Faithl wrote: "Abortion hurts women and is no solution."

Abortion is the only solution to an unwanted pregnancy. Giving birth also hurts women. To avoid hurting women by abortion and giving birth we can get rid of pregnancy. Of course the consequences would be the end of the human race. However,there is a bright side to that. Other species in danger of extinction because of loss of habitat due to human activity would have a greater chance of survival.

Abortion is the only solution to an unwanted prgnancy.

We can minimise unwanted pregnancies by sex education along with easy access to contraceptives along with insruction in their use.

David--It looks as though you are trying to express empathy for suffering--yet the pain does not vanish with abortion. Women who abort their babies frequently report that the abortion solved nothing and left them in fact haunted and with lifelong anguish, regret, and suffering. There are always more options than it initially appears, especially when there is an unplanned pregnancy. So many people are waiting to adopt, and the woman can avoid the huge negative mental and physical health impacts of abortion by giving the baby up for adoption, for instance. In an earlier post, You asked what children think about abortion. Here is the comment of an eleven year old not yet indoctrinated in the group think of the mainstream culture: "Another thing about all Pro-aborts is their name disguise. “abortion” is just some fancy way of saying “murdering babies”. They just changed the name so it didn’t seem like they were murdering. And babies are just smaller, cute people who don’t know too much yet. Abortion doctors should remember they were once babies and they could have been aborted. But no! Their mothers chose for them to live! So let unborn babies live!!"

Dear Faithl,

My cousin who was pregnant and committed suicide is unable to feel regret for an abortion because she is dead. Get that! If she had been able to get an abortion she would not have committed suicide. That somehow doesn't seem to mean anything to you, but her memory is part of the reason I support the availability of abortion.

In order to produce a baby for adoption a woman has to continue an unwanted pregnancy. A woman should not be forced to continue an unwanted pregnancy. Adoption is no solution for an unwanted pregnancy.

You are still using emotive and inaccurate langusge. Abortion is not murdering babies. A fetus is not a baby. You use the phrase 'unborn babies.' A fetus may not become a baby. However, we will all die. You and I are undead people since eventually we will be dead. I prefer not to use such language.

My mother wanted me and was in circumstances where she could have a baby. Not all women are in such circumstances, and those who are not have a right to terminate their pregnancies.

Actually, I would like to see an end to abortion by seeing that there were no unwanted pregnancies. However, there will continue to be unwanted pregnancies whatever we do to prevent them. You are against abortion. If you find yourself pregnant don't get one. However, for those women who are pregnant and don't want to continue the pregnancy it is the only solution. They should not be harassed and should be provided with the means to terminate the pregnancy in a medically appropriate procedure.

Dear David,

I am sorry for your loss. I understand this is a very difficult subject for you. My prayers for you and your family.

You are very certain of abortion as a solution to women's problems--from what I have found in researching abortion are the many documented negative impacts of abortion. Research shows that women who have abortions are much more likely to suffer depression and death than those who carry the pregnancy to natural birth. This is an established fact--abortion is just not the tidy solution you claim. For instance, "A new study of the medical records for nearly half a million women in Denmark reveals significantly higher maternal death rates following abortion compared to delivery. This finding has confirmed similar large-scale population studies conducted in Finland and the United States, but contradicts the widely held belief that abortion is safer than childbirth."http://afterabortion.org/2012/higher-death-rates-after-abortion-found-in-u-s-finland-and-denmark/ And as to abortion-suicide link: "The increased risk of suicide after an induced abortion indicates either common risk factors for both or harmful effects of induced abortion on mental health" http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=gissler%20suicide%20bmj

Again, my prayers are with you during your sorrow.

Dear Faithl,

If you want to pray for me then do it, and don’t tell me about it. You may mean well, but I regard it as offensive and disregarding my feelings.

Perhaps you may find it difficult to understand why I find it offensive. You probably would doubt the efficacy of a believer in voodoo who told you he was rattling the bones for you. For one thing I don’t think your prayers will help me any more than rattling bones would help you. For another thing it assumes that I subscribe to the same belief system that you do. I believe in neither the efficacy of prayers to do anything for those who don’t believe in them or the existence of any supernatural entities.

I don’t expect you to concur with my lack of religious belief, and I resent you putting your belief on me. If you think your prayers will do me good you are free to pray, but telling me about it is putting your beliefs on me.

That is the same kind of attitude you have toward abortion. You think it shouldn't be done. Then don’t have one. However, I think women who go to an abortion clinic to have an abortion have thought about the pros and cons of the matter. Abortion can be most stressful, but they have decided it is the best alternative for them. Then respect their choice. Don’t harass them by picketing the clinics and waving bloody photos. They have made their choice. It would not be your choice but please respect their choice.

Please respond to what I write rather than modify what I write and respond to that. You wrote referring to me, “You are very certain of abortion as a solution to women's problems.”

I never maintained anything of the kind. I wrote: “Abortion is the only solution to an unwanted pregnancy.” You have not suggested any other solution to an unwanted pregnancy. Making a woman continue a pregnancy she doesn’t want is not a solution.

Dear Faithl,

You have made a lot of arguments against abortion. I am a man and am never going to get pregnant. However, suppose a pregnant woman after hearing the arguments against abortion decides that it is the best alternative in her situation. Would you deny her access to abortion by a competent practitioner?