Catholics hand baton to Evangelicals on Abortion

Discussion in 'Navigating Through Church Life' started by anglican74, Oct 26, 2020.

  1. anglican74

    anglican74 Well-Known Member Anglican

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    This is a fascinating article to me, and to all the rest of us who grew up with Catholics as having presented the leading witness in defending the sanctity of life...


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    2020-10-26-catholics_for_choice.jpg


    Catholics hand baton to Evangelicals on Abortion

    WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - A compilation of Pew research reveals that, among other things, Catholics have handed the leadership in opposing abortion to white evangelicals.

    For decades, the Pew Research Center has been asking Catholics about their views on abortion. Pew released last week an overview of its research, captured in a list of eight key findings:

    1. More than half of U.S. Catholics said abortion should be legal in all or most cases
    2. Catholics who regularly attend Mass show higher levels of opposition to abortion
    3. Catholics are divided by party on the question of whether abortion should be legal
    4. Catholics are about as likely as other Americans to see abortion as a key election issue
    5. Most Catholics oppose overturning Roe v. Wade
    6. Most Catholics believe abortion is immoral, but they think it should be legal
    7. Catholics are about as likely as other Christians to have a favorable opinion of the Supreme Court
    8. Of Catholics who have attended Mass or watched on television, more than 4 in 10 have said they have heard a homily on abortion
    Despite the Church's long-standing opposition to abortion and its early leadership in the pro-life battle, 56% of Catholics surveyed believe abortion should be legal — not just in the hard cases but in "all or most cases." This finding is in contrast to white evangelicals. Only 20% of this group fall into the "all or most group." Instead, nearly 80% "oppose abortion in all or most cases."
     
  2. Moses

    Moses Member

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    From my experience in the pro-life movement, it is almost entirely Roman Catholic. The people praying outside of abortion clinics usually have rosaries in their hands. At the March for Life in DC every year, everyone's holding signs with their parish name of St. so-and-so, or Our Lady of such-and-such. (You're even more likely to see signs like "athiests for life" than anything Evangelical-sounding) The people at the crisis pregnancy center are usually Roman Catholic.

    It's true that a lot of the leading pro-feticide politicians are Roman Catholic, and that many Catholics share that view. But from what I have seen almost everyone who is personally involved in the pro-life movement is Roman Catholic.
     
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  3. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps pro-life Catholics are more likely to participate in protests and activism than pro-life Evangelicals?
     
  4. AnglicanAgnostic

    AnglicanAgnostic Well-Known Member

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    Firstly I studied the picture above and lo there is a capital "C" in Catholic on the placard so I presume these people are the Roman variety.
    I suspect there is a big difference between what the average RC believes and how they act compared to the "ideal" formulated by Vatican officials. It is probably easy for celibate men in the all male world of the Vatican to pontificate about abortion, it's probably not so easy in the real world for a woman who finds herself in unfortunate circumstances. Do you hear the church saying "don't worry we will support you and your baby"? I suspect RCs don't let the Pope and official pronouncements influence them much at all. How many RCs do you know would say Anglican orders are invalid due to Apostolicae curae . Anglican and RC priests seem to get on together despite this.
    Sex and marriage has been brought up in a different thread. Again I think RCs disregard official doctrine. Let's for arguement's sake say they do practise natural contraception as the Pope suggests, well apparently they are so good at it now that the Pope a few years ago had to issue an edict that they should now have a "morally acceptable" number of children. Of course RCs are probably just ignoring the Pope and practising contraception. I remember several years ago here in New Zealand it was estimated that 80-90 % of RCs were using contraception by using the crude statistic of the known percent of women using contraception and assuming all non RCs were using it and it took 80 to 90 percent of RCs to make up the difference.
    I don't think many RCs are "hard line" Roman Catholics and I think it has always been so. I remember reading about that good Anglican Charles II and how he may have become a closet RC after meeting ordinary RCs instead of Cardinals etc during his "travels" around Worcestshire. he found they weren't rabid heretic burning zealots but just ordinary people who wanted quietly to practise their religion.

    Sorry for this maybe slightly off topic rant but I feel it is important to point out that I think most RCs differ to their supposed official position as per the photo above.
     
  5. Moses

    Moses Member

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    It's ironic that a century ago, there were Anglicans who became Roman Catholic to escape latitudinarianism. And that was back when Edward VIII gave up the throne so as not to scandalize the English Church and people with his marriage. I wonder if they'd make the same jump today.


    Exactly this.
     
  6. AnglicanAgnostic

    AnglicanAgnostic Well-Known Member

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    Probably not. I suspect people would just change the Anglican Church that they went to, that more reflected their own views. This maybe more easy in the UK than USA where there is a higher pop. density and more churches are within an easy drive. Our USA members seem to have trouble finding churches that suit them at times.
    I have heard a rumour that Edward gave up the throne to marry Wallis for reasons other than not to scandalize the English Church. Unfortunately it is probably not suitable for a public Christian forum------ if anyone wants me to PM them, let me know.:)
     
  7. Empty

    Empty Member

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    I must respectfully disagree. It may be Catholics whom you run into at protests; but I must say the RABID pro lifers are the evangelicals. They don't care if a 12 year old girl was raped by her father and the baby is deformed; abortion is not an option. While I am prolife, I do think there are certain cases (Perhaps incest, rape, and life of the mother), where things are not so black and white. Certain cases may require some prayerful consideration and consultation with one's priest before a knee jerk decision is made. Also, I must disagree with the American Evangelical approach; screaming at traumatized women, threatening doctors and medical staff, spitting on and assaulting people is not the answer. And not the way our Lord would have us deal with the problem.
     
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  8. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    I am not sure how or why just because a baby was formed it is ok to kill it
     
  9. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    I agree we should not be yelling at women either way
     
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  10. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    It seems over-broad to call this "the American Evangelical approach." I consider myself an (American, obviously) evangelical, and I know/have known plenty of other evangelicals. None of them engage in this sort of behavior or condone the same. There are some fringe church groups out there (one in Kansas comes to mind), but they don't represent the mainstream. Best not to paint with too broad a brush IMO.
     
  11. Empty

    Empty Member

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    You make a valid point. Unfortunately, the political activism of the SBC and Franklin Graham have portrayed evangelicals in a very ugly way. But we should not assume all belong to this stereotype
     
  12. Empty

    Empty Member

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    We do have a greater population density and more churches per se, but unfortunately a lot more heresy also. I just got the list of Anglican Churches in the USA that rely on the 1928 BCP and none within a couple hundred miles of me. There are several Episcopal churches in the area, but I believe they are all of the sect that believe in ordination of women and gays. I want to worship in the traditional, Orthodox type church, but may not be able to find one near my home.
     
  13. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    Maybe that was why this sentence was included: "Certain cases may require some prayerful consideration and consultation with one's priest before a knee jerk decision is made." I would add "Medical Consultants" to "priest" there as well.

    Sometimes the how and the why is obviously known to God, there is a medical disaster and He is then accused of having 'killed it' (as you say), mostly by those who attribute every incident that happens on earth to Almighty God. No one from the pro-life movements seem to object when that happens. It is simply an unfortunate miscarriage, not 'caused' by anyone.

    Nevertheless, there are probably occasions when it is better to terminate a pregnancy before it goes too far in the interests of the health and life of the mother, rather than allow a dangerous medical emergency to continue to endanger her life, health or even her ability to conceieve and bear in future.
    .
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2021
  14. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    I am not going to argue the ethics of abortion. I have been there and done that and it goes no where.
     
  15. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    I hope you won't discount the possibility of an ACNA parish using the 2019 BCP. https://anglicanchurch.net/find-a-congregation/
    WO tends to be more accepted in the eastern US and less so as one goes farther west. In our diocese, I believe the feeling is that ordaining women to priesthood is not okay, and ordaining women deacons might be okay but won't be encouraged. Frankly, I think the best thing is to locate the parishes nearest you and arrange to sit down and talk with the rectors; sound them out on their position, because the local rector's view is what will prevail in that parish.
     
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  16. Empty

    Empty Member

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    This sounds like the best solution. I can review websites at home, but speaking to the local parish will probably give me a better idea of what they really practice
     
  17. Empty

    Empty Member

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    P.S. Checked your link, and there is a parish listed not too far away. Thanks so much
     
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  18. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    I love the 2019 BCP
     
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