From ArgusLeader.com (my hometown newspaper):
Pastors from five mainline denominations criticized South Dakota's abortion ban Tuesday, separating themselves from their Roman Catholic and evangelical counterparts and ramping up a politically charged debate that already is influenced by strong religious undercurrents.
Representatives from a group called Pastors for Moral Choices said the proposed ban, which will be voted on Nov. 7, restricts religious freedom and would return the state to a "regressive, discriminatory and dangerous way of life." At a news conference in Sioux Falls, they said the ban was "neither just nor compassionate."
The group includes pastors from the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.
Surprise surprise, a bunch of denominations that have abandoned the inerrancy of scripture (a high view of scripture) endorse the right to have an abortion.
The Pastors for Moral Choices statement said many Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious authorities believe abortion is permissible in the early weeks of a pregnancy.It's only impossible to reach a consensus when you have compromised the very foundation of Christianity, the Word of God. If the people in the pews are informing, and influencing their pastors on this subject something is desperately amiss. Yes, it takes courage to say something is wrong, that is the job of the pastor. Don't like it? God needs Christian burger flippers too. If the pastor cannot or will not make the tough calls the sheep have no shepherd. I find it interesting how the "pastor" considers abortion - the killing of an unborn baby - to be both merciful and equitable. Maybe we're not using the same language. It's clear we're not using the same hermeneutic and view of scripture.
Pregnancies that are the result of violence against women, including rape, incest and coercion, are especially complex and difficult.
"We seek to promote social policies that are fair, equitable and above all, merciful," the pastors said in a statement.
"A lot of pastors are conflicted right now just because they have people in their churches that have feelings on both sides of the issue, and it takes a certain amount of courage to stand up and say this is wrong," Hickey said. "I understand their points about women, but can't we love both the woman and the child?"
The Rev. Edward Goode, a Presbyterian pastor from Sioux Falls, said it's impossible to reach a consensus.
Check out Abort73.com. (*Warning, that link has some strong content, but lives are at stake*)
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2 comments:
World estimations of the number of terminations carried out each year is somewhere between 20 and 88 million.
3,500 per day / 1.3 million per year in America alone.
50% of that 1.3 million claimed failed birth control was to blame.
A further 48% had failed to use any birth control at all.
And 2% had medical reasons.
That means a stagering 98% may have been avoided had an effective birth control been used.
I'm with you on this one to a limited point Aus. I believe that would undoubtedly reduce the number of worldwide abortion, but the impact in the USA (where I live) would not be nearly as high as other places. Birth control is readily available here, and for the most part so is education. The key is the right kind of education, as abstinence is the only 100% effective method for all not named Mary wife of Joseph mother of Jesus.
Big Chris
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