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So, I saw this come up on Pharygula, and felt compelled to become involved...

http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 37&start=0

I start in here:

http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 08#p758308

Seth (the pro-life guy who really does fit the misogynist men are the oppressed ones stereotype) defends himself here:

http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 21#p759021

and I unleash verbose hell in response here:

http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 07#p759707

What I am looking for, are ways to shore up my arguments, so any weak points would be appreciated. Additionally, I am not permitted to attack him personally. Not directly. However, if someone has better ways than I have thought up to do so indirectly (through insulting his intelligence, something I have mastered, but it is a good example) that would be fantastic.

How do you evaluate what their cognitive abilities are before they leave the womb? A baby does display SOME cognitive ability, but a monitor lizard or octopus displays more. What makes the baby worthy of more careful ethical consideration than these animals? A savannah monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) can count up to six. A human child cannot do this for at least a couple years.

Despite the risk of getting accused of trivializing the matter of killing babies, that's an interesting question. It feels fair to take this into consideration in cases of mothers suffering under severe postpartum depression and disposing their young (seems like some countries do), but is generally accepted that a father that does this is worse than Hitler, let alone someone going postal in an infant nursery. Looks like there is some misandry in that though.