And while we're at it, we kill civilians, if they get in the way, or if they have "strategic" jobs.

We also kill convicted criminals, and we're allowed to kill in self-defense, or the defense of others, even if no real threat exists, we just think there is. And we carry out policies that lead to people's deaths, We oppose safety regulations and procedures if they are too expensive to implement, even though deaths may result. We ration health care, either administratively or economically, and we practice triage, and we allow industries to continue operating that kill people, like mining. And we practice euthanasia, even if informally. And where do yo draw the line in the gun control debate? Using guns? Owning guns? Selling guns?

Even when we are not responsible directly, we indirectly allow this killing to go on because it is inconvenient for us to do anything about it, or we're too lazy or too cheap to stop it, like we buy products from countries that don't have safety regs in their mines and factories.
How many needless deaths occurred while we fought to make seat belts mandatory, before we came down hard on smoking cigarettes, before we outlawed lead in paint and gasoline, and asbestos in insulation. All of these measures were bitterly resisted for purely economic reasons. And I agree, maybe some of them should have, it is very hard to know where to draw the line between a handful of lives and millions of jobs, and between freedom and safety.

I'm not making excuses, I'm just as guilty as anyone else, but I'm just making the point that the whole situation is morally ambiguous. This is not an easy issue to grapple with.

As far as abortion is concerned, I don't think foetuses or embryos are people. I know this may sound monstrous to some, but I believe the human personality, the consciousness, the soul, if you like, is what makes us human. Foetuses are bundles of cells that have no soul. I believe we are not really human until we have a conscious memory, which occurs sometime after birth, even though I don't know exactly when.

To be safe, abortions in the first trimester should be totally legal and unrestricted. After that, I'm not sure, although I believe the life of the mother should take precedence over the life of the infant, at any age.

If your religion does not find abortion acceptable, fine. Don't have one. But don't feel that gives you the right to force your beliefs on anyone else.