Abortion & Catholicism: Can't You Find Something Better To Do?

As Notre Dame came under fire last week for its plans to bestow an honorary doctorate on President Obama, an eight term tradition at the increasingly liberal Catholic campus, a disgruntled Pat Buchanan accused Notre Dame of saying that "his policies and programs that bring death to more than a million unborn children every year is no disqualification to being honored by a university dedicated to Our Lady who carried to term the Son of God."

In fact, Mr. Buchanan, most of the programs funded by Planned Parenthood and the other programs supported by President Obama actually work to educate and equip women to avoid unwanted pregnancies which result in abortion. The fact that the church of my childhood adheres stringently to outmoded vestiges of patriarchal manipulation in order to scrape up what little solidarity its crumbling auspices can afford in a rapidly changing world with multiple perspectives and too many people without the luxury of pointing fingers and screaming moral law is abhorrent.

Firstly, forcing a woman who's been victimized by rape or incest to carry a child to term flies in the face of decency. Secondly, bringing unwanted children into an already over-populated world is simply irresponsible, an homage to the blatant disrespect the church has frequently had for the plight of women, Mother Earth included.

Cutting back on funding for safe abortion, birth control, education and access to women domestically or worldwide simply results in more abortions in less safe conditions, greater suffering for both mothers and their unwanted babes (especially in starvation zones), and in a reversal of everything that women in developed nations have fought for. Family planning is a right all families should be afforded. Family planning shouldn't even be a question. The fact that the Catholic church has nothing better to do, advancing an illogical cause premised on the shaky foundation of scriptures translated so far after the fact and inclusive of only what suited the desires of the largest land holding entity in Europe for nearly a thousand years is horrific. The fact that they win these battles and women still suffer is disturbing.

The fact that any evolved human being cannot see the folly of these acts and arguments is nothing short of criminal.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I love me some mass on Sunday. It's a tradition, a comfort, an unhealthy attachment. The 'picking and choosing' part of remaining Catholic is something many claim is fine. It feels hypocritical to me. Maybe all you 'good' Right to Life Catholics can pray for my brain to evaporate because what you're doing makes absolutely no sense, and there are more pressing issues worthy of your time, energy and resources.

 

Follow Danielle Cavallucci on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cavallucci

Comments

[vanessa mtl]

Interesting blog. I'm with you on the hypocrisy of pick-and-choose Catholics; it's why I first started questioning religion and why I ultimately reached the conclusion that being truly pro-life (not just pro-fetus) means ending ones allegiance to a group that hinders growth and puts illogical constraints on daily activity.

However, my personal moral compass has more trouble understanding feminist Catholics than pro-life Catholics. Just as much picking-an­d-choosing is involved for a Catholic to be pro-women and equality, and to ignore the suffering caused by the Church's outdated teachings and practices. Feminist Catholic is nearly an oxymoron.

It's a tough task, finding a balance between religion and "logic". Picking and choosing is necessary, and the biggest hypocrites are the religious folk who claim not to.

[Danielle Cavallucci]

Does having a university level parochial education hold any valor with some measure of 'understanding what the Bible requires'?

[FilipeCastro]

For 1700 years the Catholic Church has been on the wrong side of almost all problems: murdering and robbing dissidents, supporting thugs, persecuting intellectuals, pushing superstitions, and lying to the crowds. Lately, in the 20th century, they rallied against the end of child labor in the US, they supported Hitler, Mossulini, Franco, Salazar, Fulgêncio Baptista, Pinochet, Videla, and the Ustasha, they canonized thugs, protected mafiosi, assassins, pedophiles, rapists and drug pushers... it would take six hours to tell their just their recent crimes.

And they hate women. First it was divorce, then the pill, now it is the condom and abortion. An independent woman with an independent sexual life seems to be their worse nightmare.

[daffey]

Let me guess, you don't like the Catholic Church.

[jonathan52]

Why is it that every pro choicer trots out rape and incest as a trump card in the abortion debate. I'd like to give you rape and incest and raise you the other 1, 400, 099 abortions performed annually.

And as for Dr. tiller, why don't we put a detailed explanation, with graphics, showing what the good doctor routinely did on a daily basis to earn one million dollars annually. We all know what a newborn looks like, so we also know what an eight old month fetus looks like. Now imagine dissecting one while alive, without anesthetic, to earn a living.

Whenever the American public has been asked this question, they have universally condemmed late term abortion as barbaric

[NotEvenAmerican]

Have you actually read the medically agreed procedures for this? Its most certainly not like that where I live for later term abortions.

I think perhaps you have been given incorrect reading material, and suggest that you research a little better.

[doneflyin]

Ms Cavallucci, very good article!

[rf dude]

Thought for today:

If abortion had been readily available 2000 years ago,

and if this particular virgin found herself " with child",

would there even BE a Notre Dame school?
--

[kjstjohn]

For those who believe the Bible, isn't the only answer, "yes?" According to Biblical yore, Mary said "yes" to her preganacy.

People who have abortions are either people who say "no" or who, after saying "yes," learn that either they or the baby has serious health problems.

[daffey]

Most just say no.

[uniquelyme]

Mary's *choice* was "yes." According to the Bible, she did have the *choice* to say "no" in the first place.

Besides where in the world do you hear about women being forced to have an abortion, besides what you hear about in China?

[mcthfg]

"The 'picking and choosing' part of remaining Catholic is something many claim is fine. It feels hypocritical to me."

Do you eat shellfish? Wear cotton/poly blends? Ever heard of Horus?

Don't talk about being hypocritical until you truly understand what the Bible requires of you.

[kjstjohn]

"Don't talk about being hypocritical until you truly understand what the Bible requires of you."


I think Ms. Cavallucci is within her rights to discuss why, as a Catholic, she struggles with concerns about hypocrisy without establishing her credentals as a Bible scholar.