50 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage

For every 100 eggs exposed to sperm:

• 84 are fertilized
• 69 implant in the uterus
• 42 live the first week
• 37 live six weeks
• 31 are born alive

Regardless of the exact numbers, I think the point is that life processes are inefficient, comparatively speaking. Those who believe you should not use birth control or have an abortion because they believe all children are actively conceived through God's will just don't understand how things work.

God designed the system to run by itself. That way, he doesn't have to actively decide who gets a child and when. I know if I were a deity, I'd want as many things automated as possible. Just because you're omniscient doesn't mean you want to keep track of everything consciously.

I just can't imagine that a God who makes all those decisions personally would let things go as they are. He would not give anyone a child they weren't ready to support, nor would he cause so many conceptions that don't pan out. He also would not be giving people so many children when humans are already straining the resources we have.

Well, that's just my opinion. If you don't agree, ignore it.

Number of pregnancies that end in miscarriage, according to various sources:

• "As many as 30 percent" -- PDR Family Guide to Women's Health
• "20 percent" -- Medical College of Georgia Web site
• "about 15 percent to 20 percent" -- www.medem.com
• "One in eight [13 percent]... in the first trimester" -- Anthony V. Indovina, D.O. at www.glfamily.com

Ravensong's two-thirds figure seems to be an estimate that takes into account all those pregnancies the mother never even knew about. I have no idea at all where the 90-percent figure came from.