Indirect support of abortion

[dosenmike]

What is the Church’s teaching concerning indirect support of abortion.

For example if you would shop at a large retail store( Wal Mart, Kohl’s, Trader Joes, etc.) that you knewthat they send some support Planned Parenthood?

 

[DexUK]

If you are concerned with a corporation’s policies in this regard, then if you can find an alternative to frequent without unduly suffering then probably you should. However, if the corporation concerned is the only one that sells things that are necessary and you would suffer hardship, then you may shop there.

Imagine there’s only one doctor in town. If you got desperately sick you would need his attention, even if he procured abortions for other people. You don’t have to like it and, indeed, you can use his services under protest, but you’re not expected to suffer, say, a gangrenous wound just because you don’t like the things he offers to other people.

 

[1ke]

What is the Church’s teaching concerning indirect support of abortion.

For example if you would shop at a large retail store( Wal Mart, Kohl’s, Trader Joes, etc.) that you knewthat they send some support Planned Parenthood?

Formal and material cooperation with evil are sins.

Making purchases at retail stores for every day items does not constitute formal or material cooperation with the evil of abortion.

 

[dosenmike]

Formal cooperation would entail my support of the action in my beliefe structure?

Material cooperation would have to do with the financial support of the transaction being significant to have an affect on the event?

 

[DexUK]

It would have to be a direct connection. Otherwise think of this. You buy something from Person A. Person A spends that money with Person B. Person B uses that money to procure an abortion.

You are not in control of what Person A does with that money. It’s a very short chain, for the purposes of this example, but in real life your money goes from one place to the next to another, and so on and so on, and eventually a tiny amount of it WILL be used for an immoral purpose.

We are all involved in a world full of immorality. We can’t escape it, unfortunately. The best that we can do is live our own lives as a shining example of what is right for the benefit of other people. We simply can’t police everything.

 

[WetCatechumen]

Formal and material cooperation with evil are sins.

Making purchases at retail stores for every day items does not constitute formal or material cooperation with the evil of abortion.

If I have an employee that I pay to do some service, and he chooses to donate that money to Planned Parenthood, should I fire him and hire someone else?

No. It’s his money to do with as he wishes.

 

[elts1956]

What is the Church’s teaching concerning indirect support of abortion.

For example if you would shop at a large retail store( Wal Mart, Kohl’s, Trader Joes, etc.) that you knewthat they send some support Planned Parenthood?

This would be remote cooperation. Since Pro abort retail stores abound, the best we can do is perhaps choose which ones to boycott, but also send a letter to their management telling them why one will not deal with them.

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
Thomas Jefferson

Silence has gotten us into this mess. Now it will take generations to get us out, if then.

 

[elts1956]

What is the Church’s teaching concerning indirect support of abortion.

For example if you would shop at a large retail store( Wal Mart, Kohl’s, Trader Joes, etc.) that you knewthat they send some support Planned Parenthood?

It would have to be a direct connection. Otherwise think of this. You buy something from Person A. Person A spends that money with Person B. Person B uses that money to procure an abortion.

You are not in control of what Person A does with that money. It’s a very short chain, for the purposes of this example, but in real life your money goes from one place to the next to another, and so on and so on, and eventually a tiny amount of it WILL be used for an immoral purpose.

We are all involved in a world full of immorality. We can’t escape it, unfortunately. The best that we can do is live our own lives as a shining example of what is right for the benefit of other people. We simply can’t police everything.

But we can police SOME things. And that just might make a difference. No we can’t escape the immorality in this world, but we can fight to the full measure of our abilities.

 

[elts1956]

Formal cooperation would entail my support of the action in my beliefe structure?

Material cooperation would have to do with the financial support of the transaction being significant to have an affect on the event?

Listen to the teachings of the Church and your conscience, which hopefully, is formed well.

 

[Cojuanco]

What is the Church’s teaching concerning indirect support of abortion.

For example if you would shop at a large retail store( Wal Mart, Kohl’s, Trader Joes, etc.) that you knewthat they send some support Planned Parenthood?

That’s not really “indirect” support per se, and IIRC it’s not a sin. To use an analogy: I go to the grocer, who is a Protestant. I buy his wares, and give him money in exchange. He uses that money to support a heretical organization. I have not sinned, because I did not urge him to give the money to that cause, and he did it of his own volition.

So it would be a sin if you shopped at a certain vendor, specifically because you want him to use that money to fund abortions. But if you’re only trying to get some bread for a reasonable price, it’s not a sin - you did not make the storeowner contribute to Planned Parenthood.