The Vatican, and they would like us to believe, the majority of Americans, do not support President Obama's lifting the so-called "global gag rule" which cut off funding to overseas family planning clinics if the had anything to do with abortions. Archbishop Rino Fisichella has gone so far as to call our president arrogant.
Fisichella is president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, one of a number of so-called pontifical academies which are formed by or under the direction of the Holy See.
"What is important is to know how to listen... without locking oneself into ideological visions with the arrogance of a person who, having the power, thinks they can decide on life and death," he added.
I’ve always viewed the global gag order as an attempt at legislating morality. It is also anti-science and anti-women. The whole point of medical care is to provide the widest range of alternatives so that the best solution is chosen. If abortion, even abortion related services like simply talking about it, are off the table, then the possible solutions are limited and the resulting service may in fact not be in the best interest of the patient.
I’ve stayed out of the abortion debate for many reasons. But I think it is time to state my position. I believe in a woman's right to choose. I also believe that abortions are an undesirable. The two positions can coexist. The key to abortion rights (at least in my mind), is giving a woman all the possible information and services available so the she can make the right choice. This includes preventative measures, like contraception. It also includes counseling, the morning after pill, adoption, and if necessary, abortion. The problem is… all of these were replaced to some extent by a big black hole of misinformation under the theocratic Republicans. And that’s simply wrong.
The Vatican could always forbid Catholics from having abortions… I’m not sure they will listen.
Logging you in...
jen 26p · 847 weeks ago
Um, projecting much? You, having power, want to decide life and death for every woman. And if you can do it by restricting her information to the extent that she doesn't even know you've made the choice for her, so much the better. Lifting the gag rule, on the other hand, allows for the flow of information that enables a woman to make a better-informed choice.
GingerRed 95p · 847 weeks ago
What so many do not realize that if any of these sources counseled for abortion, their funding for providing birth control and all manner of services was cut off.
We're talking about third world conditions in many cases. These women need to have birth control. They need to be educated about STD's and all manner of prevention. To cut them off because they mention abortion is absurd.
The irony of this man calling Obama arrogant is epic in scale.
SB Wright 110p · 847 weeks ago
Volly · 846 weeks ago
Oh, they don't! Same is true for divorce, birth control and voting for people like Obama. And same for the poor women who look for help at the gag-ordered clinics. They go home and self-abort...