User:NDoyle99/Gender and religion

Abortion[edit]
Women choosing to or not choosing to have an abortion is one of many gender related issues among different religions. In many religions, abortion is considered immoral.

The Catholic Church recognizes conception as the beginning of a human life, thus abortion is prohibited under all circumstances. However, according to the Second Vatican Council, women who have had an abortion but are willing to commit to the right of life are ensured forgiveness.

The Catholic Church has thoroughly fought the legalization of abortion and has expressed their thoughts on the issue. They take a pure pro-life stance with the help of protests, presentations, and proposals. They still cannot take a pluralistic stance between the values of life and liberty. Though through media and political delivery, theological problems in the area of one's conscience confuses the rights to religious freedom. Issues of consciousness is only something an individual can possess and yet the Church feels lesser than about the people who choose abortion

Regular church attendance has been shown to correlate with a higher attitude against abortion. This means that most church-goers are pro-life and believe that life begins at conception.

The pastoral message also has to be observed as each member of a church can interpret a message differently. The context of the church has to be considered as well, such as being in an urban or rural environment. The religious messages and how they are exposed in different cultural contexts can determine the effect it has on its listeners. Particularly women, who are more inclined to be religious, are more passionate about the idea of not getting an abortion.

In Hinduism, it is a woman's human duty to produce offspring, thus having an abortion is a violation of that duty. The Vedas, which are age-old sacred Sanskrit texts, suggests that abortion is more sinful than killing a priest or one's own parents. The practice of a woman having an abortion is deemed as unacceptable in the Hindu community, both socially and morally.

On the other hand, some religions recognize that abortion is acceptable only in some circumstances. Mormons believe the act of having an abortion is troublesome and destructive; however, health risks and complications, rape, and closely mating with relatives are the only situations in which abortion is not considered a sin.