Was the Catholic Church EVIL when it permitted* (did not excommunicate) women who had abortions prior to the 3.5 to 4.25 months of pregnancy (the Quickening)
This is why I have a hard time taking your philosophical posts seriously. This is not at all an attempt to figure out the truth, it's a bullshit gotcha question, and you are falling into fionwe's behavior of refusing to actually address the other side's issue.
Abortion is murder. It is not heresy or disobedience to the hierarchy of the Church. If murderers are being excommunicated, so too should abortionists. On the other hand, there is the question of exactly where the crime of a mother who solicits infanticide falls. Undoubtedly many of them are every bit as guilty as those who perform the procedures, but there is also the issue of erring on the side of mercy and compassion for people who might be confused. In the case of a medical professional sworn to do no harm, there is no such excuse.
Excommunication is not the automatic punishment for mortal sins. On the other hand, the Church has always held that abortion is a mortal sin, and that someone who commits, approves, shares in, permits, etc such a sin, is liable for it and will be damned without sincere repentance and efforts to make amends. Meanwhile, people have been excommunicated for actions that are not inherently sinful. Furthermore, the Church has walked back executions, but not what sins are.
“Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.” GK Chesteron
Inde muagdhe Aes Sedai misain ye!
Deus Vult!
*MySmiley*