About the Abortion Debate

Since spirit is that which makes alive, the value of life is a spirit-related issue.

Some believe life is inherently valuable. They often base their belief on a religious doctrine that life is of divine origin. In other words, their belief is based on something they heard from someone else, perhaps someone in a position of authority over them.

My faith is not based on what I heard from someone else. It's based on what I myself see and experience. 

In my view, life, regardless of its form, is valued on the basis of our relationships. For example, the lives of mosquitos and fleas are not valuable to me. They bite me. I have no use for them. When I have an opportunity to kill them I take it. 

The lives of many plants are valuable to me because they are both food and medicine for me. They help me sustain my life. They also enrich my life with beauty and wisdom. Not only have I enjoyed many flowers and trees, I have also learned important lessons from how they live. The same is true of many animals. They are valuable to me.

The lives of my family and friends are valuable to me because of my love and affection for them. I also benefit from them. I owe my life to my parents and ancestors before them. I owe my life to everything that sustains it. 

I love my wife, children, and grandchildren. Their lives matter to me. My spirit lives on in my children and grandchildren. 

I value the lives of my friends. Each one of my friends enrich my life each in their own way. Our lives are mutually beneficial.

When I am blatantly honest with myself, the life of someone with whom I have no relationship has little value to me. For example, an unborn child in the womb of a woman on the other side of the planet who I do not know is not valuable to me. 

I know this sounds cold, narrow-minded, and unenlightened to many. Maybe it is. I'm being honest here. I'm coming from my heart and experience, not a belief I borrowed from someone else. Changing my mind as I learn is an option as always hold on to.

I have no relationship with  the mother or child. Since I am completely unaware of her, it does not matter to me if the woman aborts or gives birth to her child. I will never know either way. 

Alternatively, if I was able and interested in exercising power and control over as many as possible, I might "value" every human life that I could manipulate to my purposes. I might declare the inherent value of all human life, claim divine authority for my declaration, claim moral superiority, establish laws to restrict life options for women, restrict birth control, ban abortions, and force all pregnant women to give birth. I might also do all I could to make sure the children were raised according to my values. I might require them to pray to my god, hear my sacred writings, and follow my god's rules. 

Why?

Because I believe that human life is from the one true god, my god, and therefore inherently valuable.

Some call this kind of inherent valuing of human life loving. 

I call it tyranny.