ABORTION is unacceptable, no matter how many people call for it. Following a recent media blitz by radical feminist groups demanding the legalization of abortion as “right” for women, Church officials did not hesitate to call the procedure by its real name: murder.
Fr. Melvin Castro of the Commission on Family and Life of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines maintained that abortion is against the commandment of God that “Thou shall not kill.”
“It murders the unborn child who is already a human person. It is plain and simple murder,” Castro said in a phone interview.
The EnGendeRights group is seeking to legalize abortion by claiming that many women are now doing it in an unsafe manner.
Under the Revised Penal Code (Act No. 3815, Articles 256-257) enacted in 1930, abortion is prohibited in all its forms, with punishment of up to 20 years imprisonment. Likewise, Section 12, Article II of the Constitution states: “[The State] should protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.”
The Code of Canon Law, meanwhile, states that abortion yields latae sententiae, or automatic excommunication to any Catholic who engages in the procedure, including the medical attendants. The Catechism also says: “Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion.
This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.
Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.”
The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) claims legal abortion will lower the incidence of mortality caused by the procedure. The CRR wants “reproductive freedom” for all women, especially for those who do not want to continue pregnancy in cases of rape or incest.
The group claims over 560,000 women in the Philippines sought abortion in 2008, out of which 90,000 suffered complications and 10,000 died.
Castro said even financial difficulties should not be an excuse to commit abortion. “If there is a life already created, abortion is definitely out of the question. We can’t correct a crime through another crime by ramming abortion,” Castro emphasized.
Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P., dean of the UST Faculty of Sacred Theology, said legalizing abortion is counterproductive, and will do more harm than good. A baby may have been the product of incest or rape, but the baby committed no sin and should not be made to suffer the consequences.
“It will only become a form of insult because the purpose of this is not to save [one’s life], but to kill. We are not really saving a life through abortion. [This is to] kill an infant,” Aligan said. Brylle B. Tabora with reports from Marnee A. Gamboa
“Civilization is not something absolute, but … is relative, and … our ideas and conceptions are true only so far as our civilization goes.” – Franz Boas
Hullo, everyone. Abortion is just one of those big issues that almost everyone has an opinion on, and it would be really interesting to read and learn about other people’s ideas on it. So, I would like to engage a healthy discussion.
My own opinion is… well I truly understand EnGendeRights group’s claim. 560,000 abortions, 90,000 complications and 10,000 deaths is too staggering a statistic to simply dismiss. Something needs to be done to protect those women.
While I personally am pro-life, I respect that not everyone believes the same thing that I do. Not everyone operates with the same set of beliefs. We are privileged enough to live in a democracy where everyone has rights no matter what religion he/she practices and whatever he/she may believe in.
If there are 560,000 (or more) illegal abortions occurring in our country then perhaps we need to craft legislation in order to control it. That way a proper procedure can be set. There should be proper counseling so that the mothers can reach a proper decision and not make rash judgements, as well as proper medical care from a professional.
The sad thing is, there are just too many abortions and without legislation they will continue to occur… whether it’s in a dingy back alley, or the mother’s own home.
I think it’s important to understand that legalizing something does not necessarily mean encouraging it. It’s a legislators job to come up with legislation to address society’s problems. For instance, smoking is legal but it is not encouraged. There are many government programs dedicated to anti-smoking initiatives and cigarettes are sold with a warning and properly taxed. This is in large part due to the legalization of cigarettes. Without those laws cigarette smoking would probably just get out of control.
Ultimately, I believe the fight against abortion can be won by good parenting and education. But, in order to address growing concerns, legislation needs to be crafted.