Scottish Catholic Observer

Pro-life campaigners have condemned the Scottish Green Party over its manifesto pledge to liberalise abortion laws when they are devolved to Scotland.

Members of the Don’t Stop A Beating Heart campaign have united to condemn the Greens’ proposal that states: “We will push for abortion to be removed from the criminal justice system.”

The Scottish Parliament gets new powers on abortion as part of the Scotland Act introduced after the Scottish Independence referendum

John Deighan, chief executive of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Scotland, said the Greens’ position, ‘means in effect is that unborn babies and mothers would entirely lose their basic legal protection.’

“Completely removing the killing of human beings from legal sanction is as extreme as it gets,” Mr Deighan said. The pro-abortion lobby want to widen abortion law in Scotland. They plan to dismantle the existing system of checks and balances so two doctors would no longer have to authorise an abortion. Instead, only one would be required. And now the Greens manifesto takes an even more extreme approach. They are suggesting no legal restrictions at all on abortion.”

Sr Roseann Reddy, the nun who founded the Glasgow-based Sisters of Gospel For Life, said the Greens missed the point about abortion.

“While spouting forth about human rights, they miss out on the most obvious fact of all—without your fundamental right to life, you have no other rights,” Sr Roseann, specialises in assisting women in crisis pregnancies or the aftermath of abortion through Cardinal Winning’s Pro Life Initiative, said. “Nothing matters more than life itself, and women deserve better than abortion.”

Her colleague Sr Andrea Fraile added: “It appears the Green Party has never spoken to a woman in crisis pregnancy. She doesn’t opt for abortion because she thinks it’s a good idea, but because financial pressures, bad housing and abusive relationships are leaving her with no alternative. If the party really cares for women, why doesn’t it help her tackle these? Abortion is a cop out and, to state the blindingly obvious, not very child friendly either.”

Salah Beltagui, convener of the Muslim Council of Scotland also condemned the Scottish Green Party’s proposals.

“This is a betrayal of the weak human beings who need support and protection most,” Mr Beltagui said. “It is also a disregard and devaluing of the human life which is the most sacred entity.”

The Don’t Stop A Beating Heart campaign is attempting to find out from every candidate their views on abortion, in order to create a database of every politician’s view on the issue.

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