Abortion of babies conceived with violence

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It is illogical, but there are a variety of reasons people feel differently about it I think.

One thing you will sometimes see argued is that a woman who chooses to have sex is choosing the possibility of conception, therefore she has a moral obligation to accept the pregnancy. It is a fairly common argument which I have even seen repeated by strong pro-life advocates, and there is a kind of truth to it. However, if a person accepts it as a primary reason against abortion, it rather implies that a woman who does not choose to have sex is not obligated to carry the baby to term. People who accept this argument have lost sight of the fact that, if the fetus is a person, and being a person is significant, than having an abortion is wrong in both cases. Similarly, if it isn’t a person or that isn’t significant, than abortion should not be a problem even if the mother consents to sex. So I think the use of this argument sometimes does not serve pro-life positions well.

As well, people feel great compassion for a rape victim, and rightly so. And to have a pregnancy seems to just make the whole thing last longer, when the natural desire of the raped woman is to forget it and leave it behind. She feels her body has been violated and used, and it is easy for her to feel even more that way as a result of pregnancy - even willing mothers sometimes feel their bodies have left their control. It seems somehow unjust.

And I guess that is the real issue - it iS unjust that she was raped, and is now pregnant, through no fault of her own, and that she is suffering emotional and possibly physical trauma, and may experience more physical trauma, discomfort, and even health issues related to pregnancy. It is unjust that people will naturally be interested in her pregnancy and ask all the questions that people ask mothers, and she will not know how to answer.

So people think - well, if it is unjust, than the just thing to do must be to remove the injustice somehow, which they think means end the pregnancy which they feel is part of the injustice.

At least, that is my take on why people feel the way you describe. I don’t think it is logically supportable, but many people think with their emotions, and there is a certain sense to it from that perspective.
 
even my fellow Catholics will tell me :
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“Don’t be so black and white Amanda, it’s not HER fault she got pregnant. Why should she be morally obligated to carry a rapists baby?”
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You have an obligation to those fellow Catholics to set them straight on what the Church teaches, and remind them these are foundational truth, not optional guidelines you can follow if you feel like it. The simple answer to the above question, as has already been pointed out by many, is: “Because it is a human life, that’s why.”
 
Amanda, I know your plight, I’d have to say of the Catholics I know well, a small handful or less believe abortion in the case of rape is wrong. In fact most I know Catholic or otherwise who normally don’t advocate abortion in any case would almost think it’s wrong NOT to abort in the case of rape. Wacky and twisted logic, but this is what I’ve come across.

It’s a good thing my mother didn’t follow this line of thinking or I wouldn’t be here:)

Yes, I was conceived in rape and I’m not scarred by it, haunted by it, or in any way negatively affected by it.

I do think like Bluegoat said a lot of people acquiesce in their abortion stance in the case of rape out of compassion for the mother. No doubt rape is a grave injustice and evil act and it is’ good and natural for people to feel compassion for the victim, but what they don’t realize is that abortion again victimizes the mother who is pregnant with HER child through no fault of her own, and the baby is punished and victimized for something he has no fault for. Aborting the innocent baby just keeps the cycle of violence going.

Your Catholic friends need look no further than the catechism to know what the Church teaches on the subject. I applaud you Amanda for thinking outside the box so to speak, you’re most definitely on the right track 🙂
 
ShannyK, you’re a beautiful example of the goodness and joy that God can bring out of a bad situation. 🙂
 
I think the key reason has already been pointed out: a victim of rape feels it is unjust that she must carry her baby to term, since the baby could be a continuing reminder of the violence inflicted. Most people tend to look at it this way, without realizing that you can not heal violence with even more bloody violence.

Additionally, our culture gives a sympathetic view toward abortion because it affects so many. Many people have relatives, girlfriends, and friends who chose abortion. Or they have friends, parents, siblings, and other relatives that encouraged abortion. To believe that abortion is murder is to believe that those you love who had abortions participated in a murder. That’s a scary idea for many. Psychologically, it is far easier to believe that the self, and one’s loved ones are basically “good people” who would never participate in murder.

So many people will hedge on the idea that “abortion is murder” in favor of the belief that abortion is an “option, but not an ideal one”. The case of abortion for rape victims is easily accepted in that second view.
 
<< Originally Posted by Amandak249 View Post
In my mind, allowing a woman to have an abortion because she has been raped gives me the impression that the church is telling women that a baby is a “punishment” for having premarital sex, and that if you did not willingly engage in sex then you do not deserve the “penalty”.>>

You’re quite right.

The unborn baby should be executed because his/her father was a rapist, and the perpetrator should go free.

Though the only ones I’ve heard talk about pregnancy and children being a punishment are the pro-death faction. The Bible says that children are a BLESSING from the Lord. The circumstances of conception do not mitigate the blessing.
 
You know, years ago I read in a secular magazine an article featuring several women who conceived children as a result of rape and decided not to abort.
Some kept their children- some gave up for adoption.
None regreted their decision. As was said by a poster above joy was given out of suffering.
 
Amandak249 said:
Why is rape considered an acceptable reason to get an abortion?
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The general consensus I’ve heard from people who rationalize abortion in the case of rape is that it’s too hard mentally to carry the child to term, or that it’s more than anyone should expect. There are also a lot of claims that it’s not fair to the child to let them live because it’s too hard mentally for them, knowing they were conceived as a result of a non consentual act. Sp the spin is that you are saving the child life of hardship and mental anguish.

Frankly, I think this line of thinking is used by pro abortion people to rationalize their support of all abortions and to undermine people that lean pro life but make exceptions for rape or health of the mother, because once you open the door to abortion being ok in some cases why not any case. You know it’s too hard mentally for that struggling mother with too many children to have another, or the mother that is living on limited means, or the one who is going through a divorce or “insert excuse”

And rape is used as a testing point by pro abortion people to see if you are one of those fanatics that isn’t reasonable.
 
And rape is used as a testing point by pro abortion people to see if you are one of those fanatics that isn’t reasonable.
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Isn’t that the truth!

I like to take that veiled accusation of heartlessness and unreasonableness and turn it around.

If all we, as a society, have to offer a rape victim in the form of assistance and compassion is her own dead child on a metal tray, then we have failed as a society.
 
OK here is my take as someone who has survived sexual abuse.

“Forgive us thy trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

We say it every mass and it is the first step of healing. This does not mean you don’t prosecute and that you go visit your rapist in prison every month :confused: That would be absurd. You can forgive without liking it or forgetting about it. 🤷

I would say acting out of anger and taking an innocent human life just because it was the product somehting vulgar would be as far a step away from forgiveness as possible. However, developing a relationship with a beatiful human being that is innocent even though it is a product of somehting so vulgar could be that first step in the right direction. 🙂
 
I have a friend who was raped and became pregnant. She chose to keep the baby, and when she later married, her husband adopted her son. She now has another son as well.

She tells me her love for her tiny son was one of the things that pulled her through the aftermath of the violence she had received. Somehow I don’t think having killed him would have given the same therapeutic effect!

I think children conceived in rape is a great example of God bringing good out of evil. He intervenes in a sinful situation to make something beautiful come to be. The rape is a tragedy, but the baby isn’t – the baby is a baby, and as a previous poster pointed out, the baby might just grow up to post on CAF! It makes us, in an odd way, thankful that a sin was done because good resulted – like we can be thankful for the sin of Adam and Eve, that won for us Christ as a redeemer.
 
I also have a cousin-in-law who has a child who was conceived in rape. Her boyfriend who is the father of her youngest (not getting into her current living situation- it’s a wonder somedays she is still sane- everyone finds their path in their time and I just try to be the best example I can and supportive rather than judgemental) has also accepted this child his son as he was with her at the time of the rape. Even though they broke up for a while over trying to deal with it, they eventually got back together and he has accepted the youngest as his son, even though he has a disability. That to me is an amazing gift of God and can only come from the Holy Spirit coupled with a Mother’s love. Wow, isn’t that the same way we got Jesus Christ. The only difference is Christ was born sinless. In this case only the mother had no sin in the act. Consider this coupling of the Holy Spirit and a Mother’s love almost a cleansing of the soul through forgiveness; if you could. It is kind of a pretty metaphor if you think of it.🙂 Either that or you would like me to hold hands with some friends and start singing kumbaya. 🤷
 
shannyk said:
Amanda, I know your plight, I’d have to say of the Catholics I know well, a small handful or less believe abortion in the case of rape is wrong. In fact most I know Catholic or otherwise who normally don’t advocate abortion in any case would almost think it’s wrong NOT to abort in the case of rape. Wacky and twisted logic, but this is what I’ve come across.

It’s a good thing my mother didn’t follow this line of thinking or I wouldn’t be here:)

Yes, I was conceived in rape and I’m not scarred by it, haunted by it, or in any way negatively affected by it.

I do think like Bluegoat said a lot of people acquiesce in their abortion stance in the case of rape out of compassion for the mother. No doubt rape is a grave injustice and evil act and it is’ good and natural for people to feel compassion for the victim, but what they don’t realize is that abortion again victimizes the mother who is pregnant with HER child through no fault of her own, and the baby is punished and victimized for something he has no fault for. Aborting the innocent baby just keeps the cycle of violence going.

Your Catholic friends need look no further than the catechism to know what the Church teaches on the subject. I applaud you Amanda for thinking outside the box so to speak, you’re most definitely on the right track 🙂
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Wow! I am speechless. I have a friend who was raped and is raising her son, despite the fact the rapist successfully sued and won paternal visitation privileges (in prison for raping her, nonetheless). She absolutely knows she did the right thing as her son, only 10, has already figured out that this “father” is a very bad guy.

Your mother is a wonderful woman and clearly a great mother. May God bless you both.
 
despite the fact the rapist successfully sued and won paternal visitation privileges
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:eek:

You have got to be kidding me. What diabolical judge… :mad:
 
Liberanosamalo said:
:eek:

You have got to be kidding me. What diabolical judge… :mad:
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He was probably not able to make any other decision - judges don’t always have a lot of freedom in their judgments - I’d go so far as to say most of the time they have very little freedom at all.
 
Most states have no laws terminating rapists from their parental rights - the closest thing you can come to it is that some states have a law where a long jail sentence is grounds for termination of parental rights as the parent will be incarcerated for much of the child’s childhood. In adulthood the child can make his/her own decisions. In Florida it is ten years. This would fit nicely with many rape convictions.
 
rpp said:
Wow! I am speechless. I have a friend who was raped and is raising her son, despite the fact the rapist successfully sued and won paternal visitation privileges (in prison for raping her, nonetheless). She absolutely knows she did the right thing as her son, only 10, has already figured out that this “father” is a very bad guy.

Your mother is a wonderful woman and clearly a great mother. May God bless you both.
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rpp that is crazy, your friends situation…I can’t imagine! Does she have to take her son to visit him in jail? Wow. Talk about putting an unfair burden on the mother and son, in this situation. And not to mention, how confusing for the little guy. What an awesome mom she has to be, indeed.

My bio-father was in jail for only 5 years from what I was told, but he relinquished parental rights shortly after I was born. A few years later my mom, who was 18 at the time, got married and my dad legally adopted me.
 
James Robinson, a protestant TV preacher was a product of a rape and his mother was talked out of aborting him. His ministry has provided a great deal of charity to poor people around the world. Although carrying and raising a child born of a rape may be a tremendous cross for a woman to bear, we can never prejudge the potential of the child and what God has planned for them.
 
Liberanosamalo said:
ShannyK, you’re a beautiful example of the goodness and joy that God can bring out of a bad situation. 🙂
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I agree! 👍 I used to think that abortion in case of rape was okay, and I was even Catholic at that time. Now, I recognize the sanctity of all life, especially that of an innocent life. I really do abhor and hate rapists to the bone though. :mad: Oneof the reasons why I support the death penalty.
 
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