "2001-08-28T10:17:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JThunder \* > > And of course, I’ve yet to see anyone actually _cite_ a case wherein some pro-lifers said it was IMPOSSIBLE to get pregnant through rape. Many pro-lifers believe that women are much LESS likely to get pregnant through rape, but that’s a far, FAR cry from saying that it’s “impossible.” \*\* Ok, I used Google and did a quick search and found [this](http://www.ncinsider.com/insider/1998/october/insd1009.html) > [@](#): > > An eye surgeon running for U.S. Senate in Arkansas said it was rare for women to get pregnant from rape because of physiological changes during attacks that can block conception. An adrenalin rush triggered by fear causes hormonal changes that block a woman’s ability to conceive during a violent attack, Republican Fay Boozman said. He denied a newspaper report that he attributed the phenomenon to “God’s little protective shield.” (James Jefferson, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 10/9)His remarks sparked a heated response from Democrats and some doctors and was reminiscent of the reaction when state Rep. Henry Aldridge, R-Pitt, said several years ago that women can’t get pregnant from rape because the “juices” don’t flow. Boozman, a state senator running to succeed Democratic U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers, said he would support an abortion ban that makes exceptions for rape and incest because such pregnancies rarely occur. His Democratic opponent Blanche Lincoln, a former congresswoman who left in 1996 to raise twins, said Boozman’s remark “shows a real lack of sensitivity.” Two obstetricians said there was no scientific basis for Boozman’s claim that it is rare for women to become pregnant from rape As for the rest, I never said that I’d ever heard someone say that the woman must have enjoyed it if she fell pregnant, and I refuse to “substantiate” that “accusation”. If I was blaming someone in particular, I would, but I made a generalised supposition, and I don’t see any need to prove it true or false - it is or it isn’t, and who cares one way or the other? I think this has gone far enough off topic - the OP was “As a Pro-Lifer, do you believe in some exceptions from the No Abortion rule?”. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483/64 "2001-08-28T18:58:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > \*\* > Ok, I used Google and did a quick search and found [this](http://www.ncinsider.com/insider/1998/october/insd1009.html) > > > [@](#): > > > > An eye surgeon running for U.S. Senate in Arkansas said it was _rare_ for women to get pregnant from rape because of physiological changes during attacks that can block conception. > > \*\* He said it was **rare**. He didn’t say that you **can’t** get pregnant, which was the exact phrase that you used. Is the difference clear? Also, please note that this physician offered a **physiological** explanation for why such pregnancies are rare. At no point did he _even remotely_ suggest that the victims in question must have enjoyed being raped. > [@](#): > > \*\*As for the rest, I never said that I’d ever heard someone say that the woman must have enjoyed it if she fell pregnant, \*\* Your exact words were _“I imagine the people who argue that you can’t get pregnant from rape would conclude that a woman must have secretly enjoyed it if she does fall pregnant, and therefore it wasn’t rape.”_ In other words, may not have “heard” this hypothesis, but you are certainly the one proposing it. > [@](#): > > \*\*and I refuse to “substantiate” that “accusation”. If I was blaming someone in particular, I would, but I made a generalised supposition, and I don’t see any need to prove it true or false - it is or it isn’t, and who cares one way or the other? \*\* So you don’t really care if your claim is true or not? Hoo, boy. If you make a supposition, shouldn’t you be prepared to defend it? To provide at least **some** shred of evidence for your claim? If there is no basis for your statement, then why offer that statement at all? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483/65 "2001-08-29T01:38:38Z")
> [@](#): > > An eye surgeon running for U.S. Senate in Arkansas said it was rare for women to get pregnant from rape because of physiological changes during attacks that can block conception. > > His remarks sparked a heated response from Democrats and some doctors and was reminiscent of the reaction when state **Rep. Henry Aldridge, R-Pitt, said several years ago that women can’t get pregnant from rape because the “juices” don’t flow.** Yeah, it’s easy to win an argument when you reference the irrelevant bits of the conversation, and ignore the pertinent bits. I believe that says “_can’t_”, correct me if I’m wrong. As for the rest… tell me, who are you defending? My comment was that people who believe that rape can’t cause pregnancy probably say that the woman wasn’t really raped if she does fall pregnant. I firmly believe that rape can cause pregnancy. I am not claiming to have factual knowledge of people who say the victim must have enjoyed it, that is why I used the word “_imagine_”. I say this because I can see no other way they could explain such pregnancies away. You are free to cite references which show how they explain rape-induced pregnancies when they insist that it can’t happen, keeping in mind that Rep. Henry Alridge is a person who has said that it can’t. Perhaps we should take this to another thread in a more appropriate forum? This is, after all, In My Humble Opinion, and we are arguing points that don’t fall under humble or opinion. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483/66 "2001-08-29T05:23:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > An eye surgeon running for U.S. Senate in Arkansas said it was rare for women to get pregnant from rape because of physiological changes during attacks that can block conception. > > > > His remarks sparked a heated response from Democrats and some doctors and was reminiscent of the reaction when state **Rep. Henry Aldridge, R-Pitt, said several years ago that women can’t get pregnant from rape because the “juices” don’t flow.** > > Yeah, it’s easy to win an argument when you reference the irrelevant bits of the conversation, and ignore the pertinent bits. > > I believe that says “_can’t_”, correct me if I’m wrong. > \*\* Sorry; my bad. I did miss that bit. However, do remember that you are likely to find **someone** who will espouse any given belief, no matter how misinformed or whacked out. Also note that Aldridge’s statement may have merely been a matter of not getting his facts quite straight. > [@](#): > > **As for the rest… tell me, who are you defending?** You’re the one who made an assertion. I’m just asking you to provide evidence for your statement. > [@](#): > > **My comment was that people who believe that rape can’t cause pregnancy probably say that the woman wasn’t really raped if she does fall pregnant.** And I’m asking you to provide evidence for that statement of yours. As I asked previously, do you have any means of substantiating that statement, or is it merely speculation that’s devoid of evidence? So far, it appears to be the latter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-may-i-have-a-moment-of-your-time/76483.md?page=3)