Abortion and Health Care

Over the weekend there was an interesting "Facebook exchange" between a commonly held opinion and a succinct response by a friend who is a priest...thought I'd share it:

Comment:  "I'm against abortion, but I still think it's something that must be decided between a doctor and patient. You never know if because some poor women couldn't afford an abortion her and the baby died. I think the focus should be and should've always been the forming of conscience, not the forcing. Even if it is an objective evil I believe the antidotes we create, most of the time is worse than the poison."

Response:  "True we need to form consciences - in the dignity of the human person from the moment of conception until natural death. Consciences need to be formed so as to understand that human life is a gift from God and that any doctor or woman has no right to destroy the life of another human being. There is no "forcing". Abortion destroys and is one of the greatest injustices we have seen in our own day - any law which allows it to take place (or forces others to pay for it in the case of the proposed Health Care bill) is unjust. Laws must protect the baby and help the mother. 

Unfortunately the law of the land becomes the morality of the "little" ones, those who are unable to make the right decisions by not having help from the right people or any religion/faith.  We might think this to not be significant, but it is HUGE when we consider the number of people who have no direction for their lives in regard to such a monumental decision (like destroying the life of your own child!) - the law becomes their morality.

At the very foundation of all laws there must be the dignity of the human person - without which there is no justice.  Many people have been duped into such thinking that it all comes down to a personal choice. How about the choice of the child?

I believe one way to resolve such poor reasoning is to have an "all out" effort to help women to understand the love and the mercy of Jesus in their lives after an abortion.  The more this is made known to post-abortive women (and men), the more the Good News of Christ will spread and the truth of abortion (and faulty thinking) will be made known."

Two points.
1.  I have difficulty understanding the argument "I'm personally against, but support your right to decide for yourself", unless the debate is for vanilla or chocolate ice cream.    Take the following statement: "I am personally opposed to sticking a needle in my wife's eye, but I respect your right to make that decision for yourself".  Hopefully we are in agreement that this is absurd.  

2.  Any law that omits an entire class (unborn in this instance), even if the intention and foreseen outcome produces a good, is an unjust law.  How can you be against health care?  This is the Patrick Kennedy argument.  Suppose such legislation provided the finest of comprehensive care for all...except African Americans.  The vast majority of Americans would be covered and the law would accomplish a tremendous good.  How could you not be in favor of health care reform?  Quite easily.  How are the examples different?  They are not.  Such a law is unjust and cannot be supported.