David and Yabby,
First to you David.It is NOT possible to be religious and support abortion. The Church, in line with the commandments and Divine words from the Scriptures speaks of the sacredness of human life from the beginning. Many non religious people also support the pro life position becuase the natural law can be known by everyone because God has crated our very natures. Go and tell the police after clocking 140km in a 100 km zone or having run a red light that "life isn't so simple". The police officer will nod and smile and still write you your ticket. Same with the 10 commandments.

It is not a question of "your" truth or mine. Truth is truth and is discoverable. Christ made those claims and His Mystical Spouse the Catholic Church teaches these truths of afith. Opinion doesn;t come into it nor the background of our parents.A law that does not allow abortion condemns nine year old girls who have been forced into sex by their stepfather and are medically judged to be physically incapable of bearing a child to have that child. In effect not having an abortion is probably condemning the girl to death.

Adultery wouild happen reargless because divorice is forbidden by Christ anyway. Having a secular law to do away with Divine law and allow divorce doesn't dissolve the issue of unfaithfulness.

Why speak of Saudi Arabia? You are comparing oranges with apples. Both religions cannot be true. Or both are false. Take your pick based on truth.

Yabby- re: embryos in storage. Utilitarian arguments are facile.

Dear Webby, Many religious people support abortion. They just don’t happen to share your religious beliefs.

There is no reason for anyone else to accept your definition of religion or to accept your scriptures. You quote Jesus. You don’t even follow his religion. He was not a Christian. He lived and died a Jew. To follow his religion consult your local rabbi.

What is the New Testament heritage?

RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY: "No one comes to the Father but by me" (John 14:6);This text has helped to create a world where adherents of one religion feel compelled to kill adherents of another. A veritable renaissance of religious terror now confronts us and is making against us the claims we have long made against religious traditions different from our own.

ANTI-SEMITISM: And the people answered, 'His blood be on us and on our children'" (Matt. 27:25); No other verse of Holy Scripture has been responsible for so much violence and so much bloodshed. People convinced that these words conferred legitimacy and even holiness on their hostility have killed millions of Jewish people over history. Far more than Christians today seem to understand, to call the Bible "Word of God" in any sense is to legitimize this hatred reflected in its pages.

SEXISM: For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man." (1Cor. 8-9)The message of the Christian church was once that women are evil to their core and it was built on the story of Eve. She was taken out of man and was not his equal, but his helpmeet. Evil entered human history through the weakness of the woman. She was made to bear the blame and the guilt. She was the source of death.

The above is garbage.

Your truth is not even your opinion but the opinion of your church. Truths of faith is rubbish. Truth requires proof not faith.

Islam and Catholicism are both man made structures claiming divine sanction. I take my pick of neither because there is no reason to think either is true.

Webby, you sound exactly the same as every other fanatic throughout history claiming "truth."

There have been millions.

They're all just like you. They all have that fundamentalist extremism that is convinced its right, and has been responsible for more death and suffering throughout history than any other mindset.

Your "truth" is bulldust to me and many others, who are disgusted by its arrogance.

Deal with it.

*and Divine words from the Scriptures speaks of the sacredness of human life from the beginning.*

Err Webby, I have the so called Divine words of the Scriptures
right here, in front of me.

Exodus 35: 1 and 2 is also quite clear. Moses was told by the
Lord that anybody who does any work on the Sabbath, shall be
put to death.

Now I really like my neighbour, top bloke, and I refuse to obey
your so called holy scriptures and put my neighbour to death.

If you really want to know a bit about the history of your
church, read a book called "The Sex Lives of the Popes"

Hehe, what a kinky bunch they were :)

But this is your so called divine truth, rather you then me lol.

Mr no exceptions, whether or not I care for the 9 year old is quite irrelevant. It just so happens I do. Perhaps not so much for her eternal salvation as you concern yourself with, but for the life and reality she has now. She finds herself in a despicable position. One no child should ever face.
The fact is she has faced this situation. And regardless of the circumstances the DLP would ensure that this girl continues the pregnancy, no exceptions. Thus I say to you that you give no indication of caring for this child.

I have nothing against abortion generally, I need not deny it. I trust the decision to abort is not taken lightly, but that is really up to the woman and her beliefs regarding when her fetus becomes a person.
The pro-life lobby really aren't all that persuasive in their arguments, they have to focus on changing laws and picketing abortion clinics rather than on persuading the woman she actually wants the baby. Perhaps thats something the DLP could work on.

The statistics are staggering.

According to the ABC radio online link,
and I quote:

"42 million abortions are performed around
the world each year... More than half are
medically unsafe, and around 68, 000 women
die annually. Some 220 thousand children
lose their mother this way..."

And some of us are questioning the validity
of our Government's Community Aid reversal
decision to lift the 12 year long ban - and
once again support the funding for abortion
services in countries like Vietnam, PNG, and
so on...?

The mind boggles ...

I was raised as a Catholic. I have two children -
and I firmly believe that just like divorce,
to have an abortion -would have to be one of
the most difficult decisions that anyone would
have to make. I could never judge anyone for that
decision.

And I certainly would never bring religion into it.
I do have a question ... this is to those against
abortion ... and my question is this:

If a mother accidentally miscarries, the 'fetus'
is not given a funeral, but is simply disposed of
as any other tissue.

Why do you suppose that is?