Doug - I suppose going further into the topic of abortion leads us away from the main topic of this thread, but I think I need to clarify something. I said that few Catholic clergy would condemn me for my moderate views on abortion - but I don't think many would agree with me. There's a big difference.
Even though they may oppose abortion, I think that many Catholic clergy do not feel compelled to condemn a woman who has had an abortion. Many see it as an opportunity for healing and reconciliation, not condemnation (although I'm sure there are also hundreds of instances of priests pointing a finger of condemnation - I don't tend to respect that sort of priest).

As for the less-desirable "alternatives" to abortion I was talking about, I'd include unsafe and illegal abortion, and giving birth to an unwanted child in a situation where adoption is not likely. I have a close friend who had two abortions many years ago, before she was married, because she did not think it was a good time in her life to raise a child and because she was in a relationship with a partner who was not interested in supporting her during a pregnancy. I have to say I feel regret about her abortions. Did she make a morally correct decision? I dunno, but I do wish the abortions hadn't happened. Still, I think the decision was hers to make. My job is to be her friend, not to condemn her for something that happened long ago.

As for fundamentalists and all that, I think we all tend to categorize people and to miss the nuances that make them individuals. You know, I think you could say that most of the bad conduct people attribute to stereotypical fundamentalist preachers, could also describe the conduct of Martin Luther King. I think King was a saint, despite his faults.

-Joe Offer-