Reply #10: I have more respect for most of those five issues than you (or pro-lifers) might expect [View All]

and yes, I do distinguish between those who are devoutly pro-life and anti-abortion, but don't wish to criminalize abortion to accomplish their goals. I am fine with that.

Just one by one:

1. They truly believe that life begins at conception. They further believe that babies born with disabilities are still children of God and deserving of a chance at the best life possible.
I'm a little sick of hearing "life begins at conception." that's not "human life," as in a fully formed human, any more than a scab off an old bug bite is "human life." I do care about sentient life, and regard concern for all sentient life with the utmost respect. There is nothing sentient about a blastocyst. There's little sentient about a first trimester embryo, without a functioning nervous system.

And while I have a moral queasiness with the idea of aborting a fetus due to the presence of genetic flaws, I'm not going to impose that queasiness on others by forcing them to carry that pregnancy to term.

2. They wish that people wouldn't be irresponsible about sex, and that women wouldn't end up pregnant when they do not want to be pregnant.
There's nothing "irresponsible" about having sex, though, and if you have sex, there is a possibility of an unintended pregnancy. It's appalling that anyone would wish to force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term against her will.

3. They are concerned that women who have abortions will later have problems due to their actions. This isn't just the whole discredited study connecting cancer to abortions. It's about women who suffer guilt as a result-some do, some don't.
Here is where I completely part company. That issue comes down to choice, a choice we respect in all other human endeavors. Everyone has some regrets about what they've done; trying to legislate away the possibility of regret is idiotic.

4. They feel that there are homes out there for babies who are not wanted by their biological parents.
As an adoptive parent, I am very skeptical about this. By not making race an issue, we were able to adopt very quickly and rather painlessly. I don't want to knock those who hold out for a child that "looks like them," because it's all good, but the fact is there are thousands of kids who are shunted around the foster system for years and years. Why are there any, given that the pro-life movement is always barking "Adoption, not abortion!" Where are these pro-slavery folks?

5. They feel that legalized abortion cheapens life by making a society more callous about it.
I can see that, if you take out the word "legalized." I respect the goal of making abortion rarer, less necessary, though more responsible behavior--it's just that my idea of responsible behavior includes not just reserving sexual relations for someone you truly love, but also:

the responsibility for caregivers to provide accurate information to children about sex and reproduction;

the responsibility for society to provide affordable, unimpeded family planning services to all;

and the responsibility for politicians to keep religious beliefs (such as the idea that a fertilized egg has a "soul") out of policy decisions, even if it means pissing off a segment of your constituency.