Religion is behind abortion laws

Peter Gennuso (Opinion page, Aug. 18) writes a rebuttal to a letter by Robie Johansen on Aug. 11, refuting her statement that "laws banning … abortions are impositions of specific religious beliefs on the general public." Mr. Gennuso goes on to ask, "Aren't all laws based on specific moral beliefs?"

The mistake he makes is to equate religious and moral beliefs. Not all religious beliefs have a moral component and not all moral beliefs are religious. Some religions do not consider abortion, at least in the first trimester when the vast majority of abortions take place, to be murder because they don't see the unborn as a full human being.

There are also people who do not believe in a deity. Does not believing in a specific religion make them devoid of moral beliefs?

Many people believe in the science that a fetus in the first trimester does not have a brain that is developed enough to think or feel pain. It is a potential human being, but not yet what can be considered a "child." Even some who do believe it is an "innocent unborn child" may, for personal or non-religious moral reasons, make the difficult choice to have an abortion.

Moral issues surrounding abortion are complicated. It is never an easy choice to make, but in certain circumstances, it may be the best choice. It is a personal decision, not for the public or the government to decide. Government legislating religion-based moral issues blurs the separation of church and state.

Katy Berman

Arlington Heights