wfn.org | SOCIAL JUSTICE AND WITNESS DEFEATS OVERTURES

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

18-June-1997 
GA97062 
 
               SOCIAL JUSTICE AND WITNESS DEFEATS 
            ABORTION AND SEXUAL BROKENNESS OVERTURES 
 
                        by Nancy Rodman 
 
SYRACUSE--The Assembly Committee on Social Justice and Witness on Tuesday 
voted not to recommend Assembly action on four overtures on abortion and 
one addressing sexual brokenness. 
 
    The Committee voted not to recommend Assembly action on the two 
so-called partial birth abortion overtures that would have denounced the 
late-term abortion procedure variously known as partial birth abortion, D&X 
abortion, or intact D&E abortion and would have called on physicians, 
parents, pastors, elders, teachers, and counselors to protect and care for 
mothers physically and spiritually and to preserve and protect the lives of 
children.  The action followed intense hearings and debate over two days. 
 
    Minister commissioner Fred M. Soberg expects to present a minority 
report that would accomplish what the original overtures intended, clearly 
naming the procedure and underscoring the life of the child.  "This is an 
important issue that the church needs to address,"  Soberg said. 
 
    The committee, by wide margins, voted not to recommend Assembly action 
on two overtures seeking appointment of a special committee to produce 
clear guidelines for implementation of the 1992 abortion policy and a means 
of holding denominational entities accountable for ensuring that their 
activities and publications fairly represent all aspects of the policy. 
 
    An overture that would have established ministries to those in sexual 
brokenness was defeated and will not be recommended to the Assembly.  Like 
the abortion overtures, this overture produced emotionally intense hearings 
and debate. 
 
    In other business, the committee voted to recommend to the Assembly 
overtures on ending homelessness of women and women with children, 
strengthening movie and television rating systems by seeking the 
restoration of the "family hour" on television and adding content 
descriptions to ratings, encouraging study and action on child sexual 
exploitation.  Commissioners resolutions on opposing flag-burning 
legislation and on sweatshop awareness were approved for Assembly action. 

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