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What 'Live Action' gets wrong about Tennessee's abortion ban

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Tennessee has one of the most strict abortion bans in the country, the Human Life Protection Act , outlawing abortion at fertilization - before a pregnancy has even begun. Because the law has no exceptions , not even to save the life of the mother, the law has drawn sharp criticism since taking effect on August 25, 2022. At least two Tennessee women have had to leave the state- one by ambulance - in order to receive medically-indicated abortions. Others have been forced to wait until their fallopian tubes ruptured before receiving treatment for ectopic pregnancies. Hence, it is no surprise then that both Democrats and Republicans in the state have expressed a desire to amend the law to include a clear exception for life-preserving medical care. However, in the wake of such calls to amend Tennessee’s law, multiple anti-abortion organizations have condemned any effort to alter the law. One such organization is Live Action, which published an error-laden post attacking efforts to amend Te...
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Abortion and the Principle of Double Effect

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Introduction and purpose   Over the last few years, Roman Catholic terminology has become more common within public discussion of abortion. As just 22% of the US population is Catholic [1], the presence of uniquely Catholic terms and principles within abortion discourse can be confusing to the remainder of the population. One such term is double effect , short for the Principle of Double Effect (also called the Doctrine of Double Effect). While double effect is a Roman Catholic doctrine, it has gained popularity among protestant and atheist segments of the pro-life movement. It is therefore important to understand and recognize this term/doctrine regardless of one's view on abortion or one’s religious/non-religious beliefs. The purpose of this essay is to provide the reader with an understanding of the Principle of Double Effect and examples of its application. Criticisms of the principle are also provided at the end. Outline  Prerequisite terminology Abortion Direct abortion ...
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