Comments on: Pro-choice/life litmus tests (Wallis) http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/ A web site by Joshua Sowin that addresses culture, books, technology, ecology, religion, and other topics. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:20:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Josh Sowin http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/comment-page-1/#comment-46128 Josh Sowin Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:21:26 +0000 http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/#comment-46128 Ah, I see your point. Yes, the issue really does boil down to whether you think abortion should be considered criminal or not. But even so, I think both sides should work together to make it "rare." Ah, I see your point. Yes, the issue really does boil down to whether you think abortion should be considered criminal or not. But even so, I think both sides should work together to make it “rare.”

]]> By: Eric Brown http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/comment-page-1/#comment-46113 Eric Brown Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:16:18 +0000 http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/#comment-46113 I think I'm missing your point. It seemed like the quote was suggesting that we shouldn't worry so much about whether abortion is prosecuted, that we should let that go and focus on what we can agree on. That, of course, is fine, if you don't think abortion should be criminal in the first place, but that's begging the question, and is a useless point, i.e. of course we shouldn't worry about prosecuting abortion if we don't believe in prosecuting abortion. If we're not going to beg the question, however, then not worrying about prosecuting abortion *because* we can supposedly better reduce the number of abortions by working together on XYZ, is as absurd as not prosecuting a rapist, because we can better reduce the number of rapes by working together on better dating services. The presence or quality of dating services should in no way detract from our determination to prosecute and punish rapists. I think I’m missing your point.

It seemed like the quote was suggesting that we shouldn’t worry so much about whether abortion is prosecuted, that we should let that go and focus on what we can agree on. That, of course, is fine, if you don’t think abortion should be criminal in the first place, but that’s begging the question, and is a useless point, i.e. of course we shouldn’t worry about prosecuting abortion if we don’t believe in prosecuting abortion. If we’re not going to beg the question, however, then not worrying about prosecuting abortion *because* we can supposedly better reduce the number of abortions by working together on XYZ, is as absurd as not prosecuting a rapist, because we can better reduce the number of rapes by working together on better dating services. The presence or quality of dating services should in no way detract from our determination to prosecute and punish rapists.

]]> By: Josh Sowin http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/comment-page-1/#comment-46109 Josh Sowin Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:54:05 +0000 http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/#comment-46109 Both groups think rapists and murders should be prosecuted, so they should work together on that, too. Both groups think rapists and murders should be prosecuted, so they should work together on that, too.

]]> By: Eric Brown http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/comment-page-1/#comment-46105 Eric Brown Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:25:39 +0000 http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/08/31/pro-choicelife-litmus-tests-wallis/#comment-46105 I'm all for offering women better alternatives, but whether or not that happens, things like murder and rape and armed robbery need to be prosecuted. Instead of prosecuting rapists, should we work together on better dating services? I’m all for offering women better alternatives, but whether or not that happens, things like murder and rape and armed robbery need to be prosecuted. Instead of prosecuting rapists, should we work together on better dating services?

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