Do anti-abortion atheists exist?

[buritobr]

Do you know any atheist who thinks that abortion should be illegal?

Usually, anti-abortion arguments are based on religious views.

[White Trash]

I know two atheists that are pro-life, they argue it from this kind of vegan standpoint.

[JA]

There are definitely some pro-life Atheists. They aren't as common in America because secularism tend to be associated with left-wing politics, and left-wing politics is typically pro-choice. But I imagine the more Atheism becomes socially acceptable, the more pro-life Atheists you'll meet. There are plenty of secular reasons to oppose abortion.

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/03/11/yes-there-are-pro-life-atheists-out-there-heres-why-im-one-of-them/

[Grumpier Than Thou]

To play devil's advocate, it is scientifically feasible to believe that life starts at conception and therefore be opposed to it on those grounds. It depends how hardcore the atheist is about preserving life.

[SATW]

Secular Pro-Life activists definitely exist and they play an important role in the Pro-Life movement.

http://www.secularprolife.org/

http://blog.secularprolife.org/

http://www.prolifehumanists.org/secular-case-against-abortion/

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/03/11/yes-there-are-pro-life-atheists-out-there-heres-why-im-one-of-them/

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, I don't see any logical contradiction.

[DavidB.]

Depends on what you consider to be "anti-abortion". Atheists often support abortion until the point where the child has developed to such a degree that abortion is deemed objectionable. You're not likely to find an atheist who thinks life starts at conception and that the morning-after pill should be illegal, but there are some who think abortion should not be legal after seven or eight weeks or so, which would be considered a "pro-life" position in the Netherlands, where I'm from.

[RINO Tom]

Yeah, I don't see any logical contradiction.

[Goldwater]

My dad might kind of fit that description. I don't know if he would really call himself an atheist, but he is certainly non-religious, while also being a conservative Cruz-supporting Republican.

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

Yeah, I don't see any logical contradiction.

[MT Treasurer]

Yeah, I don't see any logical contradiction.

^^Agreed. The "The fetus is able to feel pain" argument has nothing to do with religion.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, I don't see any logical contradiction.

^^Agreed. The "The fetus is able to feel pain" argument has nothing to do with religion.

Neither does the "life begins at conception" one, in and of itself. It's always struck me as a very naturalistic argument.

[Small L]

Nat Hentoff (who died earlier this year), was probably the most well-known pro-life atheist.

[SATW]

Nat Hentoff (who died earlier this year), was probably the most well-known pro-life atheist.

A Jewish atheist, actually. a double whammy for the pro-life world! ha!

[Person Man]

Depends on what you consider to be "anti-abortion". Atheists often support abortion until the point where the child has developed to such a degree that abortion is deemed objectionable. You're not likely to find an atheist who thinks life starts at conception and that the morning-after pill should be illegal, but there are some who think abortion should not be legal after seven or eight weeks or so, which would be considered a "pro-life" position in the Netherlands, where I'm from.

There are conservative atheists that claim life begins at conception from the viewpoint that its the only truly objective, atomic, and discrete time.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Nat Hentoff (who died earlier this year), was probably the most well-known pro-life atheist.

A Jewish atheist, actually. a double whammy for the pro-life world! ha!

I'd be curious about your opinion on Hentoff in general, Sunrise. There's a lot about him that seems like it would appeal to you quite a bit but also some stuff that seems like it wouldn't appeal to you at all.

Fun fact: a very old gentleman who goes to my church was at Boston Latin around the same time as him.

[SATW]

Nat Hentoff (who died earlier this year), was probably the most well-known pro-life atheist.

A Jewish atheist, actually. a double whammy for the pro-life world! ha!

I'd be curious about your opinion on Hentoff in general, Sunrise. There's a lot about him that seems like it would appeal to you quite a bit but also some stuff that seems like it wouldn't appeal to you at all.

Fun fact: a very old gentleman who goes to my church was at Boston Latin around the same time as him.

Yea, my position of Hentoff (RIP) is a bit mixed. Definitely he was a FF but we had some key divergent views on multiple issues. He was clearly more on the center-left camp when it came to Zionism, which is fine, but definitely a different type of Zionist then me.

His views on the PATRIOT Act, and other anti-terror measures definitely differed from mine. This is where I think I most strongly disagreed with him on. A lot of people think that my Zionism drives my neoconservatism, but it's only part of it. (i.e. I'll praise Trump on Israel but then proceed to bash him on free trade, his handling of Russia and his positions on Iraq).

Very odd that he supported the War in Iraq, but I guess his consistent life ethic views could get him to a pro-war conclusion at the beginning of the war but I don't see that holding true to the end of the Bush era. Regardless, I appreciate his past support for the war.

His pro-life convictions were very similar to mine. I do have Jewish reasons to oppose abortion, but I see it more as a humanitarian issue then a religious one. So in that regard, very similar to him.



What's the most interesting thing is that Hentoff, despite being a Jewish atheist, married more Jewish women then most G-d-believing American Jews ha! 

[DC Al Fine]

I know I'm about to catch some flak for this, but here goes:

Why should abortion be any more of a religiously divisive issues than murder? The contention here is not one of killing being bad, but what exactly constitutes killing. Ergo, let's figure out when life starts, and people of all religious beliefs, and those who lack religious beliefs, will agree it's wrong to abort after that.

I'm not sure why you'd get flak for this, at least on this forum.  The current abortion divide is a good example of people taking most of their positions from their "camp" without thinking about it, similar to previous Evangelical adherence to small government.

[Hatman 🍁]

Yes, my best friend falls into this category. He was raised Catholic, so that explains it.

[RINO Tom]

I know I'm about to catch some flak for this, but here goes:

Why should abortion be any more of a religiously divisive issues than murder? The contention here is not one of killing being bad, but what exactly constitutes killing. Ergo, let's figure out when life starts, and people of all religious beliefs, and those who lack religious beliefs, will agree it's wrong to abort after that.

I mean, I think it's more complicated than that.  As sad as it is, I do have an inherent problem with a governing body telling anyone (just happens to be only women) that they MUST extract anything (living or not) from their body, regardless of how it got there.  Doesn't make abortion any less sad, but I think it's not as simple as "when does life start?"

[Murica!]

No, all atheists are inherently suicidal antinatalists who wish for nothing but the destruction of all good because they lack any sort of moral basis for their beliefs

Sarcasm of course.

[Lumine]

I consider myself as one, to what I consider a reasonable point (I support, for example, abortion in cases of incest, rape and danger to the mother's life along with most contraceptives, but that's where I draw the line).

[RINO Tom]

I know I'm about to catch some flak for this, but here goes:

Why should abortion be any more of a religiously divisive issues than murder? The contention here is not one of killing being bad, but what exactly constitutes killing. Ergo, let's figure out when life starts, and people of all religious beliefs, and those who lack religious beliefs, will agree it's wrong to abort after that.

I mean, I think it's more complicated than that.  As sad as it is, I do have an inherent problem with a governing body telling anyone (just happens to be only women) that they MUST extract anything (living or not) from their body, regardless of how it got there.  Doesn't make abortion any less sad, but I think it's not as simple as "when does life start?"

I see your objection, and for that reason I am pro choice. However, at some point, life starts and overrides choice, at least in my mind.

Yeah, I think we probably have near identical views on the issue, then.

[Beet]

You can be anti-abortion without thinking abortion should be illegal.

[Person Man]

You can be anti-abortion without thinking abortion should be illegal.

Of course! But that's not the meaning hereI don't think.