"I DO have a tremendous amount of respect for the scientific knowledge and abilities of the ancient peoples, and would not doubt that they had a knowledge of abortive remedies that would surprise us."
I'm sure we would be impressed with the amount of knowledge they did have, but it would be impossible for them to know then what we know now.
For example...
It is my personal opinion that the use of a condom is a less serious matter than the use of the birth control pill.
This is because it is possible for the pill to occasionally fail in preventing ovulation. There is a backup feature of the pill that prevents possible fertilized eggs from implanting.
So...you have the situation where many women are actually aborting but are not aware of it.
When a condom "fails" the implantation is not prevented.
The early christians simply could not have known about the microscopic differences between this or that medicine - or what was truly contraceptive vs. what was abortive.
And how could they?
---"the use of a condom is a less serious matter than the use of the birth control pill."---
YOU BETCHA!!!
----"This is because it is possible for the pill to occasionally fail in preventing ovulation. There is a backup feature of the pill that prevents possible fertilized eggs from implanting."----
YOU ARE CORRECT AGAIN! And with todays lower estrogen 'contraceptive' products, this backup abortifacient mechanism has become a much bigger player..... causing the flushing of many little human creations away..... all in the name of convenience.
While I could really care less about NFP ... (not MY prerogative what you do behind closed doors) I do take issue with 'Christians' murdering Our Lord's little ones and going on with life as if nothing has happened..... and it is really convenient and clean looking.....
"So...you have the situation where many women are actually aborting but are not aware of it."
Here is where we must dig deeper..... is there sin there? Is it involuntary manslaughter? Is it maybe a sin to not want what God is planning for you? Interesting. I'd say that thin ice seems to paint an accurate picture here.... killing is not easily excused no matter what your plea.