In Brazil, a 9-year-old chooses to have an abortion when impregnated with twins by her stepfather. Doctors believed it was critical for her to get the abortion due to health dangers.
However, the Roman Catholic Church found it unnecessary and rather a blessing the young girl was pregnant with twins. They then decided to excommunicate the family due to their actions against "God's laws." They also banned the doctors who operated on the young girl.
Abortion is illegal in Brazil unless certain circumstance apply, which they did. So why is the country deeply offended of the child's act? The girl was nine and considered to have "immature hips" making the labor quite challenging. Religious beliefs aside, the family did the right thing and it was all legal. My only concern would be the stepfather's actions and how come the church isn't taking a bigger notice on that?
Now, like most people know, world issues are definitely the world's issues. When someone else's eyes are looking at a situation from afar, things tend to be stretched.
My point is this. If we do decide to put our two cents into society's manners, let's be critical of it. In other words, careful on how we analyze manners. What the church did was fine, but to criticize someone else's view on their own issues is sort of... rude. Silly perhaps, but I find it incredibly unfortunate the family had to go through such hatred because of their decisions as a family. Yes, we have a right to say what we please and put our pocket change in there if we like, but there comes a point of common decency.
Beliefs aside, the girl was nine! A minor laboring twins is outrageous enough. Abortion is a controversy that will never be settled, but our attitudes alone can. No support came to this family, and even if something is not to your liking, a decision has been made and the best a person can do is accept. Whether it's household issues or societies problems, we have a duty as people to come together and make the best of these situations.
However, the Roman Catholic Church found it unnecessary and rather a blessing the young girl was pregnant with twins. They then decided to excommunicate the family due to their actions against "God's laws." They also banned the doctors who operated on the young girl.
Abortion is illegal in Brazil unless certain circumstance apply, which they did. So why is the country deeply offended of the child's act? The girl was nine and considered to have "immature hips" making the labor quite challenging. Religious beliefs aside, the family did the right thing and it was all legal. My only concern would be the stepfather's actions and how come the church isn't taking a bigger notice on that?
Now, like most people know, world issues are definitely the world's issues. When someone else's eyes are looking at a situation from afar, things tend to be stretched.
My point is this. If we do decide to put our two cents into society's manners, let's be critical of it. In other words, careful on how we analyze manners. What the church did was fine, but to criticize someone else's view on their own issues is sort of... rude. Silly perhaps, but I find it incredibly unfortunate the family had to go through such hatred because of their decisions as a family. Yes, we have a right to say what we please and put our pocket change in there if we like, but there comes a point of common decency.
Beliefs aside, the girl was nine! A minor laboring twins is outrageous enough. Abortion is a controversy that will never be settled, but our attitudes alone can. No support came to this family, and even if something is not to your liking, a decision has been made and the best a person can do is accept. Whether it's household issues or societies problems, we have a duty as people to come together and make the best of these situations.
This is crazy...
ReplyDeletehow dare the church do such a thing? A nine year old isn't ready mentally or physically to be a mother. This poor girl was raped by a man who she needed to be able to trust, and the catholic church jumps down her throat? I am extremely pro life, but this just rankles with me. this may be one of the few circumstances I must admit that abortion is the best thing. This little girl will be scarred for life, and deserves to be allowed to worship and move on, without the reminder of twins. My full grown mother could barely handle my brother and I, and she was 27 with twins. Do you really think a 9 year old could manage... she's only a child herself.
Woah woah woah! How has the Catholic Church jumped down her throat as you so quaintly put it Erica? Was it by defending a baby's right to life? Or was it by standing by its teachings and enforcing its morals? Excommunication is self-inflicted when one aids someone in an abortion. Why? Because abortion is wrong. And you're wrong Erica, mothers who have had abortions suffer from emotional strain after realizing what they have done. Suicide rates increase in mothers who commit abortions. That's not something abortionists are fond of revealing and so how can you say the little girl will be able to "move on, without the reminder of twins?"
ReplyDeleteSHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL JEREMY. AND YOU KNOW i AM PROLIFE, BUT THIS IS CRUEL. she couldn't be a mother when she is 9. and yes, she will have emotions about how the abortion affected her, but it probably won't be as bad as the trauma of being raped by her stepfather, and then possibly bearing his children. I am deeply saddened by your response. truly. It's as if you have no sympathy. like i was saying in Dei Rossi's blog, this world is sexist and unfair. Did you ever stop to think what it is like to be her? I was a nine year old girl once... i remember what that's like. I know that there is no way she could have been the kind of mother those children needed. If she had been in her teens, it would be different. If she was 16 or 17, have the kids and give them up. At nine there is no way that your body is ready for the damage. Full grown healthy women die EVERY DAY giving birth, TO CHILDREN THAT ARE BORN OF LOVE. you have no idea what it is like to be a little girl, so you have no idea why it was ok for her to do this.
ReplyDeleteOh I am sick and tired of this same comment. "You're not a girl so you have no idea." Really? Erica, you don't have to be a woman to realize the sanctity of life. And don't flaunt your extra X-Chromosome to bolster your argument. The little girl had been blessed with twins! That's two lives, Erica, two lives that were murdered in an instant. She had a chance of surviving the birthing process and don't tell me she didn't. Science hasn't perfected the ability to say who's going to live and who's going to die, but they have come close with such barbaric practices as euthanasia and abortion. Do not tell me that the girl couldn't have lived a happy life with her children, that she would've not been proud to be a mother. Still, you're right, she may have not been ready to be a mother, but there are ways around that. Foster care? Extended family? A whole list of options that could preserve life. A mother's love would have strengthened her, even if her children were also her step-father's, which I don't see the big deal about. Sure, he was wrong for raping a child in his custody, but the babies are still human beings, still children, and still worthy of the right to live. Even if they were her stepfather's children too, she would've still loved her children because they have a part of her too. The power of a mother's love is strong.
ReplyDeleteSure Erica, you're defending a woman's right to choose. But if the twins were female, do they not have the right to choose life? Won't you have to protect them? And if they were boys, you'd still have to protect them since that would just be carrying a double standard on your part. You say you're Pro-Life Erica, yet you are willing to condone murder at this time. Why don't you accompany me on the next West Coast Walk for Life. Then you'll see why I'm so passionate about this and why I'm both sympathetic to the girl's needs and the loss of her unborn children.
I am not saying that the girl should be condemned, but the abortion itself should be. Murder is wrong in any sense and abortionists disguised as doctors should be excommunicated.
as usual you are missing the point my dear friend. Twins are a blessing, life is a blessing. She deserves a chance to live as well. The doctors said she wouldn't make it. Her life is just as important. her quality of life is important. I feel like a two for one life exchange has to suck, but this is basically telling her because she has been raped, now she has to give birth that will come close or will take her life. Its punishing the victim. Its a sad thing to throw two lives away, but sadly nessacary in this situtation.
ReplyDeleteThen you will understand dear friend, that not everything doctors say are true. After all, aren't TV daytime talk shows filled with inspirational stories of men and women who doctors told were never going to walk, or see, or do anything but all of a sudden they are proved wrong? So don't tell me that in this case, when the doctor said she wouldn't make it, that it was written in stone that she couldn't make it. I'm a believer in possibilities, of chance if you will. There was a chance she would have been able to deliver the babies and a chance she could've survived. While you are more interested in the girl, one might say I'm more interested in the loss of the twins, for they weren't even given a chance to fully enjoy life. Since I hold all life sacred, of course I hold the girl's life also as important as her twins. But, was it not punishing the twins by murdering them? Why is it that when people are trying to justify abortion they always point at rape and say that a woman should have an abortion so she doesn't have to live with the shame. Well, I do not consider any a child a shame, a punishment, or an evil. Every child has the right to live, regardless of who is the father or not.
ReplyDeleteYou say it's sad that two lives are thrown away, but your support for the abortion doesn't reveal any sadness at all. When you say it's necessary to have had this abortion, you still fully support the deaths. Sure, it's nice to say that the murder of two lives is sad, but it's another thing to speak out against it and make sure it doesn't happen. This is just sugarcoating the issue Erica, one thing your most talented at.
And how am I missing the point, dear friend? I am basically addressing that abortion is wrong in this and all cases. What point is there to miss? And is it in your opinion that I always miss the point on these issues because I take the religious stance, which you so kindly refer to as the conservative angle? Would you rather I take the "liberal" view and say the abortion was justified? Well, Erica, I cannot. I'm a Catholic so by my baptism I am charged with protecting life at all cost, as my mother has graciously done for me. It would be terribly ironic for me to support abortions and then follow every Church doctrine besides this one. So you might say that I'm narrow minded, that I'm ignorant, or selfish, but when it comes to abortion, I know where I stand. I know that all life is sacred and so must be protected. Abortions are wrong, and so where do you stand? Are you the wishy-washy side of the Pro-Life movement, who takes a Pro-Life stand only when they see fit? Or will you be the kind that never wavers and never takes a neutral side on the issue of life? It's your choice Erica, but I'm glad I know where I stand.
Are you telling me I don't have the courage of my convictions because i don't support the excommunication of a 9 year old rape victim? Do you see where there is cruelty? too bad your pope does not support the usage of condoms...if he did i dont think we'd be hvaing this discussion on abortion. abortion is wrong, my dear friend, but in this case, to spare the victim, it was the only choice. if she had been older, my answer may have been different.
ReplyDeleteWoah woah woah! Erica where are you getting your information? Where in that article did it say the girl was excommunicated? To my understanding, it was the doctor/abortionist and her mother who suffered the consequence.
ReplyDeleteAnd pray tell, how would condoms have helped this situation? Condoms only encourage people to have sex since basically it's saying that you might not get pregnant so what the heck! You know what the Church teaches? Abstinence! It's simple, if you don't do it, you won't get pregnant, eliminating any possibility of an abortion. Condoms on the other hand are used to have sex whenever, because it's "protection." I thought the old saying said if you don't wanna get burned, don't play with fire. Well there you go, the Pope is basically affirming a Church teaching and a bit of common sense by supporting abstinence and opposing condoms.
Plus don't tell me that hogwash that humans crave sex 24/7 and so need condoms to satisfy our desires. You've used that argument before and it doesn't work because am I such a victim of my hormones that I just jump on top of the nearest female every chance I get? hahahaha Abstinence: it's the safest way to avoid pregnancy or STD's.
And the Pope, along with the Church, denounces condoms because as Catholics we believe life begins at conception. Condoms simply interfere with procreation and prevent life from occurring. And like I said before, condoms breed promiscuity because people believe that as long as they use one, they're safe so they start sleeping around. Well that's all I have to say.
Though you are my friend, and someone who i respect, i want you to know something... SOMETIMES YOU ARE A REAL IDIOT. Im sorry for putting like that, but you only see through one set of eyes, and those eyes belong to the Catholic church. if condoms were widely available in Africa, do you think they would have 1/3 of the worlds Aids infections? In Western society, condoms are there for when you are comfortable with the PERSONAL CHOICE of having sex. Sex isn't wrong. I never said people were craving sex 24/7. I said that it was a natural instinct to reproduce and spread our dna, left over from evolution. Abstience is a personal choice, and I will respect that, but it isnt the only choice. I'd rather people have sex with condoms than have sex and not have condoms. Want to hear a story? One of my dad's friends, a girl, had sex for the first time. Then later on, though she only had sex once, she had HERPES. I bet she wished for a condom. Or how about my sisters friend who had sex for the first time and had a baby? A condom probably would have prevented that. And now this little girl. If her evil stepdad had worn a condom, i dont think she would have had to get an abortion. Having a condom doesn't mean you'll immediately become promiscuous. it means you'll be safe. When the time comes, you'll be safe. And promiscuity is a PERSONAL CHOICE. Not a very good one, but none the less a personal choice. A condom won't tilt your opinion one way or the other, that is a PERSONAL CHOICE. ...
ReplyDeleteI love that my blog made controversy in comments! kudos me!
ReplyDeleteThis is Pongze, that quiet guy. Well anyways, I just so happened to come in late on this battle and wanted to voice my opinion.
ReplyDeleteLet's first start on with life as it is now. The girl had an abortion and i don't know what she is doing now. If she was to recover from the rape, and the abortion and all the possible threats or whatever's happening right now, she can be a help to society.
Now, if she was to have those twins safely, there would be much talk amongstalmost all others about what she's done. She's continued and beared to children as a child. As a mother, if she had the right form of help, she could be a lot of inspiration to the twins.
If she was to have the twins and die of birth, then the issue would be that she was a child and too weak as Erica says.
If nothing came of the girl and she had passed away with the Twins, then, why all the blame would be on the step-father, seeing as there is not much of others to blame. So I hope all of you can be happy if we, so to speak, "hang" the step-father because of what he's done so we can be happy about what we've done. But why would one be happy about revenge or anything similar.
What's best to do is see on to the future and hope for the best isn't it? worrying about what's past will not do any good, unless the worrying will actually affect the future, with voices and opinions, not just small debates...or so.
It's what I'm thinkin' now and it may change tomorrow.
Oh, and with condoms. Who uses condoms when they're raping someone?
Good Job Pongze!!! Who does use condoms when they rape someone?
ReplyDeleteErica, most sexual situations are a result of promiscuity. As you can see, you were unable to attack abstinence itself because it's a safe proof process, relying only on the person's willpower. You did however, try to bolster your argument by citing the issue of AIDS in Africa and how condoms can help. Basically, you just offered another way out without really building a foundation on why.
In my previous post, I explained why the Catholic Church views abstinence as the only way against preventing unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and what not. Life begins at conception, so condoms interfere with the creation of life. Why not just practice abstinence and keep away from sex, since we believe condoms are already a threat to new life so just keep away from sex? Why would you have to choose to use condoms if the consequences of having sex itself are dire: STDs, unwanted preganancies, etc.? That seems to be the only reason you cited in support of condoms. Personal choice. Hmmm...that almost sounds Pro-Choice Erica.
AIDs in Africa was caused by promiscuity. People had sex with different partners and so the STD could form and spread. Well abstinence attacks the root of the problem. Don't have sex, you don't get hurt. Wait till marriage and you can share something wonderful with your spouse. Would condoms really help? Isn't that basically saying, go and have sex but just wear one. Is that attacking the root of the problem: promiscuity? Or is it encouraging it?
And your stories of your dad's friend and sister's friend, who all had sex one time and one got herpes and the other got a baby. Really, would condoms have helped the situations? Your acting like condoms are the safest most best way to prevent pregnancies and STDs 100% of the time! hahahaha NO! They both had the same amount of chances of getting STDs or pregnant if they had sex using condoms. Condoms are not a magical safety net that can save you from STDs, pregnancies, and maybe forest fires!? You know what would have helped both situations? Abstinence. If they had not had sex and waited till marriage, till they had a responsible spouse, they wouldn't have dealt with an STD or a baby early in life.
It seems your other argument to using condoms is that the wearer will be "safe." Soldiers use guns and armor, so they're "safe," right? But the issue isn't whether one will be safe when the time comes. The issue is the fact that they're going into that sexual situation, that the soldier is going into battle. The situation itself is the prime focus. Abstinence prevents the situation from occurring and makes people "safe." Condoms just encourage people to enter that dangerous situation. They don't make anyone safe, just risk takers.
And don't tell me that the mentality of promiscuity will not enter the minds of condom users. After all, they believe condoms will save them from STDs and pregnancies so why not do it with everyone else?
And you said that promiscuity was a choice so we should let people do it? What!? That sounds just like the argument of a Pro-Choice advocate! "Abortion is a woman's personal choice!" So I guess Erica, that since stealing and murder are both personal choices, we should let people do them? Where do you cross the line?
- Jeremy Dela Cruz
OKAY conversation over now GEESH!
ReplyDeleteHahahaha You're such an awesome writer Alisya! You inspire such lively debates!
ReplyDeletethank you very much!
ReplyDeleteyou too :]
I never ever said that most personal chocie were right or acceptable. however, people do make them, and some perosnal choice need not be allowed. Like the murder of children. And I wish that this little girl was older, so that she wouldn't have had to get an abortion. Oh jeremy, you ask why not? Maybe because people aren't as dumb or sex crazed as you think. personally arguing with you is tiring.... its an uphill battle. im done. I support my beliefs and i really dont care. I am pro-life, but i will only make this one exception as it possibly saved her life. No more arguing, about condoms or whatever. we have different opinions on the same spectrum. go figure.
ReplyDeletewoot woot for alisya. WOOT WOOT
ReplyDeleteI just happened to read "And I wish that this little girl was older..." It would make better sense to say that she wished that she had never been raped, so that this problem would've never occurred.
ReplyDeletepongze... you know thats not what I meant. i wish she had never been raped, but at the same time I wish she was older that way abortion wouldn't be her only option.
ReplyDelete