Catholic Church’s Right to Oppose Abortion Challenged

Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 10 May 2014 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

In a hearing before the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) , the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) argued that the Catholic Church’s campaign against abortion is tantamount to mental torture.

In testimony before the UNCAT, CRR Vice Chairperson Felice Gaer maintained that “the Church’s uncompromising opposition to abortion is out-of-step with the values shared by all progressive nations. By characterizing abortion as the taking of a human life they are, in effect, accusing every woman who has an abortion of murdering her own child. This type of mental abuse is among the list of tortures this Committee has the responsibility to suppress.”

As a first measure, Gaer urged that UNCAT “inform the Church it cannot hide behind a claim to freedom of religion or speech to justify its nonconforming policy preferences. There is no freedom of religion or speech to deviate from the values selected through the democratic processes of the UN or its member states.”

If the Catholic Church doesn’t heed a UN-issued “gag order” Gaer suggested that UNCAT “designate it as a terrorist organization and subject it to sanctions.” One sanction that immediately leapt to Gaer’s mind was “to freeze all of the Church’s assets wherever they may be found. These funds could then be used to aide poor women who might otherwise have to forgo getting an abortion due to poverty.”

if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...

http://azconservative.org/2014/05/10/democrat-wants-rewrite-of-first-amendment/