My understanding of the Catholic Church's position is that all life is invaluable. What would happen if a woman was raped, and conceived? Catholicism is against abortion, but what if being pregnant or giving birth posed a serious risk to the mother's life? Would the church permit an abortion in this instance?
2006-09-09 11:25:58 · 12 answers · asked by Nowhere Man 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Catholic Church believes that abortion is gravely wrong at all times.
Rape: The conception of human live in the midst of the violent and horrifying crime of rape is one good thing that can come of something evil. The killing of the innocent unborn human being would be a second wrong unsuccessfully trying to make a right.
Risk: Unfortunately "risk to the mother's life" is a very vague term. Some people will say that any pregnancy is a risk to the mother's life (a few women do die during childbirth) and justify an abortion.
The one exception that I know is when a pregnant woman must undergo a medical procedure to save her life and as a regrettable but unavoidable circumstance the unborn baby dies. This is not an abortion.
With love in Christ.
2006-09-10 17:22:47 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Catholic position is that all abortions are wrong.
It cannot be a means or and end of any action.
The Church would always say that the mother's life is important and that if they was an immediate surgery that might compromise the life chances of the baby, as long as the surgery was aimed at protecting the life of the mother, and if a miscarriage would be the most likely result, that the surgery was permissible, because the miscarriage is not intended. This is an instance of double-effect reasoning which has the following requirements.
a) the action must be good in itself or at leas indifferent
b) the evil effect must not be intended but only permitted
c) there must be a sufficiently weighted reason for permitting the evil effect
d)the good effect must follow at least as immediately as the evil one
e) the good effect must outweigh the evil
2006-09-10 17:45:46 · answer #2 · answered by ingamit2006 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am pro-choice and I'm not Catholic, so I don't agree on this issue with the Catholic Church. I know that in the rape scenario, an abortion would not be approved upon because that would supposedly be killing the embryo/fetus because of what someone else did.
In the case of the mother dying, I have no idea. Personally (again, I'm not against abortion or Catholic), I'd say that a mother is fully human. The fetus is questionable. Therefore, the mother takes precedence.
While I'm stating my view, I think it's ridiculous to have all decisions regarding sex and women's bodies be in the hands of celibate men.
2006-09-09 18:31:14 · answer #3 · answered by x 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Even in cases involving incest or rape, it is the well-being of the "conceived but unborn" that is paramount. You have to consider that the unborn are not responsible for their conception. They're innocent in their being, they do not deserve to be destroyed simply because they exist.
If complications resulting from pregnancy threaten the life of the mother, they also threaten the life of the unborn. Such complications do not usually occur until the unborn are capable of being sustained in an incubator.
Such a procedure would not be considered an abortion, and it would safe the lives of both the mother and the unborn.
2006-09-11 10:54:32 · answer #4 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not Catholic but i still don't agree with abortion. if i were going to die at least I lived I will give my life for a child. If i was raped I would still have it. If I get an abortion that is like me blaming the fetus for my having been raped. It was the rapists life not the fetus.
2006-09-09 18:38:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Abortion in cases of rape or incest is still wrong. There was harm done to the woman in such cases, but that doesn't justify doing terminal harm to her child.
In cases in which a mother's life was in danger, Catholic teaching states that measures can be taken to save her life. If those measures result in the child's death, that's acceptable, i.e. if it's a side effect. Purposefully killing a person, in any context, is wrong. In some cases, such as just war, self-defense, maintaining society (death penalty), and preservation of life, it's justifiable, but that never makes it anything other than evil.
2006-09-09 18:41:53 · answer #6 · answered by thechivalrous 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most of my fellow Catholics would disagree with me, but I hold that pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or pregnancies that endanger the physical well being of the mother are probably best aborted. They have argued with me that the Bible insists that "Thou shall not commit murder", and while that is true; the very same Bible notes a few books further in that "there is a time for eveything under Heaven; a time to heal, a time to kill, a time for peace, a time for war etc...etc..."
As a Catholic, I believe that abortion is killing, but like war in this imperfect world, there is unfortunately a time and a place for it.
My own priest does not approve of my stance on the issue but my conscience is prepared to answer to God for it.
2006-09-09 18:50:04 · answer #7 · answered by caesar x 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Rape or incest is not a reason for an abortion. Only when the life of the mother is a most certain risk would it be considered but even then the baby is still dying but it is a choice of who dies.
In basic there is no real reason for abortion period.
2006-09-09 18:29:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
No, but if the life of the mother is threatened you can take certain measures to cure her that would result in an abortion but a direct abortion is always wrong.
2006-09-09 18:45:33 · answer #9 · answered by carl 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Depends. However, I would merely bypass the Catholic Church on EVERYTHING as they are a bunch of antiquated old dinosaurs in their views and doctrines. Catholic Church is full of hooey!
2006-09-09 18:28:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋