What does "pro-life" mean?

Conservative "pro-life" activists are most often protesting abortion and related practices. Is this only because out of the other causes for life some (e.g. healthcare) are outside the scope of government and others (e.g. capital punishment) are simply necessary? Why is capital punishment necessary while abortion is not? Why is abortion within the scope of government while sick people are not? Why are wars easier to justify than the killing of unborn children?

Chris "Jesdisciple" wrote:Conservative "pro-life" activists are most often protesting abortion and related practices. Is this only because out of the other causes for life some (e.g. healthcare) are outside the scope of government and others (e.g. capital punishment) are simply necessary? Why is capital punishment necessary while abortion is not? Why is abortion within the scope of government while sick people are not? Why are wars easier to justify than the killing of unborn children?

I think it depends on whether people are referring to Pro-Life or simply pro-life. It's the difference between saying I'm a republican (someone who believes in a republican form of government) or I'm a Republican (someone who's a member of the GOP). The term Pro-Life refers to a specific movement of people and organizations dedicated to eliminating or reducing abortion through legal restrictions on it. Generally, if Person A says "I'm Pro-Life" what he means is he's against legal abortion. It doesn't make sense for Person B to say in response "But you support the death penalty so therefore you're not really pro-life", because pro-life, in person A's mind, only refers to abortion. I can understand Person B's attempts to get them to think more broadly about life issues, but trying to expand the label of what being Pro-Life means is more of a rhetorical and political trick than substantive.

But I think the heart of your question is, why are Pro-Life activists, for the most part, willing to accept and support the death penalty, people dying because of lack of health care and war? I think you're generally correct regarding health care policy that it's because they believe providing universal health care is outside the scope of the federal government. As for the death penalty, I'd either guess that it's because the death as punishment is sanctioned in the Bible or they truly believe it's justifiable to kill someone because that person did something horribly wrong. War is justified in the name of all sorts of things, but mostly in the name of self defense, even if it's an offensive war.

I'm not saying I agree with these defenses, but I'd guess that's what Pro-Life activists would say.

Personally, I think we should abolish the death penalty and abortion, and war should be avoided at all costs. On health care, we as a society need to ensure that people have access to health care. It is a "life" issue. How it's achieved is another matter, perhaps for a different thread.

I hadn't heard of that case distinction before, so thanks.

SamHamilton wrote:How it's achieved is another matter, perhaps for a different thread.

Yeah, all three issues probably deserve their own threads. But I'd love to see threads started by someone other than me.

SamHamilton wrote:abolish the death penalty

Prison Reform

SamHamilton wrote:war should be avoided at all costs

When is war justified?

SamHamilton wrote:On health care, we as a society need to ensure that people have access to health care. It is a "life" issue.

I think this thread might encompass that issue: What alternatives do we have to welfare?

Without debating the actual issues, does anyone disagree with the differences named above between abortion and the others?