Contraception and abortion

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 16

Contraception and abortion

Sir, —In answer to D.W.O. Jones’s letter (“The Press,” May 25) concerning Exodus 21:22 which reads: "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that the fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow; he shall surely be punished according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him, and he shall pay as the judges . determine.” Mr Jones maintains that this shows that it is not a life as the offender does not have to pay with his life. First, this is not deliberate abortion, but manslaughter; second and most important, Scripture does not say if men strive, and hurt a woman with a foetus, but “with child”. Mr Jones did not see the forest for the trees. I would refer him to Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee . . . ” — Yours, etc., RAY COMFORT. JUN. May 25, 1977.

Sir, — There is an illogicality in the definition of abortion proposed by the Royal Commission. The commission states that “while life begins at conception, external proof of pregnancy dates only from implantation,” and that "pregnancy is the state at which abortion is directed." The commission allows and supports devices which destroy life between conception and implantation, such as the intrauterine device and the “morning-after pill,” but termination of life after implantation is rejected. The commission arbitrarily divides a continuous process of development which starts at conception and of which implantation is only one of many important events, and uses this faulty logic as a basis for moral judgments. It is terrible that such an inconsistency is a foundation for this important document and I suggest that the public needs to express its wants directly through a referendum and not an undemocratic commission. — Yours, V ” T. J. COOKSON. May 23, 1977.

Sir, —It has been said that the vocal minority wins by default because the majority stays silent My plea is that the vast majority stir them-

selves and let this country know how they feel about abortion. We have heard much against the Royal Commission’s report, but main!}’ from radicals. Why let them be the only vocal group heard? Thank God for this commission. Its timely voice, its strength, and its courage to stand for what it thinks right is appreciated in a day when wrong would appear easier and more popular. Human lives are at stake. If humans have no regard for life before birth, the next step is no regard for life before death. Leave this defenceless being alone. Stop acting like little children, unable to shoulder the responsibility of adulthood. — Yours, (Mrs) J. STEELE. May 24, 1977. [This correspondence is now closed.—Editor]