Is the Roman Catholic Church the model for Life? Part II: Explaining why it is

on December 20, 2013

There is much to discuss with the pro-abortion viewpoint of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), and why Catholics for Choice is the only “Catholic” group listed as part of the “Coalition Members” for RCRC. It seems appropriate to write a follow-up to a previous post discussing RCRC, and to tackle why there is no involvement from true Catholics.

The previous piece referenced the Catechism’s mention of abortion, and while “[t]he Catechism contains only six paragraphs on abortion[,]” as Catholics for Choice points out, it is nonetheless a clear and powerful message.

The Catechism mentions that “[s]ince the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion.” Notice that the word every is used. Does this mean that the Catholic Church would rather have women die than obtain an abortion? Of course not. But we also need to examine the medical fact, affirmed by professionals, that there is never a reason when a direct abortion is medically necessary.

Live Action News, and other sources have had several contributors write extensively, including myself, on the Dublin Declaration, which makes this pro-life assertion. The Dublin Declaration states:

We uphold that there is a fundamental difference between abortion, and necessary medical treatments that are carried out to save the life of the mother, even if such treatment results in the loss of life of her unborn child.

There is “a fundamental difference” because with a direct abortion, the death of the unborn child is the aim. No matter the reason for an abortion, the aim is to always kill a child. A failed abortion is when the child lives. It’s the other way around when it comes to medical treatment which may, indirectly, kill the child.

Now, how does this all connect back to the Catholic Church? Well, the Church has long believed what science has confirmed to be true, that there is no reason for an abortion. Naturally, the Church is not perfect and could do with some more consistency. But at least the Church is a consistent institution for holding such a viewpoint without exceptions.

It is worth taking a look at the positions other faiths have on abortion, both inside and outside Christianity. This is not so much to criticize other faiths, but rather to support the reasoning that the Catholic Church is the model for life, as best as possible. And this is not to say that those who are not Catholic cannot be just as pro-life. It is, however, beneficial to have the proper guidance from one’s church.

The Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project offers a page on “Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Abortion,” from January 16, 2013. In addition to the position on Catholicism, the page offers positions from several Christian denominations, the National Council of Churches (NCC) and National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), as well as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Oftentimes, there are often direct links to further explain such positions.

According to the page, “[t]raditional Jewish teachings sanction abortion as a means of safeguarding the life and well-being of a mother.” Christian denominations which are in favor of abortion include the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, and the United Church of Christ.

Buddhism has no official position. The page does mention on interesting take, however, in that while abortions are “commonly practiced,” there is still somewhat of a regard for the unborn:

In Japan, where there is a large Buddhist population, abortions are commonly practiced and often involve the Buddhist tradition of mizuko jizo, in which aborted fetuses are thought to be led to the land of the dead.

Hinduism condemns abortion, “[u]nless a mother’s health is at risk[.]” Most agree in Islam that, after four months of pregnancy, abortion is not permissible. Also, “[m]any Islamic thinkers contend that in cases prior to four months of gestation, abortion should be permissible only in instances in which a mother’s life is in danger or in cases of rape.”

Most Christian denominations fall in line with opposing abortion, but with certain exceptions. Some are somewhat unclear though, and such a position can muddy the waters. The National Council of Churches, though, “does not have an official position on abortion.”

While American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. “opposes abortion ‘as a primary means of birth control,’ it does not condemn abortion outright.” Well, so do a lot of individuals who are not on a board for a Christian denomination. It does not mean that they are less pro-life, however.

When it comes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “…the church says, any facilitation of or support for [elective] abortion warrants excommunication from the church.” There are exceptions for life of the mother, rape, and incest, however.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America believes in prohibiting abortion after viability, “…except when the life of a mother is threatened or when fetal abnormalities pose a fatal threat to a newborn.” It is worth noting though, that:

The official position of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America states that “abortion prior to viability [of a fetus] should not be prohibited by law or by lack of public funding…”

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has a strong pro-life position, as it “…states that ‘[s]ince abortion takes a human life, it is not a moral option except to prevent the death of … the mother.'”

The Southern Baptist Convention is another pro-life denomination, and while it does have an exception for “…where the life of the mother is clearly in danger,” it does preface by acknowledging that these cases are “very rare cases…”

The National Association of Evangelicals states its opposition to abortion, but also that:

…the organization recognizes that there might be situations in which terminating a pregnancy is warranted – such as protecting the life of a mother or in cases of rape or incest.

There are those Christian denominations which, while they themselves may be pro-life,  can be equated to a person who is weakly pro-life, or even someone who is not pro-life at all, beyond being “personally pro-life,” which is more of a cop-out. This can be said about the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church.

Perhaps one of the most “personally pro-life,” or “I’m pro-choice, not pro-abortion,” churches is the Episcopal Church:

While the Episcopal Church recognizes a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy, the church condones abortion only in cases of rape or incest, cases in which a mother’s physical or mental health is at risk, or cases involving fetal abnormalities. The church forbids “abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection or any reason of mere convenience.”

The Episcopal Church recognizes “a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy,” but then “condones” some circumstances and even “forbids” others. When a Church takes such an all over the place stance, it may confuse and divide members.

While the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) “disapproves of abortion as a means of birth control or as a method of convenience,” it can also be described as another “personally pro-life” denomination then:

In 2006, the Presbyterian Church’s national governing body, the General Assembly, reaffirmed its belief that the termination of a pregnancy is a personal decision. While the church disapproves of abortion as a means of birth control or as a method of convenience, it seeks “to maintain within its fellowship those who, on the basis of a study of Scripture and prayerful decision, come to diverse conclusions and actions” on the issue.

By referring to it as a “personal decision,” the church may very well seek to escape the issue completely. And, if it refers to it as a “personal decision,” many are not likely to take the church seriously in the cases where it does disapprove of abortion.

Perhaps one of the most confusing positions held is that by the United Methodist Church:

While the United Methodist Church opposes abortion, it affirms that it is “equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child.” The church sanctions “the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures” but rejects abortion as a method of gender selection or birth control and stresses that those considering abortions should prayerfully seek guidance from their doctors, families and ministers.

So, the United Methodist Church opposes abortion, and even affirms that it is “equally bound” when it comes to mother and child. Yet it still “sanctions” legal abortion. Well, even if abortion is “legal” and “under proper medical procedures[,]” it still results in a dead child, who was not really regarded with the “equal… sacredness of the life…” then. It “rejects abortion as a method of gender selection or birth control…[?]” Well, thank goodness for that! Plenty of others do too, however.

The latest mention about the United Methodist Church serves as a bit of a cop-out when it “stresses that those considering abortions should prayerfully seek guidance from their doctors, families and ministers.” The role of advice giving is placed on individuals, rather than a consistent, overall view from the Church. If the lack of a clear position doesn’t leave for disagreement and confusion, what will?

What is all this supposed to mean? Are these churches pro-life or not? We shouldn’t have to wonder!

This is not to try and unfairly attack the United Methodist Church, or others. It is still worth saying shame on the pro-abortion denominations of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, and the United Church of Christ, however. Christ would certainly not advocate for such a position. There also shouldn’t be a debate when it should be clear enough that abortion is wrong. Shame on the Presbyterian Church then for mentioning “diverse conclusions and actions” then.

It is important that the Church take a consistent position on abortion, so that the Church can best provide the proper advice for all who turn to their churches when facing an unplanned pregnancy. A pastor at one church may advise a woman to get an abortion, while another may not. But why is the mother and her unborn child advised to get an abortion any less deserving of being free from the ills of abortion. You will not see a Catholic priest advising on an abortion, at least not without consequences. Those in the Catholic Church know better.

Let us examine now what Pew’s page says about the Catholicism:

In accordance with its widely publicized anti-abortion teachings, the Catholic Church opposes abortion in all circumstances and often leads the national debate on abortion.

One may disagree with Catholicism when it comes to abortion, but one cannot say that he doesn’t know what the Church teaches. And, not only does the Catholic Church take a consistent stand against all abortions, but “often leads the national debate on abortion.” This is what a model for life indeed looks like.

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