Abortion has been an emotionally-charged and divisive topic for many years and shows no signs of letting up. Central to the argument for many people is pinpointing the exact time when 'life' begins. Is it at conception? The first heartbeat? Brain activity? Or when the baby actually emerges from the womb?
Religion plays a large part in the debate, with people of various beliefs having different opinions on the matter. The truth is that nobody really knows, and this lack of a concrete definition coupled with the broad ethical questions that raised by abortion means that the controversy is likely to rage far into the future.
The latest example to get people talking comes from the subreddit MurderedByWords, which showed an informative and withering putdown to a meme originally shared on the Facebook page 'Life Begins at Conception.' The page, making its own view on the argument abundantly clear, shared a picture of a smiling baby next to the words: “If You're Pronounced Dead When Your Heart Stops Beating, Why Aren't You Pronounced Alive When Your Heart Starts Beating?” At first glance, you might think that this makes perfect sense. However, this response had another view and set it out in a clear and concise manner.
And, of course, there are certain tragic circumstances when an abortion is just the only thing to do, regardless of where you stand. Does somebody who has suffered enough need to see constant reminders about the horrors of a miscarriage and unwanted abortion?
The post started a lively discussion on the MurderedByWords subreddit, with people pointing out the irony of the post
While others continued the discussion about pro-life and pro-choice, sharing facts, opinions and some heartbreaking personal experiences with abortion
Now, we know that facts and 'putdowns' are unlikely to change anyone's minds on this most emotionally-driven of topics. Everyone has different moral standards, and it is ultimately those which determine where you stand on the pro-life/pro-choice spectrum. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!