Troubadour says: Come on Joe! You know as well as I, or any other who was raised as a Catholic, that the Church back then did not permit contraception, or abortion even when abortion was to save the mother's life.

Well, Troubadour, the Catholic Church has always had exceptions for the cases when an abortion would save a mother's life - but there has been a lot of misunderstanding of that exception, even among priests.

As for the Catholic Church not permitting contraception, that's true - and it's a rule I have always ignored myself. However, for the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would worry about following a rule against contraception, while ignoring a rule against extramarital sex. That's close to the height of stupidity, like setting the house afire but carefully making sure to turn off all the lights before leaving. And in my memory, contraceptives were always available even when they were not supposed to be available. It's had for me to believe that condoms were impossible to get in Ireland. Marijuana is illegal under federal law in the U.S., but is anyone willing to say it's impossible to obtain?

As for abortion, I don't know if there will ever be agreement on that issue. If you believe that human life begins at conception, you most likely would be very unwilling to end that life during pregnancy. If you believe life begins at birth, you most likely will have a different opinion of abortion.

As for me, I don't know when life begins, and I think it's a matter of opinion that has no firm answer. Therefore, I mourn the loss of life or potential life that takes place in abortion, but still believe it is the pregnant woman who must make the final decision.

I don't think it's immoral to oppose abortion, or to support abortion. Still, I think that abortion is reason for grieving the loss of life.

I don't think in absolutes, and I'm very reluctant to pass absolute moral judgments against other people. I don't walk in their shoes.

-Joe-