The circumstances and consequences of an action are not what specifically make it good or evil. And yet still, it’s important to look at the surrounding phenomena of moral action, particularly when it is structurally engendered, such as in the industry of artificially planned/manipulated parenting. Looking at these circumstances and consequences as they arise in a society or societies different from ours helps us to gain greater perspective on the evil ramifications of a particular object — in this case, abortion. Although the sociological and ethical concerns surrounding the abortion industry (and its allied technologies and activities) in our country are of a somewhat different cast than those of East Asia, both are radically startling.

Consider this recent article from Foreign Policy (27 June 2011), where Mara Hvistendahl details some of the circumstantial and consequential horrors of sex selection — possible because of legal abortion… even as she is unable to identify the evil of the object of abortion, remaining committed to the project of reproductive rights.

Where Have All the Girls Gone?
How did more than 160 million women go missing from Asia? The simple answer is sex selection — typically, an ultrasound scan followed by an abortion if the fetus turns out to be female — but beyond that… [continue reading]

Also check out Dominican Brother, Gabriel Torretta’s commentary on this at First Things (5 July 2011).

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