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>>But choosing life is a cause for joy, not grief, Kevin and those religious agencies, with all their faults, help people choose life.
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>Bill, I understand where you are coming from.
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>I do not like the idea of abortion - didn't like it before I became a parent and certainly didn't like it afterwards. On a personal level I only agree with it in cases of rape, incest, health of mother, etc. Those are my personal beliefs. (I probably sound like Joe Biden). But I also believe that in the first 20 weeks (which is the point before viability comes in), a woman has the right to end a pregnancy. I don't like it, but the alternative is worse.
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>(Truth of the matter, about 88% of abortions occur in the first trimester). After 20 weeks, I only believe it should be allowed for special circumstances (such as danger to the mother).
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>My wife gave birth in a hospital called "Holy Spirit" and they follow strict Catholic teachings. She had to stay there for 3 days afterwards, and the nurses took VERY good care of her, and brought in a small cot into the room so that I could sleep there every night. I wrote a letter to the hospital administrators afterwards and thanked them for the great care they gave my wife and new daughter, because the experience was frightening at times.
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>So I understand and realize that religious institutions bring food, care, sustenance to many people in the world. They do great things for human beings.
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>Having said that, you know as well as I do that sometimes, that help comes with strings attached. And when you have strings attached, you have some who don't want to abide by the dogma.....and that's where the problems come in.
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>I have some childhood friends I still keep in contact with, who are devout Catholics. I'm not anti-Catholic, but I'm certainly anti-Catholicism when they have pushed the concept as late as 2010 that condoms are morally wrong. I'm sure you taught your kids growing up that 10 "atta-boys" can be drowned by one "oh-sh**". Well, moral stances for the sake of moral stances that lead to death is a really good example of that formula.
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This doesn't alter your argument but 20 weeks is not considered the point of viability. Roe v. Wade established the point as 28 weeks. Subsequent estimates have gone as low as 24 weeks. A fetus born before 23 weeks has little chance of survival.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_viability

I am speaking only to the specific detail. I am not going near the general topic of abortion, the great tar baby of modern issues. Personally I don't understand why people take the time to debate it. Does anyone ever change their mind?