Discuss abortion without religion

There is way too much religious acrimony these days surrounding the subject of abortion. It would seem that it should be able to be decided with only science, reason and logic. We are reasonable, caring people endowed with attendant intellect.

Presuming that; the following posit is offered to engender a reasoned debate on this most contentious issue and to solicit any counter posits.

The subject to be debated is "life"; examined objectively. It is fitting that we should have this debate on the recent 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Participation comes with some ground rules; just facts and logical reason please. No religion, no polemics, no invective, no name calling, no soft words open to interpretation like, sentient, viable, sustainable, etc. as they cannot be examined under a microscope. Let's just peel back the onion to its essence.

Posit: Cell division is evidence of life. Fetal cells divide. Fetal cells contain human DNA. Therefore a human fetus is human life. It proves a point without religion; just science, reason and logic. Any in this broad forum are invited to write in and disprove the above posit; i.e. "a human fetus is not human life" with a better scientific and reasoned posit.

Once a consensus is reached on the "life" postulate we can move on to the next logical question: Does an ordered and civilized society have an obligation to protect human life? If the posit is by consensus disproved then the next logical question would be: At what other levels of maturation is the extinguishment of this nonhuman life-form acceptable by an efficient society? When cells begin to divide less rapidly as in the more aged of the species Homo sapiens?

Thorny questions to be sure; but questions to be settled. We don't need Courts or Congress to do our thinking for us. Are we up to the task?

Dion F. Kendrick

Des Plaines