Why does each human being have to rediscover the human condition for himself? The things about us that make us tick? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Where did we come from? Where are we going?

Why can’t we just be told the answer? It’s something I’ve thought about off and on over the last year.

Several weeks ago, Andrew, a good friend of mine, posted an update on Facebook in which he enthusiastically explained some theological insight he thought he had come across about the Christmas Star…

NoH8 posted their latest PSA this week (embedded over the fold), and it had two effects on me. First I thought, Wow, that’s a good PSA. It gets their point across, does it in a compelling way, and summarizes the best argument I’ve heard for state-licensed same-sex marriage. The second thought that ran through my mind was… That’s the best argument I’ve heard for state-licensed same sex marriage. Even David Boies, the attorney for the plaintiffs in the Proposition 8 case in California used it as his main argument… and that’s it?

In order to understand the questions I’m about to pose, one must first understand the pro-life position. Even if you don’t agree with it, you should at least understand it.

The pro-life argument is simple. It based on two premises.

1. Everything conceived from a human sperm and human egg is a human being and belongs to the human family. This fact is attested to by numerous pro-life and pro abortion-choice advocates as well as nearly all embryologists.

2. All humans are equally and inherently valuable in virtue of their humanness–because our humanness is the only thing we all have in common. This is the moral conviction most of us have that says that racism and sexism are wrong.

Therefore, embryos and fetuses are as equally and inherently valuable as any other human being and may not be killed just because they are in the way.

That is the argument in a nutshell.