Cole Tishler

Mr. Patrick

Theology 4

14 October 2021

Dignity of the Unborn

Abortion should not be permitted because it takes away a life, and it is against the

Catholic teaching. It also presents an obstacle for the mother for the rest of her life.

Abortion is purposfully termanating a human pregnancy. The Fifth Commandment

states, “Thou shall not kill.” This means that it is not okay to take human life. An unborn baby

has a heartbeat starting at 6 weeks after gestation. As Catholics, society should believe getting an

abortion is very wrong. A heartbeat is a sign of life, and an abortion would put an end to the

heartbeat and the oppurtunity for the child to live. Too many people think a child’s life begins at

birth. However, according to the Catholic teaching, a child’s life begins at conception.

Abortion is a serious topic in the Church. Moses went on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten

Commandments, and God called Moses to the mountain to deliver the message. He wanted all

people to follow all of the Ten Commandments, regardless of where one comes from or what

one’s background is. It is critical that the seriousness of terminating life during the pregnancy

receives the attention it deserves. When looking at the history of the Catholic Church and the

beliefs, in Vatican I they declared in 1869, when the Church first started, Pius IX declared all

abortions as murder. The doctrine has not changed after all these years because the precious life

of the baby has been terminated. This is so important to the Catholic faith because people go the

extra mile to perform miracles just to save our lives. One example is Saint Gerard Majella, the

patron saint of unborn children and motherhood. One of Saint Gerard Majella’s miracles was
when he had dropped his cloth napkin and told a young lady to hold on to it. Years later, she

went into labor one day and was close to losing her baby. She asked to touch the handkerchief

given to her by Saint Gerard Majella and all of her pain went away and the baby came out

healthy.

Abortion presents an obstacle for the mother for the rest of her life. The suicide rate of

women who have had abortions is more than double the suicide rate of women who gave birth.

Women have the guilt of making a decision to end a life, and it is something they cannot forget

or forgive. Every time they hear the cry of a child, or see an infant, the guilt returns. This type of

guilt leads to drastic behavior, and in too many cases, suicide. “Women who aborted a first

pregnancy were five times more likely to report subsequent substance abuse than women who

carried to term and they were four times more likely to report substance abuse compared to those

who suffered a natural loss of their first pregnancy” (United States Conference of Catholic

Bishops. This shows the relentless toll abortion has on the female’s life.

Abortions still take place in the world today. The Catholic Church has stood by the

decision to preserve life at all costs. Women that have abortions do not exist in the world as

normal, and God gave us the commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” For all of these reasons, the

Church is against abortion.

 Works Cited

“Laws Restricting Teenagers' Access to Abortion.” American Civil Liberties Union,

https://www.aclu.org/other/laws-restricting-teenagers-access-abortion.

Luu D. Ireland Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Who Are the 1 in 4
American Women Who Choose Abortion?” The Conversation, 7 Sept. 2021,
https://theconversation.com/who-are-the-1-in-4-american-women-who-choose-ab
ortion-118016.

Howard, Hannah. “New Study: Elevated Suicide Rates among Mothers after Abortion.”
Charlotte Lozier Institute, 10 Sept. 2019,
https://lozierinstitute.org/new-study-elevated-suicide-rates-among-mothers-after-a
bortion/.