The Bell Curve:

Last November, I wrote a column in response to a Forum letter in which Stephen Dzida called for an effort to find common ground in which abortion opponents and abortion-rights advocates might meet in dealing with abortion.

Because virtually all abortions come out of unwanted pregnancies, the common ground with immediate prospects for cutting down on abortions would clearly be the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.

That’s what Dzida suggested, what I strongly seconded and what the president of the United States urged at Notre Dame University last Sunday far more eloquently than either of us.

“I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away,” President Obama said.

“At some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.”

The reference to caricature reminded me that the only published reaction to my column last November was from letter writer Peggy Normandin, who found that I “reflected little insight about the core issues involved” but seemed less agitated about that than my “I’m such a reasonable nice guy attitude.” It’s the first time I’ve been hung on the petard of reason and — although her interpretation of my attitude seems to have little relevance to the issue of abortion — I found it comfortable to be in close context with the president whom I admire.

Once we jointly accept the premise that reducing unwanted pregnancies is the best route to reducing abortions, the question then becomes how do we go about that.

Sex education in public schools has proven by far the best means of pursuing that goal, but there we hit another road block. The people who would de-legalize abortions are the same people who would limit sex education to abstinence. But that, at least, offers some grounds for debate, slim as it is.

The underlying problem in all these issues surrounding abortion is linking it to politics and religion.

We’ve had a recent example in the cancellation of a Planned Parenthood educational program for young women by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, mostly on the grounds that public agencies and money shouldn’t be used to support abortions.

As a result, a highly effective health program over the past eight years will soon be going down the drain because 3% of its time and funds is devoted to abortions.

Examples like this get into a totally different area, which the president wisely avoided in this venue at this time. That would be the introduction of religion into legally secular activities.

In such matters we all have opinions we offer and support as best we can — and sometimes change. But spiritual matters are a private and personal realm for many. Rabid opponents of abortion I have observed make no such distinction. They have only convictions that grow out of the spiritual realm and make honest debate on secular matters as abortion almost impossible.

The mother’s milk of a free society is the forum it provides for the airing of many opinions leading finally to a resolution in which not everyone may concur.

But when one large group brings to a secular forum only an absolute and — in their view — God-given position, there is no debate possible. Nor is there recognition of the possibility that the people with opposing points of view have searched their own set of principles which merit respect rather than arrogant rejection as simply wrong.

Because I believe that people should embrace whatever works for them — as long as it doesn’t deny the rights of others — I’m pleased when people who don’t believe as I do have found satisfying answers, just as they should be pleased for me instead of praying that I will get it right.

All I want is to be able to express opinions on secular matters without being told that someone on the other side is speaking for God.

I don’t expect the president to get into this soon, but I wanted to erase that picture of me as such a nice, reasonable guy as soon as possible, so I grabbed his coattails. That’s a tough burden to carry, especially if it’s only an attitude.

JOSEPH N. BELL lives in Newport Beach. His column runs Thursdays.