Talking to an Anti-Abortionist

I have supported the right of a woman to choose abortion for as long as I can remember.

Because I believe that a woman has a right to manage her own body.

Period!

Last night, I had a lengthy conversation with an anti-abortionist.

Needless to say, it was frustrating for both of us, as we probed deeper into our values and the kind of world in which we want to live.

In a nutshell, my anti-abortionist relative believes that the inalienable right of the fetus to exist, along with the rights of the father, trumps the mother's interests in all regards.

In a nutshell, her womb doesn't belong to her, but to the fetus, and to the father, and likely to God.

My relative will gladly absolve women of all responsibility to insure a full-term pregnancy and delivery (we didn't get into rape and incest - though I think I know where that would go: pregnancy is the will of God and a blessing - he also thinks Akin is just a kindly kook who has as much right to be in Congress as anyone else).

He spoke of the 50 million abortions since 1973 (Roe v. Wade), observing, "Think how many presidents we've lost, and scientists and business leaders."

At that point, I pretty much lost my ability to think clearly, and I said, "We live in different worlds. I don't want to live in your world, and you don't want to live in mine." He nodded his head and sighed sadly. End of conversation.

The ideological divide is deep.

I'm not sure there are any bridges left.