I figured that I might as well also throw a couple comments in here, altho'
I may be repeating some others that have been made, may not tho'.
Personally, I am pro-choice.  I do not believe, however, that that equals
pro-abortion, quite the opposite, for me anyway.  I do not believe tho' it
is the government's right to legislate a person's body, or their sexual
behavior.  I think adoption and other alternatives should be weighed into a
woman's decision, but ultimately, it is her decision.  After that, it's
between her, God, and her baby.  I wouldn't want to live with having done
that, but in certain circumstances, I would want to have the option
available.

This is a slight digression here, but there was supposedly some guy running
for office in Arkansas, who was promoting the concept of an abortion shield.
In his logic (ha!), even if a woman were raped, abortion would still be
unacceptable.  His reasoning was that if a woman were really raped, then God
would provide her an "abortion shield" that would magically appear and would
prevent her  from getting pregnant.  The implication is, I guess, that if
she did get pregnant, then she must've asked for it.  Kinda reminds me of
the Salem witchhunts, where God would save a woman from the flames if she
were truly innocent.

I agree with Bill that abortion should not be used as a form of birth
control.  In Europe, they don't have as many abortions as we do here, and I
believe that to be in part to their more honest approach to sexuality.
Here, on the one hand we condemn it and say "just say no" or whatever, and
then throw it in everyone's face on tv, in advertising, etc.  Our society is
schizophrenic or hypocritical in how we approach sex.  In Europe, there is
much more education about how not to get pregnant in the first place, rather
than just telling kids to avoid it (that is the best course, obviously, but
not reality).   In this country, the same people who are against abortion
are also often against birth control.  That is ridiculous.  You can't have
both.  Most insurance companies, etc., won't cover birth control, etc., and
alot of people either can't afford it, or are even ignorant about it,
believing in alot of wive's tales and such.

I know a woman who used to teach a course at a Catholic hospital on natural
family planning (it's more involved than the rhythm method, but similar).  I
talked to her a bit about it.  Obviously the church is officially against
abortion, and also generally against most forms of birth control, believing
them to be a sort of form of abortion cuz they interrupted the normal course
of things.  She said her beef with the church was that altho' they
supposedly endorsed this method as the only one they would accept for
catholics, because of the above reasons that they rejected all others,  they
nevertheless failed to really make their congregations aware of it and never
really brought it up, probably cuz of all the taboos that go with talking
about sex.  If people don't know, then they can't use something.  That's
where the Europeans are a bit more with it, in my opinion.  At least from
the English friends that I've had, none of them were shy about discussing
that subject at all!

In the case of donating fetal tissue for research or whatever, there should
definitely be rules instituted to keep abortion from becoming a profitable
activity.  Of course, this is already planned and applied already.  I also
have just as many, if not more, ethical issues with using pig fetal  tissue
as I do human.  My thought is, what is more ethical about killing another
species to use their tissue to replace our own, when we've already got human
fetuses available, that would otherwise be "wasted" so to speak.  By this I
simply mean, isn't it bad enough  that one life was already taken, now here
we are taking another (even if it is just a pig), when we could at least, in
part, maybe redeem in a way, the human abortion.  Like I said  already,
there should be no link between a decision to have an abortion and the
possible later use of the fetus, but if it's already been done, isn't it not
worse to waste it completely, and to take another life in addition?  I also
believe that in the long run, human cells would be a better replacement for
other human cells, especially in the brain.  It just seems logical to me.

Well, to close up, I'll just attach here two poems I recently wrote  The
first is in response to the abortion shield concept and the second just
reflects my personal opinion on this whole issue in general:


MIND SHIELD


Lord, I ask that
You will shield us
From those who would
Violate and rape us

For there are many who pray
(Oops, I mean prey) upon people's emotions
In order to impregnate them
With their own stupidity

They speak with conviction
Regarding conclusions they've drawn
From premises which are both
Illogical and absurd

Raping people's minds
Planting seeds of
Doubt and of fear
And also of ignorance

Doing so with the intent
Of fathering others whom
They can then raise up to be
Mindless copies of themselves

Lord, we implore you
Shield us from this onslaught
Protect both our bodies and minds
From this foreign invasion

And whatsoever evil
May thus be conceived
Will ye also abort it
Before it is given birth

Give us your guidance
So that we may choose
Political leaders of both
Integrity and intelligence

And keep out of office
All those who would
Steal our freedoms
And enslave our minds

*copyright  Wendy Tebay


-----------------
PRO

Pro-Choice = Pro-Life

Pro-Mother
Pro-Child
Not Pro-Murder
Pro-Choice = Pro-Life
For both Mother and Child

Pro-Responsibility
Pro-Accountability
Not Pro-Ignorance
Pro-Choice = Pro-Life
A woman's choice, not the government's

Pro-Family
Pro-Family Planning
Not Pro-Abortion
Pro-Choice = Pro-Life
Birth control preferred over abortion

Pro-Freedom
Pro-Respect
Not Pro-Judgement
Pro-Choice = Pro-Life
Leaving the judgement to Almighty God

Pro-Love
Pro-Compassion
Not Pro-Hate
Pro-Choice = Pro-Life
A murderer forgiven at the Cross

Pro-Liberal
Pro-Conservative
Not Pro-Stereotypes
Pro-Choice = Pro-Life
We are One in Christ

Anti-Choice = Anti-Life

"For I know nothing by myself;
Yet am I not hereby justified:
But he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Therefore judge nothing before the time,
Until the Lord come
Who both will bring to light
The hidden things of darkness,
And will make manifest the counsels of the hearts,
And then shall every man have praise of God."
(1 Corinthians 4:4-5)

*copyright Wendy Tebay