Abortion and truth

Mark Azzopardi (Brain Birth, March 15) seems to be having a difficult time coming to terms with the fundamental issues of this debate. It is hard to imagine spelling them out any more thoroughly without repeating what has already been written, but it appears that three basic points, at least, need to be re-addressed, perhaps more simply.

First, the unborn child, from conception to birth, is both living and human, i.e. a living human being. The jury is in on this one. No-one, anywhere (with the exception of Dr Azzopardi) questions this any longer. Abortionists, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, did their best to confuse this issue. They failed. The debate ended and everyone went home, a long time ago.

Next, a human being is a person. Personhood, however, is not a scientific concept. It is a social one. There is no universally-valid scientific description that can be attached to it. The attempt to do so is a perfect example of abortionist sophistry. Sophistry and deceit, of course, are the cornerstones of abortionist thinking. The fact that Dr Azzopardi prefers the logic of one particular pseudo-scientific statement to the many others out there is not relevant to the truth of it.

Finally, there exists no such thing, anywhere, as a right to abortion. This is a false claim. Quite naturally, it has been freely propagated by abortionists the world over. Nonetheless, it remains no more than wishful thinking on their part.

Whither now?