Bioethicists realize birth is an artificial dividing line whether a human can be aborted or killed.
We can terminate for serious fetal abnormality up to term but cannot kill a newborn. What do people think has happened in the passage down the birth canal to make it OK to kill the fetus at one end of the birth canal but not at the other? (Source.)
Rather than conclude that late-term abortion is wrong and set an earlier “deadline,” the push is to allow killing of babies after they are born.
As medical science progresses the number of seriously disabled babies that survive is growing – we should therefore consider having a debate on allowing active euthanasia, for the good of families, says the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology. The College explains families who have the most severely disabled babies, babies who until recently would not have survived, are suffering enormously, both emotionally and financially.
The college explains that if obstetricians were allowed to carry out active euthanasia, some patients would be more inclined to wait till birth, rather than carrying out late abortions. (Emphasis added. Source.)
Simply amazing. Words fail me.
I guess partial-birth abortion isn’t late enough. When is too late?
(I’m waiting for someone to make the argument that this is a good development: if we allow doctors to kill babies after they are born, there will less abortions. Update: I guess the argument’s already been made. )