Mailbag pretty evenly split on this (as, to judge from polls, is the country

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149433,00.html ). Strong feelings on

both sides: I am either (a) an accomplice to murder, or (b) a lone voice of

sanity on NRO. (Though most emailers are thoughtful and reasonable, I

hasten to say.)

The emails I really cherish are the nutty ones. This one, for instance:

“Mr. Derbyshire—The reason you may not be receiving a lot of emails from

prolife people on the issue of Terri Schiavo is perhaps because of the

position you have taken on evolution. Those of us who are non-evolutionists

do not believe that an evolutionist such as yourself can come to a prolife

position in cases such as these, based on your worldview. Therefore, it’s

not reasonable to take the time to argue our case with you. Is it not true

that ‘the survival of the fittest’ trumps any humane considerations?”

No, of course it isn’t. And if acceptance of evolution rules out one’s

having an opinion on right to life, then the Catholic Church, which accepts

the theory of evolution, is thereby ruled out.