The information provided in the post appended below by Fr. Ivo is completely bogus. In India medical abortion or medical termination of pregnancy is completely legal. It is NOT regarded as murder. Contrary to what is claimed in the bogus post, the details of the legality of this medical procedure in respect of medical practitioners can be found in any textbook of Indian forensic medicine. The law in question is called the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971, with amendments in 1975 and 2002. I give the pertinent section of this law at the end of my email. The other falsehoods in the bogus post are:
1. The implication that science tells us what is "evil". 2. The suggestion that medical science attests to the author's personal religious values. 3. The implication that medical science agrees with the teachings of one particular (the author's) religious establishment. This is clearly another chauvinistic attempt to mix science, which is universal, with the author's own religious sect, which is only applicable to followers of that sect. I have already stated the fact that most other religions do not regard medical abortion as murder. They recognize the diversity of beliefs concerning it, and/or the fact that its legal status is necessary to save the life of the mother and preserve her health in difficult medical circumstances. They also recognize that human embryonic stem cell research is necessary to save human lives in future. Most medical professionals are in full agreement with these pluralistic and secular ethical principles. Please see the following regarding the settled medical abortion law in India: EXCERPT from MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ACT 1971 (Please see: http://www.medindia.net/Indian_Health_Act/medical-termination-of-pregnancy-amendment-act-2002-amendment-of-section-3.htm) QUOTE When pregnancies may be terminated by registered medical practitioners - (1)Notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), a registered medical practitioner shall not be guilty of any offence under that Code or under any other law for the time being in force, if any pregnancy is terminated by him in accordance with the provisions of this Act. (2)Subject to the provisions of sub-section (4), a pregnancy may be terminated by a registered medical practitioner, - (a) here the length of the pregnancy does not exceed twelve weeks if such medical practitioner is, or (b) Where the length of the pregnancy exceeds twelve weeks but does not exceed twenty weeks, if not less than two registered medical practitioner are, of opinion, formed in good faith, that - (i) the continuance of the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or of grave injury to her physical or mental health; or (ii)there is a substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped. Explanation 1 - Where any pregnancy is alleged by the pregnant woman to have been caused by rape, the anguish caused by such pregnancy shall be presumed to constitute a grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman. Explanation 2 - Where any pregnancy occurs as a result of failure of any device or method used by any married woman or her husband for the purpose of limiting the number of children, the anguish caused by such unwanted pregnancy may be resumed to constitute a grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman. (3)In determining whether the continuance of a pregnancy would involve such risk of injury to the health as is mentioned in sub-section (2), account may be taken of the pregnant women’s actual or reasonable foreseeable environment. (4)(a)No pregnancy of a woman, who has not attained the age of eighteen years, or, who, having attained the age of eighteen years, is a lunatic, shall be terminated except with the consent in writing of her guardian. (b)Save as otherwise provided in clause (a), no pregnancy shall be terminated except with the consent of the pregnant woman. UNQUOTE Cheers, Santosh --- On Sat, 1/23/10, Ivo da C.Souza <icso...@bsnl.in> wrote: > > Abortion is a murder, it is against human > values, scientifically it is an evil, precisely because it > is against human life (innocent children), attested by > medical science and protected by medical ethics. Forensic > medicine can show what is a murder... Physicians are to be > guardians of life, not butchers in a secular country and > world... Let Dr.Santosh learn it from the Catholic Church > and medical science... > Regards. > Fr.Ivo >
