Sunday, June 20, 2004
Love those Presbys
The issue of abortion is likely to take center stage at a meeting of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Richmond, Virginia, June 26. A number of presbyteries, or district governing bodies, have submitted abortion-related resolutions to this year's General Assembly.
The Protestant church has been criticized in the past for its previous support for abortion.
The Beaver-Butler Presbytery in Pennsylvania and the Presbytery of Charlotte in North Carolina are asking church members to affirm the protection of unborn babies well enough developed to live outside the womb.
Meanwhile, the Presbytery of Upper Ohio Valley is lobbying commissioners to declare that the 2002 and 2003 Assemblies "erred in supporting abortion, especially late term partial-birth abortion." The presbytery adds that the Board of Pensions "errs in providing abortions" except in pregnancies that clearly endanger the life of the mother.
Presbytery members would also like to see a pro-life position on abortion incorporated into the church's constitution.
But not all presbyteries are promoting a pro-life agenda.
For instance, the Lackawanna Presbytery wants to advocate for a restoration of money to the United Nations Populations Funds. The UNFPA has drawn criticism from pro-life lawmakers and the Bush administration has withdrawn funding from the U.N. agency because it supports China's population control policies that include forced abortions and sterilizations.
The Protestant church has been criticized in the past for its previous support for abortion.
The Beaver-Butler Presbytery in Pennsylvania and the Presbytery of Charlotte in North Carolina are asking church members to affirm the protection of unborn babies well enough developed to live outside the womb.
Meanwhile, the Presbytery of Upper Ohio Valley is lobbying commissioners to declare that the 2002 and 2003 Assemblies "erred in supporting abortion, especially late term partial-birth abortion." The presbytery adds that the Board of Pensions "errs in providing abortions" except in pregnancies that clearly endanger the life of the mother.
Presbytery members would also like to see a pro-life position on abortion incorporated into the church's constitution.
But not all presbyteries are promoting a pro-life agenda.
For instance, the Lackawanna Presbytery wants to advocate for a restoration of money to the United Nations Populations Funds. The UNFPA has drawn criticism from pro-life lawmakers and the Bush administration has withdrawn funding from the U.N. agency because it supports China's population control policies that include forced abortions and sterilizations.
