---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have no respect for the right-to-life…"
description: "\"I have no respect for the right-to-life position, though I have every respect for an individual who says, \"I could never have that procedure, I could n..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e6/john-irving-337_book_i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life_2057192.png"
---

#  I have no respect for the right-to-life position, though I…

![“I have no respect for the right-to-life position, though I have every respect for an individual who says, &quot;I could never have that procedure, I could never see a film or read a book about that procedure.&quot; It doesn't bother me if people feel that way.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e6/john-irving-337_book_i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life_2057192.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e6/john-irving-337_book_i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life_2057192.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e6/john-irving-337_book_i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life_2057192.png)

> “I have no respect for the right-to-life position, though I have every respect for an individual who says, "I could never have that procedure, I could never see a film or read a book about that procedure." It doesn't bother me if people feel that way.”

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He respects individuals who oppose certain procedures on personal grounds, even if he disagrees with the broader political stance.

**In simple terms:** Respect personal convictions despite political differences.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge personal moral boundaries.

Themes

ethics personal autonomy political debate

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- health policy discussions
- personal decision making
- public discourse
- ethical dilemmas

Key Concepts

moral philosophy individual rights

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you separate personal respect from political disagreement?
- What limits should personal beliefs have in public policy?

A Different Perspective

Balancing personal respect with policy advocacy can be challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [No respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-respect/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Right to life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-to-life/)

## Related quotes

> [I have no respect for the right-to-life position. But when you legislate personal belief, you're in violation of freedom of religion. The Catholic Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life-position-but-when-you/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [I think being a scientist is a position of respect and power and access, and it's a privileged position in society. And I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-think-being-a-scientist-is-a-position-of-respect-and-power-and/)

[Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/)

> [“We don’t give our animal friends enough credit for the lives they lead until we try to imagine ourselves in their position. Only then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-rohrig/we-don-t-give-our-animal-friends-enough-credit-for-the-lives-they/)

[Kyle Rohrig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-rohrig/)

> [People should make distinctions between the office of the presidency and the person who occupies it. You can respect the office even as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-greenberg/people-should-make-distinctions-between-the-office-of-the-presidency/)

[David Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-greenberg/)

> [It's a principle of my philosophy that you have to respect the individual human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-van-gaal/it-s-a-principle-of-my-philosophy-that-you-have-to-respect-the/)

[Louis van Gaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-van-gaal/)

> [“Seek to make others feel comfortable by demonstrating respect for their individual needs as well as their cultural norms. Your consideration and heightened awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/seek-to-make-others-feel-comfortable-by-demonstrating-respect-for/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [I don't much care whether rural Anatolians or Istanbul secularists take power. I'm not close to any of them. What I care about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-don-t-much-care-whether-rural-anatolians-or-istanbul-secularists/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“The progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy, from a limited monarchy to a democracy, is a progress toward a true respect for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-progress-from-an-absolute-to-a-limited-monarchy-from-a-limited/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“The best part of the Western tradition has included a recognition of and respect for the individual as a living entity. The function of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-best-part-of-the-western-tradition-has-included-a-recognition-of/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [Respect for the individual is one of our core beliefs at Walmart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/respect-for-the-individual-is-one-of-our-core-beliefs-at-walmart/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-rodgers/there-are-countless-ways-of-attaining-greatness-but-any-road-to/)

[Buck Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-rodgers/)

> [I think it's very important to send the message that, while parents are needed to remind you to practice and occasionally force you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/i-think-it-s-very-important-to-send-the-message-that-while-parents/)

[Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/)

> [It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/it-takes-no-compromising-to-give-people-their-rights-it-takes-no/)

[Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/)

> [The challenge for the church is how do we have unity about basic beliefs and yet respect individual differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-leahy/the-challenge-for-the-church-is-how-do-we-have-unity-about-basic/)

[William P. Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-leahy/)

> [San Francisco can start right now to become number one. We can set examples so that others will follow. We can start overnight. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/san-francisco-can-start-right-now-to-become-number-one-we-can-set/)

[Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/)

## More by John Irving

> [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

[Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have no respect for the right-to-life position, though I have every respect for an individual who says, \"I could never have that procedure, I could never see a film or read a book about that procedure.\" It doesn't bother me if people feel that way.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Irving"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life-position-though-i-have-every/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life-position-though-i-have-every/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e6/john-irving-337_book_i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life_2057192.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e6/john-irving-337_book_i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life_2057192.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e6/john-irving-337_book_i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life_2057192.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have no respect for the right-to-life position, though I have every respect for an individual who says, \"I…” — John Irving",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Irving",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have no respect for the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life-position-though-i-have-every/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-have-no-respect-for-the-right-to-life-position-though-i-have-every/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
