The letter claiming that the immorality of killing includes abortion provides an excellent example of using a religious argument to justify a particular public policy. (“Readers respond: Immorality of killing includes abortion,” Dec. 18).

This argument is based on a religious belief that life starts at conception, but does it really? The sperm and egg that have combined to form an embryo were themselves alive. What has happened is a pregnancy. One of many that are possible in a woman’s lifetime. In the real world, life starts when a woman decides to raise a child, starting with nurturing the pregnancy, bringing it to a successful birth and making a lifelong commitment to that child’s wellbeing.

The real issue is whether a public policy that requires every human pregnancy be forced to be carried to birth leads to better or worse outcomes for most people. Such a policy may make supporters feel good, but it generates nothing but harms for the women impacted, as well documented in terms of mothers whose lives have been lost or harmed due to restricting abortions. All the data shows that legal abortion allows women to raise children who are better adjusted and productive members of society.

We live in a time of multiple growing crises. Global warming and its resulting climate disruptions, species going extinct, ecological collapse, social inequality, injustice and instability, a pandemic, growing authoritarianism and the specter of nuclear war. Ensuring women have the right to choose when and how many children to have is fundamental to also solving these problems.

Pat DeLaquil, Gresham

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.