ortions performed prior to the point that the fetus first moves as permissible and tolerable (Flanders 29). It was not until 1960 that Pope John Paul VI forbade all abortions, therapeutic or otherwise (30). Only surgery to save the mothers life is morally sanctioned by the Catholic Church (30). By doing this, the Catholic Church believes it is defending the lives of millions of powerless fetuses (31). Due to the fact that they changed their minds, it causes the main debated in the battle over whether abortion is morally acceptable. At times in church history, the point at which life was thought to begin varied. Some thought human personhood began at conception, while others believed in the Aristotelian concept that life began 40 to 80 days after conception when the soul enters the body (Childress and Macquarrie 2). Today, science shows that although the human ovum, or egg, is alive when it enters a womans fallopian tubes, it is not considered a human being until it meets with a sperm causing conception and the beginning of life as a diploid. Although science an tell us that an egg and a sperm come together to become and embryo and eventually a fetus, it can not tell us whether the fetus has a soul, and has a full set of human rights, or if an abortion itself causes pain to the fetus (ReligiousTolerance.org 2). This is one of the most fundamental and perplexing issues in abortion. Views on abortion vary greatly among Christian communities. The weighing of fetal, maternal, familial, and social goods does not depend on religious opinions (Childress and Macquarrie 4). The doctrines of Christianity on both creation and redemption hold favor in both preserving life and of enhancing its quality (4). Roman Catholics in particular place a high value on the unborn, even early in pregnancy, but are becoming more understanding and sensitive to the problems that an unexpected pregnancy can cause a woman and families (5). Mainstream Prot...
