Christians Favor Abortion

[Zzyzx]

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Many Christians here and elsewhere claim to be very opposed to abortion. BUT when confronted with an unwanted pregnancy Christian women (including Evangelicals) have the very abortion they claim to oppose – a half a million times per year.

A 1994/95 survey (2,3) of nearly 10,000 abortion patients showed 18% of women having abortions are born-again or Evangelical Christians. Many of these women are likely anti-choice. The survey also showed that Catholic women have an abortion rate 29% higher than Protestant women. A Planned Parenthood handbook on abortion notes that nearly half of all abortions are for women who describe themselves as born-again Christian, Evangelical Christian, or Catholic.

http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/anti-tales.html

The article has several ironic citations about "Pro-Life" women who have abortions including this one:

"I've had several cases over the years in which the anti-abortion patient had rationalized in one way or another that her case was the only exception, but the one that really made an impression was the college senior who was the president of her campus Right-to-Life organization, meaning that she had worked very hard in that organization for several years. As I was completing her procedure, I asked what she planned to do about her high office in the RTL organization. Her response was a wide-eyed, 'You're not going to tell them, are you!?' When assured that I was not, she breathed a sigh of relief, explaining how important that position was to her and how she wouldn't want this to interfere with it." (Physician, Texas)

Another article

A new study by The Center For Reason (www.CenterForReason.com) finds that Christians have just as many abortions as their non-Christian counterparts. The study concludes that in the year 2000, Christians were responsible for 570,000 abortions. Catholics were found to be the worst offenders, with abortion rates higher than the national average.
http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/articles/ ... rtion.html

Question for debate:

If Christian women have more than half a million abortions per year how can the Christian anti-abortion stance NOT be hypocritical?

[JoeyKnothead]

I believe it. I think it is very telling of how religious folks hold a duality of belief. These women seem to have their 'real world' issues conflicting with their 'spiritual world' issues. The drive to procreate seems to be winning.

[Flail]

When beliefs are based upon indoctrination rather than evident truth,it ususally only takes a small dose of reality to expose the fraud.

[Goat]

I believe it. I think it is very telling of how religious folks hold a duality of belief. These women seem to have their 'real world' issues conflicting with their 'spiritual world' issues. The drive to procreate seems to be winning.

I also think that it is higher among Catholics because they are taught that using Birth control is a sin. Hormones get in the way of the concept that so is sex outside of marriage, and desperation gets in the way of an abortion being a sin.

I also wonder if the rates of STD's follow a similar pattern?

[Zzyzx]

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I believe it. I think it is very telling of how religious folks hold a duality of belief. These women seem to have their 'real world' issues conflicting with their 'spiritual world' issues. The drive to procreate seems to be winning.

I also think that it is higher among Catholics because they are taught that using Birth control is a sin. Hormones get in the way of the concept that so is sex outside of marriage, and desperation gets in the way of an abortion being a sin.

I also wonder if the rates of STD's follow a similar pattern?

There is research available regarding "Abstinence Programs" that indicates that the rates of intercourse, pregnancy and STDs is no different among participants than among non-participating control groups and national averages.

Some abstinence-only-until-marriage programs include “Virginity Pledges,� whereby teens sign cards promising to remain virgins until they are married. While data suggests that under limited circumstances, teens who sign a pledge may delay sexual intercourse, 88 percent still have sex before marriage. Research also shows that pledgers’ rate of STDs does not differ from the rate of nonpledgers and that pledgers are less likely to use condoms at first intercourse or to be tested for STDS than nonpledgers.
http://www.takeissuetakecharge.org/reso ... &release=2

Many other studies are available with Internet searchs. I do not know how this information might relate to religious people in general or to Catholics in particular.

[jgh7]

It's impossible for a stance to be hypocritical, but the people representing that stance can definitely be hypocritical. A stance is just an argument. If you're expressing disapproval of the way many self-proclaimed Christians are hypocrites, then I agree with you. But if you are saying that the Christian argument for why abortion is wrong can therefore be negated because of this, then I disagree with you.

[lastcallhall]

It is very sad that any christian would have an abortion but I think far to many people refer to themselves as christians but don't ever practice the faith. Abortion is murder and should never be an option. It is a selfish option that only let's the mother continue to make poor choices without dealing with the concequences. Proverbs 6 :16 should make any christian realize God hates abortion. "Six things the Lord hates, a proud look, a lying tounge, and hands that shed innocent blood. There is no blood more innocent than that of an unborn child. I just lost a six figure job and am now trying to make everything work and my wife just had a baby, abortion would make economic sence to the world but we will trust God and now have a healthy baby girl I would not trade for anything

[Goat]

It is very sad that any christian would have an abortion but I think far to many people refer to themselves as christians but don't ever practice the faith. Abortion is murder and should never be an option. It is a selfish option that only let's the mother continue to make poor choices without dealing with the concequences. Proverbs 6 :16 should make any christian realize God hates abortion. "Six things the Lord hates, a proud look, a lying tounge, and hands that shed innocent blood. There is no blood more innocent than that of an unborn child. I just lost a six figure job and am now trying to make everything work and my wife just had a baby, abortion would make economic sence to the world but we will trust God and now have a healthy baby girl I would not trade for anything

Numbers 5 has a procedure for inducing a miscarriage, also known as an abortion described in it. If you look at the the spirit 'I.e. soul' does not enter the body until 'the breath of life' enters the body. (see Genesis 2.7). Until then, a body can not be considered an 'innocent life' (I am assuming you are talking about Proverbs 6:17, not 6:16).

And, exodus 21:22-23 makes it clear that a death of a fetus is not murder.

[Zzyzx]

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It's impossible for a stance to be hypocritical, but the people representing that stance can definitely be hypocritical. A stance is just an argument.

Okay

If you're expressing disapproval of the way many self-proclaimed Christians are hypocrites, then I agree with you.

The OP asked a question. How can one agree with a question rather than a position? Touché.

But if you are saying that the Christian argument for why abortion is wrong can therefore be negated because of this, then I disagree with you.

No statement was made in the OP about abortion being "wrong".

The articles mentioned (and others available) suggest that Christian women undergo a half million abortions per year – at rates similar to the general population – and that Catholics have an abortion rate higher than national average.

If abortion is considered murder by Christians, this seems like a lot of "murder" committed by Christian women. Using the church definition of murder to include abortion, Christian women probably account for the greatest number of murders anywhere in the world – a million in less than two years – challenging the world's worst dictators and organizations – and all done by "good" Christian women -- with blood on their hands and "evil in their heart". Will those murders lose their chance to go to heaven?

[bernee51]

It is very sad that any christian would have an abortion but I think far to many people refer to themselves as christians but don't ever practice the faith.

The search for the ever elusive 'true christian' (tm) continues...

I
Abortion is murder and should never be an option.

Murder is the unlawful killing of a human. Abortion, by definion, cannot be murder.

It is a selfish option that only let's the mother continue to make poor choices without dealing with the concequences.

Sometimes 'selfish' options seem like the only option. You assume no consequences with abortion. That is not necessarily the case.

I just lost a six figure job and am now trying to make everything work and my wife just had a baby, abortion would make economic sence to the world but we will trust God and now have a healthy baby girl I would not trade for anything

I hope that your faith continues to sustain you and your family.