Half Truths and Lies

If you wish to strengthen a lie, mix a little truth in with it. This from the Zohar a mystical commentary on the Torah, widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah.

This bit of insight is regularly used by allegedly Pro-Choice people. For example, the mis-named Catholics for Free Choice, CFFC, in their Abortion and Catholic Thought: The Little-Told History state one huge falsehood,

"Most people believe that the Roman Catholic church's position on abortion has remained unchanged for two thousand years. Not true. Church teaching on abortion has varied continually over the course of its history. There has been no unanimous opinion on abortion at any time."

I could quote CFFC and say "Not true." A quick look at the literature exposes this falsehood.
- Didache Chap2,1: you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten
- St. John Chrysostom (Homilies on Romans 24 [A.D. 391]). "Why do you sow where the field is eager to destroy the fruit, where there are medicines of sterility, where there is murder before birth? You do not even let a harlot remain only a harlot, but you make her a murderess as well..."
- St. Jerome (Letters 22:13 [A.D. 396]) "You may see a number of women who are widows before they are wives. Others, indeed, will drink sterility and murder a man not yet born"
- Catholic Encyclopedia: "The Sixth Ecumenical Council (Third Council of Constantinople 678 AD) determined for the whole Church that anyone who procured abortion should bear all the punishments inflicted on murderers. In all these teachings and enactments no distinction is made between the earlier and the later stages of gestation."
- The Decretals of Pope Gregory IX, 1324 AD, list one canon which designates as a 'murderer' one who causes an abortion

This concept of abortion as murder was reaffirmed by later Popes, specifically Pius IX, Pius XII and John Paul II.

CFFC has used the bait and switch technique, talking about some debates on the concept of ensoulment then switching to abortion. So while CFFC leads with a blatant lie, they follow, perhaps inadvertently perhaps on purpose, with a half truth: "While there has been constant general agreement that abortion is almost always evil and sinful, the church has had difficulty in defining the nature of that evil."

So even Catholics for Free Choice admit "that abortion is almost always evil and sinful." Kind of makes you wonder why they are arguing for something that "is almost always evil and sinful"? Especially when they mix in the lies. Sounds like they are authoring confusion.

Zohar also teaches in Shemat 3b, that abortion drives away the Shekhina (G_d's presence) from the world...For these abominations the Spirit of Holiness weeps.

Sounds like the U.S.of A.