What I learned trying to classify abortion access across the rich world
When I think about why this is a political wedge issue, I think about how righteous people feel about their chosen point of view. I think about how that feeling of righteousness can drive people to vote and donate money.<p>I don&#x27;t think that people are wrong to feel this sense of righteousness, but I do find it disgusting when politicians cynically exploit it.<p>I was raised in a Christian faith that condemns abortion as one of the most serious sins. I understand that point of view. I still feel it to some extent. What I no longer have is the feeling of certainty that personhood begins at conception. Even saying that &quot;life&quot; begins at conception is tenuous. Gametes (sperm and egg cells) are &quot;alive&quot; in that they carry out the same cellular functions that other living cells carry out. Is a zygote more alive than the gametes that came together to form it? If your faith leads you to believe that a zygote is a person, I won&#x27;t tell you that you are wrong. I would ask that you consider if another person&#x27;s sincerely held beliefs may be valid when they contradict this point of view.