Would you terminate a pregnancy knowing your child would have a genetic condition?

I'm claiming that healthy children will be happier than the disabled child, at least on average. Noted, disabled children can still be happy, and noted disabled children on ocassion can be happier than non disabled children. But health influences happiness to the extent that people actively look to be healthy, and to the extent that people with disabilities and diseases wish they themselves would be healthy. I'm not saying something new here. Good health positively affects your happiness while bad health negatively affects it.

If you have a disabled child I understand that it's going to be almost impossible to rationalize this, especially because you have the gift of foresight, you already love your child, having a kid made you happy and you do not wish to undo that decision, therefore you would not abort. This is more about the alternative. It may be difficult to grasp, but you would have probably been happier and he might have been too.

If you truly believe that your disabled children and yourself are happier because he is disabled, then you should abort healthy children and adopt disabled children.

The argument was probably more about wether you should do this one bad thing (abortion) so you could have better things (improved quality of life x2) in the future. It is interesting that to you it's more about wether the better things are actually better.

 

And if your child doesn't want to contribute to civil society? There may be more to life then getting a degree, finding a spouse, having a kid, and working until you're dead, but I suppose it depends on the person.

While it is illegal (in the U.S.) to disregard an individual/have that weigh in on their hiring, it certainly happens. If an individual with down syndrome and an individual w/o down syndrome are on par in every other arena, either one could get the job. If someone with down syndrome is higher qualified, I would not be surprised if they are chosen over the other candidate.

That is complete conjecture. Do not act as if that is fact, you have no idea if a disability effected the happiness of the parents or the child. It is plenty possible they are happier.

You stating that children disabled children on average are less happy then able-bodied children has no bearing. Provide some sources if you're going to refer to some stat. At this point, it's your opinion, nothing more.

Individuals can think outside of themselves.

You are just making a conjecture that they probably would have been happier. You do not know that.

No? Disabled individuals can just be as happy/happier than able-bodied people and vice-versa. Your happiness is not limited to a disability.

- Abortion is not a bad thing, it is just an abortion.
- Improved quality of life is not guaranteed

 

abortion isnt a bad thing in a bad situation, it is a sad thing, i dont think anyone really wants to get an abortion but there are people who are ignorant about the subject

abort health children and adopt disabled children? you do realize how dumb that statement sounds, youre saying that you cant be happy just because youre disabled, you act like a disabled child cant be happy at all, you know how ignorant that is right

 

A child with a disability sees itself as the same as a child without a disability however its other people who judge and say that the disabled child is different and therefore should be treated differently.

I think that your not God and that you should not have the choice to kill someone and call it a legal thing. Abortion=the merciless slaughter of unborn babies. -Catholic Truth Society (RS GCSE revision is on point)

 

To touch on this, i assume first off you mean Humans and not 'Organisms' as organisms is far too broad.

Either way, if someone was to harm/kill/rape one of your close family members, or your other half, you think he, the scum of the earth deserves to live?
I don't.


As for OP's question, that's a discussion IMO you and your better half need to have, without the opinions of us. Everyone is different and every situation is different. My brother was essentially born inside out, and my Mum was told he would have a 10% chance to live and was advised to abort, she didn't, Hes alive and actually doing quite well for himself, only damage he has is a scar from his belly button to the middle of his chest where all of his insides was born on the outside.

 

When did I say that? That's not what this is about, at all.

 

I've got a cousin who has down syndrome, and my aunt and uncle have taken care of him for 30 something years. I think he's 35 now, not real sure. But they seem to be doing just fine. He's really a calm person, and I think he has mild autism, because he barely talks to anyone, but he's extremely smart. Special needs people, are a gift really. You just gotta know how to handle it.

 

By that logic giving birth control to impoverished areas of africa is 'sad' because starving african children can be happy too. The point is that the child is not yet sentient and you can save them from being treated poorly for the rest of their lives and/or not being able to accomplish things a non-disabled person can.

As far as what I think on the subject I believe that abortion should be legal regardless of the circumstances because birthing a child into a situation where it isn't wanted isn't a good idea in almost every scenario.

 

i was talking to the fella above me

 

if somebody becomes pregnant via rape, i think abortion is fine in that case. it's unfair to be forced into pregnancy.


however, less than 2% of abortions are actually because of rape, so i think that argument is null. most people abort because they're stupid and got pregnant to begin with, simply put.

 

As I understand it you wouldn't know about any deformities or pregnancy until much further into it than a a couple months.

When having children it is just one of those things that could happen. No one wants it, you make it sound like a choice. The morning after pill, or even abortion is okay in my book but only when the people aren't ready to be parents. If you are serious about having a kid, then because they aren't what you wanted you might as well wait till you get the kid home from the hospital then just smother them with a pillow.

 

I appreciate your fervor for scientific rigour. But I before I go into a 2 minute search across google, are you sure you want me to cite studies that show how health and money heavily correlate to happiness and stress levels?
And that is not taking into account the ordeal of having to live your life with a person that will never ever EVER develop intellectual treats greater to that of a 2 yeard old, will never learn how to stop drooling, will show no interest in you, will ned to be taken care of for 40+ years. I have no scientific evidence on the negative effects of having to go through all this, but I sure hope that you don't need evidence for it.
If you still aren't convinced, I had first hand experience with severe retardation. If you are faced with this choice, I encourage you to assist a care center for severely retarded kids/adults and offer yourself as a volunteer.
Spend a couple of weeks, and then think about the choice of committing yourself to (IN THE BEST OF CASES) taking care of someone like that for the rest of your life. Or in the worst of cases, suffer the early death of your child, if you still choose to do it, then go for it.

 

I think it takes a very strong person indeed to be able to look after a disabled child. You literally take all of your opportunities and aspirations and put them in the bin, and dedicate your life to supporting another. I personally couldn't do that, I'm not quite sure whether that makes me a bad person, I just couldn't physically cope with it. I have two kids, thankfully healthy. However, I believe if me and my partner found out we were due a disabled child that would render one of us a permanent carer then I think we would've come to the conclusion of termination. Though awful, it would be too much of a strain on our families life where the family couldn't survive it.

 

Money has been to correlate to happiness levels up until the income of $60-80k in the United States. Money can buy security and nice things, but it is not the answer to everything. Once people are monetarily secure in their life, happiness brought from money drastically drops.

Well the development aspect will depend on the disability. Someone who is severely autistic may be nothing like someone with down syndrome.

I don't need to be convinced of either side, I'm simply asking questions. I know what I would do in the situation. I understand the struggle placed on everyone involved, but that doesn't eliminate the potential for happiness.

Less than 1%

Access to contraception isn't always that easy and sexual education both in the U.S. and around the world is lacking.