Written by Despite writing about it some time ago, it comes as a shock to many that I’m a pro-life atheist and anarchist. I’ve been on quite the run on the subject lately as the result of videos released by the Center for Medical Progress, showing Planned Parenthood executives selling baby parts. The reaction has been a mix of outrage, elation, and utter confusion.
Now, I’d go so far as to say I think my logic here is unassailable. I don’t have a problem with the morning after pill or some birth control methods “life at conception” folks would term as abortifacients. I just know what crime I get charged with if I stop another person’s heart from beating.
I haven’t made any explicit commentary about what to do when there is a case of rape, incest, or the mother’s life is in danger. I’ve only addressed the topic of consensual sex, an activity which all people of childbearing age know has this funny habit of inducing pregnancy. When a man and a woman have sex, they bear the responsibility for what comes as a result. To say that people do not incur obligations as a result of their actions is to say that one can walk into a restaurant, order food, and then “abort” the check. As I mentioned on Facebook last night, if I invite you up in my hot air balloon, and sometime during the flight I no longer enjoy your company, do I just throw you off the side, or am I obligated to land the thing first? If you say I have to land the thing first, congratulations, you’re a pro-life libertarian, and on completely secular grounds.
I could go further, but this essay isn’t about a logical argument. I’m going to share with you some deeply personal stories that have impacted my emotional reaction to the issue. I could make a logical libertarian argument on either side of this issue if I really wanted to, and that’s why abortion is this huge debate amongst libertarians. My experiences tipped the scales, and that’s why I’m so enthusiastically pro-life.