# Prolifers, in what situation is it morally acceptable for a woman to abort pregnancy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prolifers-in-what-situation-is-it-morally-acceptable-for-a-woman-to-abort-pregnancy/279755>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [December 14, 2004, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prolifers-in-what-situation-is-it-morally-acceptable-for-a-woman-to-abort-pregnancy/279755 "2004-12-14T07:33:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 10

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**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prolifers-in-what-situation-is-it-morally-acceptable-for-a-woman-to-abort-pregnancy/279755/181 "2004-12-17T18:07:13Z")

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> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#):
>
> “Human beings are people?” Redundant much?
> 
> Personhood begins at birth.  
> Any line we draw will have to be arbitrary because there is no moment when a fetus becomes a person any more than there is a moment when a child becomes an adult.

Makes a definitive statement. Says that definitive statements like that can’t be made.  
Umm…yeah.

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prolifers-in-what-situation-is-it-morally-acceptable-for-a-woman-to-abort-pregnancy/279755/182 "2004-12-17T19:38:30Z")

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> [@beagledave](#):
>
> Makes a definitive statement. Says that definitive statements like that can’t be made.  
> Umm…yeah.

You can (and must) draw definitive _legal_ lines regardless of the philosophical ambiguity.

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**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prolifers-in-what-situation-is-it-morally-acceptable-for-a-woman-to-abort-pregnancy/279755/183 "2004-12-18T20:12:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Sperm and eggs are life, but not human life.

Their DNA is 100% human. What does one call life comprising 100% human DNA?

> [@](#):
>
> Human life starts after they join together. So there’s nothing arbitrary about that threshold.

Joining together is arbitrary, since the cell splits again soon after.

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