Choice Part 2

(I decided to make this a whole new post because It's so long. It is my reply to everyone's reply in my last thread)

Well, as much as I agree with most of what everyone has said. The truth of the matter is the laws of our land do not support us. Our "Christian" answer to that question may be the high moral ground, but unfortunatly its not the path our country has chose to take. That has created an inbalance in justice. Well, according to what they were talking about on Dr phill.
The issue that comes to mind is, if a mother has the right to opt out of a pregnancy (maybe not the moral right but in this country she does have the legal right) shouldn't a father have that right?

I guess the only way I can explain it is to put up a senerio.

Jack and Jill are going to have a baby. Jill decides she does not want the baby. Legaly it does not matter what Jack wants. It doesn't matter if he is ready willing and able to care for this child. In canada, Jill can have an abortion with out so much as asking Jack what he thinks. Jill has no legal consequences to suffer, she has no one to answer to (in this world) and her actions are protected by our laws.

Lets reverse the situation. Jack and Jill get pregnant again two years later. THIS time Jill wants the baby, but Jack doesn't. AGAIN jack does not have a choice in the matter. If he decides he does not want the child but Jill goes through with it, he will have to pay child support. There is no way he can legaly devorce himself from the situation like the woman can.


Now my question is SHOULD there be a way? Perhaps an opt out clause that a man can take early on in the pregnancy? Or do we believe that a man's rights are different than a womans rights.

I'll say my two cents now. As a father, I understand that our role in the situation is vastly differnt. The question came up in another thread I posted this question "what if a man wants the child but a woman does not, should he be able to force her into giving birth". After watching my wife give birth I understand how difficult and painful it is. I understand how I will never know just how much pain she had to go through. Sure it's worth it, sure because of that we are blessed with our daughter, but the pain, the psyical danger to her own health. The tubes and the pain killers and the differnt procedures and the complications. I remember sitting in tears watching her go through such pain. Do I have the legal right to MAKE her go through that if she does not want to? I am a lot more hessitant to answer that as I may have been before.

Now to answer the question I posted first. The question of a man's choice. Don and Emily put it very good when they said the consequences of sex can be a child. As a man we have to fess up to that. We have to be responsable where we put our seed I suppose is what I am saying.

HOWEVER we live in a country that has absolved the female gender of THEIR responsability
(or at least gives them the option). IT takes two to tangle (In most normal consensual situations rape aside). Should things be equil? Should a man have the same right to opt out?

After much deliberation I have decided that I have no answer. I say no he should not have that right because I believe no one should have the right to choose if a baby lives or dies. I say yes he should because of the laws we have weaved for ourselves need to be equil. I say no because the bible tells us to CARE for the widdows and orphans...I say yes because no child should ever have to live with the knowldge that someone in their lives doesn't want them to exist.

It's a very complicated issue when I take off my Christian glasses.

I have to agree with Doug. In the end, we will all be judged.

When I look into my child's eyes, when I watch her grow and learn and slowly begin to figure things out....well I have to wonder who would ever make the decision not to be involved in such a wonderful thing.

However I am reminded that one must walk a thousand miles in the shoes of another man before jumping to harsh judgments.

I think I'm rambling now