Abortion: The Forbidden Word
  by Dr. Charlie Webb

Life is full of evolving taboos. In the time of my childhood it was considered impolite to speak openly about sex, politics, or religion. My children's teachers are now warned to avoid discussing the three red flags of masturbation, homosexuality, and abortion.

Nearly everyone now considers masturbation a normal and benign activity. Homosexuality is widely accepted by the younger generations, and so hostility and homophobia will naturally fade away .This leaves abortion as the most difficult challenge: is there a right answer such that we can stop fighting and move on? I think so.

The movie "Cider House Rules" is set in a 1940's Maine orphanage, where physician Michael Caine suspends judgment and gives mothers of unwanted pregnancies whichever they want : delivery and adoption, or a safe but highly illegal abortion. What are the options?

First, of course, is avoiding unwanted pregnancy. Two-thirds of all abortions could be avoided if we stopped our fairy tale "abstinence based" programs and instead emulated Sweden's realistic "have fun but play safe" programs. After all, nature's oldest trick is promoting reproductive behavior.

Secondly, women have historically chosen nonmedical options whenever medical options were illegal and unavailable. In the 1940's and 1950's large public hospitals filled entire wards with young women who were dying from nonsterile "back alley" septic abortions. No thinking or caring person would call this pro-life. This is not a viable option.

Thirdly, we could reflect that abortion is natural. Obstetricians now tell us that as many as one-third to one-half of all pregnancies abort spontaneously. Depending on one's viewpoint, either God or Nature is sorting out the pregnancies. Is this anti-life? Of course not. This is pro-life, since God/Nature is wisely selecting for survival those pregnancies with the best chance of survival. Should a mother not be allowed the same wisdom? Regardless of labels, we are all pro-life.

Choices are seldom simple. In 1940's Maine there was another woman who was lucky enough to be given the choice of a safe medical abortion or of death by her first pregnancy. She chose life through abortion. Three generations of surviving children are very grateful. We love you, Mom.

So what gulf still separates "pro-life" from "pro-choice" ? The answer is the religious concept of the soul. Yet none of us really knows if there is such a thing as soul, and if so, who has it.

For example, which of these has "soul": a sperm, a fertilized egg, a fish-stage embryo, a ten week human fetus, a newborn chimpanzee, a playful puppy, and/or a young calf selected to be your next veal cutlet? The reason we cannot always agree (even with ourselves) is because the only test we have is our emotional barometer, i.e. empathy.

My emotional barometer told me to stop eating warm-blooded animals. I freely admit this is purely subjective and personal and that there is no scientific evidence whatsoever for a "soul". All concepts of soul are personal, subjective, and basically religious. Mine is no better than yours, and vice versa. Which is why, in America, we have no choice but to allow each person to follow her own religious pathway.

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