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I'm just a soul who's intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood. - The Animals
Before I make my case final, allow me to quote the official position of the Catholic Church, taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.
The Church is unswerving on it's insistence that every abortion is wrong, no matter the circumstances. There are no "What if?" instances as it pertains to abortion, there are no "special qualifiers". Willful abortion is a grave sin. How grave?
2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae", "by the very commission of the offense," and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
So grave that formal cooperation in an abortion is the only documented case within the Catechism that automatically warrants excommunication. There is nothing else that a Catholic could do that the Church, within the pages of the Catechism, would say automatically results in excommunication. Abortion is the only instance. I think that speaks volumes as it pertains to the gravity with which the Church views abortions.
Now, onto some replies to comments made by people:
I'm still trying to figure out what potential prematurity has to do with the obtaining of an abortion in the scenario described above. Children are born premature all the time and recover to live healthy, fully productive, not a trace of disability, lives. Surely you are not suggesting that it would be better to obtain an abortion for the benefit of the unborn child, who might, could, possibly but not certainly be born disabled.
If you are suggesting this, then my comparison to eugenics stands. Sure, it's not eugenics per se, because eugenics goal is to rid society of "burdens", people who would "weaken the collective gene pool of society". In the potential reasoning above, I would liken it to those frivolous "wrongful birth" lawsuits that we see, where parents of disabled children are sued because that child would have been "better off aborted". As if death can ever be more preferable over life? But at least in those cases (which mind you, have no merit whatsoever) those children actually are born with disabilities. In the potential reasoning displayed above, I can only see a justification for abortion based on the possibility of a disability (without confirmation of such being the case).
If I am wrong, please feel free to correct my misunderstanding of your position.
When I spoke about martyr's for the faith, I was specifically countering the argument that an abortion is justifiable because said person obtaining the abortion was under stress and "not thinking clearly". My example, of those willing to die for their beliefs, shows situations that are much more stressful. What is more stressful than having a gun to your head and being told "Renounce Jesus and you get to live."? Who would fault people under such conditions of capitulating and renouncing their savior?
Yet, people die for those beliefs all the time. A clear sign that morals do not go out the window once a situation reaches critical mass. IF ANYTHING, that is the point where natural law kicks in and our instincts lead us directly to the doorstep of the Church and Her unequivocal teachings on abortion.
Surely you are not going to place this life and death situation on the shoulders of a nine year old. You talked about the physical toll a pregnancy would take on a nine year old. Let's talk a moment about the emotional toll an abortion takes on an individual for their entire life. What sort of message does it send to your child, when they are at their most impressionable, when you deem a new potential life as unworthy of that life? How do you tell a nine year old that she was just a witness to a murder?
Nevermind the physical trauma that a body undergoes in an abortion as well. Higher rates of cervical cancer, higher rates of depression, higher rates of sterility... the list goes on and on.
That is exactly what we all should recommend to anyone who faces this situation, and that is my "Official Position" as well. Frankly, it can be the only position for a Catholic, for to be party to an abortion is to result in a loss of one's Catholicity.
Obviously I hope no one has to find themselves in this position, but if they do, or they have to give witness to such a situation (either theoretically or actually), if they are Catholic, they should be cognizant of the Church's position. No abortion. No justifications. No "what ifs?". No qualifications. Never.
And if they're not prepared to give that answer, I think they should politely excuse themselves from the situation to avoid giving scandal to the witness of the Church they profess obedience to.
Anyways, those are my final comments on this situation. I'm heartened by the 11+ people who feel the same way the Church does, it was the answer I was hoping for. For those other 2, they have my prayers, for a change in heart. In a rape pregnancy abortion there are two victims. First the victim of the rape and second the victim of the murder. Neither asked to be a victim.
Before I make my case final, allow me to quote the official position of the Catholic Church, taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.
The Church is unswerving on it's insistence that every abortion is wrong, no matter the circumstances. There are no "What if?" instances as it pertains to abortion, there are no "special qualifiers". Willful abortion is a grave sin. How grave?
2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae", "by the very commission of the offense," and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
So grave that formal cooperation in an abortion is the only documented case within the Catechism that automatically warrants excommunication. There is nothing else that a Catholic could do that the Church, within the pages of the Catechism, would say automatically results in excommunication. Abortion is the only instance. I think that speaks volumes as it pertains to the gravity with which the Church views abortions.
Now, onto some replies to comments made by people:
I'm still trying to figure out what potential prematurity has to do with the obtaining of an abortion in the scenario described above. Children are born premature all the time and recover to live healthy, fully productive, not a trace of disability, lives. Surely you are not suggesting that it would be better to obtain an abortion for the benefit of the unborn child, who might, could, possibly but not certainly be born disabled.
If you are suggesting this, then my comparison to eugenics stands. Sure, it's not eugenics per se, because eugenics goal is to rid society of "burdens", people who would "weaken the collective gene pool of society". In the potential reasoning above, I would liken it to those frivolous "wrongful birth" lawsuits that we see, where parents of disabled children are sued because that child would have been "better off aborted". As if death can ever be more preferable over life? But at least in those cases (which mind you, have no merit whatsoever) those children actually are born with disabilities. In the potential reasoning displayed above, I can only see a justification for abortion based on the possibility of a disability (without confirmation of such being the case).
If I am wrong, please feel free to correct my misunderstanding of your position.
When I spoke about martyr's for the faith, I was specifically countering the argument that an abortion is justifiable because said person obtaining the abortion was under stress and "not thinking clearly". My example, of those willing to die for their beliefs, shows situations that are much more stressful. What is more stressful than having a gun to your head and being told "Renounce Jesus and you get to live."? Who would fault people under such conditions of capitulating and renouncing their savior?
Yet, people die for those beliefs all the time. A clear sign that morals do not go out the window once a situation reaches critical mass. IF ANYTHING, that is the point where natural law kicks in and our instincts lead us directly to the doorstep of the Church and Her unequivocal teachings on abortion.
Surely you are not going to place this life and death situation on the shoulders of a nine year old. You talked about the physical toll a pregnancy would take on a nine year old. Let's talk a moment about the emotional toll an abortion takes on an individual for their entire life. What sort of message does it send to your child, when they are at their most impressionable, when you deem a new potential life as unworthy of that life? How do you tell a nine year old that she was just a witness to a murder?
Nevermind the physical trauma that a body undergoes in an abortion as well. Higher rates of cervical cancer, higher rates of depression, higher rates of sterility... the list goes on and on.
That is exactly what we all should recommend to anyone who faces this situation, and that is my "Official Position" as well. Frankly, it can be the only position for a Catholic, for to be party to an abortion is to result in a loss of one's Catholicity.
Obviously I hope no one has to find themselves in this position, but if they do, or they have to give witness to such a situation (either theoretically or actually), if they are Catholic, they should be cognizant of the Church's position. No abortion. No justifications. No "what ifs?". No qualifications. Never.
And if they're not prepared to give that answer, I think they should politely excuse themselves from the situation to avoid giving scandal to the witness of the Church they profess obedience to.
Anyways, those are my final comments on this situation. I'm heartened by the 11+ people who feel the same way the Church does, it was the answer I was hoping for. For those other 2, they have my prayers, for a change in heart. In a rape pregnancy abortion there are two victims. First the victim of the rape and second the victim of the murder. Neither asked to be a victim.
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, I would not let my child go through this. PERIOD. It is CHILD ABUSE!!
