That sounds like a distinction without a difference. Somehow the fetus's "preferences" are worth less because they are less human somehow. Having said that, the argument makes a lot of sense from the common Mormon perspective: that abortion is okay in certain cases (i.e. we agree that the innocent life is worth less because of the circumstances affecting the mother).
I don't see how the spectrum argument can be avoided. Abortion is but one (and typically last) stop to get off the train ride to full personhood.
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