query about bio

[robin333]

I recently received an email with the following question in it making reference, it turns out, to Beethoven's mother. Is the information true?

"If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion?"

[Steppenwolf]

Originally posted by robin333:
I recently received an email with the following question in it making reference, it turns out, to Beethoven's mother. Is the information true?

"If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion?"

No. I don't know the exact details of Beethoven's life, but I know this isn't true.

The question is an old one, and has been circulating around e-mails for years. It is used frequently by anti-abortionist (pro-life) campaigners (and probably invented by them). Of course the pro-abortionists (pro-choice) have a similar trick up their sleeve ...

A married woman, with no history of serious illness and a stable family environment (other details I have forgotten are also given), wants to have a baby, but her doctor advises her to have an abortion (for some silly reason, I forget what). What should she do?

The baby turns out to be little Adolf Hitler! (Actually, apparently the part about being advised to have an abortion is true)

In truth these anecdotal arguments pro and contra abortioni, even if the details are true, prove nothing either way. For any example there can be another one that suggests the opposite.