Neerav Shah ("Biology doesn't solve abortion debate clearly," Jan. 26) relates the killing of a baby in the womb to that of a woman going through her menstrual cycle, which is absurd.

The single event that initiates life is the fusing of a sperm and egg. Every time an egg and sperm are united, a life is produced. This has been demonstrated in nature for millions of years. The only way to prevent the baby from developing into a fully functioning member of society is to take away his or her life.

Shah misses the point. Shah makes the same argument, but does not begin to approach the real question in the abortion debate: What is more important, the "rights" of the mother, or the life of the child? The controversy of rights versus life is a recurring theme in world history and needs to be addressed.

When someone is considering what position to take in the abortion debate, it is important to consider if somebody's "rights" are more important than somebody's life.