YOU CAN LOOK IT UP (Abortion v Capital Punishment for Catholics)

NRO - The Corner ^ | 4/27/04 | Peter Robinson]

[swilhelm73]

Posted at 12:10 AM

YOU CAN LOOK IT UP [Peter Robinson]
Last week’s postings on Kerry and the bishops produced a second passel of emails. These argued that any Catholic who opposed Kerry’s pro-choice stand must likewise oppose Bush’s stand in favor of the death penalty. As K-Lo and others on the Corner have pointed out, the premise here—that opposition to abortion and to the death penalty posess the same moral standing in Catholic teaching—is flatly mistaken. Here’s the Catechism of the Catholic Church on abortion:

Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.

And here’s the Catechism on the death penalty:

The efforts of the state to curb the spread of behavior harmful to people's rights and to the basic rules of civil society correspond to the requirement of safeguarding the common good….Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

Direct abortion represents an evil in itself, but the death penalty is permissible in certain circumstances. In what circumstances, exactly? That is a matter for prudential judgement. And when John Paul II argues, as he often does, that present day penal standards make the death penalty unnecessary, he is making his own prudential judgement, to which Catholics must give due consideration, but not enunciating a teaching that Catholics must regard as binding. (See, for example, the article in First Things by Avery Cardinal Dulles, to which Kathryn linked a week or two ago, and the article in the same publication by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.) Whereas no Catholic may in good conscience support abortion on demand, in other words, a Catholic may indeed support the death penalty.

[Integrityrocks]

Pro-lifers are predominately anti-death penalty AND anti-uthenasia. Whats the problem. Just because Bush isn't anti-death penalty doesn't mean Pro-lifers shouldnt still support him. HES NOT CATHOLIC, hes a very good president.

[Straight Vermonter]

The fact of the matter is that Americans support the death penalty because legislators and the courts have again and again failed to put killers away forever. In fact society would be far better protected if kidnappers, rapists and molestors were executed as well.

[Hodar]

You have my vote.

[MHGinTN]

Bookmarking ... thank you for posting this.

[Lost Highway]

The fact of the matter is that Americans support the death penalty because legislators and the courts have again and again failed to put killers away forever.

Amen. Most of my death penalty conversations come to a screeching halt when I say "When life in prison means life in prison I will support banning the death penalty."

[TigersEye]

Abortion is not about saving women’s lives!

Total Abortions since 1973
44,670,812

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Why the drop after 1960? (in deaths of women from illegal abortions)

The reasons were new and better antibiotics, better surgery and the establishment of intensive care units in hospitals. This was in the face of a rising population. Between 1967 and 1970 sixteen states legalized abortion. In most it was limited, only for rape, incest and severe fetal handicap (life of mother was legal in all states). There were two big exceptions — California in 1967, and New York in 1970 allowed abortion on demand. Now look at the chart carefully.

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Abortion Statistics - Decision to Have an Abortion (U.S.)

· 25.5% of women deciding to have an abortion want to postpone childbearing

· 21.3% of women cannot afford a baby

· 14.1% of women have a relationship issue or their partner does not want a child

· 12.2% of women are too young (their parents or others object to the pregnancy)

· 10.8% of women feel a child will disrupt their education or career

· 7.9% of women want no (more) children

· 3.3% of women have an abortion due to a risk to fetal health

2.8% of women have an abortion due to a risk to maternal health

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So how many women’s lives have been saved by abortion?

Only about 3% of abortions since 1972 were reported to be “due to a risk to maternal health.” A reasonable person would recognize that not all of those cases represent a lethal risk. But let’s say they did. That means that nearly 45 million fetuses were butchered to save the lives of about 1.3 million women.

Abortion was legal in all 50 states prior to Roe v. Wade in cases of danger to the life of the woman.