O'Malley on Obama and abortion

O'Malley preaching that Catholics should vote only for candidates who want to outlaw abortion and gay marriage is like a Jewish congregation preaching that its member should vote only for candidates who want to outlaw unkosher food and working on Saturday.

The Catholic church should lose its tax-exempt status.

unkosher food = abortion and working on saturday = gay marriage

strange comparison even for a person with a seared conscious

This is a false comparison. It would be true if it said that the Catholic Church would teach that its members should only vote for those who want to outlaw, for example, the eating of meat on the Fridays of Lent.

The Church's teaching on protecting the unborn is rooted in its views on natural law, which anyone can grasp with their mind alone. There are ardent pro-lifers who are atheists.

Does anybody take this baffoon seriously ??
He fired the courageous Rev Walter Cuenin for driving a Toyota, locked children out of Presentation School, and praised the hapless and pathetic Sarah Palin.
The fool has zero moral credibility.
Why does he not just go to Rome with his soulmate Bernie Law ??

As a catholic who goes to Mass, I believe that an adult death resulting from an unjust war is equally important as those those who are yet to be born. In most cases these deaths are the result of my tax dollars, as opposed to abortion which is not always paid for by the state. The violence and strife of our actions in Iraq and the desire to cut back on the war is the main reason I voted for Obama. A life is a life, and depending on which number you believe, upwards of 500,000 people have died in Iraq since the war began. I know the Fr. O'Malley is not pro war, but to use his methodology, there is no new way of being anti-war.

Is Barack Obama really pro-life? The answer is “yes.” Looking through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, Senator Obama has spent his entire career striving for the common good. He supports health care programs that will cover all Americans, a living wage for working families, and solutions that allow distressed families to stay in their homes. And rather than trying to overturn Roe v. Wade, an ineffective strategy for 40 years, Senator Obama will reduce abortions. How? By promoting health care for pregnant women and better infant care, day care and job training. In fact, data has shown that social and education programs actually reduce abortions.

Source and for more info: http://www.catholicsforobama.org/

Michael, defeating Roe-Wade would only have the issue revert to the States and then be isolated in a very unhealthy way, I think. It is a moral issue and therefore up to the individual conscience. With all due respect to the hierarchy, it doesn't belong in politics, and should never be a shibboleth for how to cast a vote. Catholic politicians could be required as a matter of conscience to condemn abortion as a serious sin, something I don't hear at all today.
I was disturbed when I read that Obama said something like this about abortion: "I wouldn't want to impose an unwanted pregnancy on my daughters." (not a direct quote, but close). It was enough to prevent me from voting for him, although I didn't vote for McCain either.
I think Obama is much shallower than we take him for, a slickster.
I hope the issue arises locally when Representative Lynch decides to run for a U.S. Senate seat from Massachussets. He would have my vote on any number of issues. To me he represents the Democratic party I grew up in.
JOHN T.OWENS

Why no mention of the death penalty and the current unjust war in the Cardinals' prolife musings? Should the politicians who support them be allowed communion?

Somehow, I doubt that Cardinal O'Malley or any of the other bishops have gotten pregnant as the result of rape.or incest (or any other reason). But I would like to hope that the statement "trying to reduce the number of abortions" means that they will now push for comprehensive sex education, including the use of condoms and birth control to reduce the unwanted pregnancies that are the primary cause of abortions. But somehow, I doubt that also.

Of course, as anyone rational recognizes, allowing people who are anti-choice to describe themselves as "pro-life" is intended to claim that people who are pro-choice are anti-life. The reality is that no one supports abortion as a means of birth control.

I'm amazed at the bigotry that is both verbalized and allowed to be posted here. Would we be seeing such hate posted if it were about black people?

Just so many futile points from this man. I think he should continue to work in cleaning up the mess that is the Boston Archdiocese. How many of Cardinal Law's criminal priests were in a "state of grace" while they were receiving or giving out the Eucharist? And after Mass, only God knows what those protected pedophile criminals were doing to children. To be the leader of a sanctimonious and literally "holier than thou" group of people who had an untold number of their own commit one of the most heinous crimes and let it all pass for years is laughable. His Eminence should stick to supporting the sick and poor and having his priests preach faith, love and understanding in a crueler and crueler world. He has great men who do this everyday in Boston and he should focus on supporting their good works.

Say what you will about the man but its quite simple: This state is ground zero for a morally corrupt society. Gay marriage and abortion is an attack on our very basic laws of natural life. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. Dont matter if you are catholic or not--how can you feel good about our state when we make gay marriage and abortion legal?

The Catholic Church does officially oppose the death penalty. Maybe the reason they don't holler about it more that in 2007 only 42 people were executed in this country while 1.4 million were executed by abortion.

What about the death penalty? Why is the Catholic church not concerned with that? Was President Bush not pro-death penalty? Hasn't Texas put the most prisoners to death since the resumption of the death penalty? Would Jesus support a preemptive war? Why are we only looking at part of the life issue? This is why I voted for Obama, he understands how complicated the issues are. He understands shades of gray. Also, if the majority of Americans do not believe that abortion should be illegal in cases of rape and incest then they are not truly pro-life and that further proves that it's a complex, gray area issue. Let's work to create and support programs and education that will greatly diminish abortions.

Hey med...I agree why don't you leave the state if you feel so bad about it? CAn you send a source of where the "basic laws of natural life" are listed? Except of course the bible because as a brilliant person you would already know that not all citizens subscribe to those teachings as facts. However as members of the human race they should be educated by you and others about what ARE the "basic laws of natural life". Anxious to be educated on this. I will be the blue guy in the corner holding my breath....

O'Malley! Get off the abortion bandwagon. It is embarrassing that as the leader of the catholic church in Boston you cannot see other issues. It is narrowminded. I am embarrassed for you. War? Torture? Civil liberties violations? white collar rape and pillage of the middle class and the poor.? Pick one. Any one. Show interest in some issue that involves those that are actually alive on this planet.. Attend to the living and shelf the clump of cells. And gay marriage? Remember separation of church and state? Marriage is a CIVIL union and is primarily about property. It involves a church only at the initiative of the individual. This is a civil right and we have no business voting on it.

I am assuming that anyone who is pro-choice would support choice for everyone. Therefore, let's allow the unborn children to have a choice about whether or not they are allowed to live. How callous is it that those of us who are living will not allow that privilege - life - to those who cannot defend themselves?
Also, those who are criticizing Cardinal O'Malley should find someone else to criticize. This man has spent most of his priesthood working for the poor and the immigrants. He is a Franciscan who owns nothing. He wants nothing but to preach the Gospel. Find someone else more deserving of your criticism.

Jenny 68: Would Jesus support a preemptive war?

He said he came not in peace but with a sword. And his father in heaven both supported and planned not only a pre-emptive war but an aggressive war of conquest on the land of Canaan.

Elladomella: The Catholic Church does officially oppose the death penalty

Along with freedom of conscience, that is a fairly recent flip-flop. The death penalty, along with torture, was part and parcel of the inquisitors' toolkit in rooting out heresy.

O'Malley: ... protect human life, from the first moment of conception until natural death ...

The Church is unsure about the moment of natural death but oddly certain about the moment that a "person" begins to exist. In point of fact, neither the moment the soul leaves the body, nor when it enters a fetus can be stated with certitude. Were it otherwise, the Church would not administer whatever the Sacrament of Extreme Unction is now called if a person were already dead, and Catholic would be enjoined to baptise natural miscarriages however early they occurred, assuming a woman even knew she had miscarried.

You say that 500,000 have been killed in the Iraq war? How does that compare to 35 million babies killed since Roe vs. Wade?

med is right and if you dont agree gay marriage is an abomination then you must be.....nevermind. Lets stick to the subject--abortion--what about killing innocent children is confusing? We arent talking about Iraq, affirmative action of Barack Obama. Lets stick to the subject.

50 MILLION abortions performed in the US since 1973. Yes, those are living humans, "proud catholic." To say the Church doesn't see or pursue other social justice initiatives is ridiculous. It is socially and morally responsible to put more effort towards the greatest moral injustice, which is the 50 MILLION deaths caused by abortion in the last 35 years. It is the worst holocaust in the history of the human race and, as the Cardinal says, our civil laws allow it to continue. There is nothing "gray" about this "Jenny 68."

And, "Jake B," hold your breath no longer. If you wish to understand Natural Law, please read Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics and Aquinas' Summa Theologica. But I suppose if all you can understand is list, then you'll require a course on reading comprehension first.

Abortion is a personal, moral decision, not a political one. Every woman has a right to make that decision for herself, for she alone suffers the emotional consequences. What IS political fodder is who pays for multiple abortions - this should not be the taxpayers. To vote for a candidate based on this issue is to prove the dumbing down of the electorate.

If the church (or indeed any organization) is so very concerned, then communicate the details of this act, provide aid to those who choose not to abort, provide birth control information to your members.

This is why I stopped going to church, the minute you think outside their box, you are labeled as evil. Abortion, is a woman's choice. If they want to create a life, great!If they don't, then it is THEIR choice. If men could give birth, abortion would never be an issue.
And give gay marriage a rest. MA has let gays get married in the state for over a year...did everyone wake up one morning and say 'Gay marriage is now legal, I think I'm gay now', No. So stopping worrying that your son is going to come home with his boyfriend. There are other issues that are more importation that abortion and gay marriage out there.

Jake B. , A good place to start is the declaration of Independence: "...the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I believe the reporter asked the question about abortion and the Cardinal responded. What should he have responded? No comment? He was speaking as a representative of the Roman Catholic Church and his response was correct as far as the teachings of the church. At least he gives his opinions. I have been asked if I am pro-choice or not and I never respond with a direct answer because I have found the people who speak and ask about the issue are very fanatical about the topic and are very emotional. I wish they got that emotional about other issues in this world like hunger, homelessness and many more issues that affect more people.

The Vatican opposes the Iraq war and has been critical of the Bush administration on this. And evidently most of you are not familiar with the Catholic Bishops' stands on social justice, immigation, economic issues which in this country are far to the left of what most Catholics accept. Interestingly, many Catholics reject the Catholic bishops stands on many of these issues too as being too liberal. They are significantly not well fitted either to the left or the right points of view. And don't make the mistake of equating Catholic views on issues with the evangelical views - they are markedly different on many issues. Most anti-Christians don't even know this, so determined are they to slander all Christians.

As far as the moment of personhood beginning, science says it's at conception. If we're not sure when "personhood" begins, seems we ought to err on the side of safety - at conception.

~~~Speaking for myself I resent the assumption that Church going Catholics and their vote reflect the official Church teaching...

Keep your arcane religious dogma out of my life and my government. "Pro-abortion" mandate? What a douche.....nobody who supports a woman's right to choose is "Pro-abortion". That's like saying people who are against the death penalty (Catholic Church) are "Pro-murder". Against abortion? Don't have one. Against gay marriage? Don't marry someone of the same sex. Nobody's forcing the church to do anything. Nor should they be forcing anyone to do anything. If abortion and gay marriage are immoral won't your God take care of it on judgement day?

Why has this site censored ALL 3 of my posts?!! I got it, you are like Obama, trying to kill talk radio!!!

To med:

I can feel very good about our state. Why should I deny two people who love each other the ability to be married? Why should I deny the ability of a woman to choose what she wants for her body? I contend that it is you, med, who have hated and disdain in your heart for those you do not understand and can not find it in your heart to understand.

Why should the populus decide what a woman does with HER body? Or whether or not two people who love each other can marry?

Seriously, in the number of years since gar-marriage has been legal in MA, has the state fallen apart? Has the "family unit" been destroyed? Has the social fabric of life been torn apart? Has this even affected you in any way shape or form?

I was born and raised Catholic but I consider myself a "boutique Catholic" these days as my beliefs about spirituality and God have matured with my exposure to other religions and people has increased. 1) This is the USA - separation of church and state - the Church should not be telling people HOW to vote at all. He simply needs to say something like, "vote your conscience" if asked for guidance.
2) The tax -exempt "organization" known as the Catholic Church needs to fix ITSELF before it starts preaching to others about what to do.

Why has this site censored ALL 3 of my posts?!! I got it, you are like Obama, trying to kill talk radio!!!

Our "arcane religious dogma" is what has established in law the value of your life and your freedom of speech. Look around. It's pretty much only the nations founded by Judeo-Christian groups that have preserved in law a foundational value for human life. True, this ideal has not always been perfectly upheld. But human life has virtually no intrinsic value in nations founded on other belief systems.
What is our alternative? To replace the Judeo-Christian values of our nation with pagan hedonistic values? This is what's going on. And if we continue down this road, it's only a matter of time before we start murdering poor children to provide body parts for Hollywood hedonists.

Eldomella: As far as the moment of personhood beginning, science says it's at conception. If we're not sure when "personhood" begins, seems we ought to err on the side of safety - at conception.

"Science", of course, says nothing about "personhood." The views of scientists are are diverse as the general population.

If "personhood" begins at "conception", then there are millions of blastocysts which failed implantation and are therefore unbaptised souls living in Limbo.

Of course, the theologically useful, though nondogmatic, doctrine of "Limbo" was eliminated by the same fellow who abrogated his title "Patriarch of the West."

Can't believe you people are still considering yourselves Catholic!!!

No Bishop, Cardinal, Pope, Minister, Rabbi, or leader of any religion has any right to tell me how I must live my life or what I need to believe in, especially the Evangelical fruitcakes, including our sorry-ass president "W". It's based on his religious zealotry, that this country has experienced such a downward spiral, in every way possible,, No Justice, stomping on the Constitution, destroying the economy, the unnecessary War in Iraq, our standing as a moral leader throughout the World, & especially, including idealogy. This is why the Republican Party has been nearly wiped out from power over the last 2 election cycles. The Republican Party is the most hypocritical bunch of people there ever were.The Catholic Church is losing membership at an incredible rate, because it too has lost it's focus by attempting to force it's beliefs upon the rest of the population. Despicable. Every Catholic I know, is nothing more than a hypocrite, including my in-laws. If their Church was aware of their true thoughts & deeds, they would be excommunicated. I have less respect for my in-;laws because of their hypocrisy, & I am not religious at all. It really pisses me off when one of them tries to argue with me based on their religion, when in fact they have no right being a catholic, if the Church were aware of their choices or actions in life, & this probably goes for 95% of Catholics. And then you can look back on the Child Molestation episode of this church which was allowed to propogate, & I dare say may still be going on to this day. Don't Preach to me you bunch of hypocrites

I am aware of the Catholic position on life. I am just inquiring as to why the only issue that the US Catholic hierarchy holds politicians accountable for is the abortion issue. They never mention the unjust war issue or the death penalty issue when they are seeking to deny some public figure communion. Seems more Republican than Christian.

So, killing an unborn baby is on par with eating a peice on unkosher food?

Puh-leese....is this logic?

I will start listening to Cardinal Sean O'Malley the day he calls Cardinal Law back from his prosecution-free state in Vatican City to come here to face up to the HUNDREDS of children he allowed to be abused. Until such time as Cardinal O'Malley takes such measures, I am definitely not interested in his "moral" teaching and meandering lectures.

Let women choose what they want to do with their own bodies!! Good point, except that when a woman chooses abortion, she is choosing to destroy someone else's body - the baby is not her body! Let the baby live!!

We should abort the group " Planned Deathood " and the Politiians who support this murderous group. They should all be voted out of office. Over FORTY MILLON
LIVES, if you were one of those lives and you had a say, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY.
What a sick society we are, GOD HELP US.

"...except that when a woman chooses abortion, she is choosing to destroy someone else's body - the baby is not her body!"

Yes, it is her body...it is a collection of cells that could not (would not) exist outside the her. Unless it could be viably taken and cared for by somebody else, it is part of the woman's body and she should have control what happens to her body.

One need only read the Cardinal's blog to know that he cares deeply and passionately about many other issues. Simply because the media does not inform you of his other activities, and focuses soley on the hot button issues, does not mean he is not out working on the others.

exactly lou g---cardinal o'malley answered some simple questions and we now compare taking an innocent life with eating unkosher food. med made the point earlier--lets stick to two subjects, abortion and gay marriage. Maybe we can blog some other time on the wonderful subject of a woman can do anything she wants with her body--including killing innocents.

We have become a sick and depraved society. It wasn't that long ago when families with opposite sex parents that went to church were the norm in society. Abortion was viewed as unacceptable and hideous. Now, especially judging from the vile comments on this board, if you are a straight church going couple with children and try and teach them Judeo Christian ethics and morals, you are a hypocrite and an extremist. Call me a hypocrite or a fanatic or an extremist or whatever you want, but I will never let my familiy be influenced by these sick pro abortion, pro gay agendas. I am Catholic and stand by my Church and Cardinal O'Malley and the Pope. Yes, some bishops and priests were guilty in this sex abuse scandal, but my faith doesn't depend on any bishop or priest, it is on Christ.

Dear Dimmy lets not stick to two subjects "abortion and gay marriage " That is the Republican agenda. Let us stick to a complete actual Christ like pro life agenda ie abortion,health care,capital punishment,poverty and unjust war.

Those who do not wish to have abortions do not have to have them, and the church is free to enthusiastically encourage people to not have abortions. Perhaps they could encourage and even facilitate adoptions in these cases.

Beyond that, I think THEY SHOULD LOSE THEIR TAX-EXEMPT STATUS for crossing the church-state line. Who are these hypocrites, who have coddled child molesters in their midst, to impose their 'morality' on others? As an ex-catholic, these kinds of things always personally confirm my apostasy. Ironically, at the same time, they don't allow pregnancy prevention either! The catholic church is sadly stuck somewhere in the 18th century, if not the dark ages.

For all the noise anti-abortion people make, what are they doing of a constructive, concrete nature to actually lower the number of abortions? All they seem to want to do is legally impose their views on others.

The National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL) has stated that the Freedom of Choice Act, repeal of the Hyde Amendment and reversal of the Mexico City law will allow up to 1 million abortions that are currently being prevented. Comparing wars to this proposed infanticide is a weak attempt at justifying an unjustifiable position. Watch this video, it exposes the "pro choice" lie.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6152070479992487290

Thanks Ed for the clarification and the lead to the Declaration. All men (and women) are created equal, even African-Americans, homosexuals and other minorities. And we are given the right to pursue life and liberty without anyone else getting in our way. I guess it is a matter of when you define created starts... So let individuals decide for themselves. And lets leave the morally corrupt Archdiocese to try to administer to the sick and the poor.

And to Rational Thinker...I passed reading comprehension thanks for the suggestion you arrogant jerk. I picture you as the blond guy in Good Will Hunting who is quoting from some books at a bar to impress the girl and Matt Damon (Will Hunting) calls him on it and he humbly just walks away. Thanks for the reference to Aristotle you must be "wicked smaht".

I believe there is a constitutional right to privacy, but that right ends where another person begins.

If one accepts the fetus as a separate person, then its termination is an act of killing. Whether or not it is murder depends on the internal intention of the woman and many other factors known to the woman alone, so to describe abortion as murder is unacceptable. The fact that it is killing, however, means that there is a very public concern to prevent it to the extent possible, even with the force of law.

“Yes, it is her body...it is a collection of cells that could not (would not) exist outside the her. Unless it could be viably taken and cared for by somebody else, it is part of the woman's body and she should have control what happens to her body.” I have a lot of trouble with the “it’s part of her body” argument because the fetus has its own genetic code. Now since I am not a scientist I am on shaky ground here, but it seems to me that one body does not have two genetic codes, mitochondrial DNA excluded. Because it has a separate genetic code, the fetus has a separate identity from that of the mother.

In the cases of rape or incest, the fetus still should not be killed. I would have thought that in America of all places we would have insisted that here you are judged by what you do, not by what your father did. The child must not be punished for the sins of the father.

“Abortion is a personal, moral decision, not a political one. Every woman has a right to make that decision for herself, for she alone suffers the emotional consequences.” Does emotional suffering justify ending a life? Or even a potential life?

“If abortion and gay marriage are immoral won't your God take care of it on judgement day?” The goal of Catholic teaching is human flourishing, and therefore we ought to do what we can now to bring about that human flourishing. Technically God will take care of social injustice too, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t bring about economic justice now to the extent that we are able to. Or again take the environment. God will take care of those who damage the environment on judgment day, but should we allow eschatological considerations to prevent us from taking action now to save the planet? I think not.

“This is the USA - separation of church and state - the Church should not be telling people HOW to vote at all. He simply needs to say something like, "vote your conscience" if asked for guidance.” This is inadequate. If you are Catholic, your Catholicism can’t help but affect how you vote. To suggest otherwise is to propose a sort of schizophrenia, a lack of oneness. I am one person on Sunday and another person when I go to the polls. That isn’t very healthy psychologically to my understanding. While the Church is a bit heavy handed, the basic approach is not inappropriate. Since it is the Church which plays such an important role in the formation of our consciences, it is appropriate that the Church draw out the implications of its basic teachings on particular moral issues, in order to continue its role in the formation of its members’ consciences.

M.E.: I believe there is a constitutional right to privacy, but that right ends where another person begins.

I am unaware of a constitutional right to privacy. Can you cite the relevant article? Also, the locution "I believe" as a foundation of constitutional law?

I would exhort you to proffer a definition of "person" which might inform the debate concerning abortion, viz. the citation of secular and ecclesiastical sources. Absent which, how to distinguish your "belief" and prejudice from those of hoi polloi. Why should anyone take note of what you "believe"?

Bishop Sheen said that the world was getting better and getting worse at the same time. I know by far most Pro-Choice women would never have an abortion. We should be proud of those who turn away from the choice. But should the State support an abortion as a means of birth control? That idea frightens me, not only on religious grounds.
40% of the pregnancies in New York City ended in abortion.
One of the unborn may have cured cancer.

Jake B, glad you were offended but remember that you are the one who asked for the education. So get one. Or maybe I should be saying, "it's not your fault. It's not your fault."

Is Barack Obama really pro-life? The answer is “yes.” Looking through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, Senator Obama has spent his entire career striving for the common good.

This is a lie.

Maybe Barack Obama has spent time working for the common good of those people fortunate enough not to be slaughtered in the womb - but that is not the same as working for the common good. The common good is never served by the mass murder of millions of babies.

In America today, almost as many African-American children
are aborted as are born.
A black baby is three times more likely to be
murdered in the womb than a white baby.

Since 1973, abortion has reduced the black population by over 25 percent.

Twice as many African-Americans have died from abortion than have died from
AIDS, accidents, violent crimes, cancer, and heart disease combined.

Every three days, more African-Americans are killed by abortion than
have been killed by the Ku Klux Klan in its entire history.

Planned Parenthood operates the nation's largest chain of abortion clinics and
almost 80 percent of its facilities are located in minority neighborhoods.

About 13 percent of American women are black, but they
submit to over 35 percent of the abortions.

What the Ku Klux Klan Could Only Dream About
The Abortion Industry is Accomplishing

Can't be offended by an obnoxious, arrogant moron. Thanks for reassuring me with your wisdom, Dick. That has got to be your real first name. Rational, please! Thinker. Ha!. I am actually not offended by you. I was and continue to laugh at you.

The Catholic church wants it both ways: 1. Birth Control is a sin. 2. Abortion is a sin. If the Church would stop preaching that birth control is wrong there would surely be fewer abortions. If people were able to see the children born in third world countries that starve to death in their mother's arms, or the children young as 2 or 3 living on the street, they might have a different opinion of birth control and maybe even abortion. The Church is so concerned with the unborn life but has done nothing to protect them, especially from abusive priests, once they're born, from time immemorial. Look around; educated people rarely have more than two or three children. Why? Because they've figured it out. It's the poor who find themselves with 9, 10 or more children because of their devotion to the church and belief in what is preached to them. Has this been the church's method of adding to its ranks? Possibly. Whatever happened to "Render onto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's? The Hierarchy should stay out of politics, or lose their tax-free status and stop trying to force their
beliefs on the whole world. And to the many men out there who protest at abortion clinics: gentlemen, have you ever been pregnant? Have you any idea what these women are going through? Until that time, please try to help, not hinder.

"If the Church would stop preaching that birth control is wrong there would surely be fewer abortions."
There is very little objective evidence for the above. Actually, about 60% of women showing up in abortion mills were using contraception the month before they conceived. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of contraception, wouldn't you say? In this country, increased access to and acceptance of contraception has gone hand in hand with access to abortion.
"Educated people rarely have more than 2 or 3 children." How ignorant and insulting- as a pro-life family physican who does obstetrics, I see many patients who are highly educated *and* want a larger family than what is commonly considered acceptable. In this country, it is the poor and uneducated who are cowed into having fewer children than they would otherwise wish by their physicians and relatives. It takes an independent thinker to have more than the socially acceptable 2 or 3 children.