I will never understand why a person would or could cede their own moral and ethical judgement to another...person, institution, authority figure. At the age of 8 my personal hero was Galileo, and when I read about the steps that the Catholic Church took to crush his findings and his freedom I was done with organized religion. To be fair, I was pretty much done with it already;)

I already knew at that age that the preacher on Sunday was putting on an act, the ring of personal doubt in his voice as he related supposed truths and certainties was unmistakable.

That said I can see the good that is possible through "communities of faith". As humans we are hardwired through long evolution to bond with a group over the true myths that preserve and transmit the features of our culture, whether that culture is a hunter/gatherer band or a herding group or even a "civilized" settled agricultural society.

My calculation on abortion is simple. A woman's need or desire for an abortion can be strong enough to cause her to break any law and to risk causing herself potentially deadly harm. If we have the ability to provide her another option, one that does not require her to break the law or risk that harm, then we have the moral imperative to do so.

My take on birth control is more strident. If there is such a thing as sin in the world then requiring a woman to forego birth control is the gravest of sins. Not only will she have the life long responsibility as a mother, but she quite possibly will have to deprive her existing children of critical resources to care for an additional child. Adding to those personal harms is the harm her extra children will do to the planet. Presently humans are a deadly plague on the world, though we don't have to be one. Unless and until we can fit our existence in with ALL the other equally important creatures in Earth we have the moral and ethical responsibility to limit our numbers. Thanks for the discussion;)