Dear Gadfly,

A foetus is not a person. You have gone wrong.

@divine_msn
Exodus 21:22-25 actually describes a pregnant woman going into premature labour (that's what the 'fruit depart from her' means) after being struck. If no serious injury occurs to the mother or the child, then the penalty is a fine. But if death occurs (to either mother or child or both) then the death penalty applies. So nothing about the passage says the unborn baby is viewed less.

@david f
"A foetus is not a person. You have gone wrong."
And what do you make of ethicists arguing that newborns shouldn't be viewed as persons either and can be killed off as well?
http://jme.bmj.com/content/early/2012/03/01/medethics-2011-100411.full

It doesn't matter what is in the Bible. Australia is not a theocracy, and laws do not have to conform to what the Bible says. If enough of you would repeal abortion rights and have the power to take us back in the horrible years before there were abortion rights then women will again have the choice of DIY abortions, backyard abortionists, suicide or unwanted babies. Maybe you can do it. For the sake of my granddaughters and other female descendents I hope you can't.

Hey Gadfly, you've been going on about equality but the Catholic Church dictate that society remains very un-equal for women with it's sexist interpretation of scripture. Women are denied entry to the priesthood. A woman's rights to autonomy rank below that of a non- sentient embryo or fetus in your view. The church will vigorously deny a woman who is gravely ill a termination which will save her life. The church fights for laws that forbid divorce, and some priests still counsel abused women to stay with their abusers.

Of all the examples that you cite about Nazis, Jews, slaves etc. these are all legally recognised, conscious, breathing, feeling humans, all who deserve equal rights and protection from injustice. However to suggest that a woman has lower status than that of a cluster of cells, and is incapable of making responsible decisions for herself and for her family, is disgraceful.

RMW - I believe you are wrong in this matter. Scripture seems to consider a baby a 'person' when it is born live ...

Which is a fair call IMO. Stillbirth and spontaneous abortion are often devastating but no-one said it is a perfect world