No God—And No Abortions

Pro-life atheists insist that a human life has intrinsic value, even though they don't believe in God.

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  • Posted By: BillSamuel @ 08/16/2009 6:34:31 PM

    Perhaps the most famous atheist pro-lifer is Nat Hentoff, civil libertarian who wrote for decades for The Village Voice. He has written many articles about it, and he is unequivocally pro-life unlike Hitchens. Hentoff is an endorser of Consistent Life - http://www.consistent-life.org/

  • Posted By: WCrosslandBunker125 @ 05/14/2009 1:40:00 PM

    What is it about America that makes people like Christopher Hitchens sudden experts on all things? What, in the name of all that is sensiblel, are his credentials? He is a writer. So am I, yet no one knows that, or cares what I think. Further, Hitchens is an atheist writing about matters of faith. What is up with that? (Or, as the online community says - "WTF???"

    Growing up, my family subscribed to both Time and Newsweek. As I became politically conscious, Time seemed the Right Wing magazine, Newsweek the leftwing magazine. But at least Newsweek had sensibility.

    When did that sensibility disappear from the magazine?.Further, Hitchens, politically INcorrect? I guess if you call blasting away at anything non-Hitchensian (isn't that what he wants his legacy to be? The important words and values of Christopher Hitchens?) politically INcorrect. I call it self inflated exaggerated importance run amok .

    If Newsweek wants to continue attacking Christianity and Judaism, please get writers who are qualified to do so. Don't send clowns who self righteously parade their disdain, by trumpeting their own atheism, for that which others would gladly give their lives to protect. Atheists writing about religion is like virgins doin' it for chastity. Newsweek should be above that.

  • Posted By: spook76 @ 12/02/2008 10:54:54 AM

    Who says life is sacred ? God ? Hey, if you look down through history, God (not to mention his most devout followers) is the leading cause of death. Thusly, this whole continuing abortion debate continues to amuse me, especially the stance about the sacredness of life, becaus we are such hypocrites. As someone once said, "Why is it, with us it's an abortion---but with a chicken it's an omelet ?"

    • Posted By: ok4u @ 12/02/2008 4:54:38 PM

      God is the leading cause of death? Ever heard of Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, etc? If I were sarcastic, I would ask you if you attended public school. But I won't.

      • Posted By: spook76 @ 12/03/2008 11:25:09 AM

        Lenin, Stalin, etc., etc., are all products of God, are they not ? Is not man made in the image of God (or so the religious ones claim) ? And were they not all driven by their own twisted take on religious righteousness ?

        • Posted By: ok4u @ 12/03/2008 11:51:48 AM

          There is such a thing as free will. Maniacal dictators are driven by their own twisted take on SELF-righteousness. Some have been maniacs who have killed in the name of religion. No argument there. But what has man-made religion, or the perversion of it, to do with God?

          • Posted By: spook76 @ 12/03/2008 1:48:04 PM

            According to gospel, everything is a result of God's will. That's not MY take on things. Some things people say, "It's God's will". "That was God's will". On other things, the same people will lay blame on an individual and not even mention anything to do with God's will. Well, which is it ? I'm just looking for a little consistency here. What it all comes down to, is that debates (like abortion) that are steeped and/or colored with religious tones will never have a clear winner simply because religion is man-made and also, very simply, that it's arrogant presumption on our part in even thinking that we would know what the creator of all things would think on this particular subject, or even care.

            • Posted By: sbailey24 @ 03/11/2009 12:00:21 PM

              You are absolutely right...Religion is man-made. But, the relationship that we have with God, made possible by the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus, is from God alone.

      • Posted By: summer4077 @ 12/03/2008 12:16:27 PM

        This is true...ignorance (of which you are a prime example) is the leading cause of death.

        • Posted By: spook76 @ 12/04/2008 1:15:54 PM

          Ignorance is a leading cause of death. So his delusion, but I repeat myself.

  • Posted By: sbailey24 @ 03/09/2009 10:03:27 AM

    If there is no God, then we came from matter. How could life develop intrinsic value if we came from matter? Another way of stating the argument is: If you think that abortion is wrong, then you must believe in an absolute right and wrong. This absolute right and wrong means that there is a moral law. If there is a moral law, there must be a moral law giver. Otherwise, how else would we distinguish between right and wrong? Unless you believe that this moral law giver somehow developed from mere matter, then you must believe in God, the Moral Law Giver.
    The reason you believe that abortion is wrong is that God created you to feel that way. Either you believe in God, or you cannot object to abortion, or admit that there is evil in the world.

    • Posted By: SAM2300 @ 03/09/2009 4:06:14 PM

      The lapse in actual logic in this superficialy logical arguent are innumerable. To start with: You can believe something is wrong--for any number of reasons--without believing that the thing itself (or those who do not believe that it is "wrong") are "evil". Another obvious lapse in logic is the assumption that moral choices "must" be based upon the rules dicated bysome extra-human Moral Lawgiver. Ethics and morals can and do exist entiresly separate from any religious framework whatsoever. It makes perfect sense to me that atheists can be anti-abortion--or anti-death penalty--based on a persoal premise that human life has value in all it's forms. No Higher Power is required to take this position. Personal ethics and morals are hardly the exclusive providence of those who believe in a Great Rulergiver in the Sky!

      • Posted By: sbailey24 @ 03/10/2009 5:40:07 PM

        Without God, explain to me where and how morals or the value of human life began?

  • Posted By: 771979 @ 12/20/2008 12:30:21 PM

    En ???Life???s greatest tragedy is to lose God and not to miss him.
    ???F.W. Norwood. Atheists might assert that they do not acknowledge the existence of God, but the view of some Christians and all Muslims is that at some level even a die-hard atheist wishes for God???s presence and His hand around him. The innate but neglected awareness of God typically surfaces in Atheist consciousness only in times of severe stress, as exemplified by the World War II quote ???There are no Atheists in a fox-hole or on a battle field; there is no atheist on the hangman???s rope, there is no atheist on the electric chair and there is no atheist on a death bed suffering from an incurable disease. There is light but darkness is nothing but the absence of light; it is our perception. There is goodness but evil exits in its absence, death is absence of life but it is not a perception but an invibible reality and life- here-after is beyond man???s comprehension and out of reach of metaphysics and our five senses. An atheist would not be here in the absence of his parents. Some animals, insects, reptiles and plants can see, hear and feel beyond the five senses but we can not deny that only a visible thing exits and anything invisible to our senses is non-existent. I believe that it would be the greatest insult to human intelligence in the absence of intelligence. It is pure arrogance and ignorance to deny any thing that is beyond our comprehension or intelligence.
    When all mankind recognize the reality of human fragility and the lack of human control over destiny: who does a person cry and wish for for help in such circumstances other than who created him ? These sheer moments of helpnlessness should remind every human, froma religious scholar to the dim-hawk atheist of the dependence of mankind upon a reality far greater than our own meager human selves. A reality far greater in knowledge, power, will, majesty and glory.
    In such moments of distress, when all human efforts have failed and no element of material existence can be foreseen to provide comfort or rescue, Whom else will a person instinctively call upon? In such moments of trial, we all appeal to God vowing of lifelong fidelity and obedience of His commands?
    Even an atheist is bound to say, ???O Lord, if there is a Lord, Save my soul--if I have a soul.???
    As Francis Bacon is noted to have commented, ???I had rather believe all the fables in the legend, and the Talmud, and the Quran, than that this universal frame is without a mind.??? He went on to comment, ???God never wrought miracle to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it. This universe is full of billions of scienctific miracles but only men of intelligence and wisdom beliebe in them. And yet, ignorant humans elevate themselves to the height of arrogance. A moment???s reflection should incline human hearts to humility.

    • Posted By: sms29s66 @ 01/29/2009 12:56:46 PM

      Human frailty does not mean that god exists. Helplessness and despair are things all humans must grapple with. There is a sense of purpose and strength that comes with the dawning recognition that we are responsible for ourselves and that there is no supernatural deliverance to be prayed for.

  • Posted By: Bayard Rustin is awesome @ 01/28/2009 8:53:25 PM

    I think the biggest problem is that pro-life religious stances tend to be anti-birth control as well. It's an uncompromising pipe dream with delusions of theocracy.

  • Posted By: whiteman @ 01/22/2009 11:16:33 AM

    I am a devout atheist who opposes abortion and I came to this assertion all by myself. I am also very in love with a woman who is a devout christian. We have a very good life.

  • Posted By: housecall @ 12/12/2008 11:51:11 AM

    The Bilble hasn't changed. It's society that has changed. Back in the days of Abraham Lincoln, armies fought on horseback with swords and cannons. Less than 100 years late, in WWII, armies fought with airplanes, tanks and atomic bombs. Today, we have jet fighters, Apache helecopters, smart and hydrogen bombs. We have satellites and techology making our lives easier, telescopes, satellites and rocket ships exploring the heavens. We have new gadgets invented, almost daily, to advance society. We've built roads, dams, skyscrapers, buildings of all kinds, building after building. We are always building something. Society is building a modern day tower of babel. A society without God. A Godless society. We're so occupied on building the tower that we don't realize that God doesn't approve. We shouldn't provoke God lest he tear down the tower and scatter us. Let's tear down the tower of confusion. Instead, let's build a God centered society with a biblical foundation and the bricks of traditional marriage. (see Genesis 11:1-8, Exodus 32:1-4, Matthew 19:8&9, Ephesians 4:17-20,23&24, Matthew 19:16&17)

    Phone: 1-888-212-7323
    Cell:210-491-5100 or 210-442-6397

  • Posted By: rpotter1000 @ 12/11/2008 7:19:37 PM

    timtolin, any idea when he's coming? This knowledge will affect my plans.

  • Posted By: darincoveyjc@cox.net @ 12/11/2008 12:06:35 AM

    Lets just say for argument sake we have to violate the rights of one of the 2 people involved in an abortion...
    What are the results of violating the womans...?
    What are the results of violating the childs...?
    Such and easy question to answer... this is called logic.
    Of course a real threat to the womans life would mean saving a life either way and a logical abortion choice, yet i believe many women would give their own life for their childs...

  • Posted By: timtolin @ 12/09/2008 8:27:54 AM

    In a previous article you wrote, you mentioned a website "raptureready.com". Thank you for that!! Since then I have visited the website, and it's a great website for us believers who know Christ is soon to return!!!

  • Posted By: frankyp @ 12/06/2008 4:01:33 PM

    We the human animals are overpopulating the planet and in this race we are destroying other species day by day until one day perhaps we will be the only specie, supposing that we would survive to this which I really do not think. So if abortion would help againts that then from this point of view abortion is also pro-life, isn't it?

  • Posted By: amhill @ 12/06/2008 9:37:49 AM

    So 40% of Religious folks are TOTALLY AGAINST Abortion
    and 40% of Non-Religious are TOTALLY FOR its legality

    Do some math here: that means that 60% of Christians believe it should be legal in some / all circumstances, and 60% of non-religious believe that it should be supported.

    Let's not forget, also, that within the 60% on both sides COULD BE a 40% that supports the opposition. (i.e. there could be 40% of Religious folks that are TOTALLY FOR its legality -- the author had omitted that detail in favor of presenting a misleading statistics.)

    I think the real telling statistic here should be some statistics on how many abortions were actually PERFORMED on people with and without religious conviction. What's the percentage of religious folks that have actually HAD abortions (in spite of being against it) and what percentage of non-religious folks have really done it?

    It's one thing to be for the RIGHT to choose, it's another thing to actually make the choice. And that's really all that matters. I have a son; and a baby on the way. We had considered abortion initially, because our financial circumstances weren't the best -- we CONSIDERED it, but decided against it because we felt the potential for human life was more important. (My wife and I are both atheists) I think you'll find that many Atheist parents share similar sentiments -- Pro-CHOICE but likely anti-abortion.

  • Posted By: slsaul @ 11/30/2008 1:59:17 PM

    Thank you, Carmine! I think that, generally speaking, the atheists who do not look at this issue with a 'my non-faith vs. yours' contention are far more nuanced than their counterparts. I thought the purpose of becoming an atheist was to break away from dogmatic thinking and yet it seems on college campuses across the world, people are signing onto a brand new sort of dogma under the banner of atheism. Even if you find it impossible to look at this issue from a morality stand-point, look at it from a scientific stand-point. Or from a constitutional standpoint. If you don't believe in a human soul or mind then there's no difference between life at 20 years or a fetus or a new born baby except for degrees of development. Let's call a spade a spade. Atheism is nothing more than new religion for people with vendettas against more main stream religions.

    • Posted By: psorlando @ 11/30/2008 2:34:33 PM

      Enter Your Comment"I'm happy to say some problems don't have solutions." In the abortion wars, such honest reflection is progress indeed

      Intellectuals always seem to enjoy the "honor of intellectual honesty". In this instance, there is a sense of "satisfaction" at being able to concede that the abortion problem has no solution. What a charade! It has a solution...but not one which people want to demand: Stop killing babies. Just like we legally (and morally) demand: don't kill people. This applies to everyone. The woman (by biological requirement) ceases to be a single individual once she becomes pregnant. Socially, a father is in the same situation. Demanding that people honor this reality requires "making a judgment" - which for some insane reason many people are loathed to do. Honesty in this world is an absolute fallacy. Our moral (and much of our legal code) comes from God. From Biblical principles. Abortion - like any other murder - is morally wrong because it violates God's law of "thou shall not kill: (Matthew 5:21). The Christopher Hitchens of the world is conflicted because they want to embrace the intent of the command, without acknowledging that the motivation of the embrace stems from God's authority. As the Bible says, "who the Son sets free is free indeed" (John 8:36). By the way...for those who object to my reliance on the Bible for my position, I will say that apart from God's Word, I myself have no authority to challenge anyone else.

      • Posted By: richB83 @ 12/03/2008 8:01:38 AM

        Morality against killing others existed long before god's word. Laws and codes against killing others have existed in all cultures throughout the human history. It is perfectly resonable for someone to not agree with killing or murder and still not follow god's authority. Here are some for you the next time you want to quote the morality of god and the bible. EX 17:13 With the Lord's approval, Joshua mows down Amalek and his people. EX 32:27-29 With the Lord's approval, the Israelites slay 3000 men. NU 31:17-18 Moses, following the Lord's command, orders the Israelites to kill all the Midianite male children and "... every woman who has known man ...."

  • Posted By: tdn0024 @ 12/01/2008 7:24:52 AM

    Reversible male vasectomy as a standard practice.

    We men came to the world through Mom's wrenching pain, and have our children through women's.

    We can step in for a reversible snip at age 14, and get the faucet turned back on when we want kids.

    Enough of the tired debate about abortion. Let's stop getting women pregnant unless we mean to.

    • Posted By: Southerner @ 12/01/2008 8:01:34 AM

      Reversible vasectomies don't always work. In fact, one study has suggested it's only 50% effective.

      95% of teen pregnancies come from unprotected sex. Condoms would fix this problem. No need for risky surgery.

      • Posted By: richB83 @ 12/03/2008 7:48:44 AM

        Teaching not only abstinence, but safe sex procedures to kids at younger ages would help this as well.

  • Posted By: mayans @ 12/02/2008 11:58:56 PM

    People accept the pleasure of sex but hate the joy of responsibility. This is the very root of the problem.
    Abortion is appropriate only for those women whose life is in danger as medically diagnosed. Science plays a great role on this issue. On the other hand, being religious is not a guaranty to stop abortion. Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia but you can hear in the news fetuses being thrown along with the garbages.

  • Posted By: JoanR @ 12/02/2008 1:03:47 PM

    Framing the abortion issue in religious terms is essentially a left wing conceit which is intended to depict those not willing to countenance unrestricted abortion and infanticide as religious zealots.In fact,the proscription against murder, is found in all secular societies for obvious reasons despite the fact it is an integral part of most religious doctrines.Perhaps there is a project for the ACLU there.

  • Posted By: frankyg73 @ 11/30/2008 9:54:36 PM

    I don't understand why the author finds it surprising that people can formulate independent opinions about the appropriateness of taking someone's life without tying it to a set of religous beliefs or convictions? I am a father of a beautiful 18-month old baby and was able to see my daughter in my wife's womb via a 3-D sonogram at 3+ months. She looked pretty human to me at that age in the sonogram videos. No priest or rabbi was whispering in my ear: "Hey, that's a baby human. You may not want to kill her! Why does this revelation (not really) need to be tied to religion verses secularism?

    • Posted By: not-fooled-by-slick-talking-charlatans @ 12/02/2008 12:49:20 PM

      Don't try to understand this columnist. Remember, the last column she offered readers was titled, "Is Obama the Anti-Christ?". I don't know where Newsweek found her but perhaps they should have keep looking for another writer.

  • Posted By: vasumurti @ 12/01/2008 11:37:34 PM

    Abortion policy must be completely secular. In 1797, America made a treaty with Tripoli, declaring that "the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." This reassurance to Islam was written under Washington's presidency and approved by the Senate under John Adams.

    The U.S. statutes against abortion have a nonsectarian history. They were put on the books when Catholics were a politically insignificant minority. Even the Protestant clergy were not a major factor in these laws. Rather, the laws were the achievement of the American Medical Association.

    From early in the 19th century, Americans - even lay people - were exposed to enough information about embryology to enable them to make a critical and ethically significant distinction between contraception and abortion: the former practice did not terminate a new human life, but the latter one did. In 1827, Von Baer determined fertilization to be the starting point of individual life. By the 1850s, medical communities were advocating legislation to protect the unborn. In 1859, the American Medical Association protested legislation which only protected the unborn after "quickening."

    A rational secular case thus exists for the rights of preborn humans. Individual human life is a continuum from fertilization until death. Zygote, embryo, fetus, infant, adolescent, etc. are all stages of development. To destroy that life at any stage of development is to destroy that individual. The real question in the whole abortion debate is not the seemingly absurd scenario of giving full human rights to zygotes, but rather the thorny question of how to legally protect those rights without violating a new mother's privacy and civil liberties. And the right to privacy is not absolute. If parents are abusing an already born child, for example, government "intrusion" is warranted -- children have rights.

    Recognizing the rights of another class of beings limits our freedoms and our choices and requires a change in our personal lifestyle - the abolition of (human) slavery is a good example of this. A 1964 New Jersey court ruling required a pregnant woman to undergo blood transfusions, even if her religion forbade it, for the sake of her unborn child. One could argue, therefore, apart from religion, that recognizing the rights of the unborn, like the rights of blacks, women, lesbians and gays, children, animals and the environment, is a sign of secular social progress. Writer and activist Jay Sykes, who once served as head of the Wisconsin ACLU, wrote: "It is on the abortion issue that the moral bankruptcy of contemporary liberalism is most clearly exposed," because the arguments used in support of abortion "could, without much refinement, be used to justify the legalization of infanticide." The Left is divided over abortion.

  • Posted By: K Winters @ 12/01/2008 6:31:43 AM

    It's quite naive to think that its surprising that atheists (like me) think human life has value (*rolls eyes). OF COURSE we do. The issue isn't the VALUE of life, but rather at what point does a woman lose the right to determine what happens with her body? There is the value of the woman's life and the chlld's life, and how does a reasonable person determine when one supercedes the other. And to answer 'southerner'': this atheist voted for Obama because he was the candidate who would think about such complexities in moral and legal issues. All McCain seemed to do is tear his opponents down.

    • Posted By: ok4u @ 12/01/2008 7:45:41 PM

      A woman has every right to do with her body as she wishes. The problem is, her unborn is not her body, but that of another.

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