Toronto March for LifeImposing One’s Morality on Others
Abortion advocates often argue against legal restrictions on abortion because they say it is imposing someone’s morals on other people. Furthermore, they argue, the law shouldn’t impose moral or religious beliefs.
But in making that argument they have made their moral belief clear: According to them, it is wrong to impose one’s values on others. Moreover, since they insist that this imposition is wrong for everyone, they are actually forcing that moral belief on others. They are doing exactly what they say is wrong to do.
Furthermore, they have no qualms using the law to impose their beliefs on others. This is why Canadians pay for legal abortions through our taxes. In fact, we even pay for abortions performed in the US on Canadians. In some cases, these trips to the US are even paid for by taxpayers. Clearly abortion advocates have no problems forcing their morality on pro-lifers.
And, governments “impose” morality on society every day by outlawing such acts as kidnapping, rape, and theft. These laws are based on a morality that respects all human beings and that seek to protect vulnerable people from those who would choose to harm them. These kinds of laws were created and imposed by the government, even on those who disagree with them. Abortion advocates, however, don’t seem to mind the law imposing this morality on others.
The most important question then is not, “May governments impose laws on others?” They already do that. The question we need to ask is this: “At which point can and should the government act?”
If the pre-born are human beings with inherent value like us, and we believe that human beings should be protected under the law, then isn’t it legitimate for the law to protect the pre-born, even if it imposes that morality on others?
Just as we protect the lives of the born, shouldn’t we protect the lives of the pre-born? If we can impose our morality on men by making it illegal for them to rape women, what’s wrong with imposing our morality on women by making it illegal for them to kill their pre-born offspring?