Abortion's not a modern phenomenon. If you spend any serious time with colonial genealogy you will eventually conclude that most women gave birth every two years like clockwork. This occurred because the Puritan believed that "continence" should be practiced in an effort to preserve the health of the mother. When that failed, colonial women already overburdened would often resort to herbal contraceptives that would induce miscarriage, a practice acquired from the native american. The clergy was well aware this was occurring; it was debated on correspondence, but ultimately chose to remain silent on it. Still, child bearing was the leading cause of death prior to the advent of modern medicine. So it's not like Protestants aren't aware, they are.
The "parasite" argument fails in that if one were to ingest a virus that eventually matured to leave the body to subsist on its own, we would, nonetheless, identify and label this as an individual life form from the moment of inception.
I've known a lot of women, some that had abortions, others that considered abortions, many who debated abortion; none that wholly approve of it or warmly embrace it. Most "normal" women find the thought rather repugnant. And it hasn't been very popular with males, either. Suggesting that pro-choice occupies some ethical or moral high-ground is patently false; it simply does not bear the test of reality or life experience.
