How can this be justified beyond religious belief?
I've never bought the religious argument behind the pro-life stance. It's been a while, but once upon a time I was a fundamentalist Christian myself and having read the Bible many times cover to cover, I can assure you that nowhere in the entire thing is abortion specifically mentioned, nor the moment when life begins. I've read the Qur'an and the Torah, too. The documents were written before our understanding of the human reproductive process had progressed to a point where abortion existed as we understand it today. While religious leaders preach about abortion, they're not preaching from their holy books.
In short, this is simply political football, something meant to be tossed back and fourth with no resolution in order to distract from real issues. Roe v. Wade is settled and will almost certainly never be overturned as it's a fundamental privacy issue. It's similar to gay marriage in that it's been politically tied to religion in the country, but like the pro-war or low-tax movement, even with their strong ties to the church there's no real rooting in scripture.
If this law passes, will this set a precedent for other states?
Possibly, though I doubt this will pass without being immediately challenged by civil rights organizations like the ACLU. As an aside, if this legislation pisses you off and you're wondering what you can do about it, donate to the ACLU.
Is this a major salvo in the fight over abortion?
This seems more like the crazy guy in the back of the room.
What do you make of this?
I think we should invade South Dakota and install a secular democracy there.
