Abortion Questiongreenspun.com : LUSENET : Catholic : One Thread |
DOes anyone know when the Church first declared abortion to be murder? I have been challenged by someone that the Church's teaching that abortion = murder is only a recent development and that while the Church fathers considered it a sin they did not consider it as murder . I have found a web page that appears to support his position.http://www.cath4choice.org/nobandwidth/English/cathwomen/abortiondecision.htm
I would like this web pages infomation tobe verified if anyone is aware of the history of church teaching on abortion over the past 2000 years? IS it accurate?
Thankyou
-- Kiwi (csisherwood@hotmail.com), April 22, 2004
Kiwi, I am shocked at you!!! An old fart to the forum such as yourself, should know better and "bump" your new thread to "Recent Answers" to provoke further discussion by placing a second post in it! HAHAHA!
-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), April 22, 2004.
I'm sure some of the more learned people here can give a detailed history but I'll put my oar in first as far as I understand it.In the ancient world there were basically two schools of thought - those who thought human life began when the first menstrual period was missed (of course we now know it is about 14 days earlier), and those who thought that the parts of the human body were assembled in the womb and then suddenly came alive (like the spark to Frankenstein's monster) at about 5 months when the mother could first feel the fetus moving - the "quickening" i.e. coming alive.
Consequently abortion of a fetus under 5 months was generally seen, both by Christians and pagans, as more seriously wrong than contraception but not definitely murder until the fetus was old enough that its movements could be felt.
Certainly Hippocrates the father of medicine regarded abortion as a serious crime - the oath taken by doctors says "I will do all possible to preserve life and cause no harm and in particular I will not give a woman a preparation to induce abortion." Of course we know abortion and infanticide were fairly common in the ancient Mediterranean world.
Then about 200 (?) years ago medical scientists showed conclusively that a living, growing human being exists from 9 months before birth. All churches then declared abortion of an unborn child of any age to be murder, and all civil governments enacted laws punishing it as murder. (Then about 100? years ago it was shown that the embryo is living and growing from the moment a sperm cell unites with an ovum.)
The strange thing is that the Church is accused of being locked in a medieval mindset and disregarding the discoveries of modern science (an argument based solely on the trial of Galileo - and even that evidence doesn't stand up). Yet in this vital question of modern life, the Church's doctrine has clearly been informed by modern scientific knowledge, but the pro-abortionists would have us go back to the middle ages! Indeed it is Western society as a whole which still embraces the old ignorant idea. Most people (and the laws in most Western countries since they were changed about 30 years ago) say they have no objection to an abortion up to about 5 months, but after that age most people strongly disapprove.
-- Peter K (ronkpken@yahoo.com.au), April 22, 2004.
Kiwi, now that I’ve rattled you a bit, let me have a go at your question. It seems to me that, from all eternity, the Church has taught that Abortion is murder. I recently read an article from a priest on this subject which you can read in its entirety here:http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/catechismonabortion.htm#abo rtion
I will attempt to summarize what has been said at the above site as it relates to your question as well as throw in my own two cents worth. Forgive me if I don’t do the site justice.
We know Scripture teaches us that murder is wrong. From the beginning when Cain murdered Abel (Gen. 4: 10-11) God has made it clear that murder of another human being is not acceptable: “The LORD then said: "What have you done! Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.” He reinforced this notion with the 5th Commandment He gave to Moses - "Thou shalt not kill".
Now that we know murder is forbidden by God, how do we tie abortion to murder? Well, for that we can look into Scripture further. In Jeremiah 1:5 we are told life begins at or before conception: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”
Further early evidence that God believes life begins before birth can be found in Job 10:8-10 “Your hands have formed me and fashioned me; will you then turn and destroy me? Oh, remember that you fashioned me from clay! Will you then bring me down to dust again?”
Also, Scripture confirms we are known to God before birth since at birth He “delivers” (pardon the pun) us to our mothers: “Yet you drew me forth from the womb, made me safe at my mother's breast. Upon you I was thrust from the womb; since birth you are my God.” (Ps. 22:10-11); and again in Psalm 139:15 - “my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.”
So Scripture has confirmed that God recognizes us (life) very early on in our lives, in fact, at conception. To snuff this life out in the womb, a life which has already been recognized by God, cannot be termed anything else but murder.
Early Church writings are abundant in the condemnation of abortion. Epistles of Barnabas, Tertullian, and many others make reference to it. One that I was aware of and quickly comes to mind can be found in the Didache: (2:2) “Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt youth; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not use soothsaying; thou shalt not practise sorcery; thou shalt not kill a child by abortion, neither shalt thou slay it when born;...”
For modern-day confirmation of the Catholic stance on abortion, we can look at CDF Donum Vitae (I:1) which has stated: “Life, once conceived, must be protected with the utmost care; abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.” Our Catechism is full of similar references.
The notion that life exists in the womb has been tied to Catholic teaching throughout the ages and to take that life is without a doubt, considered murder by God and His Church. Hope this helps.
-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), April 22, 2004.
I saw an item where John F. Kerry has no scruples about aborting a fetus, and would not concede any authority in the Catholic Church to accuse them of killing the unborn. He tried lamely to rationalize it by telling reporters, ''Why are the death penalty statutes not denounced, by the same bishops? That's killing human beings.''We all have differing views about capital punishment, and it is a call to conscience just as surely as killing of those unborn. However, there's a great difference between the two. Lawful execution of convicted murderers do not equal the taking of innocent life. Unborn children by definition are guiltless. When the baby is aborted from his mother's womb, at whatever stage, an innocent has died. He was killed for merely being unwanted.
A convicted criminal is executed by the law, for his crimes. He is given every chance to make his peace with God; and even a chance to appeal for clemency. Who appeals for clemency in the matter of an unborn baby? Not even his mother. The murderer gets to appeal, but not the innocent child of Mommy's own bloodline. Is that justice? Is it justice, John F. Kerry?
-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), April 22, 2004.
PeterWhat you quoted from the Hippocratic oath is incredible to me: "I will do all possible to preserve life and cause no harm and in particular I will not give a woman a preparation to induce abortion." I'm assuming that can't possibly still be included in the oath today. When did they strike this out or modernize the oath? What were the circumstances? Would you please fill us in if you know.
-- Brian Crane (brian.crane@cranemills.com), April 22, 2004.