[patton]

Was it wrong for Hitler to gas the Jews?

[Cathryn Crawford]

My latest. I lost my ping list, so if you want on or off or if I missed you, let me know.

[Nonstatist]

What about the increased risk of breast cancer in women who have abortions?

If I remember correctly, a pro-life group was successfully sued for contending that publicly, in an attempt to dissude women from going to abortion clinics.

You think you're the first to come up with "practical" reasons not to abort? Actually, its that line of attack that has most incensed the pro abortion people; there nothing that ticks them off more than some "hostile" group telling women whats "healthy" or not. To them, its all propaganda.

[Onelifetogive]

It is so essential that the right-to-life movement in America galvanize behind the idea the logic, not morality, will be what wins the day in this fight, because sometimes, despite the rightness of the intentions, morality has to be left out of the game.

I could live with:

It is so essential that the right-to-life movement in America galvanize behind the idea the logic, in addition to morality,...

How about this logic? We may be within months or years of finding a "genetic" marker (See note below) for a propensity toward homosexuality. If abortion is still legal when that is discovered, how many parents are going to choose that option rather that giving birth to a child who may become gay?

NOTE - A genetic marker for gayness would not interfere with Christianity any more that a propensity toward drunkeness makes alcoholism acceptable to God or a propensity toward violence would make assualting others acceptable to God. We ALL have a nature with a propensity to sin. Maybe we all get different tendencies, it doesn't matter. We are all supposed to overcome our sin nature (with Christ's help).

[gcruse]

That's a nice article, Cathryn. Clear and concise.
I'll put my counterarguments in a separate post. Well done.

[Hunble]

Although I am a Conservative, I simply can not blindly agree with the effort to make all abortions illegal.

I grew up in the 1970's when women that I personally knew in High School dies from back alley abortions. If they must have an abortion, I do want it done legally and in a hospital.

However, I follow the ancient rule about abortions: When the baby starts to kick, then it is has become an individual and his/her life should be protected.

My own daughter is in this situation. Once that baby started to kick, abortion is no longer an option. If she dared to have an abortion, I would never speak to her again.

She agreed with me and wanted the baby.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

"Cathryn Crawford is a student from Texas"

nudge nudge wink wink say no more say no more

[netmilsmom]

I agree with this. We need to get through to people anyway we can. If someone is turned off by the religious aspects of this murder, we need some medical facts like the ones quoted to back it up.

[UnklGene]

Work "smarter" as well as "harder."

[MHGinTN]

Ping-a-ling-a-ling

[tbpiper]

It seems that the mainstream religious pro-life movement is not so clear when it comes to reasons not to have an abortion beyond the basic arguments that it’s a sin and you’ll go straight to hell.?

I have not seen a lot of anti abortion arguments based solely on morality. Most of what I’ve seen and heard is on the order of ‘Abortion is immoral because it takes an innocent life.’ Are you suggesting that the pro-life crowd would be better off making the amoral argument that abortion should be opposed because it goes our instinct of self preservation?

[kesg]

You can believe that abortion is morally wrong, yes, and at the appropriate moment, appealing to the emotions can be effective, but too much time is spent on arguing about why abortion is wrong morally instead of why abortion is wrong logically.

As if we must choose between being logical and being moral -- a false alternative.

[gcruse]

What about the increased risk of breast cancer in women who have abortions?

Scientists Claim No Abortion-Breast Cancer Link
Christine Hall
Staff Writer

(CNSNews.com) - Scientists attending a recent National Cancer Institute (NCI) conference claim that there's no link between abortion and breast cancer, a conclusion that was met with skepticism by pro-life groups.

The scientists evaluated a number of studies on abortion and breast cancer, some as yet unpublished, and found that the most credible studies showed no causal link between breast cancer and abortion.

"I think it was fair, and it was balanced, and it reflected the science as it is today," said Barbara Vonderhaar, an NCI scientist who participated in the conference. "I can honestly say I think that they were the world's experts on the topic," she added.

Tell him that his little girl has a high chance of suffering from a serious infection or a perforated uterus due to a botched abortion,

One of the reasons we have abortion on demand is the horrible consequences of back alley abortions,
a much more common occurrence when abortion was illegal than botched abortions when it is legal.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Tell him that his little girl has a high chance of suffering from a serious infection or a perforated uterus due to a botched abortion, however, and he’ll take a bit more notice. Tell him that he’s likely to suffer sexual side effects from the mental trauma of his own child being aborted and he’ll take even more notice.

Yeah…that’s the best reason NOT to kill your own child…you might become impudent or have to take antibiotics? These anti-Christian zealots, and I see some have been pinged to this thread, are first to find fault with the religious reasoning behind certain points of view but can’t say why that point of view is wrong in its own vacuum. Moral relativism is simply an excuse for selfishness in light of some things being objectively and universally always right and always wrong, this is one of those things. BTW don’t bother with the rape and mother’s life scenarios, they’re just a red herring argument that has nothing to do with abortion being used contraceptively for purposes of inconvenience.

[beckett]

With all due respect, I disagree with the premise of the piece. Pro-lifers regularly advance all the arguments you seem to think they ignore. The recourse to biblical proscriptions against abortion has a far less prominent place in staple pro-life arguments than it has had in years past. The main argument has shifted to the measureable negative emotional and physical effects an abortion has on the woman who has one, and to exposing as false, based on scientific knowledge which in turn is based on the rigorous application of logic, the unsupportable contentions that a child in the womb is just a "part of the woman's body" or a "mindless piece of protoplasm."

If the breast cancer/abortion link has not received the attention it deserves in the mainstream media, it's not because pro-lifers have ignored the story. It's because pro-choice activists and their confreres in media have worked hard to spike it.

[RightWhale]

too much time is spent on arguing about why abortion is wrong morally instead of why abortion is wrong logically

A severe and antagonistic misunderstanding of operant behavior has led to both camps, or all camps, standing on curbs and corners flashing signs at each other. Morality is a personal thing, and ethics is a legal matter. The only aspect of this that is even close to philospohical logic is ethics. It is legal. End of story. Making something illegal and punishing misbehavior is a typical liberal act. If we wish to discourage this practice, we should encourage character development in our youth. Maybe character doesn't matter to a certain hedonistic former President, but it certainly matters to most of the rest of us. Do that: encourage character development so that citizens can handle life with some grace.

[Mr. Silverback]

ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[marron]

Big mistake to separate politics from morality. Big mistake to separate logic from morality as well. I understand what you are saying, but it is precisely the wrong direction. Liberty is not about imposing morality on others, but it cannot be separated from morality either; self government is a moral project or it is doomed.

Maybe I am quibbling about semantics, but hey, let me quibble.

[Colofornian]

It isn’t that the religious right is wrong. However, it boils down to one question: Do they wish to be loudly moral or quietly winning?

Frankly, pro-life discussions, speeches, exposition of logic, etc. all helps the pro-life cause. But it's not the main thing we need to do to be "winning"--quietly or not. Frankly, as I look at the front lines, we're losing. It's the babies for the most part who are "manning" the front lines. So they continue to be slaughtered.

What's needed are not more logicians at the front line. It's people acting like abortion is murder. When people see by your actions & lifestyle that you're convinced that pre-born babies are your brothers and sisters, guess what? You've exposed them to pro-life activism & they may reconsider their position then.

[Teacher317]

it boils down to one question: Do they wish to be loudly moral or quietly winning?

Loud? Exactly where on TV do you hear an ardent pro-life message?