{"id":90,"date":"2020-01-23T18:31:14","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T01:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/thepursuitofholiness\/?p=90"},"modified":"2020-01-23T18:31:14","modified_gmt":"2020-01-24T01:31:14","slug":"abortion-and-church-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thepursuitofholiness\/2020\/01\/abortion-and-church-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Abortion and Church Teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

It happens every day in our communities.\u00a0 Every day women make a very difficult decision about whether to keep their babies or not.\u00a0 However, instead of adoption many are choosing abortion.\u00a0 According to data from the Centers of Disease Control, every day approximately 1,788 pregnancies<\/a> are ended by abortion.<\/p>\n

What is abortion?\u00a0 What is the official Catholic Church teaching on abortion?\u00a0 Are there any circumstances where an abortion may be needed to save the life of the mother?\u00a0 These questions will be explored over the course of this article, but one thing is certain.\u00a0 Life is precious, and it is something that must be protected from the beginning of life to natural death.<\/p>\n

In layman\u2019s terms an abortion is the termination of a pregnancy before the time of gestation is complete.\u00a0 The question of life is one that is central to the topic.\u00a0 When does life begin?\u00a0 If life begins at conception, then life is there and must be protected.\u00a0 If life begins at some further point, then it stands to reason that terminating the pregnancy before that stated period is morally permissible.\u00a0 Then there are those who are just unsure when the fetus becomes a living being.<\/p>\n

With abortion defined, that leads to the next question.\u00a0 What does the Catholic Church have to say about abortion?\u00a0 It may come as a surprise to some to learn that church has a lot to say about the topic.\u00a0 The church has defended life from its infancy.\u00a0 Regarding this the Didache <\/em>states, \u201cyou shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Not a New Issue<\/h2>\n

The Didache <\/em>is an ancient catechism in the church that dates back to the first century.\u00a0 The issue of abortion is nothing new, but an ongoing battle for the unborn.\u00a0 Also regarding abortion, the catechism states \u201cSince 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\u201d (CCC para 2271).<\/p>\n

The church gets its teaching on the subject from sacred scripture as well as sacred tradition.\u00a0 Many places in scripture speak of God molding and creating life in the womb.\u00a0 What is conspicuous by its absence is any mention as to at how many weeks of gestation life begins.\u00a0 Sacred scripture makes it clear that it begins immediately.\u00a0 Life begins upon conception.\u00a0 One such verse is Jeremiah 1:5 which states, \u201cBefore I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations\u201d.<\/p>\n

If God knew us before the womb, it makes sense that he knew us when we were immediately placed into the womb.\u00a0 To know is to imply a relationship, and one cannot have a relationship with something that is not alive.\u00a0 Since the embryo is a person upon conception it must be defended as any person should be (CCC para 2274)<\/p>\n

The Official Teaching<\/h2>\n

Church teaching holds that abortion is intrinsically evil, and as such is never justified.\u00a0 The same can be said for many other things such as rape, torture, euthanasia, and kidnapping (Gaudiem et Spes para 27).\u00a0 Though an individual may have the best intentions, it does not justify an act that moral law and revelation have deemed evil.<\/p>\n

That is because absolute truth and morality are incapable of being changed.\u00a0 Regarding this Saint Pope John Paul II writes, \u201cIf acts are intrinsically evil, a good intention or particular circumstances can diminish their evil, but they cannot remove it. They remain \u201cirremediably\u201d evil acts; per se <\/em>and in themselves they are not capable of being ordered to God and to the good of the person\u201d (Veritatis Splendor para 81<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, in today\u2019s society, abortion is looked at like a basic human right.\u00a0 Opponents of church teaching give a variety of scenarios to support the need for an abortion.\u00a0 What if an abortion is needed to save the life of a mother?\u00a0 What if the mother had uterine cancer and the only treatment was to remove the uterus, and thus, killing the child in the process?\u00a0 These two examples may seem extreme, but they are ones often given by the pro-choice movement.\u00a0 There are others, but these two questions will be the focus.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the life of the mother there are many cases written about by world renowned doctors who say the opposite.\u00a0 Dr. Collen Malloy wrote a letter to the editor of the Chicago Sun Times 2009 <\/em>stating, \u201cAbortion performed to \u201csave\u201d a mother\u2019s life almost never \u2014 if ever \u2014 is necessary\u201d.\u00a0 This same article cites a statement by Ireland\u2019s board of Obstetricians which states, \u201cthere are no medical circumstances justifying direct abortion, that is, no circumstances in which the life of a mother may only be saved by directly terminating the life of her unborn child\u201d.<\/p>\n

A Matter of Intent<\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>The word that sticks out very prominently in the last quotation cited is the word \u201cdirectly\u201d.\u00a0 This word is given in many church documents when they discuss abortion.\u00a0 It comes down to a matter of intent.\u00a0 Was it the intent to destroy the child in the womb, or was it the cause of something else?\u00a0 In their book Life Issues, Medical Choices<\/em> the writers state, \u201cIt is never moral to intentionally kill an innocent human being in order to lower the likelihood of adverse effects for someone else\u201d (Smith & Kaczor 37).<\/p>\n

This begs the question asked earlier.\u00a0 What if a woman has uterine cancer and the only way to save her life is to remove the uterus?\u00a0 To further complicate things imagine she has a husband and four other children at home.\u00a0 This is truly a heart wrenching decision that must be made.\u00a0 She can forgo treatment and die, and the child in the womb may possibly live.\u00a0 Or she can have the treatment and live to take care of her four other children.<\/p>\n

If she chooses to have the procedure it is not a direct attack on the child because it lacks intent.\u00a0 In situations such as this the principle of double effect becomes relevant.\u00a0 The reasoning for double effect requires the following four factors: \u201c1.\u00a0 The act itself is not evil.\u00a0 2.\u00a0 The evil is not a means to a good.\u00a0 3.\u00a0 The evil is not intended as an end.\u00a0 4.\u00a0 There is a proportionate reason for allowing the evil effect\u201d (Smith & Kaczor 50).\u00a0 The first step is satisfied because having a hysterectomy is not evil.\u00a0 The second step is satisfied because the intent is not there.<\/p>\n

The mother would much rather give birth to her child.\u00a0 The third step is satisfied as the surgery is not intended to end the life of the child.\u00a0 The forth step is satisfied because if she does not have the surgery she will die and leave her other four children without a mother.\u00a0 The intent is not to have an abortion to live, but her uterus must be removed to destroy the cancer that will inevitably kill her if she does nothing.\u00a0 There is an enormous difference between the two.\u00a0 It is the intent that is intrinsically evil according to Humana Vitae <\/em>(Pinckaers 53).<\/p>\n

Be Merciful<\/h2>\n

The above scenario is heartbreaking and does happen, but the moral teaching of the church deals with intent.\u00a0 One should consult their physician and spiritual director or priest to get the best well rounded advice for the situation.\u00a0 It is important to remember that these situations are highly emotional, and there is much pain and distress taking place.\u00a0 The same goes for those who may have had an abortion in the past and they realize the mistake they made.<\/p>\n

We live in a fallen world, and we have all sinned.\u00a0 We all have some mortal sin that we have committed in the past.\u00a0 It is vital to not judge and to show mercy.\u00a0 In Matthew 5:7 our Lord says, \u201cBlessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy\u201d.\u00a0 We have been forgiven much and have been shown limitless mercy.\u00a0 It is important to reciprocate it to those who are hurting because of their past mistakes.\u00a0 In the very beginning of sacred scripture we read, \u201cSo God created humankind \u00a0in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them\u201d.<\/p>\n

We have all messed up, and no matter our past we are made in the image of God.\u00a0 As such, we are called to show everyone the dignity and respect that being made in his image calls for.\u00a0 To summarize we must do what the Lord says in the beatitudes.\u00a0 We must show mercy.\u00a0 In Hebrew, showing mercy is being compassionate (especially expressed by \u05e8\u05d7\u05d5\u05dd): showing pity at another person\u2019s sorrow or misfortune, with the desire to alleviate, or, on occasion, even to suffer in the other\u2019s place.\u00a0 This is exactly what the Lord did for us when he suffered on the cross.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

WORKS CITED<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kreeft, Peter & Tacelli, Ronald K.\u00a0 Handbook of Christian Apologetics.\u00a0 <\/em>IVP Academic.\u00a0 Downers Grove, Il: 1994.\u00a0 Print.<\/p>\n

Ostrowski, Thaddeus ed., Primary Source Readings in Christian Morality.\u00a0 <\/em>Winona, MN: Saint Mary\u2019s Press, 2008, Print.<\/p>\n

Pinckaers, Servais.\u00a0 Morality:\u00a0 The Catholic View<\/em>.\u00a0 St. Augustine\u2019s Press.\u00a0 South Bend, IN:\u00a0 2001.\u00a0 Print.<\/p>\n

Smith, Janet E. & Kaczor, Christopher.\u00a0 Life Issues, Medical Choices:\u00a0 Questions and Answers for Catholics.\u00a0 <\/em>Servant.\u00a0 Cincinatti, OH: 2016.\u00a0 Print<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It happens every day in our communities.\u00a0 Every day women make a very difficult decision about whether to keep their babies or not.\u00a0 However, instead of adoption many are choosing abortion.\u00a0 According to data from the Centers of Disease Control, every day approximately 1,788 pregnancies are ended by abortion. What is abortion?\u00a0 What is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4296,"featured_media":93,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[21,36,30,24,33,27],"class_list":["post-90","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-abortion","tag-catechism","tag-catholic-church","tag-march-for-life","tag-mercy","tag-moral-theology"],"yoast_head":"\nAbortion and Church Teaching<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It happens every day in our communities.\u00a0 Every day women make a very difficult decision about whether to keep their babies or not.\u00a0 However, instead of\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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