Pro-Life answer about abortion

[TheLittleLady]

Have you called your local crisis pregnancy center?

I had a family member (in another state) who was in a serious crisis pregnancy. I directed her to the nearby crisis pregnancy center. They offered her a box of used baby clothes.

Most people think “teen mom” when they think of crisis pregnancy. The idea of a dire prenatal diagnoses or serious life-threatening situation for mom is usually outside the wheelhouse of the town CPC.

My parish does not have a ministry that takes care of children if mom is ill or if she dies. Does yours? How do you recruit? How is it advertised? Do you only care for Catholic families?

These are real world situations and we have to offer more than a pregnancy test and a baby gift.

 

[Wesrock]

A medical treatment that results in the death of the child is morally licit so long as the cure isn’t the death of the child itself. For example, during an ectopic pregnancy, the child implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus and the fallopian tube becomes inflamed/infected. Removing the fallopian tube, since it’s inflamed tissue, is a morally licit procedure, even if it results in the death of the child. However, if the course of treatment is simply to treat the child itself as a disease that needs to be excised, that is morally impermissible.

 

[JanetF]

Yes, I’ve contacted various Crisis Pregnancy Centers. I’ll have to concede that some may not be as good as the ones I have worked with, since I haven’t worked with all the centers in existence.

While your church may not have a specific ministry group for crisis pregnancies, the church secretary is font of knowledge in my experience and with a little effort would be able to get some resources lined up for the dad.

 

[TheLittleLady]

the church secretary is font of knowledge in my experience and with a little effort would be able to get some resources lined up for the dad.

I AM the church secretary. We do not even at the Diocese level have a program that sends in nannies or babysitters. The legalities would make management a full time job!

 

[JanetF]

I AM the church secretary. We do not even at the Diocese level have a program that sends in nannies or babysitters. The legalities would make management a full time job!

I’m not talking about a specific program, I’m talking about having a network of information to provide. Similar to the sorts of things done when someone dies unexpectedly and all of a sudden the family has enough food to feed them for a month. You know people in the parish who might be able to give guidance.

My sister is a parish secretary too, that’s what I’m basing this off of.

 

[TheLittleLady]

A week of food trains is one thing.

A program that provides “resources in place” (still waiting for the reply on that one) for the community is far different.

 

[SusanneT]

Out of sympathy and compassion for women in very difficult situations (such as rape victims)there is a tendency to look for compromises but there should be none when the murder of a child is contemplated. It is always wrong.

Our sympathy should be directed to providing help to mothers not condoning abortion.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

That’s what I’m thinking, too, that the doctor may not have been entirely truthful or accurate.
Preeclampsia usually is on the later part of pregnancy, although it occasionally can start earlier.
We are morally permitted to treat conditions. Not to kill human beings.

 

[TheLittleLady]

We need to create a community where there is so much love and support and acceptance that no one would ever consider an abortion.

The question is, what are we as Christians doing to make that a reality?

 

[Raxus]

Today a mother in a doctor’s office or hospital clinic in your town will have an ultrasound that reveals a serious problem. This family has young children at home, one of these kids has autism, dad works two jobs to keep a roof over their heads, they have no extended family.

This is a rather conveniently-constructed worst-case scenario that is likely not anywhere close to the norm…a meteorite could strike me squarely between the eyes and cause my head to explode tomorrow morning, so that means I shouldn’t step outside ever, right?..but for the sake of discussion, I’ll play along with your wildly unrealistic scenario.

The doctor reading the ultrasound tells this couple that the medical situation is dire and that continuing the pregnancy puts her life in jeopardy and that the child will be born with serious, lifelong medical needs. The doctor advises them to terminate the pregnancy because of the risk. Doc reassures them that they are young and can have more children.

A life is a life. You can’t choose to murder a human life for the sake of convenience or even to mitigate risk. That’s simply all there is to it. There are scenarios in which the treatment of the mother than might also put the baby at risk are acceptable, because the point is to treat the mother, NOT to terminate the baby. Those are rare, however.

She is lying there on the table, the doctor says they need to make a decision right now. Mom is terrified to die and leave her husband as a widower with young children when he cannot afford a nanny or daycare for the kids. How can he raise the children on his own? And a newborn, a special needs newborn, there is no way he can balance all of this and keep a roof overhead and food on the table.

And the dad is missing an eye and and the house is made of plywood and there’s 15 feet of snow on the ground and there’s a ghoul living in the basement too, right?

I am interested to know, what resources are in place already for this family AND how well are these resources advertised to the community?

Googling “Resources for caring for special needs kids” and “Resources for poor families with kids” are a great start. Also, asking their church for help is a good place to start. And we all know that there is government help available. Anything more specific depends on where they live, income bracket, etc.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Googling “Resources for caring for special needs kids” and “Resources for poor families with kids” are a great start. Also, asking their church for help is a good place to start. And we all know that there is government help available. Anything more specific depends on where they live, income bracket, etc.

I would challenge you to talk to those in outreach in your city to find out what exists. There are many urban myths about assistance.

This is a rather conveniently-constructed worst-case scenario that is likely not anywhere close to the norm

My purpose was to illustrate that there are real, live, human beings with legitimate fears - strike that - terrors, who are put under incredible pressure by “society”, and we have to begin to think of these people. We have to work to educate our local medical community about what resources actually exist (not what we think exist because we heard it on a TV show commentary).

 

[Raxus]

I would challenge you to talk to those in outreach in your city to find out what exists. There are many urban myths about assistance.

In Texas, funding was pulled from Planned Parenthood and funneled directly into pregnancy crisis centers, very transparently. No myths here.

My purpose was to illustrate that there are real, live, human beings with legitimate fears - strike that - terrors, who are put under incredible pressure by “society”, and we have to begin to think of these people.

Your case isn’t made with highly-improbable outliers.

We have to work to educate our local medical community about what resources actually exist (not what we think exist because we heard it on a TV show commentary).

Agreed! I don’t watch TV and I’m connected to any form of social media, however. I do my own research.

 

[TheLittleLady]

In Texas, funding was pulled from Planned Parenthood and funneled directly into pregnancy crisis centers, very transparently. No myths here.

CPCs have a place, however, they are not the be all and end all. Do you have “maternity homes” where a single mom can live, give birth, and then get on her feet?

Do you have a group who will provide free child care?

Someone on call 24X7 to go to a hospital and talk to a terrified mom/couple?

Do you have a group who supports new parents with meals or watching the baby so they can get a nap/shower?

 

[Raxus]

CPCs have a place, however, they are not the be all and end all. Do you have “maternity homes” where a single mom can live, give birth, and then get on her feet?

We’ve got the Heidi Group in Texas, which will help folks get to the nearest one.

Do you have a group who will provide free child care?

Texas Work Force subsidizes free childcare for low-income families.

Someone on call 24X7 to go to a hospital and talk to a terrified mom/couple?

Any priest can do this.

Do you have a group who supports new parents with meals or watching the baby so they can get a nap/shower?

No idea. The Attorney General’s office is probably a good place to start looking.

Now:

Have you started or significantly funded all of the above for people in your home state? Do you open your doors to anyone, anytime? Do without luxuries so that strangers can have what you do? Are you on call 24/7 for any family, any time?

Also, is your silly interrogation complete?

 

[TheLittleLady]

Have you started or significantly funded all of the above for people in your home state? Do you open your doors to anyone, anytime? Do without luxuries so that strangers can have what you do? Are you on call 24/7 for any family, any time?

Also, is your silly interrogation complete?

I live in poverty and I still find ways to support many such charities. I absolutely go without luxuries so I can support outreach efforts.

Cannot imagine NOT being on call 24/7 for my family. I am assuming you mistyped and meant for “any family”. My cell rings at all hours of the day and night. Have been involved at the national level down to the little group on the corner. Absolutely.

Not sure where I suggested a person should open the doors of their home anywhere, anytime, you are putting words in my mouth.

 

[thistle]

Hey everyone, I need to know how to answer this question:

Is it morally licit for one to have an abortion if the child is threatening the mothers life for some reason?

Direct abortion is forbidden no matter what the circumstances are. There are no exceptions.

 

[Raxus]

I live in poverty and I still find ways to support many such charities. I absolutely go without luxuries so I can support outreach efforts.

You and me both.

Cannot imagine NOT being on call 24/7 for my family. I am assuming you mistyped and meant for “any family”.

I did say “any family”.

My cell rings at all hours of the day and night. Have been involved at the national level down to the little group on the corner. Absolutely.

Good for you! Many others do what you do, so resources in fact do exist.

Not sure where I suggested a person should open the doors of their home anywhere, anytime, you are putting words in my mouth.

The implication with all of your many questions is that there should be no limits to the help that pregnant mothers, or poor and single parents, receive. I am seeing if you would agree to the rules that you seem to want to impose on others before they are apparently allowed to roundly, firmly condemn the murder of children in the womb.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Good for you! Many others do what you do, so resources in fact do exist.

My point is that the resources, where the exist, are very limited (you mentioned you have one maternity home. I’d imagine they can house only a set number of clients and that they turn clients away every day).

Other resources, like state subsidized childcare, have long waiting lists in my very small town. In larger towns/cities it is even worse.

The implication with all of your many questions is that there should be no limits to the help that pregnant mothers, or poor and single parents, receive

Christ did not call us to be limited in our generosity.

I am seeing if you would agree to the rules that you seem to want to impose on others before they are apparently allowed to roundly, firmly condemn the murder of children in the womb.

Abortion is not something that reasonable people do for kicks. There are serious, gut wrenching decisions and heavy external pressure on women. To condemn without offering solutions is icy cruelty.

I want people to think about the real moms, dads, families. To think about the bleak society that we have helped to build.

 

[Raxus]

My point is that the resources, where the exist, are very limited (you mentioned you have one maternity home. I’d imagine they can house only a set number of clients and that they turn clients away every day).

No, I mentioned that the organization itself provides access to maternity homes across the state.

Other resources, like state subsidized childcare, have long waiting lists in my very small town. In larger towns/cities it is even worse.

Then we should pull money from places like Planned Parenthood, which do not provide a statistically important amount of any healthcare to the nation, and funnel it into places that actually do.

Christ did not call us to be limited in our generosity.

Then lead by example and open your doors to any and all, 24/7.

Abortion is not something that reasonable people do for kicks. There are serious, gut wrenching decisions and heavy external pressure on women. To condemn without offering solutions is icy cruelty.

It is okay to condemn murder. Murder is not a solution.

I want people to think about the real moms, dads, families. To think about the bleak society that we have helped to build.

I do. Murder only makes it bleaker.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Then lead by example and open your doors to any and all, 24/7.

It is likely I will not respond any more.

If you cannot see the difference between Christian generosity and “open doors to all 24/7”, there is nothing more to talk about. It may be mere coincidence, but your responses parrot “talking points” from certain commentary sources that do not allow for an exchange of ideas.

Have a lovely spring.