IF IT ONLY KILLS ONE MORE BABY IT'S WORTH IT!!!
I'M SOOOO NEUROTIC!
Posted on 01/21/2013 4:08:44 PM PST by NYer
ALBANY, January 18, 2013, (LifeSiteNews.com) – By promoting one of the most expansive abortion bills in American history, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has opened a civil war on two fronts: with his church and with elements of his own party.
Cuomo is pushing for a massive expansion of access to abortion in the state, including lifting restrictions on third-trimester abortions, allowing non-doctors to perform the procedure, and enshrining a fundamental right to “terminate a pregnancy” in New York state law.
Democrats for Life of America deemed the proposed bill “the most sweeping abortion legislation in the nation.”
The Democratic governor introduced the bill to cheers during his January 9 State of the State address, shrouding it in the name of “women’s equality.”
“The abortion language would allow late-term abortions, allow non-doctors to perform abortions, and supersede any reasonable restrictions such as parental notification,” the group stated.
“It is out of touch with the views of most Americans, out of touch with the views of most Democrats, and could hamper real reform for women's rights,” the Democratic group concluded.
Particularly “in a state that already has one of the highest abortion rates,” double the national average.
One-third of all pregnancies in the state end in abortion, and in some parts of New York City the abortion rate is more than 60 percent.
“This is worse than Roe v. Wade itself, and everyone needs to focus on defeating this bill,” Chris Slattery, director of the Expectant Mother Care pregnancy centers in New York City told the National Catholic Register. “It’s the fight of the pro-life movement’s life in New York.”
Slattery said, due to the state's cosmopolitan nature, “people all over the world – not just out of state – are going to be coming to New York to have and perform these abortions.”
With his proposal Cuomo, a Roman Catholic, predictably ran afoul of his Church and its teachings. Both Abp. Timothy Dolan and the New York Catholic Conference blasted the measure.
“I am hard pressed to think of a piece of legislation that is less needed or more harmful than this one,” wrote the Archbishop in a letter to Governor Cuomo.
“As we have discussed in the past, we obviously disagree on the question of the legality of abortion, but surely we are in equally strong agreement that the abortion rate in New York is tragically high,” he wrote.
“There was a time when abortion supporters claimed they wanted to make abortion ‘safe, legal, and rare.’ Yet this measure is specifically designed to expand access to abortion, and therefore to increase the abortion rate,” he added.
The state Catholic Conference condemned the bill in a memo, saying, “It goes well beyond Roe.”
“This bill says that abortion is fundamental and thus untouchable – no regulations on abortion, ever. No parental notification for minors’ abortions, no limits on taxpayer funding of abortion, no limits on late-term abortions, no informed consent for pregnant women seeking abortion,” it stated. “None of the commonsense regulations enacted by the vast majority of states and supported by large majorities of the public would be allowed in New York.”
The Conference presented a point-by-point deconstruction of the legislation:
The bill would permit unlimited late-term abortion on demand.
Current state law says abortions are legal in New York through 24 weeks of pregnancy (Article 125 Penal Law), but outlawed after that unless they are necessary to save a woman’s life. This bill would repeal that law and insert a “health” exception, broadly interpreted by the courts to include age, economic, social and emotional factors. It is an exception that will allow more third-trimester abortions in New York State, a policy which the public strongly disapproves. This ignores the state’s legitimate interest in protecting the lives of fully formed children in the womb, and ignores the will of a majority of New Yorkers who oppose late-term abortion.
The bill would endanger the lives of women by allowing non-physicians to perform abortions.
While current law states that only a “duly licensed physician” may perform an abortion, this bill would allow any “licensed health care practitioner” to perform the procedure prior to viability. This dangerous and extreme change clearly puts women’s health at risk, and mirrors a national abortion strategy to permit non-doctors to perform abortions due to the declining number of physicians willing to do so.
The bill would preclude any future reasonable regulations of abortion.
It would establish a “fundamental right of privacy” within New York State law, encompassing the right “to terminate a pregnancy,” even though the Supreme Court has rejected, numerous times, classifying abortion as a “fundamental right.” Therefore, it is impossible to say that this legislation simply “codifies Roe vs. Wade” in New York law. It goes well beyond Roe. The Court has said that states may regulate abortion, as long as those regulations do not place an “undue burden” on the right to an abortion. This bill says that abortion is fundamental and thus untouchable – no regulations on abortion, ever. No parental notification for minors’ abortions, no limits on taxpayer funding of abortion, no limits on late-term abortions, no informed consent for pregnant women seeking abortion. None of the commonsense regulations enacted by the vast majority of states and supported by large majorities of the public would be allowed in New York.
The bill endangers the religious liberty of Catholic hospitals and other institutions.
While the bill contains limited conscience protection, that protection is ambiguous and inadequate and is extended only to individual health providers who do not wish to “provide” abortions (protection that is already guaranteed by Civil Rights law.) What is not provided in the bill are protections for institutional providers, such as religious hospitals and other agencies that do not wish to be involved with abortion. The bill declares that “the state shall not discriminate” against the exercise of the fundamental right to abortion in the “provision of benefits, facilities, services or information.” In other words, it would permit state regulators, such as the State Health Department or State Insurance Department, to require support for abortion from any agency or institution licensed or funded by the state.
The bill could be used to undermine the state’s maternity programs.
In a similar way, these beneficial programs, which are working well to reduce infant mortality, could be ruled “discriminatory” for favoring childbirth over abortion, and be denied state benefits if this bill were to become law.
Sadly you are historically correct. Yet there comes a time in every saga, when the tide turns. Dolan strikes me as a man who while giving an affable public personna, is ready to take definitive action, despite the cost, and reframe the argument since the times are as bad as they are and the carnage so great. However history suggests you are probably right.
But the timing would be great for Dolan to call Cuomo in for a meeting privately and tell him that any Catholic legislator who supports this atrocity—most of the State Assembly lives in the Arch of NY—will be publicly excommunicated. If Cuomo went forward anyway, it would be an international news story, even before any voting took place. It would wind up putting a lot of pressure on Hubbard, because the Vatican would take note, since the issue is so black-and-white.
What kind of pressure? Hubbard is 74. He will turn 75 in October of this year, the mandatory retirement age for a bishop. He will have to offer his resignation to the Pope, who can refuse it for a few years, or even until the bishop dies first (if the Pope likes him). Or he can accept the resignation immediately, which would be a slap in the face, and a black mark to end the disloyal clown's career. Hubbard can foresee all this. What would he do?
Cardinal Dolan has the power to set this all in motion. Will he? And as some Jewish sage said, "If not now—when?"
I suspect it all boils down to an absolute and total fearless and ignorant knowledge of God.
That won’t last much longer.
Catholic here and I wholeheartedly agree.
Cuomo is a disease and NY is very sick.
The only good thing about this bill is it hopefully dooms Cuaomo as a presidential nominee.
Let’s just put the abortion issue aside for a moment. I know most people don’t want to avert their gaze from this, but hear me out:
The central issue here is “who can call themselves a Roman Catholic?”
It always comes about in these types of threads that the more devout and observant Catholics will say “Well, so-and-so can call himself a Catholic, but his actions prove he isn’t one.”
Well, that’s all very well and nice, but here’s the thing: So-and-so *is* calling himself a Catholic, and he’s using that to gain votes from low-information voters who are, perhaps, more devoutly Catholic. These types of politicians are trading on their Catholic-by-assertion-not-acts branding to gain votes.
The First Amendment recognizes five fundamental freedoms. One of those freedoms is the freedom of association. Most everyone sees this as a “positive right” - ie, that you’re allowed to associate and form associations with those of a like mind.
Ah, but the “freedom of association” is also a negative right. Just as a Jewish congregation is under no pressure or encouragement to admit an admitted and avowed nazi or anti-semite, neither is the Catholic church forced to admit and/or recognize those who claim to be Catholic, yet act in ways completely contrary to the Church’s teachings or canon law. In other words, the Church has the right (per the freedom of association) to throw out and disavow people who are heretics or acting in ways not in keeping with the creed and canon law of the Church.
It’s long past the time that the Church should have quit allowing politicians who claim to be Catholic make election hay off these claims unless they walk their talk.
IF IT ONLY KILLS ONE MORE BABY IT'S WORTH IT!!!
I'M SOOOO NEUROTIC!
Historically the Church has seen its mission as mystical teaching. Through its dogma, rituals and actions it seeks to bring people to God through Christ. Now it is understood that being human it has not always performed this duty without blemish. However throughout its 2000 year history, individuals who profess heresy, which in the eyes of the Church endorse or promote policies or beliefs that would lead people astray, the church has excommunicated them. Often for deviations that seem in retrospect far less grievous than Cuomo’s crimes. You are correct in that anyone can call themselves Roman Catholic. In fact any baptized Catholic in good standing has a right to properly state that. However it has always been the responsibility of the Bishops to formally and publicly excommunicate such heretics.The problem is that while Cuomo as governor has the power to propose and even implement such a barbaric law, traditionally he cannot proclaim himself a Catholic and take such actions. It will be interesting to see how Dolan handles the situation.
“I’m Protestant so I may be out of place here but when is the RCC going to finally grow a pair and kick this tyrannical King Herod Antipas-type jerk and others who think and act like him out?”
Right on! And while you are at it go after the Mormons for allowing Harry Reid to remain a member in good standing.
Makes him the perfect candidate for POTUS from the Rat party.
Makes him the perfect candidate for POTUS from the Rat party.
His wife is Catholic too. She is the most evil loathsome ugly fake Catholic woman there is, even worse than Joy Behar and Pelosi.
IF IT ONLY KILLS ONE MORE BABY IT’S WORTH IT!!!
I’M SOOOO NEUROTIC!
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Well said!
Question: Does Cuomo’s mouth appear to anyone else to be outsized in proportion to his (somewhat diminutive) cranium?
Yes, it does. Fits his ego though. lol
Because anti abortion is viewed as a Republican thing, and Catholics have been tribal Democrats for over a hundred years.
In other countries, the Catholic Church takes a much stronger stand on such things.
You should say pseudo-Catholics like Rudy the Greaseball, who also should have been excommunicated a long time ago.
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