As Catholics, indeed, as human beings, there is only one position that is morally acceptable. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right to life".
It's clear, the Church leaves no room for discussion on this issue. The simple fact is that the child is human from the moment that the sperm and the egg come together in conception. In that moment, God has created a distinct human being. The child already possesses his own DNA and, within the first month, his own distinguishable heartbeat. He is not just another part of his mother's body -- such as an arm or a leg -- but a true temporary resident in need of food and shelter. When he is able to live out side the womb, the child is born. Think of it this way; a baby's time in the womb is similar to a person temporarily in an oxygen tent. He cannot survive outside of the tent, but he is still a human being, possessing inviolable rights. There is no difference between the tent and the womb - same thing.
So, it's clear that the child is human right from the beginning. So, why do so many women and girls seek abortions every year? The most common excuse I've heard is the "unwanted pregnancy" phrase. I've heard people say that a child is better off dead than growing up in an unwanted environment.
People! This is a truly sad commentary on the value of human life in today's world. There are many thousands of couples on waiting lists who would be thrilled to provide a baby with a welcoming, loving home. Just because the mother doesn't want him doesn't mean that the child is unwanted. So, the excuse of "unwanted pregnancy" needs another explanation.
The reality of this is that the pro-abortion woman is unwilling to give nine months of her life in order to give life to her own child. She then justifies her crime by trying to turn it into a humanitarian act. There's nothing humanitarian in murder - and abortions are murder, nothing less.
It's true, babies have been dehumanized. It's also true that children in general have been de-valued. I hear, constantly - in the press and elsewhere - about the "inconvenience" of children. Children are NOT an inconvenience, they're a blessing, a gift from God. But, in a world that's been conditioned to consider that children are a nuisance or an inconvenience, it's easy to see why women use birth control pills, diaphrams, whatever. In a world where human life has so little value, it's easy to see why the decision of abortion is so easy to make.
Other excuses for abortions: too many fetuses, defects in the fetus, well-being of the mother. Let's take them one at a time. Remember, these are EXCUSES for murder, not reasons.
TOO MANY FETUSES: So, a fetus is a child (unborn). Let's look at it a slightly different way. A family has 4 children. How would they justify killing 2 of them so that the ones who weren't murdered might have a better chance at survival? What's the difference between killing two unborn children and killing two established children? THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE! Murder is murder.
DEFECTS IN THE FETUS: What's a defect? How's that an excuse? "The baby is better off dead than crippled", that's one excuse I've heard. OK, I'm also (slightly) crippled - I've got a bad leg from an accident some years ago. Am I better off dead? Kill the fetus, kill me - it's still MURDER!
WELL-BEING OF THE MOTHER: This is the hardest excuse to argue. A difficult situation, sure, but difficult situations come up in life every day. However, the only choice possible is to preserve life, all life. That means the baby, as well as the mother, must be given a chance to survive on their own - of course, with the help of modern medicines. No doctor is always 100% right. Only God knows the future and our faith should help us to trust in Him.
Abortion is, simply, throwing away God's gift to us before we even know what it is.
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