History Of Abortion

[Cure of Ars]

[quote]The Apostolic Constitutions (circa 380 A.D.) allowed abortion if it was done early enough in pregnancy. But it condemned abortion if the fetus was of human shape and contained a soul: "Thou shalt not slay the child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten. For everything that is shaped, and his received a soul from God, if slain, it shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed." (7:3) [/quote]

I got this from a pro-choice website. They make a statement that the Apostolic Constitutions allowed for abortion but they do not give a reference. Does anyone know where they get this from? They give a quote saying that it does not hold to abortion but they don't give evidence for their statement.

Am I going to have to read the whole work? :angry:

Edited June 23, 2004 by Cure of Ars

[Mateo el Feo]

It's in [url="http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/07157.htm"]BOOK VII, Section 1, Chapter 3 (link to text at NewAdvent, toward the top of the page)[/url]

Their statement that a child can be killed didn't have a "human shape" is a meaning that they are adding to the text. The following text (they quoted it) contradicts their perceived exception:

[quote]"Thou shall not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten"[/quote]

If there is a stage when a fetus is not "that which is begotten," then I'd like to know when that is!

Also, the text does not indicate that there is a time when a fetus does not have a soul. As I read it, the point is that any creature with a "soul from God" may not be killed--this would include all of humanity (conception to natural death).

I believe that this section also addresses the pagan practice of parents "exposing" their infants. Basically, "exposure" means when a parent goes to the edge of town and leaves his/her child to die.

God bless!

[MorphRC]

[b]The Didache - TEACHING of the TWELVE APOSTLES 65AD-80AD[/b]

[b]Chap. II. [/b]
[b]2. [/b]Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt boys; thou shalt not commit fornication. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not use witchcraft; thou shalt not practice sorcery. [b]Thou shalt not procure abortion, nor shalt thou kill the new-born child[/b]. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.

[b]The Letter of Barnabas[/b]

"The way of light, then, is as follows. If anyone desires to travel to the appointed place, he must be zealous in his works. The knowledge, therefore, which is given to us for the purpose of walking in this way, is the following. . . . [b]Thou shalt not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor, again, shalt thou destroy it after it is born[/b]" (Letter of Barnabas 19 [A.D. 74]).

[b]The Apocalypse of Peter[/b]

"And near that place I saw another strait place . . . and there sat women. . . . And over against them many children who were born to them out of due time sat crying. And there came forth from them rays of fire and smote the women in the eyes. [b]And these were the accursed who conceived and caused abortion[/b]" (The Apocalypse of Peter 25 [A.D. 137]).

[b]Athenagoras[/b]

"What man of sound mind, therefore, will affirm, while such is our character, that we are murderers?
. . . [W]hen we say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder, and will have to give an account to God for the abortion, on what principle should we commit murder? For it does not belong to the same person to regard the very fetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God’s care, and when it has passed into life, to kill it; and not to expose an infant, because those who expose them are chargeable with child-murder, and on the other hand, when it has been reared to destroy it" (A Plea for the Christians 35 [A.D. 177]).

[b]Tertullian[/b]

"In our case, a murder being once for all forbidden, we may not destroy even the fetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from the other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to birth. That is a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in its seed" (Apology 9:8 [A.D. 197]).

"Among surgeons’ tools there is a certain instrument, which is formed with a nicely-adjusted flexible frame for opening the uterus first of all and keeping it open; it is further furnished with an annular blade, by means of which the limbs [of the child] within the womb are dissected with anxious but unfaltering care; its last appendage being a blunted or covered hook, wherewith the entire fetus is extracted by a violent delivery.

"There is also [another instrument in the shape of] a copper needle or spike, by which the actual death is managed in this furtive robbery of life: They give it, from its infanticide function, the name of embruosphaktes, [meaning] "the slayer of the infant," which of course was alive. . . .

"[The doctors who performed abortions] all knew well enough that a living being had been conceived, and [they] pitied this most luckless infant state, which had first to be put to death, to escape being tortured alive" (The Soul 25 [A.D. 210]).

"Now we allow that life begins with conception because we contend that the soul also begins from conception; life taking its commencement at the same moment and place that the soul does" (ibid., 27).

"The law of Moses, indeed, punishes with due penalties the man who shall cause abortion [Ex. 21:22–24]" (ibid., 37).

[b]Minucius Felix[/b]

"There are some [pagan] women who, by drinking medical preparations, extinguish the source of the future man in their very bowels and thus commit a parricide before they bring forth. And these things assuredly come down from the teaching of your [false] gods. . . . To us [Christians] it is not lawful either to see or hear of homicide" (Octavius 30 [A.D. 226]).

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[color=blue][b]CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
BOOK VII.
CONCERNING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, AND THE EUCHARIST, AND THE INITIATION INTO CHRIST.
SEC. I.--ON THE TWO WAYS,--THE WAY OF LIFE AND THE WAY OF DEATH.[/b][/color]

[b]THE PROHIBITION OF CONJURING, MURDER OF INFANTS, PERJURY, AND FALSE WITNESS.[/b]

[b]III.[/b] Thou shalt not use magic. Thou shalt not use witchcraft; for He says, "Ye shall not suffer a witch to live." [b]Thou shall not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten; for "everything that is shaped, and has received a soul from God, if it be slain, shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed[/b]." "Thou shalt not covet the things that belong to thy neighbour, as his wife, or his servant, or his ox, or his field." "Thou shalt not forswear thyself; for it is said, "Thou shalt not swear at all." But if that cannot be avoided, thou shalt swear truly; for" every one that swears by Him shall be commended." "Thou shalt not bear false witness;" for "he that falsely accuses the needy provokes to anger Him that made him."


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Those extra quotes should verify the teaching along with what Mateo done.

[phatcatholic]

morph......u've been representin in this board recently! thanks for all ur contributions!

[MorphRC]

Np :ph34r:

[MorphRC]

Hmm I gotta get a better Signature...