Missionaries of the Sacred

Respecting Life Without Judging Others PDF Print
Tuesday, 19 January 2010 09:43

Our Catholic faith calls us to stand up against injustice, to stand up for the rights of all people, but especially those who are vulnerable,  marginalized or otherwise unable to make their voices heard. However, at the same time, Catholic teaching reminds us that while we can judge certain actions, we must never judge the person performing those actions. Only God can judge.

This distinction between judging an action and a person is particularly important to our response to issues which go against a culture of life. It is often all too easy to judge the person who chooses to have an abortion (or the doctor who performs it). While we can, and should, say that these actions are gravely wrong, we must exercise great care not to judge the person. Similarly, while we can judge the action of a person who abuses their spouse or children, and while we should put an end to his or her behavior, we cannot judge the person or tell them that there is no hope for change. With God’s grace, anyone can change his or her ways.

Below are a couple other thinking points which you may find helpful with respect to the abortion issue. While these factors do not in any way justify having an abortion, an awareness of this background information sometimes makes it easier not to judge the women who do, and may even help us think of ways we can help women choose life.

  • Women who have never married have 66% of all abortions in the USA. Facing an unexpected pregnancy alone or feeling unable to care for the child can influence a woman’s decision. 14% of women who have abortions cite “not enough support from husband or partner” as a reason.
  • Women who choose abortions often are pressured by their partners or others. 14% of women who have abortions cite the fact that their husband or partner wanted them to as a reason. A smaller, but still significant percentage (6%), cite that their parents wanted them to have an abortion.
  • The rate of abortion among women living below the federal poverty line is 4x that of women living at 300% of the poverty line. 22% of women who have abortions cite unemployment as a reason and 28% say they cannot afford a baby and child care.
  • Some women who have abortions have been victims themselves of other serious violations of the Culture of Life. 2% cite “husband is abusive to me or my children” as a reason, and 1% cited “was a victim of rape”. Although a small percentage of all abortions, these figures translate to over 36,000 abortions each year.
 

JPIC Corner January 2010
Joomla Templates by Joomlashack