A timely article.

A healthy democracy requires constant input from all points of view. There is real danger in leaving it to extremists to provide most of the input during government policy development. Most government committees provide extreme views with the appropriate weighting. The same cannot be said of politicians. I urge all to contribute their views to policy development debates.

Secondly, I am continually flabbergasted by the willingness of people, who claim to follow religious teachings, to be knowingly deceptive.

It’s ”funny” isn’t it that when mothers/parents are happily pregnant everyone recognizes that the woman is carrying a baby. Nobody enquires about how the fetus or the product of conception is going.

An article in the weekend paper confirmed this in a report about yet another development in ultrasound screening. To quote the article, “the eerie image is the way of the future bringing parents and their unborn baby face-to-face. . . . Philips Healthcare Australian Business manager Ian Schroen said it was an exciting time for parents. ‘There is an instant recognition of a growing baby.’”

We all know, and for quite a few years now we have all been able to clearly see via ultrasound, that a pregnant woman is carrying a baby.

Surveys may or may not indicate that most people want to be allowed to kill such babies. But some things are simply so wrong they cannot be allowed no matter how many people want to do them. If a survey in Germany during the nazi era had shown that most people wanted to legalise the killing of Jews, would that have made it acceptable? Or a survey in Alabama in 1850 that showed most people wanted to allow slavery – would that mean slavery would be legitimate?

Just because most people may want to legalise the homicide of the young does not mean that we should allow it.

Abortion brings out the worst in many people. Most will not commit or admit to an opinion on this issue.
Many defer this to a discussion and a decision between the woman and her doctor. That is how I believe this question needs to be asked.
It comes down to a woman's personal choice, a choice she needs to make- not the state, not the legislator, not God or their own belief system- their own choice. A choice never taken lightly, it is not an easy decision to make to continue with a pregnancy or to terminate. The tragic death of 18 month twins to a woman who already had 4 less than 5 years old is an example. Many are asking if she had gone to another hospital would she now be facing murder charges and her older children possibly now condemned to be remaining in foster care with both parents in jail. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (Newton’s Law) but to take no action because ‘it was God’s choice and you are so blessed’ will not help the siblings in this case. Women are not given all options when faced with moral dilemmas that are conflict with Catholicism if/when attending a catholic hospital.
Abortion is not a decision for one person but a decision the community needs to be comfortable with in providing all choices for women in the community when faced with an unwanted pregnancy.

"But some things are simply so wrong they cannot be allowed no matter how many people want to do them."

That's precisely the attitude that generates totalitarian regimes - the very antithesis of democracy. How arrogant of you to think that you are so smart that the views of others should be overridden. No doubt you will now quote from the absolute authority of some superstitious dogma.

Women have been persuaded to trade their integrity & virginity for the so-called freedom & protection of the contraceptive pill. Thus abortion has become the logical 'backup' for failed contraception. Adverse long-term effects of both the 'pill' & of abortion are denied, but poorly inquired about when medicos take a history. Thus a fairly typical scenario is: How many pregnancies? I have 4 children? Any other pregnancies? A miscarriage 8 years ago. Any other pregnancies? IF relevant, then silence & 'I had a termination at 17' & almost invariably a flood of tears.
Neither the Medical profession nor the Pharmaceutical Industry can afford to admit any possible relationship between long term hormonal use
& breast cancer, or any role of first pregnancy abortion in breast
cancer or of significant post abortion sequelae.

Nice article.

Now observe that silent majority attempt to dictate their views as being the only moral one, never mind the immorality of forcing a woman to give birth against her will.

I suppose what bothers me is the refusal to even consider the other side has a moral point of view as well. I can accept they view fetuses as being people and therefore view it in that manner, but they need to take a reality check and see that most people do not. It is when they do not respect this that I have an issue with them.