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Source: (consider it) Thread: Hell: She's only nine years old! (abortion thread)
Elizabeth Anne

Altar Girl
# 3555

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I just found this horrible news story:

Raped nine-year-old girl now faces motherhood

I don't give a damn what your views on abortion are. This poor girl was....."brutalized" seems too pleasant a word. And now they're going to make a Nine Year Old Girl give birth! She was raped, for God's sake! And she's just a child herself. According to this article from The Guardian, the girl does not want to carry to term, and the parents didn't want her to, either, but a government medical board now says she is perfectly capable of doing so. So they're forcing her to give birth. A nine year old girl!

[Frown]

{Title to be made clearer.}

[ 02. June 2003, 23:35: Message edited by: Erin ]

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Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in my eyes...

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Amorya

Ship's tame galoot
# 2652

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That's awful. How can you even consider putting a child that age through something like that?

9 years old???

[Mad] [Mad] [Mad]

Amorya

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multipara
Shipmate
# 2918

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It makes one wonder to what degree she is being treated as an obstetrical curiosity, particularly in a country where illegal abortion is probably the most frequently used form of birth control.

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quod scripsi, scripsi

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Rossweisse

High Church Valkyrie
# 2349

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As the mother of a nine-year-old girl, the subject line caught my attention.

I don't think there are enough flaming smileys in the world to express my outrage over this story.

Rossweisse // normally not a pro-abortion type

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I'm not dead yet.

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Zeke
Ship's Inquirer
# 3271

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Nothing useful to contribute here, just that I am so upset and angry about this that I am well-nigh speechless.

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No longer the Bishop of Durham
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If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it? --Benjamin Franklin

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Josephine

Orthodox Belle
# 3899

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Lord, have mercy.

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I've written a book! Catherine's Pascha: A celebration of Easter in the Orthodox Church. It's a lovely book for children. Take a look!

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mother hubbard
Shipmate
# 640

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this is a sick sick world [Projectile]
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daisymay

St Elmo's Fire
# 1480

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This is spot-on the case where abortion is a necessity. It's a case of trying to cut down the pain and trauma.

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London
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Newman's Own
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# 420

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I have nothing valuable to contribute, either - I'm literally shaking with the thought of the trauma this child has endured and shall endure! I shivered at the mention of how she neither understands what has happened nor what is ahead.

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Cheers,
Elizabeth
“History as Revelation is seldom very revealing, and histories of holiness are full of holes.” - Dermot Quinn

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dolphy

Lady of Perpetual Responsiblity
# 862

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Ditto here.

When will this kind of abuse stop?

For f***'s sake.. 9 years old? I can not find the words for the total disgust I have for the man who did this to her.
A nine year old child...

For once, I am lost for words...

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Looking forward to my rock moving closer again.

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heathen mama
Shipmate
# 3767

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My mind is reeling with what this girl has in front of her. The body of a nine-year old having to go through pregnancy and childbirth...it is too horrific to imagine. Should she physically survive this, how on earth does she manage the rest of her life?
fuck.
And no matter what course this poor girl takes, some asshole is going to find a way to make her feel shameful.

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I shaved my armpits for *this*?

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Huntress
Shipmate
# 2595

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According to the story, the Catholic Bishops Conference has said that 'no child can be killed, even if it is to save the life of the mother'. This may only be the case in Costa Rica, but I was under the impression that the Catholic Church had amended this belief to allow for abortion in cases of threat to the mother's life. Or am I wrong here? [Confused]

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The Amazing Chronoscope

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Xavierite
Shipmate
# 2575

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You're wrong.

As would an abortion be. The child needs all the love and help in the world, but so does her child.

They're both victims. Why victimise them further?

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Siegfried
Ship's ferret
# 29

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quote:
Originally posted by Jesuitical Lad:
You're wrong.

As would an abortion be. The child needs all the love and help in the world, but so does her child.

They're both victims. Why victimise them further?

And wouldn't forcing her to attempt to deliver the child wouldn't? Or forcing her to put her life at severe risk, in which case both her life and the child's would be lost?
Just as there can be allowances for taking a life in self-defense or in wartime, there must be allowances made for situations like this!!

Sieg

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Obnoxious Snob

Arch-Deacon
# 982

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quote:
Originally posted by Jesuitical Lad:
You're wrong.

As would an abortion be. The child needs all the love and help in the world, but so does her child.

They're both victims. Why victimise them further?

Under the guise of Christian compassion, this is probably one of the most heartless and chilling statments I have ever read on these threads.

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'The best thing we can do is to make wherever we're lost in Look as much like home as we can'

Christopher Fry

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Elizabeth Anne

Altar Girl
# 3555

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From the website of a British pro-life organization :

quote:
Now Nicaragua's special prosecutor for crimes against children has asked the government to appoint a special committee of experts to determine whether an abortion can be carried out on the basis that the mother's life is at risk. However, several experts have insisted that the abortion cannot be justified under the law because the girl has an 85 percent chance of surviving childbirth.
If you really and truly value the lives of children, you don't make light of something that has a 15% chance of killing them.

And I will leave it to our Jesuitical friend's imagination to discern exactly what I think of him right now.

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Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in my eyes...

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Xavierite
Shipmate
# 2575

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Seigfried,

Taking an innocent life is never justifiable, be it in self-defence or not. If someone, through no fault of their own, was put in a situation where I could only continue to live by taking their life, I would not do so. I'm not a murderer.

And seeing as the probability is that the girl will survive giving birth to her child anyway, I don't see the relevance of the flawed "self-defence" argument anyway.

Arch & Elizabeth Anne,

Have no fear, I find Christian support for abortion equally revolting.

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Xavierite
Shipmate
# 2575

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[Roll Eyes]

Feel free to delete an "anyway" from the above...

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daisymay

St Elmo's Fire
# 1480

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JL,
To force a little girl who some man has already raped to suffer the
*trauma of the usual ills of pregnancy,
*the trauma of realisation that she "has a baby inside her",
*the trauma of coming to terms with sexual and gynaecological knowledge and awareness beyond her years,
*the trauma of the pain of childbirth, the trauma of 15% possibility of death,
*the trauma of the damage the pregnancy and birth will cause to her body,
*the psychological trauma the physical trauma will cause her,
*the trauma of living with the child after it's born (if it survives)

All that is child abuse of the little girl.

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London
Flickr fotos

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Tubbs

Miss Congeniality
# 440

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quote:
Originally posted by Jesuitical Lad:
... And seeing as the probability is that the girl will survive giving birth to her child ... I don't see the relevance of the flawed "self-defence" argument anyway

I deleted an anyway for you. I have no idea if it's the right one ...

But I can honestly say that is one of the most heartless and uncaring comments I have ever read. The press piece states that this poor child has no idea what happened to her so she doesn’t understand that she has been raped and violated … It also states that she has no idea what is ahead of her so she is entering into the whole being experience that is pregnancy having no idea what she has been let in for. And then she gets to undergo child birth as well - again with no idea of what she will be doing.

Pregnancy is hard enough when you do know what’s going on and you do have support from your family and friends.

And she has a 85% chance of surviving the pregency (that’s her surviving JL. They don’t give odds for her body remaining undamaged or for a health delivery).

But that’s okay because making a nine year old child undergo this experience –whatever the potential cost to her – is better than allowing her and her family the option of an abortion. I’m sorry, but I can’t help feeling that this girl is being used to make some kind of sick point … And it seems that some people only care about others when they are unborn. [Mad] [Mad] [Mad] [Mad] [Mad]

Tubbs

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"It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than open it up and remove all doubt" - Dennis Thatcher. My blog. Decide for yourself which I am

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Sean D
Cheery barman
# 2271

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Jesuitical Lad, like Rossweisse I would not normally be found arguing in this kind of corner. Neither am I a utilitarian or a casuist.

However, I equally do not think that one can take a principle and apply it across the board without any kind of sensitivity or nuance to individual circumstances such as this tragic case.

Your comment about being made victims illustrates this. Of course both are victims, nobody doubts that. However, assuming that allowing the girl to have an abortion would only victimise them more fails to take account of the way in which carrying the pregnancy to term would make the girl even more a victim of the rape, to say nothing of the potential effects on the child.

My point is not that abortion in this case would be morally easy in a gung-ho kind of way, and I'm sure very few within the pro-choice group think it is. My point is that there are grave moral considerations on the other side, too.

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postpostevangelical
http://www.stmellitus.org/

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Mamacita

Lakefront liberal
# 3659

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Oh, dear God. This is outrageous. She's only a little girl, for Chrissake -- read her comment about "not wanting to share [her] toys." I cannot imagine any person in his or her right mind wanting to put a little girl through childbirth.

Sean D said:
quote:
My point is not that abortion in this case would be morally easy in a gung-ho kind of way, and I'm sure very few within the pro-choice group think it is. My point is that there are grave moral considerations on the other side, too.

I am pro-choice but I can assure you that abortion in any case is nothing I would feel "gung-ho" about. In this situation it is clearly, to me at least, the lesser of two evils.

It is also a medical procedure that will be unpleasant and difficult for her -- it isn't a magic wand that just "erases" the pregnancy -- but it is a far better option than having her carry this baby to term.

And then raise it for the rest of her life. My heart aches at the thought of this uncomprehending little girl being told "this is your baby". What will her life be like? She needs help and healing. Now.

JL, I am a Christian and I believe abortion is the right thing to do in this case. If that "revolts" you, so be it.

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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

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Sean D
Cheery barman
# 2271

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quote:
Originally posted by Mamacita:
I am pro-choice but I can assure you that abortion in any case is nothing I would feel "gung-ho" about. In this situation it is clearly, to me at least, the lesser of two evils.

That was my exact point, Mamacita.

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postpostevangelical
http://www.stmellitus.org/

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Mamacita

Lakefront liberal
# 3659

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Sean, I'm sorry, my post came off like I was taking issue with you and I wasn't. I was trying to elaborate on your point and didn't do it too clearly. Sorry.

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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

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jedijudy*

Jedi defender of ship's cats
# 1059

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That poor little girl. That nasty, hormone-controlled filthy scumbag of a rapist needs to be taken care of the way Seminole Indian women take care of that kind of worm-ridden filth.

Let me do it.

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ENFP...do you see a "T" anywhere??? I don't think so.

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Melon

Ship's desserter
# 4038

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Ah, so this is what a 'hell' thread looks like...

In this case, abortion is wrong and so is doing nothing, and that's what so gut-wrenchingly bad about the situation: there isn't a good solution, just several bad coping strategies.

Doing nothing is (as always) probably the easier option for the rest of us, but I'm not sure that makes it better for the girl. On the other hand, since she is pregnant, she is obviously more mature than average physically (not that this in any way excuses what has happened or lessens the associated trauma), so maybe carrying the baby to term is a viable option. She is certainly old enough to remember any abortion.

I'm just really glad it isn't my call.

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French Whine

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Liberty

ship's football fanatic
# 713

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shouldn't this be up to the parents of the little girl?

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"I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtedly"

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Xavierite
Shipmate
# 2575

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No.
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Genie
Shipmate
# 3282

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quote:
Originally posted by melonman:
On the other hand, since she is pregnant, she is obviously more mature than average physically (not that this in any way excuses what has happened or lessens the associated trauma), so maybe carrying the baby to term is a viable option.

It is possible to become pregnant as soon as the ovaries begin to release eggs. This typically happens around the age of 10-16 (stage 4), but can occur earlier. However, the ability to give birth depends upon a widening of the hips and a strengthening of pelvic floor muscles. These changes usually happen in stage 5. Ovulation at nine years old is early, but not unbelievably so - I started about that age. At that age, the girl is still physically a child, with the narrow hips that entails. So you will, in nine months, have a child trying to deliver a baby through a pair of hips too narrow for the purpose - which, in all liklihood, will result in physical or mental deformity in the baby due to its head being crushed during birth, if it survives at all. Not to mention agony and severe distress to the 'mother'.

The five stages of puberty in girls
Puberty, pregnancy and sex

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Alleluia, Christ is risen!

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Tortuf
Ship's fisherman
# 3784

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I am curious. Does the 85% chance of living assessment come from a disinterested, compassionate doctor, or from hack who is interested in his/her relationship to the government? In any event, would it change anyones views if the chance of survival was 50%, 25%, 10%? At what point does the imperative of life end? What if it were a certainty that both mother and child would die during the course of the pregnancy?
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FCB

Hillbilly Thomist
# 1495

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quote:
Originally posted by Genie:
So you will, in nine months, have a child trying to deliver a baby through a pair of hips too narrow for the purpose - which, in all liklihood, will result in physical or mental deformity in the baby due to its head being crushed during birth, if it survives at all. Not to mention agony and severe distress to the 'mother'.

Presumably if this is true the doctor will perform a caesarean section (I believe they have them even in Latin America). And why the "scare quotes"? Would she not really be a mother?

I don't think the discussion is going anywhere if we get into the "which choice has the worst consequences" mode, not least because consequantialism is rejected by Roman Catholic moral theology. I get the impression that this may be a case of people talking past each other.

FCB

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Agent of the Inquisition since 1982.

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Tortuf
Ship's fisherman
# 3784

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quote:
Originally posted by FCB:
I don't think the discussion is going anywhere if we get into the "which choice has the worst consequences" mode, not least because consequantialism is rejected by Roman Catholic moral theology.
FCB

What is the basis for the rejection of consequentialism? Given that all choices have consequences, how can the morality of the choice be separated from the consequence? I would love to see the thinking behind that position. It appears to be the result of the thoughtful consideration of many persons of good will, I just do not understand the basis.

[Preview post is a good habit to get into when starting to post.]

[ 20. February 2003, 19:00: Message edited by: sarkycow ]

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Nunc Dimittis
Seamstress of Sound
# 848

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The man who did this to her deserves not only to lose the ability to impregnate anyone ever again (castration), but I would advocate total removal of his penis as well. Let him be unmanned in the most horrible way. Let him suffer horribly, as this little girl is going to suffer (and has already).

Whether she is made to keep the baby as our beloved Roman Catholic friends are advocating (all hail the powerful crushing law), or has an abortion - both ways are incomprehensibly horrible.

I suppose the only partial comfort in it is that she might look (as many little girls do on the new baby mummy brings home from hospital) on the child as a live sort of doll... I don't know she could comprehend it better than that until she's older. At least she will have her parents - perhaps they will help in the nurture of the child, sort of adopt their grandchild as their child... I hope at least that her home life is one of love and support.

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Liberty

ship's football fanatic
# 713

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ok,

i didn't explain what i meant earlier - we're debating what the 'church' thinks - but surely, if the parents (knowing their daughter, physically, emotionally, and how mature and traumitised etc she is) say an abortion is what's best,that should be taken into account. or am i just being naive?

ij [Confused]

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"I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtedly"

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daisymay

St Elmo's Fire
# 1480

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quote:
Originally posted by icklejen:
shouldn't this be up to the parents of the little girl?

I think they should certainly be involved, but the welfare of the child should be the first priority, and as shown above (the five stages of maturity), the chances of damge due to immaturity as vast.

JL, you said, "No," but why? Is it because you still want to continue with child abuse, or because you are aware that the parents are also fallible?

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London
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Xavierite
Shipmate
# 2575

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Daisymay,

Because I don't think their being her parents legitimises any decision of theirs in favour of killing her unborn child.

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Merseymike
Shipmate
# 3022

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Carry on digging your own grave, JL.

Your views are disgusting

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Christianity is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be experienced

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Xavierite
Shipmate
# 2575

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I'd rather dig my own grave than advocate the disposal of a precious human life.

And Merseymike, lest you should forget:

[Love] You're amazing. [Love]

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Fen
Shipmate
# 4052

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quote:
Originally posted by daisymay:
JL,
To force a little girl who some man has already raped to suffer the
*trauma of the usual ills of pregnancy,
*the trauma of realisation that she "has a baby inside her",
*the trauma of coming to terms with sexual and gynaecological knowledge and awareness beyond her years,
*the trauma of the pain of childbirth, the trauma of 15% possibility of death,
*the trauma of the damage the pregnancy and birth will cause to her body,
*the psychological trauma the physical trauma will cause her,
*the trauma of living with the child after it's born (if it survives)

All that is child abuse of the little girl.

What if killing the baby is child abuse?

What if the little girl grows up resenting the fact that a decision was made to kill the only thing that might have redeemed all these traumatic experiences she went through?

What about the emotional and physical traumas of abortion, both short-term and long-term?

quote:
posted by Sean D:
carrying the pregnancy to term would make the girl even more a victim of the rape

How so? It might be the only good that comes out of it. I certainly don't see any "good" effect of an abortion. Neither option can bring an end to the trauma that this girl is undergoing; only one of them can bring any kind of positive relief.
Posts: 103 | From: Manchester, UK | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged
Moo

Ship's tough old bird
# 107

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I have serious doubts about whether a nine-year-old is physically capable of carrying the baby to term.

Someone has already mentioned the problem that the pelvis is underdeveloped. I suspect that other necessary physical resources are also not available.

I have seen statistics showing the percentage of serious physical complications in the pregnancy of twelve-year-olds. I don't remember the numbers, but they were quite high.

I am concerned that before the girl miscarries her body might suffer permanent damage.

Moo

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Posts: 20365 | From: Alleghany Mountains of Virginia | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Panda
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# 2951

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Would it be wrong to pray that she miscarries?
That would seem to be the only option left, and given her (assumed) physical immaturity, a reasonable possibility.

Posts: 1637 | From: North Wales | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged
3M Matt
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# 1675

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Panda, yes, it occurred to me this would, all round, seem the best option for everyone in many ways.

It's a truely awful situation. I think what we have here is a demonstration of how when God's laws are abandoned, evil breeds more evil.

In the same way that I am not a pacifist, because I believe the evil of men sometimes requires makes the evil of war justifiable, I think we may here have a case of the evil of the rapist making the evil of abortion justifiable.

That doesn't mean I think it is the only right decision, it doesn't mean it's what I necessarily consider the best outcome, but it does mean I accept it's validity as an option on the table in this highly unusual case.

I'm certainly glad it's not my decision on what to do in this case.

As many of you will know, I have advocated a Pro-life view on the purgatory thread. However, what are argue for is for the fetus to be treated with the rights of personhood, and thus the rejection of abortion on demand.

It seems here the little girl is going to be woefully unable to cope physically and or mentally with the actual physical process of giving birth to the child.

Hence, my usual objection of "adoption is always an option" doesn't hold.

As others have said, I have grave doubts about a 9 year old's ability to carry to term.

I would however like to comment on the following:

quote:
That poor little girl. That nasty, hormone-controlled filthy scumbag of a rapist needs to be taken care of the way Seminole Indian women take care of that kind of worm-ridden filth.

Let me do it.

In total sympathy with you of course, and this is hell after all, but surely vengance is the Lords?

matt

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Posts: 1227 | From: London | Registered: Nov 2001  |  IP: Logged
Joyeux

Ship's Lady of Laughter
# 3851

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quote:
Originally posted by Moo:
I have serious doubts about whether a nine-year-old is physically capable of carrying the baby to term.<snip>

I know this is Hell, but I have to face this in a level-headed manner.

Granted that the underlying moral issue is a hairy one, can we all at least acknowledge that, not being there with the ability to perform a full physical evaluation, we have no way of knowing what her body can handle? Also, considering the potential physical side effects of an abortion to fully mature women (hemorraging, infertility, etc.), what are the risks for a girl?

I agree that justice (as much as I would love to follow jj's lead) needs to be done to the *&*%$* who did this to her.

How about, instead of praying for miscarriage, we pray that her body can handle the pregnancy (since her government has already intervened and declared that she has to have the baby), that she would not be permanently scarred psychologically, and that the baby would be well, and healthy. Maybe also that someone would adopt it? Would that help the nine-year-old's recovery?

[Mad] toward that &*^%*$, though!

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Posts: 4318 | From: over th... no, there! | Registered: Dec 2002  |  IP: Logged
brodavid
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# 460

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This situation is a pro-lifer's intellectual nightmare. (I only wish this poor girl's nightmare were merely intellectual.) On the one hand, this poor girl has been victimized and brutalized, and all possible steps should be taken to minimize her trauma. On the other hand, we have an unborn child, who had no part in the crime which caused his/her conception. The choice is whether to further traumatize the girl in order to spare the baby, or kill the baby in order to spare the girl further grief. I think Melonman is right; all of the good solutions disappeared when this girl conceived from this rape. I have no answers, only prayers.

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"Prayer can do anything that God can do."
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Posts: 702 | From: Mississippi, USA | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
Lioba
Shipmate
# 42

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quote:
Originally posted by brodavid:

<snip>
I think Melonman is right; all of the good solutions disappeared when this girl conceived from this rape. I have no answers, only prayers.

Amen, brother.

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Posts: 502 | From: Germany | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
daisymay

St Elmo's Fire
# 1480

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JL,
Who do you think ought to make this decision?

Her parents have some idea about the state their little daughter is in; they presumably do know her a bit. They may not be totally perfect about making decisions, but they do have some responsibility, so they should be involved.

Doctors should also be involved, but again, some doctors are wiser than others.

Rigid moralists should have no part in making this decision. It is in no way right that a child should be sexualised in this way. It is in no way right that anyone should pretend that a little nine-year-old girl, a child, is a woman mature enough to bear a child.

She is not mature enough mentally, physically or psychologically. No nine-year-old is. Having to carry this baby to term is child abuse. It is sad, painful, that an unborn baby has to be aborted, killed, but it would be even sadder and more painful to put this child through carrying and giving birth to the baby - if she did.

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Merseymike
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# 3022

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This thread just shows how truly warped the 'morality' of the anti-abortion movement is. Thank goodness that they will never succeed in the UK.

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Christianity is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be experienced

Posts: 3360 | From: Walked the plank | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
daisymay

St Elmo's Fire
# 1480

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MM,
I totally agree (not the whole thread though) that there is a warped mentality around.

This case would seem to be so clear.... [Frown]

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Posts: 11224 | From: London - originally Dundee, Blairgowrie etc... | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged
Fen
Shipmate
# 4052

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quote:
Originally posted by Joyeux:
How about, instead of praying for miscarriage, we pray that her body can handle the pregnancy (since her government has already intervened and declared that she has to have the baby), that she would not be permanently scarred psychologically, and that the baby would be well, and healthy. Maybe also that someone would adopt it?

I will heartily add my amen to that one. [Not worthy!]

I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a hypothetical situation. What a messed-up place this world has become [Frown]

MerseyMike - I don't think it's my sense of morality that is warped... the world is warped, and sometimes morality just doesn't seem to fit alongside it... Which one should I try to bend to accommodate the other? [Confused]

Posts: 103 | From: Manchester, UK | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged
Merseymike
Shipmate
# 3022

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Anyone who seriously thinks there is a genuine case for forcing a nine year old to go through with a pregnancy on the grounds of 'rights of the so-called unborn child' .
What is warped is anti-abortionism and those who value a clump of cells as much as a nine year old child.
Sick. I want nothing of it.

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Christianity is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be experienced

Posts: 3360 | From: Walked the plank | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged



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