Sir, - It seems to me that there are two valid and ethical schools of thought regarding the thorny abortion dilemma. The first is founded on the ancient Jewish belief that man is made in the image of God (though clearly a poor likeness!) and therefore is sacred.
From this it follows that every potential human being, every newly fertilised ovum, whether implanted or not, must be saved, now and for as long as there is life on this planet. God, war, pestilence and famine will deal with the result - it's sad about all the suffering.
The second concept is that God's wondrous creation as a whole is sacred and that it is man's bounden duty, as part of, and the pinnacle of creation, to protect, sustain and regulate it to the best of his ability.
But sadly, mankind is the cheapest, most destructive, exploitative and pollutant form of life on earth, so many thoughtful and responsible people have become pro-life (of all kinds) instead of Pro-Life.
I suggest people have moved mentally from swallowing whole the sweet simple certainties of Genesis to contemplating the orphanages of Romania, abandoned children in Mexico, families living on the stinking town dumps of Jakarta, and dangerous mass migration. Then they contemplate the plight of despairing women and raped girls of 14.
Bad law makes hard cases. A referendum that ignores this new awareness is a futile waste of time. Or are fertilised Irish ova more valuable than. . ?- Yours, etc.,
HELEN SKRINE,
Butlerstown,
Kilinick,
Co. Wexford.