Most Americans Disagree With Church Teaching On Homosexuality, Abortion

twinkletoes

abortions due to rape are a tiny tiny percentage of all abortions.
And it still murders a child.

Those of us who support a woman's right to choose, do NOT accept that a fetus is identical to a child.
Do you also accept your Church's teaching that a fertilized egg is identical to a child?

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the 2008 Instruction Dignitas Personae stated that:
"Alongside methods of preventing pregnancy which are, properly speaking, contraceptive,
that is, which prevent conception following from a sexual act,
there are other technical means which act after fertilization,
when the embryo is already constituted, either before or after implantation in the uterine wall …
Therefore, the use of means of interception and contragestation fall within
the sin of abortion and are gravely immoral"

notquiteme

I don't agree with the ban on contraception, because the term itself means that you are preventing inception. That means, the sperm doesn't reach the egg. No fetus, no fertilized egg. This is because the sperm and egg are simply the potential for life. Which is, in my opinion, a definitive statement, because the sperm and egg will not "multiply" and generate more of itself just by being there. But a fertilized egg will undergo cellular fission and become more cells, eventually becoming a child. So for me, the turning point of morality is precisely at the point of egg fertilization.

Abortion, in my opinion, means that the egg was fertilized then killed. and yes, i think abortion shouldn't be allowed, except for extreme cases:

the life of the mother is in danger
the mother is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, and possibly depressed (as the case in rape). If the mother hates the unborn child, I'm no longer sure about what would be the correct thing to do.

My feelings about the matter aren't all that strong, but these are my opinions.

Going back to the original topic:
I don't understand why abortion and homosexuality are always lumped together. i mean, if we were really homosexuals, we will never worry about abortion, right?

MrMazda

@notquiteme:

Abortion, in my opinion, means that the egg was fertilized then killed. and yes, i think abortion shouldn't be allowed, except for extreme cases:

the life of the mother is in danger

the mother is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, and possibly depressed (as the case in rape). If the mother hates the unborn child, I'm no longer sure about what would be the correct thing to do.

I more or less share your opinion there. I have only ever taken a pregnant female to an abortion clinic on one particular occasion. Despite the fact that I do not believe it is the right thing to do because there are other options, in this particular case, I stood behind her as her doctor had told her that if she tried to carry to term, it would kill her. In cases like those, it's a much different story, especially when the person I took was already a mother of 2, both of which depend on her.

fancydude

#10 "ask your church"…. I don't think the church issues statements joining abortion and homosexuality, the media does, for sensationalism. Adelle Banks, the writer, as far as could be inferred from the original post, is not a spokesman for any church.

#10 & 11 - The question is not "is a fertilized egg the equivalent of a child" but rather, when does life begin? How about at the beginning? It is very true that fetuses cannot survive at 24 weeks or less, but neither can a lot of other people, without drugs, machinery, or care. So the societal definition of when life begins is apparently determinate on which side of the womb you are on! And I will emphasize again, what about brain waves and heart beats? Feet and toes at 10 weeks? What is that? How about in vitro surgeries ever earlier?

As to rape - I contacted Right to Life in Michigan to get another point of view and they feel that every human being, at whatever stage of development, has dignity and worth. To kill the fetus does nothing to take away the awful pain and trauma of rape.

Another thought - when (and if it still does) China had its one-child policy, couples were aborting female fetuses and of course various women's groups decried this as sexist or whatever. So I find it interesting, that if you look enough, everyone is against abortion for some reason.

notquiteme

I have half a thought now that if a woman hates the baby in her womb, and she won't be allowed abortion, will she not eventually commit suicide or another rash act just to "do" it? This is what post traumatic stress does to people.

I will say that there should be some kind of therapy the government will give IF they will insist that rape victims carry their children to term. And then, if the girl isn't ready to be a mother, take care of both of them, as well. Don't ban something if you can't provide a better alternative.

MrMazda

I can't say that I disagree with abortion in every case, since there are some cases where it is necessary (such as trying to carry to term will kill the mother). That being said, I do agree with notquiteme in that there are other alternatives to killing an unborn child if your reasoning isn't "valid" so to speak. In such cases as not being able to afford the upkeep of a child, or cases where it was an accident such as a condom break that neither parent was planning on, there are options such as adoption that would be more humane in the end.

At least with adoption as an alternative, rather than murder an unborn child, you can still give them the option of having a loving family that can take care of them, and provide for them the things they need to have the life that a child deserves. This is just one such alternative that I can think of that in many cases would be a more humane thing to do, rather than kill an unborn child.

MrMazda

I don't know about in other countries, but here in Canada, the adopting parents are the ones who pay such bills in the process of agreeing to adopt the unborn child. As for the maternity leave, some of that here in Canada there are laws to regulate so that the mother doesn't get totally screwed in the process.

On that topic, it would be interesting to know the way that such things work in other countries.

MrMazda

That remains at the choice of the mother. I'm not saying that in a case of rape it's "wrong" to get an abortion, because that steps into a whole new world of things to consider. Should the mother choose to carry through, it is treated the same as having had the baby through consensual means.

notquiteme

I wouldn't throw economics into it. It turns people into statistics.

notquiteme

so is a baby a choice?

raphjd

YES, having a baby is a choice.

notquiteme

okay. i just think that abortion is only allowed under highly specific extenuating circumstances

but everyone's entitled to their opinion