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Similarities & differences surrounding abortion; what connects us and what divides us?

I think it is grounding and humanizing to remember we all hold similar moral frameworks and that, despite drastically different view points, there are commonalities we all hold. Let's start with the similarities we hold in the area of exceptions.

Pro life believes life matters above all else..
But within that community, they allow for exceptions as well and these exceptions vary as to what they are and who holds them.
  • Rape
  • Incest
  • Medical need of the mother
  • Medical issues with the fetus
There is of course those that believe there are no exceptions no matter the reason.

Pro choice believes life matters as well, but allows for additional exceptions. These exceptions vary as well as to what they are and who holds them.
  • Psychological harm
  • Financial hardships
  • Timing errors
And here as well, there are people who believe that all exceptions should be allowed no matter the reason.
In some ways, the different exceptions could actually fall under similar exceptions within the opposing communities. For example, rape and incest could fall under psychological harm, just a specific kind. Incest could be seen as a specific kind of financial hardship if the person pregnant were a minor family member. Medical needs could be seen as a specific kind of timing error.

Are there other ways in which we are similar? Why do we argue so much and what are we really arguing over?

I posted the above exception similarities & asked these questions of the reddit community and from there, some differences started to emerge. The above outlines a spectrum of exceptions and both groups fall at various points along that spectrum. Three questions emerged from this:

  1. Where on the spectrum of exceptions do we set the barometer at?
  2. Who gets to make the decision of were the barometer gets set, the woman or another person(s)?
  3. What moral lens do we use in which to view the circumstances leading to, and the meaning of, pregnancy to begin with?
Three things seem to be fueling the debate surrounding abortion.
  • Moral views of circumstances and meaning of pregnancy
which influence the
  • Spectrum of exceptions that set our barometers
which influence our belief of
  • Who gets to make the decision, the woman or another person(s)

Some of this stuff might be rather obvious to some while not to others. I felt it was a good, sobering exercise to present the issue in a more neutral manner to pull some of the emotion out of a very charged subject and just present the argument.

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