>There is never a reason for abortion, unless the mother's life is threatened. A baby produced by rape, could be given up for adoption.

John - if you're game, let's explore and see how much common ground we can find. Already, we agree that abortion should be permitted if the mother's life is endangered by the pregnancy.

Here are a few more scenarios. I'm aware that all of these are rare. What I'm trying to do is establish where we agree and where we disagree.

1) What if the child has no chance at a normal life, or even surviving much past birth? Here, I'm thinking of really severe impairments, like ancephaly.

2) What if the child will survive birth, but not beyond early childhood? Something like Tay-Sachs, where victims die by age 5.

3) What if the mother will survive pregnancy, but only at great damage to her health. For example, a mother with a disease that needs to be treated, but can't be treated while she's pregnant.

4) What if carrying the pregnancy to term means the mother will lose the ability to bear future children?

You mentioned rape, so let's go down that path:

5) What if the mother is a child impregnated by her father, so you have not only the issue of rape and child abuse, but increased genetic risks?

6) What if the mother is child, 10 or 11 or 12?

That's enough to start.

Tamar