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[PCUSANEWS] Panel reaches compromise on late-term abortion


From PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>
Date 28 May 2003 20:08:37 -0400

Note #7744 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Panel reaches compromise on late-term abortion policy
GA03054

Panel reaches compromise on late-term abortion policy

by Jerry L. Van Marter

DENVER, May 27 - The General Assembly Committee on Health Issues approved a
statement on late-term abortion Tuesday that carefully balances concern for
pregnant women and concern for unborn children.

	The former concern echoes a statement adopted by last year's
Assembly. The latter incorporates some of the substance of Overture 03-18,
from Huntingdon Presbytery, which sought to limit recourse to abortion in
cases where "the baby may be able to live outside the womb."

	The compromise measure was approved by a 59-17 vote.

	The document finally approved borrows heavily from a statement
adopted by last year's Assembly that lists four circumstances under which
late-term abortion can be morally acceptable. But it preserved a key
provision from the Huntingdon overture saying that when a late-term abortion
is "deemed necessary  to protect the mother's life or health in the later
months of pregnancy  a procedure should be considered which gives both the
mother and the child the opportunity to live."

	The new statement, like the one from last year, gives moral sanction
to late-term abortion "when necessary to save the life of the woman, to
preserve the woman's health in circumstances of a serious risk to the woman's
health, to avoid fetal suffering as a result of untreatable life threatening
medical anomalies, or in cases of incest or rape."

	The compromise statement renders moot an overture from Eastminster
Presbytery that would have removed rape and incest from the list of
acceptable moral justifications.

	The new statement is striking in that it includes neither the word
"abortion" nor the word "fetus" and also eschews the loaded pronoun, "it".

	"We know we're divided in the culture and the church," said the Rev.
Tom Pickering, of Western Kentucky Presbytery, who supported the compromise
statement. "But we've taken a huge step by talking about children, not
fetuses or 'its.'"

	The statement reinforced the determination of the Health Issues
Committee to focus on the life of the unborn child as well as on that of the
mother. The mother's welfare has been the principal concern of previous
statements. 

	In another expansion on last year's statement, the committee said:
"The church  affirms the value of children and the importance of nurturing,
protecting and advocating their well-being. The church, therefore,
appreciates the challenge each woman and family face when issues of personal
well-being arise in the later stages of pregnancy."

	The Rev. Doug Melius, of Wyoming Presbytery, said: "The Bible tells
us that the ones who most need protection are those least able to protect
themselves. This statement honors all. It's a good political solution to an
insoluble problem."

	Not all on the committee were satisfied. "The question here is
viability," argued Alison Lucic, a Youth Advisory Delegate from Santa Barbara
Presbytery. "This is about a life, the right to live, and I just can't
justify taking any life."

	Two commissioners - Elder Tom Cheney of Western Colorado Presbytery
and the Rev. John Sterrett III of Shenandoah Presbytery - told the General
Assembly News that they intend to file a minority report. 

	Sterrett described the committee process as "muddled." Cheney said
the minority report "may be" essentially the same as the Huntingdon overture,
but may be an alternative version of the committee's statement "incorporating
some of the amendments that were rejected in here." 

	Later, the panel rejected an overture from Flint River Presbytery
that would have instructed the Board of Pensions to decline to pay for any
procedure of "grave moral concern" to the church - specifically, late-term
abortion. The measure was defeated, 55-15.

	Elder Al Hanna of Trinity Presbytery argued that that proposal
"violates privacy and protected information" laws. 

	Elder Gretchen Gallentin called it "an affront to the Board of
Pensions."

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