Abortion as a Presidential Issue

In the course of the final two presidential debates, Sen. John Kerry stated that it would violate the 1st Amendment’s prohibition against governmental enactment of an “exclusively” religious belief to legislate his Catholic antiabortion belief by voting against, or otherwise acting against, the legalization of abortion. At best here, Kerry has betrayed a misunderstanding of both his Catholic faith and the 1st Amendment. At worst, he has used his Catholic faith to promote the continued legalization of abortion.

The Catholic Church never has held as a doctrine of faith or morals that the human embryo or fetus is a human being. The church knows full well that the question of when a human being begins its existence as a human being is no more a religious (or moral) question than is the question of whether or not life exists on Mars. However, the church does teach that every person and every nation or state has a duty to protect all human life. The church argues and accepts here what science points out: A human being or human life begins its existence as the same at or near conception.

Philip A. Rafferty

Inglewood

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There is little doubt that George W. Bush, if reelected, would make every effort to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe vs. Wade. With respect to countries in the underdeveloped world whose poverty and misery are increasing due to their ongoing population explosion, the greater threat is the conservative Republicans’ attempts to oppose, reduce and even eliminate birth control both at home and abroad. This began soon after Bush took office, with the “gag rule,” and was reiterated by him in the third debate when he paid lip service to “abstinence programs.” Countries whose population is almost doubling every 20 to 30 years cannot hope to see anything but a reduction in their already low standard of living in coming decades, along with famine, conflicts and hopelessness. Such countries desperately need funds and assistance for family planning programs.

Peter Lisbon

San Diego