The ladies at Bread n Roses are all in a tizzy over something that Bill O'Reilley said about abortion.
They cite Media Matters which construes Bill O'Reilley as saying that "a mother's life is never in danger."
In fact, this is what he said:
" South Dakota as you know has voted to outlawed abortions unless the mother's life is in danger, which is never the case, because you can always have a c-section and do those kinds of things."
The Media Matters website understood him to say that a woman's life is never in danger.
But that's not what he's saying.
He says if a woman's life is in danger, a c-section can be performed ('or stuff like that").
If he really thought that a woman's life could not be endangered by pregnancy, why bring up c-sections and "stuff like that" (by which we can suppose he meant invasive procedures or possibly an induced labour).
The Media Matters website says that an ectopic pregnancy is treated through methrotrexate "when the zygote is small".
However, I'm just a bit skeptical of the terminology. I don't believe a woman can know she's pregnant when a new human being is in the zygote stage. The zygotic stage only lasts for a few days, and it takes several days before most women know they are pregnant. I think the use of the term "zygote" might be scientifically inaccurate. A morula or blastocyst is probably meant here.
I also note that the Mayo Clinic says of ectopic pregnancy:
If the pregnancy is farther along, you'll probably need surgery. Laparoscopy is a common choice. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small incision in the lower abdomen, near or in the navel. Then he or she uses a thin tube equipped with a camera lens and light (a laparoscope) to view the area. Other instruments can be inserted into the tube or through other small incisions to remove the ectopic tissue and repair the fallopian tube. If the fallopian tube is significantly damaged, it may need to be removed.
If the fallopian tube has ruptured, you may need emergency surgery through a laparotomy (an abdominal incision). In some cases, the fallopian tube can be repaired. Typically, however, the ruptured tube must be removed.
In other words, an invasive procedure is possible, which is what he meant by "stuff like that" (and which is what I understood).
I understood Bill O'Reilley to be defining an abortion according to the Catholic definition-- which is an attack on the bodily integrity of the unborn child.
In cases where the mother's life is in danger, the Church allows, under the theory of double effect, that the unborn child be removed when it is no longer possible to sustain that life.
I am not very knowledgeable about laparoscopy, but if it were possible to remove the unborn without violating the baby's bodily integrity, i.e. tearing him limb from limb, that would be an acceptable case for terminating a pregnacy (but it would not be considered an abortion).
Brebis Noire wrote:
I truly hope that our anti-feminist women friends find out what kind of crazy, dangerous idiots are on their side, and that they repent of their ignorant ways.
Speaking of ignorance...
I think they heard what they wanted to hear from Bill O'Reilley.
And I and other fetal rights activists will never repent of loving and defending unborn children.
