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 | Most Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians, pro-life
advocates, and religious conservatives believe that:
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| Essentially all medical specialists, pro-choice advocates, religious
liberals, etc. believe that :
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With such differences in the basic definition of terms, meaningful dialogue between pro-choice and pro-life advocates is essentially impossible -- even if the desire were present.
If they were able to work together they could achieve their common goal of reducing the abortion rate in the U.S. Unfortunately, the lack of consensus on meanings of terms makes joint activity difficult.
Contrasting definitions:
| Evangelical usage/term | Some others' usage/term | Comments |
| Chemical abortion | A medically induced abortion that involves the use of a medication. | This refers to the use of medication (e.g. RU-486) to terminate a pregnancy. "Others" include medical professionals, pro-choice advocates, etc. "Chemical" implies that the embryo is burned out; "Medical" implies that a pharmaceutical is used to induce abortion. |
| Pro-abortion, Pro-borts, Pro-abort | Pro-choice | In favor of abortion access and free choice for others. |
| Abortionists, murderers | Abortion providers | References to physicians who perform abortions. |
| Abortuary | Women's clinic; abortion clinic | |
| Pro-life | Anti-abortion, Pro-life. | Favoring major restriction or complete elimination of abortion access. |
| Pregnancy starts at conception. | Pregnancy starts when the fertilized ovum is implanted in the womb. | "Others" include medical professionals, scientists, pro-choice advocates, etc. |
| Human life starts at conception. | Human life starts weeks before conception. | Each sperm cell is clearly alive and contains human DNA, from the time that it left a testicle until a few weeks later, at conception. So too for an ovum. Both have been a form of human life well before conception. |
| Human personhood starts at conception. | Human personhood starts later in gestation. | "Others" include many medical professionals, pro-choice advocates, etc. The "morning after" pill may be considered an abortifacient by the former definition but birth control by the latter. |
| "The unborn," "pre-born," "child," or "baby" | Zygote, fertilized ovum, morula, embryo or fetus. | These are largely medical terms. In popular use, the term "baby" is used to refer to any stage of development from pre-embryo to infant. |
| An abortion is an intentional termination of a pregnancy at any time from conception to birth | A therapeutic abortion is an intentional termination of a pregnancy, from implantation to viability. | "Others" include medical professionals, scientists, some pro-choice advocates, etc. |
| In a religious and moral sense, but not at this time in a legal sense, all abortion result in the murder of a human person. | Abortion kills a developing embryo or fetus. | Abortion becomes murder when the ovum, embryo or fetus has become a human person. There is no consensus on when this occurs. |
| A contraceptive device or medication prevents conception. | A contraceptive device or medication prevents pregnancy. | Physicians and pro-choice advocates generally define pregnancy as starting many days after conception, when the pre-embryo implants in the wall of the uterus. |
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Home page > Religious info > Evangelical dictionary > here |
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or Home > "Hot" religious topics > Abortion > Abortion facts > here |
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Home > Comparison of religions > Evangelical dictionary > here |
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Home > "Hot" topics > Homosexuality > Basic info > Evangelical dictionary > here |
Copyright © 2000 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2000-OCT-02
Latest update and review: 2009-FEB-27
Author: B.A. Robinson
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