You've obviously put a lot of thought into this and I like the way you've set your argument out. I think you're on firmer ground here than it's possible for anyone to be in arguing for creationism <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

What you say is logical if full rights are granted to a fetus from conception. I think the black and white stance you take here oversimplifies matters though; you claim that someone either believes a fetus is a human life from the moment of conception, or it is not human until it is born. I did explain that I think this is a grey area and that I tend to lean personally toward six weeks, when the heart starts beating, but that this is an arbitrary line to draw.

Presumably you believe in a soul. When does the soul enter the body, do you think? Do those stem cells in petri dishes have souls? They seem to have the potential to develop into many different kinds of things, not just one full human body.

If I had become pregnant through incest, I would want that thing OUT of me and lawmakers be damned. If some people want to keep the baby from such circumstances it's their choice. But should they be robbed of that choice? Maybe it is a rare occurrence, but it needs to be considered if people are pushing for a blanket ban. As far as the rights of the unborn are concerned, what happens when after that person is born they learn about the circumstances? What if they find out that they are the product of incest and they were given up for adoption because they were not wanted? What if they have their parents to thank for any genetic diseases that are the result of the incest? Don't you think that person might be facing a few little psychological challenges?

There are no absolute rights or wrongs here, I don't think. It is the mark of an ethical society that these kinds of issues are discussed. It would be interesting to hear what others have to say here. I know what fundamentalists would say, I don't think there are any surprises in store, but maybe some others will contribute too.