In the United States, there are many situations in which abortions are recommended, even encouraged by family, counselors, medical personnel and even religious advisors. Sometimes an abortion is recommended because of difficult circumstances and other times simply for convenience.
Here are four cases for you to consider. Should these babies be aborted? You decide!
Four Cases:
Case #1. There’s a traveling preacher and his wife who are living in poverty. They already have fourteen children. Now she finds out she’s pregnant with the 15th child. They are very poor and probably will be unable to afford a doctor’s attention. Considering their poverty, the excessive world population, and the number of children they already have, would you recommend she get an abortion?
Case #2. The grandmother is an alcoholic and the father spends his evenings out drinking in the taverns. His mother has tuberculosis. She has already given birth to four children. The first child is blind, the second child died, the third child is deaf, and the fourth child has tuberculosis. Now the mother is pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would you recommend an abortion?
Case #3. A white man raped a 13-year-old black girl and now she is pregnant. Her family lives in extreme poverty; in fact, to survive, they often have to steal food. If you were her parents, would you recommend or require her to have an abortion?
Case #4. A fifteen-year-old girl is pregnant. She is not married and lives in a cave in an outback area with very little money or resources. The man she is engaged is not the father of the baby. There is no hospital or doctor available. Would you recommend that she get an abortion?
The Reality:
Case #1: You would have just aborted the world-famous Methodist preacher John Wesley.
Case #2: You would have just aborted the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Case #3: You would have just aborted Ethel Waters, the marvelous black Gospel singer.
Case #4: You would have just aborted Jesus Christ, the savior of the world!
In the lust for personal peace and pleasure, are we Americans killing the very people that God has sent to assist, teach, and save us?
I used to run my own business with over 400 employees. We were always short of employees. In many business settings, my peers commented: “I just don’t understand why we can’t find workers. The labor market is tough and everyone is short of employees. I just don’t understand.”
I always chimed in and said, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that if we have killed off 1.5 million babies a year over the last twenty-five years we are going to drastically reduce our employee base. What don’t you understand about that?” Add the contraception issue and far less employees are out there.
May God have mercy on our land! Vote pro-life! If we get the “Life Issue” wrong we’ve got it all wrong. The foundation is the most important part of the house.
This Post Has 10 Comments
Steve, In “Redemptoris Custos” the “Guardian of the Redeemer” (concerning St. Joseph) Pope John Paul II stated that Mary was married BEFORE the Annunciation took place. Joseph and Mary had already signed the contract, so the first step of the two-step marriage ceremony had already taken place; and they called one another “husband” and “wife” and a divorce was necessary to break the contract. Mary was never single and pregnant. This is true to the best of my knowledge, so please re-consider this different conclusion prayerfully. Other than this element, your article is excellent.
STEVE RAY’S RESPONSE:
Albert: Thanks for your thoughtful reply. There is a big difference between a “contract to marry” and the actual marriage, or taking the woman into your house and consummating the marriage. I have been to several “engagement contract celebrations” in Israel which took seven days. The couple and their families agreed to the marriage and became “engaged” which means much more there than it does here. It is like the biblical betrothal.
The wedding does not take place until 6 months or a year after this huge contractual celebration with both families. The ones I went to had over 500 family member attend in Nazareth. When the time for the wedding arrives, the whole event is over a week long. On the final day the men of the families get together for the final agreement. I have been in on two of these. The groom’s family’s representative says, “We are here to take the bride to our home. Are you still willing for our son to marry your daughter?”
The father of the bride stands and in the presence of all the men says, “Yes, we are willing. Take our daughter.” At that point the father of the bride could say No and it would be over. They take the bride to their house and then to the church for the wedding after which the marriage is consummated.
Mary and Joseph were betrothed; not married – moved in together. So, if Mary was pregnant before the actual marriage, it would have been a huge scandal.
But for whom do we vote? Can we trust the Republican candidate? I’m praying that God send me/us a true Christian for whom to vote. Otherwise, I’m writing someone’s name in. I don’t know whose, yet. How about you Steve?
De Maria writes “Can we trust the Repubican candidate”, assuming that is Romney, what is the alternative? As a Mormon, Romney would be the second non-Chistian President behind Obama. However, most Mormon’s, perhaps more than Catholics are pro-life. The option is to vote for a person and political party that has a “pro-choice” plank in its platform.
Tom
STEVE RAY HERE: Agreed!
De Maria:
If we all do not stand behind Romney, but split the Pro-Life vote into tiny pieces, voting for write-in candidates, Libertarians, etc, we are ensuring that Obama secures a second term. We have to stand united in this, even though the choice may not seem to be the best. PLEASE keep in mind that the worst case scenario is re-relcting Obama to another term. All of our liberities, even the practice of our religion, will be at stake! Every Pro-Lifer must vote for whomever is running for President on the Republican Party ticket. It is critical that we elect a Pro-life candicate for the Presidential Office as two Supreme Court justices will be appointed by the newly elected President. They are life-term appointments. We cannot afford to put in two more Pro-Choice Supreme Court Justices on the bench!!!!
Solution? Consider praying the Patriotic Rosary so that every peooeson in our glorious nation will respond to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and elect Pro-Life candiates for every office in our government in the USA in November: http://www.priestsforlife.org/prayers/patrioticrosary.htm
God bless!
Steve: Thanks for you informative reply. However, the last line of your reply is: “So, if Mary was pregnant before the actual marriage, it would have been a huge scandal.” I agree with that; that is in conformity with the statements of Pope John Paul II and the Gospel according to St. Matthew 1:18-25, in which the signing of the marriage documents comes first in time, then the Annunciation & Incarnation, and then Joseph takes her into his home.
But if the “actual marriage” is “taking the woman into your house” as you mention in your reply above, then Mary was pregnant before her marriage — and that is a scandal, as you state in your last line. The compatibility between these sentences is not yet achieved and the intellect is still seeking understanding. Best wishes to you and yours.
STEVE RAY HERE: Not sure what is not clear. First is the betrothal (like an engagement but more), then a waiting period, then the wedding, then the taking the bride into his home. If Mary is pregnant before the wedding and the moving into the home of the groom, then there is a scandal. So, I think what I said is correct – this girl in my scenario is pregnant but not married and the man she will eventually marry is not the father.
Steve, I am very pro-life and try to show those opposed to it that it is MURDER. But many of my friends(i am a freshman in college) believe that it is a choice under “certain cirumstances”: Rape, incest, defects, abusive family, drugs etc. I love the example posted above but I don’t think it will help with my friends on the issues of rape and abusive families.
The most i can come up with is that the childs Love for God is all that matters. That pain is only temporary…but that doesnt cut out so well with my cafeteria catholic and non-religious friends.
I voted no for each case on whether or not the baby should be aborted. Ive been thinking about this alot over the past days cuz we’re having twins in December and they are both healthy. If they were retarded or handicapped or had down syndrome i would not abort them. I dont think that there is any good reason for aborting babies, even if the mothers life is at risk. I say let God decide. Its not my choice to make, who lives and who dies. Abortion is murder. Period.
Dear Br. Steve,
Glad to have a person like you who defends the Catholic Church with all your heart, might and soul.
Just had one doubt in mind —
What if the doctor says “The child has to be aborted if not the mother might die or the mother will die.”
In that case, is Abortion allowed ??
Please help me clear this doubt ASAP.
May the good Lord be with you always.
Killing an unborn baby is just as much murder as someone killing a person on the street. People just don’t have fain in what Jesus said about nothing is impossible, if faith “… In truth I tell you, if your faith is the size of a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20. Abortion for whatever reason is murder! They are ending a God-given life.
Note: A mustard seed is about 1/20th of an inch in size. It is one of the smallest seeds in the world.
Having just finished ‘Christmas 2018’, and as I read this article I was reminded of the Classic Christmas-themed Movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life”! The topic of ‘abortion’ is NOT even mentioned anywhere in this movie; BUT the central theme is all about HOW one single person (George Bailey) CAN and DOES make a POSITIVE difference in the lives of EVERY single person that he meets, befriends, or interacts with — every single day of his life! He doesn’t lie, cheat or steal, unlike the ‘hard-hearted’ and ‘bitter’, but ‘richest’ man in town, Mr. Potter, the Banker!
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