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"When so many times in my life as a priest I have heard objections: “But tell me, why the Church is opposed to abortion, for example? Is it a religious problem?” No, no. It is not a religious problem. “Is it a philosophical problem?” No, it is not a philosophical problem. It’s a scientific problem, because there is a human life there, and it is not lawful to take out a human life to solve a problem.

So he thinks it's only a scientific/legal problem? I'm sorry Francis, but it is a religious problem.

"So he thinks it's only a scientific/legal problem?"

You honestly can't figure out what he's saying here? He's saying an ethic prohibiting abortion is not a distinctive "belief" of a Church based on faith in a supernatural source of revelation. If it were that, "Don't abort your children" would have the same status as, say, "Go to Mass on Sunday." It's something you could not credibly propose to somebody outside of your faith. You could not propose it to civil society.

But the prohibition on abortion is based on the verifiable human status of the victim of the act. An atheist can see that. Nat Hentoff can see that.

It has its religious aspects, to be sure. It has its philosophical aspects as well. But it is solidly rooted in Natural Law. Thus it can be required of one's fellow citizens in a State which still Constitutionally prohibits any "religious test."

Any other questions, Alex?

Talking with a less-than-forthcoming circular-reasoning RC, such as this one, can make a Christian dizzy. I’ve had enough of this flavor of religious insanity for today,