Catholic Corner
Question: As a Catholic and a nursing instructor at a state university, I feel an obligation to tell my students the truth about abortion. As nurses, they will be confronted with the abortion issue many times during their careers. My dilemma is that I can't directly convey my Christian values without jeopardizing my job. What can I do?
Answer: You may not be allowed to address the abortion issue from a Catholic view in the classroom, but when students ask for your view privately you can still strongly articulate your stand against the atrocity of abortion. You can make it clear that abortion is the killing of innocent human life, which is sacred to the Lord. At the same time, you can also express God's loving forgiveness for those who are sorry for having had abortions and his desire to heal them of the emotional, physical, and psychological scars of abortion. You can make various pro-life pamphlets available to interested students and offer to speak personally to anyone who would like to hear your view in more detail.
Presenting the medical arguments against abortion as part of your course material is another avenue open to you. Many people never hear about the physical, emotional, and psychological damage caused by abortion until they experience it personally.
From Pastoral Answers to Questions about the Faith by Fr. John Patrick Bertolucci