Cardinal Odilo Scherer, New Straits Times

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Quote# 87009

[Article about Brazil allowing abortions for fetuses lacking brains]

On Wednesday, protesters from several religious orders came to the court to pray, surrounded by images of fetuses and the patron saint of Brazil.

“The anencephalics are living human beings... Society, through its institutions, should foster full respect for their human dignity and their fragile and short lives,” wrote Cardinal Odilo Scherer in an editorial condemning abortion that was published in the media.

Cardinal Odilo Scherer, New Straits Times 116 Comments [4/21/2012 7:53:09 AM]
Fundie Index: 59
Submitted By: TheReasonator

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#1394807

Drummer

No brain, no person; why is this so hard to understand?

Also firsties!

4/21/2012 8:02:03 AM

#1394810

NyogaAnimos

Until it is viable being that CAN survive out of the womb, its not really human but a really advanced parasite. Once a child is developed to where it is viable, then it is what we call human and is usually respected by everyone but your ilk.

@ Drummer

Because so many of them live like they are brainless, they figure that that parasitic mass can live too.

4/21/2012 8:08:38 AM

#1394811

Professor Smartypants

... because turning women into incubators for something that isn't even brain-dead due to its lack of a brain is so obviously respectful and dignified!

4/21/2012 8:13:57 AM

#1394812

J. James

Holy crap. Strike one: it's a FETUS, meaning it's roughly as alive as your gallbladder. Strike two: its got a horrible birth defect that leaves it WITHOUT A BRAIN and it will NEVER survive. The risks to the MOTHER'S life are astounding.

But oh, that's right, you think that the mother is less alive than what is the equivalent of a malignant tumor.

4/21/2012 8:15:59 AM

#1394818

Reynardine

Anencephalics are not only living human beings, they grow up to be ultramontane Catholics, Dominionist protestants, members of the Tea Party, and disciples of Milton Friedman and Ayn Rand.

4/21/2012 8:39:10 AM

#1394820

FatherFrank

This is seriously madness. Please, go full-term with the baby and have that monstrosity delivered. That should help the mother and father.

4/21/2012 8:40:32 AM

#1394821

Filin De Blanc

The Catholic Church, valiantly fighting for the right to die outside the womb five seconds after birth.

4/21/2012 8:40:44 AM

#1394827

Extraintrovert

The best thing about fighting for the "rights" of unborn fetuses instead of already living people is that there's no consequence for failure. So called "pro-lifers" don't have to look anyone in the eye when they fail them; they can just blame it on other people and have these little, useless prayer ceremonies that accomplish nothing except feed their own sense of smug self-satisfaction, instead of defending actual people (especially people who suffer because of things for which the Catholic Church is directly responsible). Slacktivism at its finest.

4/21/2012 8:51:16 AM

#1394829

Lucilius

I can see why he's mad. If they abort the brainless, where will the church get cardinals?

4/21/2012 9:00:02 AM

#1394831

Grigadil

Reynardine: +1

"...they grow up to be ultramontane Catholics, Dominionist protestants, members of the Tea Party, and disciples of Milton Friedman and Ayn Rand."

4/21/2012 9:03:12 AM

#1394834

Berny

I don't blame them.
The brainless would make perfect Catholics.

EDIT: Reynardine wins an Internet

4/21/2012 9:14:28 AM

#1394837

D Laurier

Cardinal Dildo sucker is basicaly calling for women to be forced to die if their pregnancy fails

4/21/2012 9:19:22 AM

#1394842

His4Life

This is sad and tragic. From what I've read, there have been capses of anencephalics living for days or even months after birth, providing the family time with their child that these abortionists would take away.

4/21/2012 9:28:07 AM

#1394843

Leighton Buzzard

The Roman Catholic Church kills women.

4/21/2012 9:29:32 AM

#1394849

Filin De Blanc

"From what I've read, there have been capses of anencephalics living for days or even months after birth, providing the family time with their child that these abortionists would take away."

You can't live without a brain.

It disturbs me that I need to explain this to someone.

4/21/2012 9:54:09 AM

#1394852

Swede

@His4life
"providing the family time with their child that these abortionists would take away."
Isn't the family and the abortionists the exact same people in this case? Nobody is proposing forced abortions, surely?

If a fetus has no possibility whatsoever to live outside the womb, isn't it more dignified to end the life sooner rather than later? A fetus without a brain must be less alive than a pot-plant.

4/21/2012 10:00:50 AM

#1394853

Osiris

This is what happens when you believe that consciousness and personality don't reside in the brain, but in some mythical unproven ether that can't be detected.

@His4Life: Do you seem to realize that the family is willingly seeking out the abortion, probably because they would rather have the thing die now, then have to deal with a brain dead baby that's just going to die anyway. No one is forcing these people to have an abortion, but people like you would force them to carry a pointless and unnecessary burden for no good reason.

4/21/2012 10:03:43 AM

#1394854

Philbert McAdamia

@His4Life

I agree completely. Last May I had a tumor removed from my stomach, and the godless "doctors" threw it away! I should have been allowed to take it home with me in a jar of alcohol, babtise it, christen it Little Philly and proudly show it off as my kid, or little brother. One of our current politicians did just that, recently, put the abortee on the mantle to set an example to his other git.
I feel as though I've lost a piece of me.

Boo hoo hooooo.

Cinco de Mayo = Happy 1st birthday, Li'l Phil.

4/21/2012 10:06:02 AM

#1394855

Anon

>>His4Life

This is sad and tragic. From what I've read, there have been capses of anencephalics living for days or even months after birth, providing the family time with their child that these abortionists would take away. <<

They are not "with their child" in any conventional sense. Without a forebrain, there is no child in there, nobody to feel anything. And as tragic as it is, that does not change.

Quoting Wikipedia's sources: 55% of anencephaly cases do not survive birth, and the vast majority of the remainder die very soon thereafter. Although there are cases that have survived for up to 2.5 years (the "Baby K" case), that was only with nearly-continuous artificial ventilation, hydration, and feeding. But a low probability of longer-term survival is not an argument against aborting anencephalic fetuses. The normal procedure if a case survives birth is to provide palliative care and to not resuscitate.

Nobody is suggesting forcing abortion on women who are carrying anencephalic fetuses. It is simply a necessary option, a choice. The fetus is not likely to survive birth, even less likely to survive the next few days, and is incapable of ever thinking. If a woman chooses to spare everyone the pain of experiencing that, you should not hold it against her - or against the doctor that helps her.

That said: make sure you get enough folic acid. The rate of neural tube defects is a lot higher in women who don't have enough in their diets.

4/21/2012 10:07:02 AM

#1394856

Skyknight

@Lucilius: I would guess that they'd go scouring the treetops for cardinals. I hope they remembered their mist nets, though...

4/21/2012 10:09:22 AM

#1394858

4/21/2012 10:15:29 AM

#1394860

John

The anencephalics are living human beings.

They're only living because the mother is serving as a "life support" machine. They usually die soon after the placenta detaches unless they're put on artificial support. With enough technology, they could probably keep the cells of Philbert McAdamia's tumor alive, too. Heck, Henrietta Lacks' tumor is now 61 and going strong.

4/21/2012 10:35:19 AM

#1394861

The Wild One, Forever

Great! Then the Catholic Church can pay for all the care needed before the child dies anyway after a few days, and support the remaining family after the mother passes away.

4/21/2012 10:38:27 AM

#1394863

cdcdrr

You want to put women through a nightmare giving birth to a brainless child? Have you SEEN what those looks like? I don't usually like to call a baby ugly but you have to be effin' crazy to think of that as anything but a mockery of ET!

4/21/2012 10:41:56 AM

#1394867

Papabear

Well, to be fair, I think that if the Cardinal agrees to adopt and PERSONALLY care for the anencephalic kids he can speak with authority on the subject. Not pushing their care off on drunk-with-Jesus volunteers, not storing them in huge wards tended by others, not on the government dime, mind you, but him caring for them personally.

And, of course, I support his right not to have an abortion.

4/21/2012 10:52:38 AM

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