Deacon Greg has another story of a Catholic politician who flaunts Catholic teaching; incredible

Catholic congressman Tim Ryan: “Why I changed my thinking on abortion”

January 29, 2015 by Deacon Greg Kandra

From HuffPo: 

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), a longtime opponent of abortion, announced in an op-ed on Tuesday that he now supports abortion rights after having talked to women in difficult circumstances throughout his home state.
“I have sat with women from Ohio and across the nation and heard them talk about their varying experiences: abusive relationships, financial hardship, health scares, rape and incest,” wrote Ryan. “These women gave me a better understanding of how complex and difficult certain situations can become. And while there are people of good conscience on both sides of this argument, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: the heavy hand of government must not make this decision for women and families.”
Ryan, who was raised Catholic, has long considered himself “pro-life” and has voted for numerous abortion restrictions since he was elected to Congress in 2003, including parental notification laws; restrictions on abortion funding in health care reform; and a ban on abortions in federally funded military hospitals. In 2009, he wrote an op-ed for U.S. News and World Report underscoring the need for fellow anti-abortion lawmakers to work with abortion rights supporters on solutions to prevent unplanned pregnancies.

Ryan wrote in the Akron Beacon-Journal at Ohio.com:

My faith is important to me, and like many Catholics I strive to adhere to its principles, especially one of the essential and highest teachings of “judge not, lest ye be judged.” I’ve heard firsthand from women of all ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds about the circumstances and hardships that accompany this personal choice, which we should not judge…

…On June 12, 2014, my wife and I were blessed when our son, Brady Zetts Ryan, came into the world. With the birth of this healthy baby boy, our lives were forever changed. I’m mindful that my wife and I were fortunate enough to bring Brady into a prepared family full of love and devotion.

While I wish that for every child and every family, I know it is not always the case. Some couples are unprepared to become parents at that moment, and some families who are looking forward to a child may experience complications during the pregnancy. All these circumstances — and many more — require tough decisions. There are too many scenarios, too many variables and too much complexity for pregnancy to be anything but a personal decision.

Today, I am a 41-year-old father and husband whose feelings on this issue have changed. I have come a long way since being a single, 26-year-old state senator, and I am not afraid to say that my position has evolved as my experiences have broadened, deepened and become more personal. And while I have deep respect for people on both sides of this conversation, I would be abandoning my own conscience and judgment if I held a position that I no longer believed appropriate.

I have come to believe that we must trust women and families — not politicians — to make the best decision for their lives.

Read it all. 

Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2015/01/catholic-congressman-tim-ryan-why-i-changed-my-thinking-on-abortion/#ixzz3QEshglkL