I noticed today that it is has been reported that it is likely that abortion services will be allowed to advertise on TV soon, and before the watershed (such as it is!). I wondered how everyone felt about that: if it happens I will not be subscribing to those commercial channels that allow the ads, and I know many people who will think likewise. I need to add that I am not trying to be contentious, but am genuinely interested in what people think and feel about it, as it something, clearly, that I have strong feelings about.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
I hope this photo does not offend anyone but it illustrates the complexity of the above topic. As a RC my thoughts are quite clear I am anti abortion.
This is an aborted baby at 22 weeks.The discolouration is the saline solution used in the process.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Thank you Marek - these things need to be clear - it is not a "process" or a "treatment", and it has appalling consequences not only for the baby but for the women too - whom I would never judge. Many women are vulnerable and scared and are not given all the options appropriately, and that is one of the many reasons I am alarmed about the advertising.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Marek, I am not a Catholic but on this I agree with you.
Abortion is wrong, it is the murder of a baby. I would ONLY agree with it if it was for medical reasons, the mother's health at risk or the baby has a serious health problem.
And if it is advertised on TV like soap or car insurance it becomes "normal" and everyday, and it really isn't, for the baby, the Mother, and the rest of the childs family. This is not a medical procedure or cosmetic surgery that can be advertised like any other "service" - it has consequences far beyond what most people understand and needs to be treated as if it does.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
ive been hearing this allday onthe radio,and to be honest its get a bit boring.at least the goverment are being seen doing things about teenage pregnacy and stds.im niether roman catholic or c of e so have no real comitment either way.
Unregistered User
I am with the rest of you on this one. I'm not RC but have serious ethical concerns. As a retired Registered Nurse, I found working in operating theatres when these procedures were carried out disturbing , particularly when 20+ week life forms were involved.
Watty
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
a most harrowing subject and certainly not justifiable as a tv ad.
advertise condoms, morning after pills and the rest.
the one thing that really riles me about the issue is when certain groups state that the woman has a right to choose, as it is her body.
utter b*ll**s, it is the babies body that is killed.
paul
do you ever have nightmares about the past?
Guest 650- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 542
I heard this on the news this morning. They were saying that the reason for permitting this advertising, and also the advertising of contraceptives, was to try to reduce the teenage pregnancy rate.
Hmmm. Well, to me that's rather cart before the horse. To advertise these things merely helps confirm that having it off whenever, wherever, is the normal thing to do, just like one might go and get a takeaway pizza. Call me old-fashioned, but I can't help thinking a bit of good education into old-fashioned morality, and a bit about the emotional consequences of misplaced sex, and about self-respect and respect for others too, might be a better first step.
They want to advertise - but attempting to justify it by saying it's to reduce a teenage pregnancy rate is a rather suspicious rationale to me.
It's more like - whoopee, commercialism here we come ... even more goods and services that can be sold to the public. Maybe they've even seen a good opportunity arising, thinking there more people might be seeking cheaper ways of "entertaining" themselves if going out is getting less affordable in the current financial climate.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,681
The guidance being discussed is:
These services must be advertised as advisory services
Adverts must be tailored to the areas they are being broadcast in
They must not promote any given option in their advertising.
I personally see no reason why these services should not be allowed to openly advertise any more or less than any other service.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
maggie
the job of teaching behaviour or morality is down to the parents.
it is an unpalatable truth that many of the young girls falling pregnant today are following a family tradition.
not much help there.
to me the best option is to encourage contraception early on, however this discourages some that are trying to get on the housing ladder.
cynical but true, i think.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,681
There was a great piece on Radio 4 this morning about this topic.
One of the interviewees suggested that the real problem here in the UK is that the lack of youth facilities means that they have too much time on their hands ultimately leading to boys and girls doing what teenage boys and girls do when they have too little else to do.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
this is all getting away from the topic of killing babies.
i think that more serious debate is needed on this subject.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,681
Very emotive use of words there Howard and the debate here is about whether pregnancy advice agencies should advertise on the telly or not
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i make no apologies for my choice of words ross.
this is not just about pregancy advice.
take a look at post number 2, then tell me the choices that should be available to our teens.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,681
It is about exactly that - the advertising of pregnancy advice
We can have a debate about viability, when life means life etc, but I guarantee it will descend rapidly into a religious based bun fight
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 650- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 542
The question of morality is a society-wide one, howard. If one is in a society that peddles sex, suggests that those who aren't "doing it" are odd, or retarded, and dissociates sex from consequences such that it becomes merely an act in itself, it is extremely hard as a parent to attempt to teach morality in this context, and it is even harder for some people to understand that sex isn't compulsory. Parents do not parent in isolation.
If these adverts are "advisory", as I saw in one article this morning, then I'd suggest there's a good place for other advisory adverts on morality and consideration for self and others. The question should be addressed at a more fundamental level. Advertising "services" is merely obscuration. The message we should be sending is not so much how to stop a pregnancy, but whether that act of sex is appropriate in the first place. The idea of "choice" in contraception and abortion is already down the road of having sex, and other turnings that could be taken are not signposted.
(FWIW, by the way, my opinion is that that stance diminishes womanhood, as well - I for one am proud of my sex, and see no reason to emulate the biological functioning of a male, who can sow his seed and push off with no further role. And this also raises the social question of fatherhood for you men. Some of you already feel beleaguered because it seems that our society is edging you out of the responsibilities and joys of being a dad, and rendering you virtually redundant in childcare.)
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
ross,how true.with the catholics being against conterception and abortion with a saying go forth and multiply,then you got the other side of the coin with the c of e people saying the opisit,no wonder people are confused.
Ross - these are not like "any other services" and to treat them as such is to trivialise what is a major life event. Brian - you say you have no committment either way because you are not catholic etc - but you are a human being and we are talking about the deliberate destruction of another human being while she or he is in the alleged safety of her or his Mothers belly. You don't need to be any faith to have a stake in that. Ross - we can debate until the end of forever about the ethics, but the plain fact is that these services are abortio n services, not pregnancy advice services - people who have dealt with them know full well that they do not offer or discuss real options other than abortion and Maggie is right, this is merely a commercial opportunity for abortionists. The commercial TV stations who run these ads will find a drop in subscriptions becasue, like it or not, many people really do find abortion repellant. the many many girls and women out there who are emotionally scarred for life, sometime physically, by the wanton and casual opromotion of abortion are testament to that.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
bern, i am not for it nor am i against it,but its nice to to know an option.wheatervyou do or dont its there for a reason.sometimes on medical grounds its you or the unborn child that suffers,this brings on the question of whos life do you save yours or the unborn child,diffilcult choice to make isnt it.