Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)
1968-06-01 / 2. szám
HOP Vol XX Special Number 1968 No 2 89 -(07793) planning "according to knowledge", that is, hi faith, is justified in God's sight, and contraception goes together with family planning» But abortion, both in Protestant and in Roman Catholic ethics, is a different matter« It is a unanimous Christian conviction that abortion is an act against God's will Who gives us life and proteots it. And as such, abortion cannot be, under any circumstances, an instrument of family plarr ning. Bu± the opinions diverge on the question whether there are extraordinary circumstances in which abortion is permissible or necessary» Ransn Catholic theology admits no such exceptions, It holds that abortion goes against the corrmandment "Thou shalt not kill", and what is morally sinful eannot be excused by any human, medical indication..- Gf ,the Protestant theologians, Bonhoeffer agrees in essenoe with the Romen Catholic position; not even the danger of thfc-mother's life can sanction the killing of a human being.- Theodor Bővet says that, at the very most, one might decide for the lesser of two sins when it is absolutely oertain that pregnancy would cost the mother's life« AIn summing up we state again: abortion, under all circumstances, is condemned by Roman Catholic theology. In the Protestant view, it cannot be an instrumait of family plaining, birth control, and it is the last resort when the mother's life is in immediate danger, but even in this oase, it obviously has the character of sin0 . K o) Our Socialist Society and the Problem of Prooreation According to socialist ethio, marriage is "that form of the sexual cohabitation of the sexes which is socially institutionalized and made to serve the social interest of rearing children", The family thus composed of the parents and of chil&ref^tB Beborn , that is, Ihe family viiioh is made -to serve the social interest of rearing children, is not a minor group opposed to tie state. The married partners bring into the family all the everyday cares and concerns of society, just as the quality of family life will affect the social behaviour of the family member si Sooialist ethic is emphatic on the ahild-rearing function of the f orally 0 This function which, is called by Engels "the production cf men’' is a constant one, in spite of the changes in the life of society, Yet the changed status of the woman has its bearing on the "man-producing" function cf society also» Marxist ethic starts out fran the primacy of the interests of society and educates men to regard public interest as their own highest personal interest (Siskin)»Lenin stresses that the principle of welfare based on childlessness deflects the workers and peasants from the fight against the capitalist system. This principle defeats the natural striving in men for happy family life and the joy of motherhood and fatherhood. In capitalist society, one has to renounce the jcy of parenthood, end wedded love is often put to the test by economic want and by the eternal struggle for existence» Over against this — says Lenin - the socialist society lays down the foundations for love-
