Quote:
Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I'm not entirely certain that they oppose abortion in every case (there may be an exception for e.g., a serious threat to a mother), but I think the "I do believe that each individual must make that decision for herself" thing is inconsistent.
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Actually, no. One cannot choose between the life of the mother and the life of the fetus. Therefore, even if the life of the mother is in direct and immediate jeapordy, it is against Church doctrine to abort the fetus to save her life.
However, if, in the process of saving her life a fetus is aborted unintentionally, as a side effect, that is OK because there was no intent to terminate it. Atticus can correct me if this has been refined in the last 15-20 years, but I think it is still current. Yes, this sets off my bullshit meter, too, so don't ask me to justify it. FWIW, "medical treatment" other than birth control has also justified the use of the pill (though why "preventative medical treatment" doesn't justify condom use is beyond me - maybe sex is voluntary and therefore no medical treatment making it safe is ever "necessary," while regulation of menstrual cycles is legit even for virgins). See, generally: the doctrine of the double effect.
FWIW, I do agree that one has to respect the Church for refusing to back down on what it considers a fundamental belief just because it is unpopular. Better to lose 90% of adherents than to taint them all, I suppose. And, if you think abortion is murder, it isn't really legitimate to say "well, I don't like it but I don't think I should impose my beliefs on others." If a fetus is a person with a soul (or whatever) and with as much a right to live as any other person, then there is a real problem with the "I'll just mind my own business" stance, and if you don't believe me substitute "female children" or "black people" for "fetus" and see where it gets you. (However, I don't think most people who hold the "mind my own business" position think this - I think they just find abortion distasteful, the same way they are squeamish about drowning kittens. If I'm wrong, they are unbelieveable moral cowards.)
