RE: new abortion quiz

I agree that how one feels about the issue (partisanship) can affect what you find. But the other issue is the strength of the methodology and design, and that is a critical one. There is lots and lots of reported research out there, but these reports vary a lot in terms of strength of design, as you know. I'd be interested in the sources you found on both sides (either posted to the whole list or directly to me, as you prefer).
 
I know several women who have had abortions, and tho they have varying feelings, I don't think any of them would have made a different decision, looking back now. That of course addresses only the issue of the response of the woman, not the other issues raised. But I believe that the reports of "postabortion stress syndrome" are not accurate for the most part, and tho some individual women feel they would go back and make a different decision, others do not feel that way.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sheila Wilson [mailto:sheila-wilson@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 10:09 AM
To: Cameron, Leslie; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: RE: new abortion quiz

Before I put in Question #3, I did some research. Those that have found "no evidence" and those that "have found evidence" are strongly polarized by their position on the subject. I looked and found non-partisan groups before I included it.
 
More importantly, I chose to include it because I have personally witnessed the after-effects of abortion on women, children who found out after they were grown, and husbands who took the wife for the abortion. They were hurting horribly - both Christians and non-Christians. The price they paid was much higher than they had expected.
 
Sheila
 

"Cameron, Leslie" <lcameron@apa.org> wrote:

I appreciate that people have very strong feelings on both sides of this issue. Without addressing any of the other questions raised, I would like to note, in regard to Question #3, that social sciences research does not bear out the conclusion reported below. That is, social sciences research has not found evidence of "post-abortion syndrome" or that PTSD related to abortion exists. That is not to say people do not have strong feelings. As you might expect, reactions and responses vary: Some women report negative feelings; some women report great relief. But when large groups of subjects are studied, this conclusion of a form of PTSD following abortion does not hold up. There is some evidence that women with prior mental and emotional problems (e.g., existing depression or anxiety disorders) can continue to experience those problems.
 
Leslie Cameron
 

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On Behalf Of Sheila Wilson
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2004 8:55 PM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: new abortion quiz

Question #1: Do more people (post-natal) die from murder or from natural causes? Who cares, murder is still murder and against God's laws. The question/argument is irrelevant.
 
Question #2: What percentage of Evangelical Protestant women are beaten to death by their husbands every year? Who cares, murder is still murder no matter who dies or how they are killed - including unborn babies.
 
Question #3: How many women suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after having an abortion? 19% have diagnosable symptoms, 50% have mulitple symptoms. Post-traumatic stress also affects the husband, other children, other family members, and even friends. I know this from personal experience of friends and family.
 
Question #4: When does conception begin? Psalm 139:13 "For you [God] created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." We do not have the ability to decide when life begins or when the soul exists but God does. Until God chooses to tell us that exact moment, we must not assume and take the life. We were created by God with a plan and a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11, 2 Timothy 1:9).
 
Yes, we need to improve the lives of children now living and those who are to come. We cannot do this by sacrificing some of the unborn. I personally know of too many people who found out AS ADULTS that their mother had an abortion and then wondered why and even wished they had also been aborted.
 
We must quit making excuses. Unborn babies don't belong to "Caesar," they belong to God. Abortion, whether legal or illegal, will always be a choice just like any other sin is a choice. We must educate people, help them learn that God has a better way, and show them the way. That is our calling.
 
Sheila

Sheila McGinty Wilson
sheila-wilson@sbcglobal.net

Sheila McGinty Wilson
sheila-wilson@sbcglobal.net
Received on Tue Oct 12 10:43:06 2004