12 JANUARY 1991, Page 18

Sir: Congratulations on Amanda Craig's article on abortion. Thanks not

least to its calm, matter-of-fact reporting, it leaves us in no doubt that abortion is a horrendous act.

But may I now ask two things: that we stop calling the unborn child a foetus and stop calling him or her a potential human being? When we resort to technical Latin- isms instead of plain Anglo-Saxon we are usually trying to kid ourselves or someone else; children in the womb are potential born children and potential adults, but are already actually human. Abortion is in- compatible with civilisation. Every abor- tion is an affront to justice. Abortion is the supreme human rights issue of our time.

J.J. Scarisbrick

National Chairman, LIFE House, Newbold Terrace, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire