Taking of embryonic life?

1) Does "what to make of" mean "how to explain"?
2) Does "taking of embryonic life" mean "killing embryonic life"?

Background info:

FAITH AND THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Human embryos are examples of human life. Therefore, by
absolutist religious lights, abortion is simply wrong: full-fledged
murder. I am not sure what to make of my admittedly anecdotal
observation that many of those who most ardently oppose the
taking of embryonic life also seem to be more than usually
enthusiastic about taking adult life. To be fair, this does not, as a
rule, apply to Roman Catholics, who are among the most
vociferous opponents of abortion. The born-again George W.
Bush, however, is typical of today's religious ascendancy. He, and
they, are stalwart defenders of human life, as long as it is embryonic
research that would certainly save many lives. The obvious
ground for opposing the death penalty is respect for human life.
Since 1976, when the Supreme Court reversed the ban on the death
penalty, Texas has been responsible for more than one-third of all
executions in all fifty states of the Union.