Medical Realities–Why I No Longer Use the “Prolife Label”

Last updated on: October 4, 2024 at 1:05 pm by Julie Nichols

Medical Realities–Why I No Longer Use the “Prolife Label” 2024-10-04T13:05:52-05:00 Julie Nichols

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

About 7 years ago, I discovered a prochoice Catholic organization and couldn’t believe it existed, but now, there are some things about it I appreciate. Coming from a red state in Texas and an ultra conservative background, I was just unable to fathom such a group. About 3 years ago, witnessing lived reality in the broader Catholic laity showed me why and my short-lived involvement with pro-life Democrats (big mistake on my part) also revealed a great truth. I largely place the blame of overturning of Roe v Wade and extreme abortion bans (which are dangerous) on the involvement of the Catholic Right moreso than the Evangelical Right. I personally feel more comfortable with a moderate abortion platform, but even my stance is more conservative than most doctors. I do not have the medical expertise in OBGYN healthcare, so it is not my decision to make. I am only an expert in Educational Therapy, Vocational Rehabilitation, and my own family. I believe the “prolife” label is now tainted with a serious stain because it is now associated with spiritual violence, psychological violence, control, and abuse. I will explain why below.

The Catholic Church has immense power to do great good or great harm. Throughout her history, she has done both. Hands-down, the Catholic Church is the leader in liberating immigration injustice, poverty, and a number of charities, schools, humanitarian aid, and hospitals, but when it comes to the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people and their families and overstepping into the medical care of lay Catholics and even into secular civil society, that’s a totally different story.

Thankfully, the Catholic Church has made strides to better-include and semi-affirm LGBTQ+ people, but it still has a long way to go in this area, and it must come to grips with the harm it has caused. The Church’s overreach in reproductive, gender affirming healthcare, and anything involving embryos (like in vaccines) are a different matter. I understand that these are serious life and moral issues, but doctrine shouldn’t override doctors, experts, and medical realities because this is a safety issue for millions of people globally.

98% of Catholics have used artificial contraception. One in four abortion patients is Catholic. 65% are pro-choice, and only 8% of the Catholic laity supported the overturning of Roe v Wade because there are medical realities involved. The polar opposite is true among much of the hierarchy and those who totally align with the hierarchy. The overreaching power of the Catholic Right over many decades into peoples’ doctors’ offices and mental healthcare offices through civil law is not only unacceptable but dangerous.

I’m not discarding the Church’s teachings or not loving the charitable justice aspects of the Church which I wholeheartedly appreciate. I am questioning the application of doctrine over doctors. When it comes to peoples’ medical care of any kind, particularly women’s healthcare, gender-affirming care, LGBTQ+ psychology, mental healthcare, vaccines, and healthcare involving embryos, the Catholic Right and hierarchy shouldn’t be involving themselves with politicians to enforce Catholic doctrine on lay Catholics and civil society, particularly if they don’t consult with medical and mental healthcare practitioners. Doctrine should be used as a guardrail for Catholic moral guidance and the individual moral conscience, not a harmful weapon to exert power and abuse over anyone’s individual Catholic conscience or civil society. This is why our founding fathers established the separation of Church and State from the beginning.

Let’s be positive now. Below we have a long, beautiful carpet from “Catholics for Choice” reaching up to the Vatican saying “Pope Francis, listen.” There is a reason for this carpet, and that’s to connect every day Catholic laity and their stories to the Vatican and Pope Francis. These stories involve the medical realities I mentioned. The sooner the hierarchy starts listening and stops overreaching into the medical care I mentioned, the more of a just society we will have because no one has more power and influence than the Catholic Church. She needs to use her power and influence for beneficial justice and always include the laity and doctors in any decisions they make. The hierarchy likes to say, “we aren’t a democracy.” They need to actively listen and actually start to make changes. Otherwise, it’s a danger to millions globally whether someone is Catholic or not. The Church created her guide on bioethics which is beneficial for Catholics seeking moral guidance, but the Church shouldn’t tamper with the medical community, only work with the medical and mental healthcare community. When medical professionals who have devoted their lives to a particular area of expertise come to a collective consensus about any given topic, it’s past time to start listening and stop exerting power. Millions of lives outside the womb depend on it.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 2, 2024

Anti-Abortion Extremism is Harmful to Babies and Mothers

Next Post

October 8, 2024 Parents of LGBTQ+, Your Child's Life Depends on Your Support

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2026 March 2026 January 2026 December 2025 July 2025 May 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz