Reply #220: Several reasons - First, I am generally pro-choice about everything

[slackmaster]

Second, I don't believe that terminating an early-stage pregnancy causes any suffering whatsoever. I don't believe that presence of a heartbeat or rudimentary nerve signals in any way establishes the existence of a conscious mind. I'm agnostic and am not convinced that such a thing as a soul exists. I suspect the concept is based on the way we have attempted to understand our own consiousness. No consciousness = no soul. (I can't prove that but nobody can disprove it.)

Third, a large majority of ELECTIVE abortions are performed in those early stages, so they are really no more of an issue to me than mole removal. Sounds kind of callous, but that's how I am sometimes.

Fourth, nearly all second trimester and late abortions are done for purely medical reasons, not selfish choices or capricious changes of mind. (And even if they are, that is really none of my business.)

Fifth, my mom and many other women have told me how things were in the pre-Roe days. My father and his brother were medical doctors. I have a first cousin who is a doctor now, another in medical school, and several other relatives involved in medicine. We have an extensive family memory of how things were handled, in particular in Kansas and California where elective abortions were illegal.

Finally, I believe that even if my religious beliefs are flat out wrong and that a hairy thunderer god will punish you for having an abortion, that's between you and the hairy thunderer god. It's not my job to try to enforce the will of an invisible being who is not very communicative.