You all know how I would vote. So lets see how many like me are out there.

To Quote Daffodil "Think about it. I don't." This is about the only thing that you have said that I can agree with.

By the way your words tell me that you are a stained, evil and hatefull person. I am sure that you are not really that bad but this is how you apear to the average person. If I was asked to work for the Pro Life movement I would recomend they allow you to present your view to a national audience. Your'e rhetric is what ensures that people like me who are conflicted about the abortion issue stay firmly in the Pro Choice camp. Keep up the good work you are a credit to your team.

You sound like a nice person, but this "I won't belittle people because of their choices" stuff is wrong. Would you say the same to a murderer, a rapist, a car thief? Of course you wouldn't ! YOU would condemn their actions!

There is a HUGE difference between belittling someone and disagreeing with them. I would caution you to remember that the Bible says to love the sinner, hate the sin. Your response is the very reason that Christians are viewed as intolerant hypocrites. I am a Christian but I don't think I could call myself a Christian if I didn't practice was Christ preached which is love.

Murder, rape and theft as you talked about are all things that I don't agree with, they are wrong and also illegal. People who commit these crimes should be held responsible for their actions. I choose to be pro life however, abortion is not illegal. Even though I don't agree with having an abortion, it is not my place to condemn someone if they choose to have one; I am called to love them. It may seem odd to you that someone who is a pro life Christian could feel this way but I challenge you to examine Matthew 7:1-5 closely before you go around condemning others.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

Actually, I have never met anyone who terminated a pregnancy for the sake of convenience, and I met many women when I was doing social work who had had abortions. Unless, of course, you consider "convenience" to include: no support system, no job/money, no place to live, etc.

On the other hand, I would like to say that my oldest son is adopted and his birth mother was married, but not to his father. Her husband was in Vietnam when she got pregnant with Tommy. Abortion was illegal at the time, or she would most certainly have killed my child before he became my child. Knowing that just makes my blood run cold. And it makes me glad that abortion was not an option for her, as selfish as that may sound.

Carlene,' Yes, convenience encompasses no money/job, no support system, no place to live. In this day and age there are all kinds of safety nets....medicaid, Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), food banks, shelters, rent assistance, cash assistance, etc. True, I would love to see more organizations as Birthright, Catholic family Charities...in our culture of abortion on demand, for any reason, it is unfashionable to openly support these groups. But think back to 150 years ago....it was DANGEROUS in the South to preach anti-slavery sentiment--imagine !! Contrast that with our current law which criminalizes it. Just because the current popular opinion is that abortion is acceptable in no way means that will be the thinking in the future.

Your wonderful story about your wonderful Tommy illustrates the reason why abortion should be illegal. It is too fast, too easy a choice, and so devastatingly permanent. Plus the part that pro-abortion folks hate to hear...it interrupts what would otherwise be a living, breathing human person. Undeniable fact.

There is a HUGE difference between belittling someone and disagreeing with them. I would caution you to remember that the Bible says to love the sinner, hate the sin. Your response is the very reason that Christians are viewed as intolerant hypocrites. I am a Christian but I don't think I could call myself a Christian if I didn't practice was Christ preached which is love.

Murder, rape and theft as you talked about are all things that I don't agree with, they are wrong and also illegal. People who commit these crimes should be held responsible for their actions. I choose to be pro life however, abortion is not illegal. Even though I don't agree with having an abortion, it is not my place to condemn someone if they choose to have one; I am called to love them. It may seem odd to you that someone who is a pro life Christian could feel this way but I challenge you to examine Matthew 7:1-5 closely before you go around condemning others.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

There is a HUGE difference between belittling someone and disagreeing with them. I would caution you to remember that the Bible says to love the sinner, hate the sin. Your response is the very reason that Christians are viewed as intolerant hypocrites. I am a Christian but I don't think I could call myself a Christian if I didn't practice was Christ preached which is love.

Murder, rape and theft as you talked about are all things that I don't agree with, they are wrong and also illegal. People who commit these crimes should be held responsible for their actions. I choose to be pro life however, abortion is not illegal. Even though I don't agree with having an abortion, it is not my place to condemn someone if they choose to have one; I am called to love them. It may seem odd to you that someone who is a pro life Christian could feel this way but I challenge you to examine Matthew 7:1-5 closely before you go around condemning others.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

We MUST judge and condemn criminal, illegal, immoral behavior. Can we love the sinner? Yes. But we must also condemn her for her immoral actions. Those are two different ideas. Otherise we would judge no one, there would be no laws, no prosecutions, no punishment for wrongdoing and lawlessless would be the law of the land.

To Quote Daffodil "Think about it. I don't." This is about the only thing that you have said that I can agree with.

By the way your words tell me that you are a stained, evil and hatefull person. I am sure that you are not really that bad but this is how you apear to the average person. If I was asked to work for the Pro Life movement I would recomend they allow you to present your view to a national audience. Your'e rhetric is what ensures that people like me who are conflicted about the abortion issue stay firmly in the Pro Choice camp. Keep up the good work you are a credit to your team.

I hold little hope for you anyways. How someone can be on the fence about this issue bewilders me. You hate my words...OK. I hate the act of abortion. Are words and abortion morally equivalent? I don't think so. Slaveholders once hated the rhetoric of emancipation advocates. Ant-Nazi sentiment had you arrested and jailed, or terminated. The Taliban hates the rhetoric of democracy. I can live with you hating my words. It must be difficult to hear that abortion stops a beating heart. It really DOES stop a beating heart. I didn't make that up. You hate my words more than you hate the act of stopping a developing human's heart. Hmmm. My sympathy.

What you went through was horrible. But, what if you were pregnant, and felt you just couldn't carry that baby because it was a reminder of a terrible thing in your life, that you didn't ask for. Would you want to be legally required to?

To be very honest with you, I had to give this a lot of thought before I responded. I would hope that I would be able to view the child as a part of me and a blessing despite the horrible act that brought he/she to me. I feel that I am fairly credible to speak on this subject because I was raped but because I didn't get pregnant, I really don't know how I would view it and I won't sit here and tell someone else how they should feel. Nothing irritates me more than someone who has never been in my situtation telling me how I should feel and so I won't do that to them.

I know that my opinion is not popular but it is how I feel. I think that I and several others here will have to agree to disagree on this fact because we all have different views as to when life starts. It has been debated several times and you will not change my views, nor I yours. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions whether they are the same as mine or not. I believe that life begins at conception.

I hold little hope for you anyways. How someone can be on the fence about this issue bewilders me. You hate my words...OK. I hate the act of abortion. Are words and abortion morally equivalent? I don't think so. Slaveholders once hated the rhetoric of emancipation advocates. Ant-Nazi sentiment had you arrested and jailed, or terminated. The Taliban hates the rhetoric of democracy. I can live with you hating my words. It must be difficult to hear that abortion stops a beating heart. It really DOES stop a beating heart. I didn't make that up. You hate my words more than you hate the act of stopping a developing human's heart. Hmmm. My sympathy.

Regardless of what you think of TommyO you should consider his point that your abrasive style is not going to win you any converts. If your goal is to "save babies," you might want to give that some thought. The more you, and people like you, continue to speak, the fewer people will join the pro-life movement. I'm not saying you are an evil person (notwithstanding that you think I am). I'm just saying your style needs some work. You are not doing your cause any favors by lashing out viciously toward all who deviate in the slightest from your "one true way." Even pro-life people are trying to tell you that.

I'm just saying your style needs some work. You are not doing your cause any favors by lashing out viciously toward all who deviate in the slightest from your "one true way." Even pro-life people are trying to tell you that.

Well said Mark!

Well...I don't really know what to say. I know it is a rhetorical question, and I am very glad to see you say you would be compassionate to someone if they had an abortion in a rape situation. I too agree that lack of compassion is in order for those who abuse this procedure as a means of birth control. However, I find it so difficult to believe that any woman could even fathom carrying the product of a brutal rape. I know it has happened before, but it just blows my mind...that is why I am so thankful that we have legalized abortions. I would hate to know that someone I loved, who had been impregnated by a rape (or worse, incest), would have to carry the infant to term and be reminded on a daily basis for the REST of her life, of the brutality. Makes me shudder to think about it...makes me awfully sad to know that there have been those who have endured this...makes me wonder what happened to the children. If the woman opted to keep the child, wouldn't she at some point have to tell? Gosh...what a horrible thought.

That being said, your answer seems a little "Polly-Annaish" if you will, to me. Yes, in a perfect world, there should not be abortion. But in our world, how many times have unwanted pregnancies resulted in sheer tragedy and heartache? I worked at Texas Children's Hospital years ago and I saw my fair share of horrific abuse to children. No, I'm not saying that all unwanted or unplanned children or abused, but some are.

It is the individual that sanctifies the idea of "life" ...cancer cells are "living", but you don't see anyone trying to "save the cancer". Look, all I am trying to say is IMO, abortion SHOULD be legal. IMO, NO ONE, has a right to tell a woman that she HAS to carry a pregnancy to term...NO ONE...(and fyi, I have never been raped or had an abortion)

Peace Out!

T~:hippie:

Very sad :(this part of your quote. I was raped and the thought of having an abortion would not have been an option. The baby is not at fault so why take his/her life. No, instead the fault anger and wrath should have been brought down on my attacker! I would have chosen life for my baby because I believe a life any life regardless of how he/she was conceived is worth something. I dont get to decide to take a life. That would make worse than the man who raped me!

Your response is humourous at best, You hold little hope for me!!, what does that mean?. The most humourous apsect of your position is that when you speak of slavery and nazi rhetoric I can't help but think that if we were living in earlier times it would be you defending those institutions. History tells us that the people who apposed the Nazis and slavery tended to be Liberal thinkers. As a matter of fact Hitler and slave owners used the bible to defend their position, you would have likely been calling the folks on the Anti-Slavery side evil doers. Just my opinion but I bet I'm not alone.

Well...I don't really know what to say. I know it is a rhetorical question, and I am very glad to see you say you would be compassionate to someone if they had an abortion in a rape situation. I too agree that lack of compassion is in order for those who abuse this procedure as a means of birth control. However, I find it so difficult to believe that any woman could even fathom carrying the product of a brutal rape. I know it has happened before, but it just blows my mind...that is why I am so thankful that we have legalized abortions. I would hate to know that someone I loved, who had been impregnated by a rape (or worse, incest), would have to carry the infant to term and be reminded on a daily basis for the REST of her life, of the brutality. Makes me shudder to think about it...makes me awfully sad to know that there have been those who have endured this...makes me wonder what happened to the children. If the woman opted to keep the child, wouldn't she at some point have to tell? Gosh...what a horrible thought.

That being said, your answer seems a little "Polly-Annaish" if you will, to me. Yes, in a perfect world, there should not be abortion. But in our world, how many times have unwanted pregnancies resulted in sheer tragedy and heartache? I worked at Texas Children's Hospital years ago and I saw my fair share of horrific abuse to children. No, I'm not saying that all unwanted or unplanned children or abused, but some are.

It is the individual that sanctifies the idea of "life" ...cancer cells are "living", but you don't see anyone trying to "save the cancer". Look, all I am trying to say is IMO, abortion SHOULD be legal. IMO, NO ONE, has a right to tell a woman that she HAS to carry a pregnancy to term...NO ONE...(and fyi, I have never been raped or had an abortion)

Peace Out!

T~:hippie:

Very sad :(this part of your quote. I was raped and the thought of having an abortion would not have been an option. The baby is not at fault so why take his/her life. No, instead the fault anger and wrath should have been brought down on my attacker! I would have chosen life for my baby because I believe a life any life regardless of how he/she was conceived is worth something. I dont get to decide to take a life. That would make worse than the man who raped me!

I know that my opinion is not popular but it is how I feel. I think that I and several others here will have to agree to disagree on this fact because we all have different views as to when life starts. It has been debated several times and you will not change my views, nor I yours. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions whether they are the same as mine or not. I believe that life begins at conception.

Neicyrenee, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your cool-headed approach to this. You are completely respectful of other people and their opinions, and it truly is refreshing.

Like other people have said, honey draws more flies than vinegar. Your approach to this is much more likely to draw converts than some of the other styles in evidence. People aren't attracted to the ideas of people who call them murderers. That's a cold, hard fact.

You have respect for our position, and I can honestly say that I respect your position also, if for no other reason than the fact that you are polite and respectful of the people around you (and not calling them murderers or saying that their opinion is a "stain on them").

To be very honest with you, I had to give this a lot of thought before I responded. I would hope that I would be able to view the child as a part of me and a blessing despite the horrible act that brought he/she to me. I feel that I am fairly credible to speak on this subject because I was raped but because I didn't get pregnant, I really don't know how I would view it and I won't sit here and tell someone else how they should feel. Nothing irritates me more than someone who has never been in my situtation telling me how I should feel and so I won't do that to them.

I know that my opinion is not popular but it is how I feel. I think that I and several others here will have to agree to disagree on this fact because we all have different views as to when life starts. It has been debated several times and you will not change my views, nor I yours. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions whether they are the same as mine or not. I believe that life begins at conception.

Very nicely said, and fair enough.

I agree, we all do have different views, usually strongly held and no, we aren't going to change each other's minds. I do find that I learn alot from posters like yourself about why you believe as you do, because you are calm in stating what your stance. That's cool.

Wow. I had to marinade in this for a few minutes to make sure I was reading it correctly.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. What gets me is when people speak out so hatefully against someone who made a decision that is perfectly legal in our country. How is trying to make someone feel bad about their decision going to do any good? Those people who are getting abortions as their form of birth control are just going to laugh it off and those struggling with the decision they had to make are just going to feel worse. Is that your goal? To make someone feel bad about themselves and their decisions? Is it supposed to deter them from having another abortion? Chances are if they were struggling with making the decision before they will do everything in their power to keep it from happening again (as in the case of my friend who became pregnant on her IUD, I swear I have never seen someone triple up the protection like her). All you are doing is casting judgement and further fueling the fire of those people here who find Christians to be intolerant bigots.

Let's turn back the clock to about 150 years ago. Debate about slavery. A pro-slavery advocate uses your words: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. What gets me is when people speak out so hatefully against someone who made a decision that is perfectly legal in our country".

Now, 1955. Issue: Government sanctioned segregation. A segregationist using your words: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. What gets me is when people speak out so hatefully against someone who made a decision that is perfectly legal in our country".

Thank goodness for people who speak out against a perfectly-legal act.