Well faith certainly. As of now most of us have heard about the death of Savita Halapannavar who was denied life saving medical care. For those who haven’t? Savita required an abortion. Not because she wanted one but because she needed one. She had a medical condition where her cervix prematurely dilated. Now there are some cases where you can save the child (my cousin’s kid is one such child. Medication and surgical stitches to keep the os shut if you must know.), but this was not such a case. After trying everything, Savita agreed that an abortion was in her best interest. She was denied one by the laws and indeed doctors at an Irish hospital. She was told that “This is a Catholic Country”.
Savita contracted septicaemia and died. Because doctors were unwilling to terminate a foetus even one that was going to die ANYWAYS due to the open Os. If this had occurred in England, Wales or Scotland she wouldn’t have had any issue. She was at just 18 weeks. The child is completely unviable so that argument doesn’t hold water (Brains and hearts are all well and good, but lungs only develop by week 24 which is why the cut off between late and early abortion is at 24 weeks in the west. It’s at 28 weeks in India and many third world nations due to a lack of technology.). This wasn’t late term this was a cut and dry case. Where the science of medicine actually indicates that abortion is the correct medical procedure to resolve this case. Savita actually tried to delay the abortion for as long as possible too but her attempts failed and she was resigned to losing the pregnancy. There is in fact a law in Ireland indicating that this procedure should be done. To therefore deny her the the right to an abortion is frank lunacy. Your faith as a doctor should not exceed patient welfare particularly if the law is on the patient’s side.
This is a Catholic Country. Really? And how has that worked out for Ireland which has listed some of the worst kinds of abuse of the catholic church. Everything from the Magdalene Laundries to the Christian Brothers (Two infamous organisations that were complicit in the systematic physical abuse of generations of children. Where perceived sin and guilt were used to harass children into blind obedience.) and the well known paedophile priest scandals.
One would think that Ireland would learn to be better than all that. To embrace science and logic without the men in robes telling them what the fuck they should do.
“This is a Catholic Country” should be a statement of apology and embarrassment. Not one of pride. All this has demonstrated is the shocking nature of faith. That people are willing to believe in fairy tales to the point where they do things because their personal imaginary friend has told them to and they have made an entire constitution that acknowledges this imaginary being. That’s not a mark of respect, that’s a mark of a delusion albeit one that we widely accept as normal. If any man said “I do this because the tooth fairy tells me to” he would be ridiculed.
There are countless ways to acknowledge life. Catholicism doesn’t give a flying fuck about the quality of life of it’s adherents. Fitting for a religion that prides itself on torture, but Catholicism seeks to make life as miserable as fucking possible. The treatment for pain is an opiate right? Never mind the addiction. Or the crippling constipation. Or the inability to think clearly. If your primary problem in life is that “life sucks” then Catholicism is great! But so is Heroin. Neither are good for you. They just stop you giving a fuck about how sucky your life is.
Ireland is great! It’s a first world nation (even after bullshit like this). People don’t have anything to be sad about. So you just need to invent things to make people miserable. The abortion ban is this. The church has fought against abortion, divorce and contraception.
It’s time for Ireland to go cold turkey. Ireland does not lose it’s nature if it stops listening to celibate men obsessed with sex, robes and stupid hats. You can be catholic in your own house and church and mind, but not force your ludicrous god on others. Hell! If you feel so strongly against abortions then don’t get one. Stick to your guns then. But to stop others?
Legalise abortion, ban the church from the law.
[Edit = added stuff about the case for those who were unaware]