# Catholic priest appeals to Donald Trump to end abortion **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 24, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500 "2016-12-24T00:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Calico\_Jack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calico_jack/32/7320_2.png) [@Calico\_Jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calico_Jack)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/1 "2016-12-24T00:26:12Z")
> **[A Catholic priest put an aborted fetus on the altar in an appeal for Donald...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/11/07/a-catholic-priest-put-an-aborted-fetus-on-the-altar-in-an-appeal-for-donald-trump/?utm_term=.31381821775c)** > > The video has been denounced by many. Interesting, with Republicans now in control of all branches of government, and a conservative SCOTUS, I wonder if Roe vs Wade will be overturned in the coming years. If there was a time for Republicans to act on it, now would be the perfect opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/2 "2016-12-24T01:24:34Z")
My guess is the Republicans won’t go for a complete ban or even a judicial overturn of Roe. That would be too likely to trigger a political backlash. Instead they’ll use their political majority and friendly judicial atmosphere to attack abortions indirectly; defunding, targeted regulation, stuff like that. It’ll remain theoretically legal to have an abortion but women will find it increasingly difficult. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/3 "2016-12-24T04:14:12Z")
_Poor_ women will find it increasingly difficult; rich women will always have easy and discrete access to abortion. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/4 "2016-12-24T04:20:36Z")
Donald Trump can’t do anything by himself about it. The president can’t undo a Supreme Court decision. At most he can make appointments to the SCotUS who he thinks will rule the way he wants, if such a case comes up. And there’s no guarantee one will. As far as indirect attacks, that’s been the case for years. It’ll mean access to abortions will depend on which state you live in, but that’s been becoming increasingly so for years. Everyone who wants an abortion will have to move to the Northeast or the West Coast. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/5 "2016-12-24T04:33:02Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > _Poor_ women will find it increasingly difficult; rich women will always have easy and discrete access to abortion. Yeah , back alley abortions will be happening again ! ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/6 "2016-12-24T07:44:45Z")
What, you mean Donald Trump is going to be funding increased access to effective, long-term contraceptives? You mean Donald Trump is going to be encouraging early and comprehensive sexual education? When I hear “end abortion”, that’s what comes to mind. Banning abortion doesn’t make it go away, it just makes it more dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/7 "2016-12-24T07:50:39Z")
> [@Calico\_Jack](#): > > Interesting, with Republicans now in control of all branches of government, and a conservative SCOTUS, I wonder if Roe vs Wade will be overturned in the coming years. They had all that in 2001, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/8 "2016-12-24T08:17:48Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > What, you mean Donald Trump is going to be funding increased access to effective, long-term contraceptives? > > You mean Donald Trump is going to be encouraging early and comprehensive sexual education? > > When I hear “end abortion”, that’s what comes to mind. Banning abortion doesn’t make it go away, it just makes it more dangerous. Encouraging policies to improve medical care, daycare, general support & education of children would also help–in a positive way. But so many of the anti-choice folks regard ex-fetuses as expensive little parasites. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/9 "2016-12-24T13:00:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > They had all that in 2001, you know. Yes, but did any _Catholic Priests_ weigh in? That’s a game-changer if ever I heard one! ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/10 "2016-12-24T14:19:34Z")
Someone should point out to the Donald that one way to generate lots of new tax revenue would be to tax these politically active groups that hide behind religion. The church sure does like butting it’s nose into everyone’s business, that is up until it comes time to pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/11 "2016-12-24T14:43:24Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Encouraging policies to improve medical care, daycare, general support & education of children would also help–in a positive way. But so many of the anti-choice folks regard ex-fetuses as expensive little parasites. …and sexual playthings; wouldn’t want the supply of new toys to dwindle, now, would they? :rolleyes: @ taking advice on morals from a Catholic priest. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/12 "2016-12-24T14:49:15Z")
Banning abortion is the last thing the Republicans want to do, because if they did that, what would they promise the voters to keep them voting R? But it will be interesting to see what excuses they use for not doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/13 "2016-12-24T15:59:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Banning abortion is the last thing the Republicans want to do, because if they did that, what would they promise the voters to keep them voting R? To keep protecting their rights to guns, I assume. And to lower taxes, for potential R voters who don’t care about guns. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/14 "2016-12-24T22:12:29Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > What, you mean Donald Trump is going to be funding increased access to effective, long-term contraceptives? > > You mean Donald Trump is going to be encouraging early and comprehensive sexual education? > > When I hear “end abortion”, that’s what comes to mind. Banning abortion doesn’t make it go away, it just makes it more dangerous. Just about every women in america already has access to contraceptives. Comprehensive sexual education does not prevent [pregnancies](https://www.mercatornet.com/features/view/do-sex-education-programs-work-no-says-major-new-study/19035)or abortion. ““As they are currently designed, sex education programmes alone probably have no effect on the number of young people infected with HIV, other STIs or the number of pregnancies,” said lead author of the review, Dr Mason-Jones.” Meanwhile there is [evidence](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46466791_Regulating_Abortion_Impact_on_Patients_and_Providers_in_Texas)that abortion restrictions do result in fewer abortions. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/15 "2016-12-24T22:17:19Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > To keep protecting their rights to guns, I assume. > > And to lower taxes, for potential R voters who don’t care about guns. Neither of those sells as well as MURDERED BABIES/FETAL HOLOCAUST! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/16 "2016-12-24T22:51:20Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > They had all that in 2001, you know. The Republicans didn’t control the Senate on a reliable basis after the 2001 election, because there was a 50-50 split. That meant they needed the VP to break ties in the Senate, and neither party had control over the committees. The two parties had to work out special arrangements to keep the Senate functioning. And then the Democrats got a majority in May 2001, when Senator Jeffords left the GOP to sit as an independent and caucus with the Dems. Nor did the GOP did have a reliable majority on the Supreme Court. Justice O’Connor provided the key vote in _Casey_ to keep _Roe_ in force, and Justices Stevens and Souter, both appointed by Republicans, showed strong independent streaks. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/17 "2016-12-24T23:52:20Z")
Just realised a typo: should have said “after the **2000** election” in the first line. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/18 "2016-12-25T07:59:44Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > Just about every women in america already has access to contraceptives. > Comprehensive sexual education does not prevent [pregnancies](https://www.mercatornet.com/features/view/do-sex-education-programs-work-no-says-major-new-study/19035)or abortion. ““As they are currently designed, sex education programmes alone probably have no effect on the number of young people infected with HIV, other STIs or the number of pregnancies,” said lead author of the review, Dr Mason-Jones.” > Meanwhile there is [evidence](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46466791_Regulating_Abortion_Impact_on_Patients_and_Providers_in_Texas)that abortion restrictions do result in fewer abortions. Huh. Seems my information is somewhat out of date. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/19 "2016-12-25T08:49:04Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > Comprehensive sexual education does not prevent [pregnancies](https://www.mercatornet.com/features/view/do-sex-education-programs-work-no-says-major-new-study/19035)or abortion. ““As they are currently designed, sex education programmes alone probably have no effect on the number of young people infected with HIV, other STIs or the number of pregnancies,” said lead author of the review, Dr Mason-Jones.” Your link goes to a site called [MercatorNet.com](http://MercatorNet.com). Here is a passage from their [“Our Ideals” statement: > [@](#): > > What about God? We believe in God (the editor is a Catholic), but defending human dignity is a task for people of every religion and of none. “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world!” – that’s Shakespeare, not the Bible. Religion adds clarity and conviction to the task of defending human dignity. But the arguments advanced in MercatorNet are based on universally accepted moral principles, common sense and evidence, not faith. > > We oppose moral relativism, scientism, crass commercialism, utilitarianism, and materialism – in short, any ism which reduces persons to ciphers and treats them as soulless machines. We delight in dissecting media cliches. We respond with logic and evidence. We do our best to be civil and courteous. ]([https://www.mercatornet.com/info/our\_ideals](https://www.mercatornet.com/info/our_ideals)) My research shows that this site is operated by [The New Media Foundation](http://www.newmediafoundation.org.au).[ > [@](#): > > New Media Foundation is an Australian non-profit which has been sponsoring innovative projects on the internet since 2005. New Media Foundation Ltd is an Australian public company (ABN 28 113 716 153) which is also registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (CFN/20061). ]([http://www.newmediafoundation.org.au/#story](http://www.newmediafoundation.org.au/#story))[Their mission statement is: > [@](#): > > The mission of our projects is to help people navigate modern complexities in a way that respects the fullness of human dignity" ]([http://www.newmediafoundation.org.au/mission/](http://www.newmediafoundation.org.au/mission/)) Anyway, looking around the MercatorNet site, these folks clearly have an agenda. [They write against gay marriage and LGBT people](https://www.mercatornet.com/conjugality), [rant against “gender Marxists”](https://www.mercatornet.com/conjugality/view/for-gender-marxists-pronouns-are-the-latest-front-in-the-revolution/18962), and feature more than a handful of articles about how evil abortion is. [The article you linked to is directly copied from a Daily Mail article that is actually linked to in the MercatorNet article](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3917460/Sex-education-does-NOT-work-no-evidence-school-initiatives-cut-rates-STIs-pregnancies-offering-teenagers-cash-work.html), although they do omit quite a bit from their re-printing, especially the ending: > [@](#): > > ‘As they are currently designed, sex education programmes alone probably have no effect on the number of young people infected with HIV, other STIs or the number of pregnancies.’ > > They said this link was even more so if condoms and contraceptives are not freely available to young people. > > Dr Mason-Jones continued: 'It is clear that there needs to be further high quality research undertaken in this area so that policy makers can be better informed about keeping young people, especially girls, in education for longer. > > ‘Sexually active adolescents in some countries, particularly girls, are at highrisk of contracting HIV and other STIs; while early, unintended pregnancy canhave a major impact on their lives.’ > > She added that schools may provide information about healthy sexual relationships, but they need to combine with services that meet the needs of young people. So there’s that. > [@puddleglum](#): > > Meanwhile there is [evidence](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46466791_Regulating_Abortion_Impact_on_Patients_and_Providers_in_Texas)that abortion restrictions do result in fewer abortions. Here is the abstract from your link: > [@](#): > > The state of Texas began enforcement of the Woman’s Right to Know (WRTK) Act on January 1, 2004. The law requires that all abortions at 16 weeks gestation or later be performed in an ambulatory surgical center (ASC). In the month the law went into effect, not one of Texas’s 54 non-hospital abortion providers met the requirements of a surgical center. The effect was immediate and dramatic. The number of abortions performed in Texas at 16 weeks gestation or later dropped 88 %, from 3642 in 2003 to 446 in 2004, while the number of residents who left the state for a late abortion almost quadrupled. By 2006, an ASC had opened in 4 major cities down from 9 in 2003 but the abortion rate 16 weeks or more gestation remained 50 percent below its pre-Act level. Regulations of abortion providers that require new facilities or costly renovations could have profound effects on the market for second trimester abortions. So the idea that making it illegal results in fewer abortions seems like a biased argument, since it seems more likely that making procuring an abortion difficult, if not impossible, has more effect than the legality of the procedure. This is what the last sentence of the abstract is relating: if there is no where to get an abortion, fewer abortions will be performed. TL; DR: Your first source is biased and their reporting and therefore conclusions are suspect. Your second source doesn’t say what you seem to think it says. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500/20 "2016-12-25T14:01:45Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > …and sexual playthings; wouldn’t want the supply of new toys to dwindle, now, would they? > > :rolleyes: @ taking advice on morals from a Catholic priest. Bo, that’s entirely a hijack. Stick to the topic at hand. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-appeals-to-donald-trump-to-end-abortion/775500.md?page=2)