My understanding is the politicans in the USA are not telling Catholic women that they must have an abortion or that they must use contraception. They are simply saying that a law criminalising aritificial birth contraol would not be well received. And judging by the responses and accusations against me here, it looks to me like the politicians who say that a law criminalising artificial birth control would not be well recieved are correct.
How many people here would be in favor of the death penalty for either the use of abortifacient contraceptive devices or for a Catholic woman who chooses to have an abortion? She is taking a human life, correct? Then why not have the death penalty or at the very least, life imprisonment without parole for these Catholic women?
Perhaps by imposing capital punishment, this crime could be done away with? Is that the best approach for this?
I would say that people, and in particular, Catholic women have to take more personal responsibility for their actions and not go around blaming politicians for not passing laws criminalising these things?
Ok. This is getting redundant, so I’ll make my points and not bother with this thread again.
First point: Catholics (not just Catholic women) need to be more educated regarding the Church’s teachings and the alternatives to birth control.
Second point: A Catholic who wants to be true to Catholic teaching cannot deliberately choose to support a pro-choice candidate when there is a pro-life candidate available. To do so would be a mortal sin, and self-contradictory. Supporting a pro-life candidate does not mean that you want the woman obtaining the abortion to be punished, let alone punished so severely. The two are different.
Third point: Abortion should be illegal. I’m not addressing exceptions in this point. Should the punishment be death? No. A Catholic would not support that either. Should the punishment be life in jail or a long jail term? No, of course not. Yes, abortion is murder, but there are almost always extenuating circumstances surrounding abortion that warrant mercy. The expectant mother going to the clinic is not going because she enjoys killing the life within her. If she does, then a just punishment should be had.
Forth point: Even if the politician over reacts and punishes abortion (or even contraception) with death, or life in prison, can we use the punishment to justify a law allowing abortion? As Catholics, we do not have that luxury. We must vote to preserve life, and the souls of others, or else risk our own eternal damnation. The woman who chooses to kill her unborn child in violation of a law, chooses to do so. She will have to square that with God later.
Put it this way.
Scenario 1: Mr. Catholic does not want a law criminalizing abortion because he fears punishing the tortured women seeking them. So, he votes for a candidate who will not ban abortion. The woman he seeks to protect gets an abortion. None of them seeks forgiveness. How many souls are likely to go to hell? At least 4: the voter, the politician placed there by the voter who votes to support abortion, the woman who gets the abortion, and the doctor performing the abortion. Now add to that all those who continue aborting and contracepting as if it was no big deal.
Scenario 2: Now, let’s look at the alternative. Mr. Catholic votes for the pro-lifer who votes to make abortion illegal despite the punishment. The woman still gets an abortion and gets punished by the justice system. How many souls are likely to go to hell? Probably 2: the woman and the doctor. Of course, how about all the souls who turned away from abortion and contraception because of the heavy punishment? Mr. Catholic should be considered a saint.
As a Catholic, we must try to save as many souls as we can. Scenario 2 wins. Mr. Catholic saves his soul and the politician (for the time being- one less mortal sin).
Now, my wife and I try to be pro-active. We have always advocated that the banning of abortion must be accompanied with Government subsidies to organizations that will help the mothers, adoption programs, and tax incentives to those who adopt (with proper government follow-up). These are just a few ideas we’ve knocked around. We can debate these on another thread. But do not think for a minute that God will tolerate arm chair Catholics who vote to ban abortion and do nothing else. Jesus himself will ask that Catholic, "sure you voted, but did you feed me when I was hungry, clothed…naked… etc.)
The bottom line is this: the life of the unborn matters more than anything else.
I understand that you (and others) may not accept these points. But do not twist the issue from voting according to a belief system with ascribing punishments. Simply because we choose to support life does not mean that we would want the violator to be put to death. The two are different.
God bless you and your family.
