I agree Joe, that it would be desirable to minimise the number of abortions. There is of course a lot of discussion to be had about what 'minimise' means in this context, but that kind of grey area was really what I was trying to start the 'mutual respect' discussion for in the first place.

IO think that those opposed to abortion would be better trying to reduce the reasons why people want abortions- and the Catholic Church in particular does itself few favours in this respect by opposing contraception too. Why do people have abortions:

Poverty - they believe that they can't support more children, or the upbringing of their existing children would be compromised.

Ignorance- they don't know how to avoid becoming pregnant which is often connected with-

Stigma (this was probably the main reason up to the 70s at least)- they will be socially disadvantaged in their community if they have the child.

Health: they (and their doctors) believe that they could be seriously damaged by continuing pregnancy.

Abuse: they have conceived unwillingly, and believe that to carry the foetus to term would emphasise the power of the abuser over them.

Change of circumstances: a rational decision to have a child has been overthrown by, say, loss of a partner whose support was integral to that decision.

Career: their future prospects of earnings or fulfilment would be destroyed or severely limited by the responsibility for a child.

Human wickedness: the devil has tempted them to commit the sin of murder.

Add your own reasons here....

I'm not saying that all these considerations are of equivalent weight or worth, but if you REALLY want to reduce abortions, rather than merely have the pleasure of denouncing those stupid, unfortunate, ambitious, ill or wicked women who have them, the best strategy would be to take measures that would limit the force of these reasons. Unfortunately, too many take fundamentalist lines on not just this issue, but many others. They want their cake and eat it- although pverty causes abortions, they resist welfare programs. They oppose contaceptive advice. They oppose active career support that would allow children to be supported by single working mothers. Et cetera.

Talking of mutual respect, my cousin is a Catholic priest. When my mother was dying, she asked him (she was a lifelong Catholic) what was the current Church belief about euthanasia. His reply was to the effect that they were agin it, but that any priest worth his communion wine would tactfully look the other way. We were both grateful that the palliative care given ensured that it never came to the point.