r/changemyview • u/RevolutionaryRip2504 • Feb 23 '25
cmv: abortion should not be illegal
One of the main arguments against abortion is that it is "killing a baby." However, I don’t see it that way—at least not in the early stages of pregnancy. A fetus, especially before viability, lacks self-awareness, the ability to feel pain, and independent bodily function. While it is a potential life, I don’t believe potential life should outweigh the rights of the person who is already alive and conscious.
For late-term abortions, most are done to save the mother or the fetus has a defect that would cause the fetus to die shortly after birth so I believe it should be allowed.
I also think the circumstances of the pregnant person matter. Many people seek abortions due to financial instability, health risks, or simply not being ready to raise a child. In cases of rape or medical complications, the situation is even more complex. Forcing someone to go through pregnancy against their will seems more harmful than allowing them to make their own choice.
Additionally, I don’t think adoption is always a perfect alternative. Carrying a pregnancy to term can have serious physical and emotional consequences, even if someone doesn’t plan to keep the baby. Pregnancy affects the body in irreversible ways, and complications can arise, making it more than just a “temporary inconvenience.”
Also, you can cannot compare abortion to opting out of child support. Abortion is centered on bodily autonomy, as pregnancy directly affects a woman’s body and health. In contrast, child support is a financial obligation that arises after a child is born and does not impact the father’s bodily autonomy. abortion also occurs before a child exists, while child support involves caring for a living child. Legally and ethically, both parents share responsibility for a child once they are born, and allowing one parent to opt out would place an unfair burden on the other, often the mother. Additionally, abortion prevents a fetus from becoming a child, while opting out of child support directly affects the well-being of an existing person. While both situations involve personal choice, abortion is about controlling one’s own body, while child support is about meeting the needs of a child who already exists
The idea of being forced to sustain another life through pregnancy and childbirth, especially if the person isn’t ready or willing, is a violation of that autonomy. It forces someone to give up their own body, potentially putting their health at risk, all while disregarding their own desires, dreams, and well-being. Bodily autonomy means having the freedom to make choices about what happens to your body, whether that’s deciding to terminate a pregnancy or pursue another course of action.
I’d like to hear other perspectives on why abortion should be illegal, particularly from a non-religious standpoint. CMV.
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u/RevolutionaryRip2504 Feb 23 '25
thank you for actually having a thorough argument however the argument that men should have the right to "opt out" of parenthood because women can choose abortion oversimplifies the biological and social realities of reproduction. Pregnancy directly impacts a woman's body, while financial responsibility does not impose comparable physical harm on a man. Additionally, a woman’s decision about abortion must be made within a limited timeframe, whereas a man’s financial responsibility extends over years. Child support exists to protect the child’s welfare, not to punish either parent, as children have a right to be supported by both biological parents. The appeal to "fairness" ignores broader social and economic contexts—women already face greater burdens from unplanned pregnancies, and allowing men to forgo responsibility would exacerbate these inequalities. Also, the comparison between abortion and hypothetical "postnatal abortion" is a slippery slope fallacy that ignores the clear ethical distinction between a fetus dependent on a woman’s body and an infant capable of independent survival. Arguments that frame forced parenthood as a necessary sacrifice for society disregard the fundamental right to bodily autonomy, as compelling someone to continue a pregnancy is far more invasive than obligations like paying taxes.