'Nine in 10 against abortion'
A survey has confirmed that Malta maintains a very strong pro-life culture, Gift of Life said yesterday.
Of 500 respondents interviewed by phone, 91.5 per cent said they disagreed with abortion while 5.2 per cent said they agreed in some cases and 2.6 per cent were in favour.
Meanwhile, 88.7 per cent think human life begins at conception, 3.4 per cent at implantation and 3.2 per cent at birth.
The great majority, 84.5 per cent, are also against the legalisation of abortion, while 13.5 per cent are in favour. Another two per cent said they were not sure.
Moreover, 82.7 per cent agreed the Constitution should be amended to make legalising abortion harder but not impossible.
Those who said abortion should be legalised were asked further questions to determine why. The reasons included when the mother's life is in danger, when the child is conceived from rape and when the child is deformed.
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Gerry Cowie
Dec 2nd 2008, 23:14
Why the sarcasm from those who do not respect human life?
Ramon Casha does not help his/her point by that approach!
The survey says 10% were in favour of abortion. Surely that tells us that it was not biased.
Jason Spiteri - please note that the extra question posed was indeed aimed at those who were pro abortion and not as you suggested asked of those against it. Read the letter! And just what is "our secular society"?
Ingrid Jones - Cameron - If your body contained that of another human being would that being mean nothing to you? People seem to forget that with every right comes an obligation. Whatever we do has an effect on others whether we like it or not.
Jonathan Vella - it is insulting to non religious people who oppose abortion to suggest that only religious people respect human life.
I would like to quote D Vella here, who says "There can only be true democracy when the rights of the minority are respected. The majority should not have the right to put a gun to anyone's head." How true! The rights of the unborn should be respected and nobody kill them by abortion.
Gerry Cowie
Dec 2nd 2008, 20:29
It never ceases to amaze me how those with a total disrespect for the unborn stoop to using sarcasm to try get their point across!
Ramon Casha for instance does him or herself no favours by trying to trivialise the result of the survey in the way he or she does.
Jonathan Vella makes the usual unfounded point that it is only those with a religious belief who respect life. This is a gross insult to people who simply believe in the right to life of the unborn.
Also Mr Vella should note that any decision he freely makes will have an effect on others apart from himself. Any freedom comes with a responsibility.
Jason Spiteri has misread the letter above. It states that the additional question was indeed asked of those in favour of abortion. He has assumed that people were carefully selected for the survey undertaken. The fact that 10% were in favour speaks for itself.
D Vella is absolutely right to say that "there can only be true democracy when the rights of the minority are respected" and this of course includes aborted babies who are totally disrepected! They cannot object, so they need all our support!
Paul Barrett
Dec 2nd 2008, 19:43
@ Nadine Vella
You are of course very right. Total suppression of any thought or deed that differs from what some believe to be right would appear to be the aim.
Nadine Vella
Dec 2nd 2008, 14:04
@Paul Barrett
I beg to differ changing the constitution further opresses women and their right to choose!!
Paul Barrett
Dec 2nd 2008, 11:55
If GOL are convinced that 95.5% of the whole population are against abortion under any circumstances, they are in effect wasting their time, money and everyone else's time trying to force an unnecessary and totally ineffective change in the constitution.
The current law is strong enough to ensure that those determined to have an abortion have to seek out treatment abroad, away from their friends and family support; changing the constitution changes nothing.
Jonathan Vella
Dec 2nd 2008, 11:21
I wish I had been interviewed in this survey! I'd have said I agree with abortion and when asked why, I'd have said: because I'm against the idea of having my country's constitutional and legislative process abused by religious fanatics to deny informed adults their free decisions.
Jason Spiteri
Dec 2nd 2008, 11:17
If Gift of Life believed their survey is scientific, they'd surely stop bugging the rest of our secular society. But I guess they compared it with the guesstimates ofr women travelling abroad to get expensive and sometimes dangerous abortions done and realised that this is not the case.
In any case, what sort of survey lets you off the hook if you answer it 'correctly' but 'asks further questions to determine why' only if the answer is wrong? Why weren't those agreeing with abortion asked why as well?
D Vella
Dec 2nd 2008, 10:56
There can only be true democracy when the rights of the minority are respected. The majority should not have the right to put a gun to anyone's head.
Abortion should be legalised. It is then up to the individual and her conscience to decide wheter to abort or not.
Who conducted this survey anyway and how scientific is it?
Ingrid Jones-cameron
Dec 2nd 2008, 10:12
I am very sceptical to surveys conducted by bias parties to prove their point. There are no scientific data of how the survey was conducted.
And in any case these are not matters of general concensus but human rights. Even if al of Malta was against I still have the right to decide over my body....basta.
Ramon Casha
Dec 2nd 2008, 09:49
A survey about abortion organised by Gift of Life is as convincing as a survey about "the beauty of hunting" organised by a Hunters Club.