From the very beginning, it's made clear that the one thing Gil wants is to be the opposite of his father. Karen asks him his opinion, and to answer the way his father would (ie without considering her feelings). To do so would go against everything Gil stands for, so he simply says it's her choice and walks off. I don't think it has anything to do with the director's personal stance on the issue, but rather the character's own issues.
"I'm sort of having a good time doing the whole vulnerable whore thing."

i like her congressman comment.
. he should have just said (if he could) 'yes, we can.' like obama.
also, his comment about how he has to hook customers up with hookers to get the job done was a real wtf? too.
'It's time for the human race to enter the solar system.'-Dan Quayle

I don't fail to understand his potential dilemma. Life is a series of dilemmas. Man up and make a decision. Especially when your wife asks you to. So many women don't even give a guy the right to have a say, but a wife is different. So when she asks your opinion, you should be a good husband and give it.
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But I think the dilemma he faced was, what if he did say he wanted her to have an abortion? What if she did it based on him saying he wanted her to. . .and then regretted the decision, and then resented him for it?
Versus if he says (as he did), I want what you want, and if she were to decide on her own that she wanted an abortion. If she later regretted it, at least she wouldn't resent him for telling her to get it.
And since she later finally admits she wants to have the baby, I'm sure he's glad he gave a waffling answer. He'd really be in the doghouse to say he wants her to get an abortion, then have it turn out she wants to keep the baby. The only way a man would be safe in this situation is if the woman wanted the abortion in the first place, hence him giving the answer, "I want what you want."
You must be the change you seek in the world. Gandhi

You see, he really wanted her to have an abortion but didn't have the balls to say so. This way he could say it was her choice and he didn't have a say.
Completely agreed. He didn't want anything to do with making the call and that bothered me. Be a man. She was asking for your opinion, give it. He didn't give one either way, and pulled this faux "it's your choice" argument.
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I think Gill was being a total weasel in his response and she knew it.
Gil: Thats a decision every woman
has to make on her own.
Karen: Are you running for Congress? Dont give me that. l want your opinion about what we should do. Lets pretend its your decision, okay? Pretend youre a caveman or your father. What do you want me to do?
Gil:l wantl want whatever you want.
Karen: l wanna have the baby.
Gil:Well, great! Lets have it then. Lets see how l can screw the fourth one up.
Lets have five. Lets have six! Lets have a dozen and pretend theyre doughnuts.
lm really happy about the way things are turning out, arent you?
You see, he really wanted her to have an abortion but didn't have the balls to say so. This way he could say it was her choice and he didn't have a say.

You truly thought him saying that to his wife who he has three other children with felt authentic? That seems like a pretty beep up marriage to me

Ok, teabaggers..we get it

Am I prolife? Yeah sure, its not the child's fault that his parents are beep morons

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That's Hollywood liberals throwing their agenda in

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I don't know why Karen even bothered to ask Gil when she had obviously made up her mind already she was going to have it.
This is actually a really valid point. I guess you could say I was annoyed with bother characters. They're a married couple. I don't see how that decisions shouldn't be up to both of them, but both already had their minds made up.
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So what would you rather they have done, smack the little thing around & call her a piece of sh!t?
HURHUR THEY LOVE THEIR BABY THEY DIDN'T WANT AT FIRST. DUH-THAT'S PARENTHOOD FOR YA!
You absolute moron.
Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.

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"I don't know why Karen even bothered to ask Gil when she had obviously made up her mind already she was going to have it."
I wondered the same thing. It's like she was trying to start an argument or something. She had her mind set on having the kid, and it's obviously her decision.
Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

Gil did not want the kid, but he knew his wife was going to do what she wanted, so he was trying to step out the way. I don't know why Karen even bothered to ask Gil when she had obviously made up her mind already she was going to have it.

Honestly, I think it was the creators shoving an agenda in my face.
So a guy who really doesn't want another kid just tossing the abortion decision back to his wife because he also doesn't want her to think of him as the one who wanted her to get an abortion should she keep the baby is shoving an agenda in your face?

hrm
Killing people is easyif you can forget the taste of sugar.

chill out..that obviously wasn't how he truely felt..of course he wanted her to have the baby..he was just stressed to the gills (no pun intended) when they were having that conversationGil had no game and coulnd't get clients laid like the almighty Phil Richards..so he quit his job..
in the end, everything worked out..they soon had 5 kids..then 6..then had a dozen and pretended they were doughnuts..

Applauds Couldn't have put it better my self Coyboy. Nah, I really couldn't lol

8POILER WARNING
I thought the whole point of that was that it was a cop-out answer on Gil's part. She says to him "Why don't you say what you're really thinking? That I should have an abortion?" He says "I didn't say that. That's a decision every woman has to make on her own," and her response to that is "What are you running for Congress? Don't give me that. I want your opinion." As for pushing an agenda, the scene in the movie raises the issue but it doesn't push an agenda either way, in my honest opinion. The movie does, however, ultimately present parenthood in a positive light, as a "roller coaster" in a way, but the movie, in spite of that one scene, I feel, doesn't present being either pro-life or pro-choice, even though it presents the issue, but it doesn't form a conclusion about that specific topic in general as a whole only in the life of that particular character played by Mary Steenburgen.

Yes, and you were also debating that the makers of the film were pushing foward an agenda which may have not been the case. And what I have also said is that the father for instance might have a say but ultimately who's decision is it? Gil for instance could have said to Karen he wanted her to keep the baby but who do you think would have had the final say? Noone but the mother ever has the ultimate choice. Wether that's right or wrong I don't know.

The other commonality is that both decide to have the baby, and appear happy they did. If anything is being preached here, it's "have the baby."
These are two separate issues that you are combining. They are both related to the same topic, but do not confuse the two.
Whether the character choose to have the baby or not is irrelevent, becasue I'm not disputing they did have the kids.
The outcome and the way they got there are two separate issues. I'm not debating the outcome. I'm not even debating the fact that the characters are seemingly pro-choice (I'm not telling anyone they can't be either). I'm debating over who gets a say - which according to the characters in these situations is only the pregnant party.