Sometimes, Abortion Is The Pro-Life Answer

Last updated on: February 13, 2021 at 4:19 pm by Henry Karlson

Sometimes, Abortion Is The Pro-Life Answer 2021-02-13T16:19:30-05:00 Henry Karlson

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.

No Artist Listed: Cube Ethics Morality /pixy.org

All abortion is wrong. No abortion should ever be allowed. If a Catholic were to support any abortion, they go against church teaching and should be excommunicated. We must get serious about abortion. Until we do so, nothing else matters. Abortion is never acceptable, and anyone who thinks otherwise are morally depraved and should not be supported either.

Such sentiments are commonly held and proclaimed by Catholics who believe they are what Catholic teaching dictates. However, any serious examination of Catholic moral theology will reveal the opposite is true. Instead, we learn that not all abortions are of equal moral weight, and indeed, at times, Catholic moral reasoning allows some to be permitted. Not all who have had an abortion, not all those who have been involved in an abortion, should be seen as having done something wrong.

One of the major problems around any discussion of abortion is that people are not talking about the same thing. There are two major ways abortion can be defined and, as such, it is often best for those discussing abortion to indicate what exactly they are talking about.

The first definition is the medical definition; it tells us that an abortion is the premature ending of a pregnancy; it can happen spontaneously or by some medical procedure. Technically speaking, a miscarriage is an abortion, and so if laws are written which penalize women who have had abortions, those who suffer a miscarriage can be (and have been) penalized by such laws.

The second definition is to say an abortion is the procedure used to terminate a pregnancy which results in the death of the fetus.

Whatever definition one uses is important, but it is important to realize even abortions following the second definition are not always impermissible. Catholic teaching allows medical procedures used to save the life of a mother due to some danger, such as cancer, or an ectopic pregnancy, which results with the unintended consequence of the termination of the pregnancy and the death of the fetus. Since it is the result of a medically induced procedure, even if it is not the intended or desired result of that procedure, it would still qualify as an abortion under the second definition given above. If those using the second definition for abortion were to make it illegal for any abortion to be performed, then what is morally permissible would likewise be forbidden. The life of the mother would be shown to be without value according to the letter of the law. And it would prove that the law is not about preservation of life, about promoting morality, but rather, it would show that the law is about control even as it undermines the value of the life of the pregnant woman. Those who would support such a law indicate that they don’t believe that all life should be given the same dignity and respect as each other. Outlawing all abortions, saying no abortion should be permitted, is ultimately a position which cannot be said to be pro-life, as it would lead to the disregard of women and the value of their lives.

How, exactly, does Catholic teaching allow for some forms of abortion? Through the principle of double effect. That principle tells us that a given action is permitted even if it indirectly, and so unintentionally, causes some evil as a result, if the action itself is normally good (or at least neutral) and there is a grave or proportionate reason for performing such an action. Saving the life of a mother is such an act. If a pregnant woman has cancer, and it were necessary for her to have chemotherapy in order to survive, even if it will kill the fetus, she can receive the chemotherapy. Since her treatment would cause the termination of her pregnancy, it would be a medically induced procedure which led to the death of the fetus, meaning, it would truly be an abortion. Similarly if a woman had an ectopic pregnancy, whereby the fetus did not implant in the uterus but instead implanted itself someplace else such as in the fallopian tube, and nothing is done to save her life, she would die, doctors are permitted to perform life-saving surgery on her, even if the sad consequence is that the fetus will not survive. Thus, in the USCCB’s Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, we read:

Operations, treatments, and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a proportionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted when they cannot be safely postponed until the unborn is viable, even if they will result in the death of the unborn child. [1]

The result of such a life-saving procedure, therefore, is an abortion, and that means Catholic teaching says abortion can be permitted in some situations. Indeed, one can make the argument why such life-saving procedures are the most morally acceptable course of action when a pregnant woman needs it. This is not to say it would be an easy decision to make, but when dealing with real-world problems, often the best decision will always include elements we wish did not have to be involved.

All our actions, and therefore, the moral qualifications for our actions, must be based upon the object of our act, that is, whether or not they will for and seek after the greatest good. “The primary and decisive element for moral judgment is the object of the human act, which establishes whether it is capable of being ordered to the good and to the ultimate end, which is God.” [2] Preserving the dignity of all life is important. This includes preserving the dignity of an expecting mother. All life, not just the life of a fetus, is invaluable. If we do not preserve the dignity of women but rather undermine it by saying it is of less value than of those who have not yet been born, we end up undermining the value of life itself. For if we say someone who has been born has less right to life than someone who has not yet been born, we show that it is not life which is invaluable, and once we do that, we also undermine the value of the life of the fetus as well.

If we want to save life, if we want to promote the dignity of life, we must do so by our actions. We must truly demonstrate all life is invaluable. We must help the poor and needy. We must help refugees. The more we focus on doing good for others, helping people out of difficulties, the more society helps women in need, abortions will decline; while, on the other hand, the more we try to control women, the more we undermine the value of life, the more we engage legalism over compassion, we find abortion itself becomes much more common.

Catholic teaching, through the principle of double effect, allows for various medical procedures which, sadly, result in the termination of a pregnancy. This shows that, at times, abortions are permissible. Indeed, those who are pro-life must recognize they are what is needed, not because the abortion is intended, but because what is necessary for the sake of the mother should be done even if it sadly results in the termination of the pregnancy. If we understand this, we can and should begin to understand why the rhetoric around abortion has become dangerous even as it is disingenuous. It can and will be used to endanger the lives of women, indeed, in having many women needlessly die. How can that be pro-life? It is not. But that is the problem with much of the pro-life rhetoric. It is not pro-life. And this is why, when those who are involved in the movement look to other life issues, they find all kinds of excuses to ignore the dignity of life. They are not interested in the dignity of life. They are interested in something else. Their actions, their words, prove this.

[1] United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Fifth Edition.” (11-17-2009), 26.

[2] St. John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor. Vatican translation. ¶79.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

Previous Post

February 8, 2021

St. Josephine Bakhita And The Holiness Of Love

Next Post

February 12, 2021 Jobs And The Common Good

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 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 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz