Catholics and Abortion: Basics
Catholics and Abortion: Basics.
(Number 1 in a series)
"I was asked" to do a post about the Catholic church`s stance on abortion.
Of course, for many people, this is a controversial topic. My effort here will be to state and explain the official Catholic perspective. My intention is not really to debate the topic but to try to come to an understanding what the Catholic position is and why they think that way.
There are related topics. In this first post I will just state the Catholic basic position. I want to separate out several of the other topics for future blog posts.
- how does Catholic position contradict pro-choice
- how does the Catholic Church punish its own members (like excommunication)
- if Catholics have a certain belief, why are they pushing for laws to force their beliefs onto others
- Catholic views on family planning and contraception
- Catholic and anti-abortion fanatics
The Catholic position begins with the statement that human life must be respected and protected. This concept encompasses all things that might harm a human life such as murder, assault, etc.
The Catholic belief is that from the moment of conception that the tiny being is human life and thus must be respected and protected.
Therefore the Catholic Church believes abortion to cause the death of a human life and thus to be a gravely moral evil.
Almost all civilizations and cultures consider harming human life by murder to be a serious wrong.
The most debated part of the Catholic view is the Church's assertion that human life begins at the moment of conception. Other people insist that human life actually begins at later times, possibly as late as the birth moment.
Your comments and questions are welcome.
posted by jw @ 1/16/2006 06:21:00 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Yep -- that`s what I was taught. Sperm meets egg, and the resulting cells have all the dignity and humanity that you and I have. The church`s position is short, sweet and consistent.
Unfortunately, in the earliest stages of development, the embryo is inside and totally dependent upon another person, one who might not be receptive or cooperative with helping it develop. Does the embryo`s right to life trump the rights of a woman over her body? The church says, yes. Many individual women, throughout the centuries, have said, NO, and risked damnation to end pregnancies.
Is the purpose of an abortion to end a pregnancy, or to kill a small life? The result is the same, but can the intentions be different?
L., did you read my next post before I post it? What you are referring to is the core of pro-choice.
All of L's questions, ditto,
but I will wait till you have finished all your posts before I really comment.
Thanks this will be interesting.
Did anyone catch my Freudian slip in that post? I am not going to post it, so send me a private e-mail and I will tell you what is and what it means.
- - Jerry
I may have caught your slip - I'm a little fuzzy right now.
I'm with Andrea and L. and you're already familiar with my position.
I'll wait for the rest of your posts before I comment further.
Email please - I want to see if I'm correct or if I'm reading something into a singular rathern than plural proper noun that wasn't there.
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