A Libertarian Atheist Answers "Pro-Choice Catholics"

[The_Reginator]

A Libertarian Atheist Answers “Pro-Choice Catholics”

I came across this piece today.
I found that the author, Doris Gordon (not a Catholic), largely follows the logic I used as a teenager when I first heard the word ‘abortion’. (I had probably noticed the Roe vs Wade controversy in the United States on the news at the time.)
It wasn’t until I had already thought this through that I discovered that most denominations held this viewpoint. ( I was Anglican at the time.) So whenever I hear ‘pro-choice’ people try to claim that it is merely a religious ideal I just shake my head.

From the article:

Q: Do these encyclicals say anything against the legalization of abortion?

Fr. Pavone: “Yes, The Gospel of Life states that no civil authority has the right to legitimize abortion, and that if it tries, such laws lack all authentic juridic validity. Yet the Church does not reach that conclusion based on the religious arguments against abortion, but rather based on the fact that abortion violates fundamental human rights which any government is bound to protect. The Church sees her call for laws against abortion in the same way as for laws against stealing. Though stealing is against the teachings of Catholicism, the non-believer is not free to say, `Since I am not Catholic, I may steal.’”

Sounds sensible to me. When faith and reason arrive at the same position, that’s a strong recommendation for it. But if others learned in Catholicism have counter arguments, I’d like to hear them.

 

[Seno_Ryan]

Abortion violates the natural law and the common good of society. If one uses just reason alone he/she will come to the same conclusion as the Catholic Church.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

As I have stated in other threads, abortion also violates common sense:

We do not kill our children.