There are many problems on Earth, most of these problems are viewed in different perspective throughout different religions, cultures, and societies. From all religions the catholic religion was picked, to research their view and thoughts on abortion. Abortion is a big issue on Earth as mothers decide not to give birth to the creature inside them, in other words the mother decides the death of the creature. The Catholic view in abortion is as common as many other religions, but it also has its major differences.
As abortion raised “The Canon Law” came into play, to regulate and direct the orders of the Catholic church (Cirrus, Jeff, Dr. “The Church on Abortion: A Misconstrued History. “). The view of abortion has changed through the years and made slight adjustments, even though it is still wrong and inhuman to commit such thing in the Catholic religion. First of all, since 1973 when abortion started, the catholic religion has always been against abortion as many other religion, but in a stricter manner since teachings in the Catholic religion do not have a way around in abortion as others do.
Since the first century the Catholic religion has confirmed the evil behind every act of abortion. In the Catholic’s point of view, abortion has always been a grave that the evil cleared for he infants being aborted. (“Abortion. ” – Marriage and Respect Life. ) That means that abortion is an abominable crime and a sin. In the Catholic church it is clarified that humans are God’s protectors of life, and shall be obedient as they carry it out in a worthy manner of themselves; therefore, as said by Catholic Doctrine of Faith in Donum Vitae “human beings must be respected as a person from the very instant of his existence”.
To continue, it is believed that life is a gift from God the Creator and Father of mankind as well as being able to give life. When a human decides to commit such act as abortion, the Catholic religion sees it as taking God’s most wonderful gift away and also as going against God’s will, which is a mayor sin. Furthermore, as a woman decides to abort she, is committing a crime and going against one of God commandments “you should not murder” which is also a greater sin in God’s eyes.
Also as stated in the teaching of the twelve apostles “The Didache” “The second commandment of the teaching: You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not seduce boys. You shall not commit fornication. You shall not steal. You shall not practice magic. You shall not use potions. You shall not procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child” (Didache 2:1-2 [A. D. 70]). Catholic Christian believe that life is sacred because it is the creation of God and the way humans have a bond with God. Only God is the Lord of life from its beginning till its natural death.
The respect for the sacredness, life in the womb originates in Christianity Jewish roots, in the old Jewish world they were very different from their surroundings and the people around them who had different beliefs, there infant sacrifice and abortion were not uncommon to the Palestine culture, but for the Jewish people and the orthodox Jews till today, all absolute human life has its author “God” whom produces the child in a woman’s womb, making her a mother who then brings the child step towards step into a full life.
In the old testament Moses proclaims that, “When you hearken to the voice of the Lord, your God, all these blessings will come upon you and overwhelm you: May you be blessed in the city, and blessed in the country! Blessed be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your soil and the offspring of your livestock, the issue of your herds and the young of your flocks! Blessed be your grain bin and your kneading bowl! May you be blessed in your coming in and blessed in your going out! ” (Deuteronomy, 28:2-6). The Jewish teaching sustained the sanctity of the life of the not yet unborn child.
A Christian would consider as murderers, those women who take medicines or purposely hurt them selfs to to produce an abortion its said that he “God” judges the killer of children, including those still living in their mother’s womb, it is also said in Christian catholic belief that to prevent birth is to anticipate murder, it makes very little difference whether one destroys a life already born or does away with it in its nascent stage of being fully produced into life. ” In the year 300, the Council of Elvira, a local church council in Spain, passed specific legislation condemning abortion (Canon, 63).
The legalization of Christianity in 313, the condemnation against abortion remained and the churched teaching says that a woman who has deliberately destroyed their fetus and has taken medicine harming the womb must pay the penalty for murder. Roman Catholic churches from the very beginning till today has consistently upheld the importance of life and condemned the act of direct abortion as a greater sin towards our own maker “God”. As many women decide to abort there are many others who cannot get pregnant and would like a baby.
This is the main reasons why doctors and also the catholic religion recommends, instead of making a sin. By taking the fact into consideration many decide not to abort and make a pro-choice to help another woman be a mother. This act of adoption protects lots of souls from falling into an evil sin and do not live with such a tragedy for the rest of their lives, while at the same time it builds other families (“The Eye of the Storm. ” The Economist). Catholics see this as a form of God’s plan and will on people’s life. “It all happens for a reason”.
Long ago in a catholic society if a man were to harm a pregnant woman he would be faced with many problems. If the woman and her womb do not suffer any casualties it depended on the husband if he wanted to demand money in a court of law. In their eyes what was the difference between man who hit a woman and a woman whom purposely takes the life of its unborn child, “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely [Hebrew: “so that her child comes out”], but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.
But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Exodus. 21:22-24). Even thorough the new generation of Catholics are looking into the empathetic side of abortion to do rape it is still a long way to come and not condemn a person who has committed the murder of their own children. The pope Francis is looking into ways the churches can grant absolution for the sin of abortion (Linker, Damon. “How Pope Francis Is Perpetuating the Catholic Church’s Radical Anti-abortion Position. “).
While offering a healing message of mercy instead of a harsh hand of judgment and reproach, but many people view this as an absurd path due to the way they have been tough in their catholic teaching. In their eyes abortion is majorly wrong not mattering the reasons because the gift of a child by “God” is not something humans should take away. Sometime the right of a human beings to be free and make their own decisions tends to get in the way of some people belief that some decision is not for human beings to make, due to the reason that we are “gods”.
From the beginning a human being must be recognized as having the right of a person, however it does recognize as morally legitimate some acts that result in death of a fetus, additionally saying that abortion is immoral, the catholic churches also make statements about how abortion is illegal to do. Catholics disagree with any official position of the catholic church do to the fact that there are more people to go to church as there is some that don’t go as often and develop their own different beliefs on abortion (Saunders, William, Fr. The Catholic Church and Abortion. “). “When a person only looks at what they can do, misinterpret the laws, and confuse their rights to the word of God, is when they commit a mistake, crime, or even a sin. Many mothers that attempt to get abortions are teenagers. Around one million teenagers in America become pregnant, from that million seventy-eight percent are unplanned and thirty-five percent decides to abort (Kooistra, Kathryn, and Rachael K. Jones. “Abortion Incidence and Access to Services in the United States, 2008. “).
Only if that thirty-eight percent had education about abortion, the major sin that she is committing and had a great punishment after doing such act there would not be as many abortions. As far as stopping abortion, only prayers and God can stop abortion from happening. ” [View and opinion, with online research from Frances L. Colon, a lady that has been submitted to the Catholic Religion since birth and helps the priest at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church). Abortion has been one of the many devised issues in America since some states were forbidden to outlaw abortion at the 1973 Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision.
Ever since then fifty million abortions have been done in the USA with the average of 3400 abortions being made each day. That being said Catholics say that they would never perform an intrinsically evil act to bring about a great good for the people. In Romans 12:21 Paul says that we should not be conquered by evil but that we should conquer evil with good. The act of rape is a grave sin and majorly unjustified, which are often done to woman and children, the churches work in this in their own way which is seeking out health care, emotional and spiritual care as well.
In their eyes if a child is conceived in a pregnancy caused by rape, then the child is just as innocent as the woman who was victimized and he/she should not be killed because of the actions taken by the rapists a church teaches that through the mercy and love a nonviolent solution for both the mother whom was raped and the kid whom was consumed in the horrible act, it is far superior to helping a victim of violence committed against her own child through abortion.
The same fault a mother has for aborting carries to the father of the baby. Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person” (Deuteronomy, 27:25). Where are the fathers of the baby whom are being killed by their mothers? Why the fathers do not take action in changing the mother’s thoughts? As abortion happens some fathers are the one that committed the crime of raping the women, while others never spoke up their mind, also some fathers never find out that they are father because the mother of the baby decide to abort without the father’s consent (Di Nucci, Ezio.
“Fathers And Abortion. Journal Of Medicine & Philosophy). That being said sometime the father does not have a choice into the situation and that why most of the time they do not even have time to speak up. In the other hand, there is fathers that do go with abortion, just so can dodge fatherhood which will require a lot of time, love and support. What happens to the creature being aborted, as far as where does his soul goes? As babies are aborted the question comes up often. Why? That is because if the baby is not baptize and the soul is not purified.
Baptism in the catholic religion is needed for salvation. Getting baptize is God’s order prior to the ascension to heaven; therefore, the church can only deliver the baby to the mercy of God (“Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 2 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 1 ARTICLE 1”. ) The mother may confess and ask for prayers from the priest and as well, mercy from God. “As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them.
Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: ‘Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them,’ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism” (Graebe, Brian A. “Library: Do Aborted Babies Go To Heaven? “). Abortion has been a remorseful practice which is not supposed be used to stable or control sacred moments that happen in life such as giving birth to new life. That is why the civil law has been willing to penalize the abortionist, while exposing great mercy to the aborting mother.
Actions on abortion have been taken seriously due to the circumstances whether the mother is, or how may it affect her in such way in which can cause death. Never forgetting the threat behind abortion, which the sin is committed are always taken into account. In the Bible, and even in Canon Law, what abortionist might call “it was just a mistake” or “I was raped” puts in risk the life of the baby in the womb and also the purity of the mother’s souls as she is committing a major sin by aborting. However, it will always be clear that abortion is a serious sin in Catholic religion due to beliefs, practices, and the word of God.