Pregnant Texas Teen Fights Family's Abortion Plan
A pregnant Texas teenager has gone to court to stop her family from pressuring her into an abortion.
The Practical Buddhist Responds
Again, Buddhists don't have a Pope or a set of commandments. There are no quick and easy answers for every moral question. But the First Precept teaches us not to kill, and some interpret this to include earthworms and mosquitoes. Most include humans under most circumstances, though a few teachers talk about just wars and even capital punishment -- depending on the circumstances. Abortion is a very tough call, but the call will be based on compassion, not rights.
Most Buddhists are pretty consistent. If they interpret the First Precept as relevant to abortion, they probably also worry about capital punishment and invading other nations. Unfortunately right-wing Christians are likely to be absolutely against abortion and yet quite favorable about executing criminals and having a military ready to punish other countries at will.
I still haven't figured this out.
I still haven't figured this out.
