Abortion and contraception are objectively sinful. That cannot be changed. But our relationship to those objectively sinful acts has to be looked at.
Sin can be divided into two categories; formal and material.
- Formal sin is when we know it is wrong and we actually commit the sin ourselves. A man who robs a bank is committing a formal sin. A doctor who commits abortion is committing a formal sin. A man who drinks to get drunk commits formal sin.
- Material sin is when we ourselves don’t commit the sin but we contribute to it. A bartender who gives a man drinks knowing he is drunk is committing a material sin. A receptionist who takes appointments at an abortion clinic commits material sins.
Material sin is either
proximate or
remote. The bartender in the above example is proximate because he hadns the drink directly to the drunk. The woman who takes appointments in the above example is proximate because she helps to facilitate the abortion. They are directly involved and so are
proximate. The owner of the building which is leased to the bar or abortion clinic however is remote - he is not directly involved, and in some circumstances may not even know that sinful acts are taking place in his building.
In the case of paying taxes for abortion and contraception, we who oppose these sinful acts and are forced to pay taxes which support them are guilty of remote material sin. This is not as bad as proximate material sin, and proximate material sin is not as bad as directly committing the sin AKA formal sin, but it is still a sin.
Yes, paying taxes to support abortion and contraception is a sin. It is remote material sin.
And this is where a good priest will look at culpability. We break the law if we don’t pay those taxes, the government takes away our house, puts us in jail, and our children may be homeless. In this case we are under duress and so we are less culpable. An upper middle class woman who drives an SUV and lives in a 4000 square foot home who decides she doesn’t want another child and has an abortion is more culpable than a poor teenager who was not taught properly and has an abortion as a last desperate act.
In the case of remote material sin, we are obligated to speak out, to try and right the wrong, and to do what is in our power to do, but the Church does not tell us that we are to break the law. The Church is not in the business of asking people to participate in civil disobedience. We are however, obligated to speak out whenever the subject comes up, as often as we can, and to work toward righting the wrong.
It is a difficult subject, and a priest should be trained to help us with this. That it why it is important to find a good priest who is trained in discerning these issues and ask about these things.
-Tim-
but what can we do about that, and what is our culpability here? any thoughts?
Since i’ve always been a student this has always been my situation, but I’m thinking about the future. I hope Canada changes this law.