So what should a Catholic reaction to the Alabama abortion ban be?

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I am cautiously optimistic about the Alabama law and its being reviewed by the Supreme Court if, in fact, they decide to hear it (writ of certiorari).

I am also pleased that it does not contain the usual “rape and incest” provision. This will force the public debate to face the question of just why this exception must exist. It is “ends justify the means” thinking, which, quite frankly, many otherwise “pro-life” people resort to. I would like to ask someone who embraces this exception “okay, you say you are against abortion, but you accept it in case of rape or incest — exactly why? Why is killing the child acceptable in these circumstances? Explain yourself.”

The picture of the child was powerful. I have a child who is 12 years old. My idea of justice (not revenge) would be to imprison the rapist for life, put his sorry posterior to some kind of productive work in prison, pay him a fair salary for his work, and then give that salary to the poor girl and her child.
 
RealisticCatholic said:
Are they going to help women in poverty?
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women in poverty are already being helped.
Is the GOP in particular going to fight for alternative methods like adoption and women’s health care
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all states have adoption agencies and health care is available. This is often brought up as if no one is doing anything for the woman and child after the birth. That’s just not true.
 
You presume that abortion does not hurt men. Perhaps a smidgen of humility may let you see the pain, but a hardened heart only thinks of self.
 
Ever watch Les Miserables? Stealing is evil, right? But 19 years in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread? Really? Is that what Alabama is doing here?

OK, so you’re against abortion. You (Alabama!) pass a law outlawing it. Argentina has a law outlawing abortions, too. And there are about 500,000 abortions in Argentina every year. Doesn’t seem to work, does it? And of course if you a a relatively well-off woman in Alabama who wants an abortion, you just fly to NY or California for the day and get one. If you’re a poor person, you can’t do that. You have the baby! Hurray! But the baby grows up in poverty and has no real chance at a good life.

I would suggest to all pro-life voters that they address the CAUSES of abortion. The causes are well known (Google it). But of course that would cost money (but not as much as building extra jails, etc. etc.). It’s easier to wave your magic wand (I’ts illegal! Proof!) and outlaw abortions. But that’s not stopping them. It’s kicking the can down the road and putting the burden on the poor.
 
The cost of adoption needs to be brought down. More provision for health care needs to be available. Support needs to be given to families who are struggling to make ends meet. And any shame or stigma of pregnancy outside of wedlock needs to be removed.
 
RealisticCatholic said:
Abortion is an evil, yes. But there will always be women who want abortion. How do we limit abortion? Is the best solution simply to ban all abortion all at once?
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According to this logic:

Murder is an evil. But there will always be people who want to murder. Is the best solution to ban all murder at once?

Rape is an evil. But there will always be people who want to rape. Is the best solution to ban all rape at once?

You can see how faulty the line of logic is when you test it against other inherent evils
 
Jimbo said:
I’m totally on board with that. I get it. I struggled with the ‘if a baby is declared a person than a mother could go to jail’ aspect.
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and yet no one seems to have a problem with sending a mother to jail if she kills her two day old infant.
 
I’m not saying rape is an exception of the evil of abortion.
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That’s exactly what you’re saying. In response to the picture would you like to tell my cousin conceived through rape that she should be dead?
 
My rule of thumb is to substitute murder for abortion in any sentence and see how it sounds. If it sounds immoral, then abortion is a subset of murder, so it is immoral. To paraphrase, in your post, the rich people will commit murder anyway, and the poor people will benefit by it if you don’t outlaw it.
 
Erikaspirit16 said:
Ever watch Les Miserables? Stealing is evil, right? But 19 years in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread? Really? Is that what Alabama is doing here?

OK, so you’re against abortion. You (Alabama!) pass a law outlawing it. Argentina has a law outlawing abortions, too. And there are about 500,000 abortions in Argentina every year. Doesn’t seem to work, does it? And of course if you a a relatively well-off woman in Alabama who wants an abortion, you just fly to NY or California for the day and get one. If you’re a poor person, you can’t do that. You have the baby! Hurray! But the baby grows up in poverty and has no real chance at a good life.

I would suggest to all pro-life voters that they address the CAUSES of abortion. The causes are well known (Google it). But of course that would cost money (but not as much as building extra jails, etc. etc.). It’s easier to wave your magic wand (I’ts illegal! Proof!) and outlaw abortions. But that’s not stopping them. It’s kicking the can down the road and putting the burden on the poor.
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We know this and the pro life movement in general already knows this and has been doing something about it for a very long time, especially the Catholic Church.

Don’t believe the pro abortion industry propaganda that tries to caricature the pro life movement. They know next to nothing about the pro life movement. And they couldn’t care less about women.
 
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What I always find supremely ironic is those pushing the rape or incest exceptions hardly ever believe in such exceptions - if you ask them “so you’re against all other abortions?” you’ll frequently hear them say no. So they’re pushing an exception they themselves don’t believe in.
 
Do you care? Would certain families in Alabama care? Some families in Northern Ireland still care to the point that girls arrive in England to have an abortion.
 
AngelusDomini said:
Do you care?
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about shaming women who are pregnant out of wedlock? I have no desire to shame women in this condition.

so which is worse… having an abortion because you feel shame or having an abortion because your birth control failed? It’s still abortion no matter what the reason, a baby dies.
 
Abortion certainly qualifies as a evil to be outlawed according to Church teaching.
A) the majority of people can abide by the law
b) society cannot function correctly if it is allowed
Check and check. QED.
 
AngelusDomini said:
Will there be a stigma attached to those who fall pregnant out of wedlock?
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People don’t fall pregnant out of wedlock. Fall implies no voluntarism. People do fall sick w illnesses beyond their control.
People become pregnant due to voluntary decisions. At least in 99% of cases. To deny that is to deny people their humanity & ability to engage in free will
 
You dodge the issue. Fine and understandable as you know as well as I that a whole lot more than legislation needs to be changed.
 
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