This makes me very angry. I hope this doesn't give the pro-life movement in the U.S. incentive or ideas.

i think this is just going to lead to back street illegal abortions and people leaving the country to have abortions. i don't think this will stop abortions at all. and forcing a woman to have a child that is a product of rape or incest is INHUMANE. what if it's a little girl, like the 9 year old child who was raped by her mother's boyfriend, and was threatned with excommunication by the catholic church for having an abortion? i think this school of thought is antiquated and ridiculous and i hope they overturn this law eventually. i'm tired of other people, usually men trying to force their decisions for whats appropriate on women's bodies. i don't think roe v. wade will ever be overturned but i do think the pro-life contingent is dedicated to making access to abortions as difficult as possible, which is despicable and patronizing.

As a Dominican myself, its makes me shameful that this passed. Especially the "no exceptions" part. Thats the worst of it. I fear for the future of the women who will be seeking the procedure and having to have it done on some person's kitchen table.

It's really hard for me to reconcile my Christian beliefs with all the backwards, oppressive and frankly sexist crapola that Christians perpetuate. It's also hard to argue that on many issues like this, the Christian point of view isn't the ignorant one.

It's just so frustrating.

spacekatgal, same... the way I can get through the day is knowing that God and Jesus stand for love, acceptance, etc. the people who make these rules in the name of Christianity are not representing what God or Jesus meant. its human to err. we'll all have to answer for the choices we make someday.

That's awful

and so begins the hating on christianity. WHy is that okay.

There's no hating on Christianity here. People are just pointing out that they are having a hard time reconciling their own Christianity with the religion's interference in politics.

"oppressive and frankly sexist crapola that Christians perpetuate"

hating.

Then rephrase it to: "crapola that some Christians perpetuate"

This is so sad. If the US ever decide to do something like this, I would move.

I thought the Catholic church would allow a procedure to save a mother's life (hysterectomy)

This is realy disappointing. I agree with spacekat and mamasita as well. I'm don't belong to any religion, but I know that christianity does preach acceptance and forgiveness, not the imposition of its morals on others. But most importantly, religion has no place in government.

I am also Dominican myself and I don't think it has anything to do with religion. I think the government and some of the country's conservatives may cite religion but not many Dominicans practice their faith like you would think, they are Catholic in name only...lots of Dominicans have converted to evangelicism but don't know the difference. As an american priest said Latinos have a religious sensebility but don't have a religious education and many cling to the little they know.

The public school system is incredibly weak in general (in addition to weak or non exsistent sex education). I mean, Dominicans aren't that religious. Millions of parents there know and let their kids have sex and men aren't told to be responsible because of sexism (since "they can't get pregnant" it's "the girl's problem).

The little mention of the Catholic Church here shouldn't get people to think that they have that much influence. I wish they did because then people might learn to read so they could read the bible, be more thoughtful and intellectual and stir debate about religion, spirituality and other public discourse and so on. However, there is no education...religion or otherwise. So this is definitely more the government and old school values but not the religion entirely.

My own parents say they are Catholics (they are both from DR) but they were never baptised or went to Cathecism and neither did their parents but they still call themselves Catholic and you will find MILLIONS of Dominicans like that. So again, it's more the government.

I think this is crazy that they banned abortions entirely. I personally am pro-life but I agree with Vice President Biden...I can't enforce my choice on others and other women DESERVE and NEED to have the right to choose. I agree with the person who said that many women will probably seek illegal abortions and will lose their lives or become severely ill in the process.

They should seek to improve their sex education and overall school and medical practices instead. That would help the country most.

I have to echo poster #14...I think this articulates well:

"Most Latino immigrants come to North America with a different experience of the church. They are less likely to have been catechized, and they lack the parish experience of a middle-class American Catholic. Many are baptized Catholics, but fewer are churchgoing ones. And while large numbers are Catholic in sensibility, they are not so in practice—even where their personal faith is deep, abiding and communally and culturally oriented."

So it always strikes me as unfair or incorrect to bring Catholicism into it. Many Dominicans and other Latinos (immigrant or not) have a very different experience with Catholicism and other forms of Christianity. They don't even know or understand about Vatican 1 and 2.

Great points guys especially on the religious issue - I have hard time with everyone zoning in on the religion. Dominicans are like cafeteria Catholics (and that's when and if they have a Catholic or Christian education to speak of). This decision may be pure sexism (Latino men in DR can be as sexist as men elsewhere, not all but some) and the religious support is away to explain away their reasoning.

Abortion in Latin America:
womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2086/context/archive

Religion in Latin America:

religion.info/english/articles/article_121.shtml#

puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n03/MoreHispCathLose-en.html

prolades.com/documents/religion-change.htm

religionnewsblog.com/10934

blog.siena.org/2007/05/john-allen-on-latin-american.html

npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10150763

boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/05/08/evangelism_is_luring_latin_americas_catholics/

boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/04/13/in_bolivia_a_battle_for_souls/

Wow, well everyone has they're own point of view on things . I think a more thoughtful way of this happening in the U.S. Would be a good idea .If Done by Goverment maybe not church child rapes and health issue would get more understanding . As far as grown women who make the chocie to have unprotected sex . I dont understand , are you to lazy to take a pill every morning or get a shot once a month ? They are the reason I belive it should happen . You may not want your child but there are alot of women out there who would love to be able to have childern and would treat that child like gold . If you dont want a baby there are ways to handle it before having sex . A Underage child ( setting aside the fact that it's the parents job to protect those children so they DONT end up in that state , and sometimes horrible things happen that are beyond our control ), Rape , STD's the baby might get , and a unheathy mother are diffrant from people who just really dont care until they are carrying a child . I think that it would force people to be more careful and smarter about they're sex lifes . There are so many tools out there to prevent having a child .

PhoenixonFire...birth control isn't available to Dominican women like it is to girls in the US. That is what anonymous poster #14 addresses. The Dominican Republic has officially outlawed abortions but they don't have planned parenthoods or sex education in the schools. They are almost FORCING pregnancy. Girls are having sex but can't get the pill.

It's not like the US where people have options and resources and education but don't take advantage of those things.

I don't get why I never get to vote in these polls where they decide only 47% are for it being legal. No one asked me.

You should also know that this law prohibits the use of the IUD [Inrauterine dispositive], and of the monring-after pill. These are two important anticonceptives, and it's sooooo wrong to prohibit abortion and anticonceptives... I mean... what?? it seems that women are being forced to have kids...or to remain celibate.. and to "pray" so that they are not raped...!!!! this is too much!!
They are also making In-vitro Fertilization illegal..!!!
I'm so frustrated... I'm dominican..and I have to live with these rules, even if I don't belong to any religion. People here follow the church in a blind way, leaving aside the progress of science.