In the days and weeks ahead, perhaps we can all perform an examination of conscience and assume for a moment that those with whom we disagree were right about the central fact of abortion, that is, those who consider themselves pro-life should assume the unborn child does not yet have a soul, is not yet a human person, and those who consider themselves pro-choice should assume that the unborn fetus is a child, a human who is very small and vulnerable but a human being nonetheless.
If the church is wrong about the unborn child being a human being, all the things I think we need to do to combat abortion are still things we should be doing. Women should know that their careers are not going to be jeopardized or even side-lined because of a pregnancy. No woman should worry about being able to afford bringing a pregnancy to term. No woman should fear for her safety if the father of her unborn child becomes violent or threatens violence. The raising of children must become something that is as much the father's as the mother's responsibility. We should try and enact the legal and cultural changes to make these things happen no matter whether the unborn child is fully human or not.
But if the church is right, and the unborn child is a human being, what kind of moral reckoning will be demanded of our society?
In the days and weeks ahead, it is my fervent prayer that we can all try and be as sympathetic as possible with those who disagree with us about abortion, remember that they can be wonderful people and that there are plenty of jerks on our side of the divide. I fear that my prayer may be as vain as Shields' hope that our nation might find a workable compromise.
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