Revision as of 08:31, 24 January 2011 editRoscelese (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers35,788 edits →Roman Catholic Church: per RS Noticeboard← Previous edit | Revision as of 09:49, 24 January 2011 edit undoEsoglou (talk | contribs)31,527 edits →Early Christian thought on abortion: additionNext edit → | ||
Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
{{Main|History of early Christian thought on abortion}} | {{Main|History of early Christian thought on abortion}} | ||
Scholars generally agree that abortion was performed in the classical world, but there is disagreement about the frequency with which abortion was performed and which cultures influenced early Christian thought on abortion.<ref name=bioethics> By Helga Kuhse, Peter Singer</ref> There is evidence that some very early Christians<ref name=bakke /> believed, as the Greeks did, in delayed ], or that a foetus does not have a soul until ], and therefore early abortion was not murder,<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=religioustolerance></ref> |
Scholars generally agree that abortion was performed in the classical world, but there is disagreement about the frequency with which abortion was performed and which cultures influenced early Christian thought on abortion.<ref name=bioethics> By Helga Kuhse, Peter Singer</ref> There is evidence that some very early Christians<ref name=bakke /> believed, as the Greeks did, in delayed ], or that a foetus does not have a soul until ], and therefore early abortion was not murder,<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=religioustolerance></ref> but they considered it wrong in any case to procure abortion.<ref name="catholic.com"></ref> They declared abortion, even before ],<ref></ref> to be a sin, either on a level with general sexual immorality<ref></ref> or as "an evil no less severe and social than oppression of the poor and needy".<ref></ref> | ||
The society in which Christianity expanded was one in which abortion, infanticide and exposition were commonly used to limit the number of children (especially girls) that a family had to support.<ref></ref><ref></ref> These methods were often used also when a pregnancy or birth resulted from sexual licentiousness, including marital infidelity, prostitution and incest, and Bakke holds that these contexts cannot be separated from abortion in early Christianity.<ref name=bakke> By Odd Magne Bakke</ref> | |||
Between the 2nd and 4th century AD, the '']'', '']'' and the '']'' strongly condemned and outlawed abortion.<ref name="Facts of Life">{{cite book|title=Facts of Life|author=Brian Clowes, PhD|url=http://www.hli.org/index.php/the-facts-of-life/396?task=view|chapter=Chapter 9: Catholic Church Teachings on Abortion: Early Teachings of the Church|publisher=]}}</ref> The early 4th-century ] imposed denial of communion even at the point of death on those who committed the "double crime" of adultery and subsequent abortion,<ref> If a woman conceives by adultery while her husband is away and after that transgression has an abortion, she should not be given communion even at the last, because she has doubled her crime.</ref> and the ] imposed ten years of exclusion from communion on manufacturers of abortion drugs and on women aborting what they conceived by fornication (previously, such women and the makers of drugs for abortion were excluded until on the point of death),<ref> Concerning women who commit fornication, and destroy that which they have conceived, or who are employed in making drugs for abortion, a former decree excluded them until the hour of death, and to this some have assented. Nevertheless, being desirous to use somewhat greater lenity, we have ordained that they fulfil ten years , according to the prescribed degrees.</ref><ref>An exclusion from communion for ten years was considerably greater than the two or three years that was normal in the 4th to 6th century for grave sins, but it was less than the twenty or thirty years that in that period was the maximum (see ).</ref> and ] (330-379) imposed the same ten-year exclusion on any woman who purposely destroyed her unborn child, even if unformed.<ref></ref><ref></ref> | |||
⚫ | From the 4th to 16th Century AD, Christian philosophers had varying stances on abortion. Under the first Christian Roman emperor ], there was a relaxation of attitudes toward abortion.<ref name=bakke /> ] believed that an early abortion is not murder because the soul of a foetus at an early stage is not present.<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=religioustolerance /> Nonetheless, St. Augustine harshly condemned the procedure, "Sometimes, indeed, this lustful cruelty, or if you please, cruel lust, resorts to such extravagant methods as to use poisonous drugs to secure barrenness; or else, if unsuccessful in this, to destroy the conceived seed by some means previous to birth, preferring that its offspring should rather perish than receive vitality; or if it was advancing to life within the womb, should be slain before it was born."(De Nube et Concupiscentia 1.17 (15)) ], ], and ] also believed that a foetus does not have a soul until "]," or when the foetus begins to kick and move<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=dictionaryethics> By Paul A. B. Clarke, Andrew Linzey</ref> although Aquinas held that abortion was still wrong regardless of when the soul entered the body.<ref name="catholic.com"/> ] and ] opposed abortion at any stage of pregnancy.<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=religioustolerance /> | ||
For other early Christian declarations on abortion, see | |||
== Later Christian thought on abortion == | |||
⚫ | From the 4th to 16th Century AD, Christian philosophers had varying stances on whether abortion was murder. Under the first Christian Roman emperor ], there was a relaxation of attitudes toward abortion.<ref name=bakke /> ] believed that an early abortion is not murder because the soul of a foetus at an early stage is not present.<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=religioustolerance /> Nonetheless, St. Augustine harshly condemned the procedure, "Sometimes, indeed, this lustful cruelty, or if you please, cruel lust, resorts to such extravagant methods as to use poisonous drugs to secure barrenness; or else, if unsuccessful in this, to destroy the conceived seed by some means previous to birth, preferring that its offspring should rather perish than receive vitality; or if it was advancing to life within the womb, should be slain before it was born."(De Nube et Concupiscentia 1.17 (15)) ], ], and ] also believed that a foetus does not have a soul until "]," or when the foetus begins to kick and move<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=dictionaryethics> By Paul A. B. Clarke, Andrew Linzey</ref> although Aquinas held that abortion was still wrong regardless of when the soul entered the body.<ref name="catholic.com"/> ] and ] opposed abortion at any stage of pregnancy.<ref name=bioethics/><ref name=religioustolerance /> | ||
==Roman Catholic Church== | ==Roman Catholic Church== |
Revision as of 09:49, 24 January 2011
Christians have held different beliefs about abortion, and most contemporary Christian denominations have nuanced positions, thoughts and teachings about abortion. More generally, some Christian denominations can be considered pro-life while others may be considered pro-choice. Additionally, there are sizable minorities in all denominations that disagree with their denomination's stance on abortion.
Early Christian thought on abortion
Main article: History of early Christian thought on abortionScholars generally agree that abortion was performed in the classical world, but there is disagreement about the frequency with which abortion was performed and which cultures influenced early Christian thought on abortion. There is evidence that some very early Christians believed, as the Greeks did, in delayed ensoulment, or that a foetus does not have a soul until quickening, and therefore early abortion was not murder, but they considered it wrong in any case to procure abortion. They declared abortion, even before ensoulment, to be a sin, either on a level with general sexual immorality or as "an evil no less severe and social than oppression of the poor and needy".
The society in which Christianity expanded was one in which abortion, infanticide and exposition were commonly used to limit the number of children (especially girls) that a family had to support. These methods were often used also when a pregnancy or birth resulted from sexual licentiousness, including marital infidelity, prostitution and incest, and Bakke holds that these contexts cannot be separated from abortion in early Christianity.
Between the 2nd and 4th century AD, the Didache, Barnabas and the Apocalypse of Peter strongly condemned and outlawed abortion. The early 4th-century Synod of Elvira imposed denial of communion even at the point of death on those who committed the "double crime" of adultery and subsequent abortion, and the Synod of Ancyra imposed ten years of exclusion from communion on manufacturers of abortion drugs and on women aborting what they conceived by fornication (previously, such women and the makers of drugs for abortion were excluded until on the point of death), and Basil the Great (330-379) imposed the same ten-year exclusion on any woman who purposely destroyed her unborn child, even if unformed.
For other early Christian declarations on abortion, see Wikiquote.
Later Christian thought on abortion
From the 4th to 16th Century AD, Christian philosophers had varying stances on whether abortion was murder. Under the first Christian Roman emperor Constantine, there was a relaxation of attitudes toward abortion. St. Augustine believed that an early abortion is not murder because the soul of a foetus at an early stage is not present. Nonetheless, St. Augustine harshly condemned the procedure, "Sometimes, indeed, this lustful cruelty, or if you please, cruel lust, resorts to such extravagant methods as to use poisonous drugs to secure barrenness; or else, if unsuccessful in this, to destroy the conceived seed by some means previous to birth, preferring that its offspring should rather perish than receive vitality; or if it was advancing to life within the womb, should be slain before it was born."(De Nube et Concupiscentia 1.17 (15)) St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Innocent III, and Pope Gregory XIV also believed that a foetus does not have a soul until "quickening," or when the foetus begins to kick and move although Aquinas held that abortion was still wrong regardless of when the soul entered the body. Pope Stephen V and Pope Sixtus V opposed abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
Roman Catholic Church
Main article: Catholicism and abortionThe Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches the following regarding abortion in paragraph 2270:
- Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
- Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. (Jer 1:5)
- My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. (Ps 139:15)
The Catholic Church opposes procedures whose purpose is to destroy an embryo or fetus. The Church today firmly holds that "the first right of the human person is his life" and that life is assumed to begin at fertilization. As such, Canon 1398 provides that, "a person who procures a successful abortion incurs an automatic (latæ sententiæ) excommunication" from the Church, which can only be removed when that individual seeks penance and obtains absolution. Some pro-life supporters believe that the Church has been consistent for over two millennia in its condemnation of abortion.
Catholics in opposition
There are Catholic scholars who oppose the Church's position on abortion. Notably, philosopher Daniel Dombrowski wrote a "A brief, liberal, Catholic defense of abortion." Catholics for a Free Choice, an independent organization not endorsed by the Catholic Church, was founded in 1973 "to serve as a voice for Catholics" who believe individual women and men are not acting immorally when they choose to use birth control, and that women are not immoral for choosing to have an abortion.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes a position against abortion and holds that abortion is a form of killing. However, there are exceptions. According to a statement in the LDS library, "Some exceptional circumstances may justify an abortion, such as when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the foetus is known by competent medical authority to have severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth." The statement goes on to say, "Those who face such circumstances should consider abortion only after consulting with their local Church leaders and receiving a confirmation through earnest prayer."
The Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church believes that life begins at conception, and that abortion (including the use of abortifacient drugs) is the taking of a human life. However, there are exceptions. The Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church states that while abortion can never be seen as morally neutral, in some cases economy can be used:
In case of a direct threat to the life of a mother if her pregnancy continues, especially if she has other children, it is recommended to be lenient in the pastoral practice. The woman who interrupted pregnancy in this situation shall not be excluded from the Eucharistic communion with the Church provided that she has fulfilled the canon of Penance assigned by the priest who takes her confession.
The document also acknowledges that abortions often are a result of poverty and helplessness and that the Church and society should "work out effective measures to protect motherhood." The Eastern Church considers it a sin that requires confession and absolution and performance of a canon of Penance.
Protestant Denominations
Protestant views on abortion vary considerably. Christian fundamentalist movements condemn abortion, while "Mainstream" or "Mainline Protestant" denominations take more nuanced positions, but are generally pro-choice with some exceptions. Several mainstream Protestant organizations belong to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. These include the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), The United Church of Christ, The United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church, and the Lutheran Women's Caucus.
Fundamentalist and Evangelical movements
Despite their general opposition to abortion, fundamentalist churches that include the conservative evangelical, Non-denominational, Southern Baptist and Pentecostal movements, do not have a single definition or doctrine on abortion. While these movements hold in common that abortion (when there is no threat to the life of the mother) is a form of infanticide, there is no consensus as to whether exceptions should be allowed when the mother's life is in mortal danger, or when the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. Some argue that the lives of both the mother and fetus should be given equal consideration, in effect condemning all abortion including those performed to save the life of the mother. Others argue for exceptions which favor the life of the mother, perhaps including pregnancies resulting from cases of rape or incest.
History of Pro-Life Views
Before 1980, the Southern Baptist Convention advocated for abortion rights. During the 1971 and 1974 Southern Baptist Conventions, Southern Baptists were called upon "to work for legislation that will allow the possibility of abortion under such conditions as rape, incest, clear evidence of severe fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, mental, and physical health of the mother." W. Barry Garrett wrote in the Baptist Press, "Religious liberty, human equality and justice are advanced by the Supreme Court Decision."
Randall Herbert Balmer, Ph.D., argues in his book, Thy Kingdom Come, that despite the popular belief that pro-life sentiments galvanized the fundamentalist evangelical movement, what actually galvanized the movement was evangelical opposition to the American Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS stripped evangelical universities, like Bob Jones University, from their tax-exempt status for remaining racially segregated.
Southern Baptist Convention
Today, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, opposes elective abortion except to save the life of the mother. The Southern Baptist Convention calls on Southern Baptists to work to change the laws in order to make abortion illegal in most cases. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has said that making abortion illegal is more important than any other issue, including the fight against poverty.
National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals includes the Salvation Army, the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, and takes a pro-life stance. While there is no set doctrine among member churches on if or when abortion is appropriate in cases of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother, the NAE's position on abortion states, "...abortion on demand for reasons of personal convenience, social adjustment or economic advantage is morally wrong, and expresses its firm opposition to any legislation designed to make abortion possible for these reasons."
Mainstream Protestantism
Mainline Baptist Churches
The General Board of American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. opposes abortion "as a means of avoiding responsibility for conception, as a primary means of birth control, and without regard for the far-reaching consequences of the act." There is no agreement on when personhood begins, whether there are situations that allow for abortion, whether there should be laws to protect the life of embryos and whether laws should allow women the right to choose an abortion.
Worldwide Anglican Communion
The Church of England
Positions taken by Anglicans across the world are divergent although most would refrain from simplifying the debate into pro-choice or pro-life camps. The Church of England, for example, shares the opinion held by the Roman Catholic Church. In a 1980 statement, the church declared: "In the light of our conviction that the fetus has the right to live and develop as a member of the human family, we see abortion, the termination of that life by the act of man, as a great moral evil. We do not believe that the right to life, as a right pertaining to persons, admits of no exceptions whatever; but the right of the innocent to life admits surely of few exceptions indeed."
The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church in the United States of America has taken a pro-choice stand and has passed resolutions at its triannual General Convention that supports abortion rights. The church opposes any government action that limits abortion rights, including parental notification. The ECUSA does condemn abortions for sex selection and also condemns violence against abortion clinics.
The Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia does not take a position on abortion. However, in December 2007, an all-woman committee representing the Melbourne diocese recommended that abortion be "decriminalised", on the basis of the ethical view that "the moral significance increases with the age and development of the foetus". This is seen to be the first official approval of abortion by Australian Anglicans.
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Assembly has "repeatedly affirmed its support for the principles of a woman's right to reproductive freedom, of the freedom and responsibility of individual conscience, and of the sacredness of life of all persons. While advocating respect for differences of religious beliefs concerning abortion, Disciples have consistently opposed any attempts to legislate a specific religious opinion regarding abortion for all Americans."
Lutheran Churches
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Lutheranism in the United States consists largely of three denominations: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (5 million members), the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (2.5 million members), and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (0.5 million members).
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America maintains a pro-choice position for fetuses that are aborted before viability outside of the womb. The ELCA position statement says abortion should be an option of last resort, the ELCA community should work to reduce the need for elective abortions, and that as a community, "the number of induced abortions is a source of deep concern to this church. We mourn the loss of life that God has created." The ELCA Social Statement on Abortion adds: "The church recognizes that there can be sound reasons for ending a pregnancy through induced abortion. These are the threat to a woman's physical life; when pregnancy has resulted from rape, incest or sexual violence; and fetal abnormalities incompatible with life. The church opposes legal restrictions on abortion and provides health-care benefits to its employees that cover elective abortions. Some hospitals affiliated with the church perform elective abortions.
The two smaller United States denominations, which are considered evangelical, are pro-life. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod opposes abortion, except for cases when it is required to save the mother's life.
Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church upholds the sanctity of unborn human life and is reluctant to affirm abortion as an acceptable practice. Further, the church strongly condemns the use of late-term or partial birth abortion, except if the life of the mother is in jeopardy. In addition, it is committed to "assist the ministry of crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women find feasible alternatives to abortion;" however, the Church recognizes that there may be extenuating circumstances, such as the threatening of the mother's life, and thus supports the legal right of the mother to choose after proper consideration of all options with medical, pastoral and other counsel.
The Methodist Church of Great Britain has a nuanced pro-choice position. The Methodist Church of Great Britain believes its congregants should work toward the elimination of the need for abortion by advocating for social support for mothers. The MCGB does not believe abortion should be made illegal, and counsels that abortion should be done as early in pregnancy as possible.
Presbyterian/Reformed Churches
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) generally takes a pro-choice stance. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) believes that the choice to receive an elective abortion can be "morally acceptable;" however, the denomination does not condone late abortions where the fetus is viable and the mother's life is not in danger. Other Presbyterian denominations such as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church in America are pro-life.
Quakers (The Religious Society of Friends)
The Religious Society of Friends generally avoids taking a stance on controversial issues such as abortion; however, in the 1970s the American Friends Service Committee advocated for abortion rights.
United Church of Christ (UCC)
The United Church of Christ has strongly supported abortion rights since 1971 as a part of their Justice and Witness Ministry. The church is an organizational member of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL).
Unitarian Universalist Church
The Unitarian Universalist Church strongly supports abortion rights. In 1978, the Unitarian Universalist Church passed a resolution that declared, "... right to choice on contraception and abortion are important aspects of the right of privacy, respect for human life and freedom of conscience of women and their families."
See also
- Abortion debate
- Religion and abortion
- Early Christian thought on Abortion
- Pro-life
- Right to life
- Sanctity of life
- Pro-choice
- Michael Gorman, Abortion & the Early Church. Intervarsity Press, 1982.
- Dennis R. Di Mauro, A Love for Life: Christianity's Consistent Protection of the Unborn. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2008.
- Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the Renaissance a scholarly work by John Riddle. Published by Harvard University Press.
- Eve's Herbs, a scholarly work by John Riddle. Published by Harvard University Press.
- Christianity and Sexuality in the Early Modern World a scholarly work by Merry E. Wiesner. Published by Routledge.
- Abortion--my choice, God's grace: Christian women tell their stories by Anne Marie Eggebroten
References
- When Children Became People: the birth of childhood in early Christianity by Odd Magne Bakke
- "Abortion and Catholic Thought: The Little-Told History"
- Abortion and the Politics of Motherhood by Kristin Luker, University of California Press
- "Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Abortion" Pew Forum
- ^ "Where does God stand on abortion?" USA Today
- ^ A companion to bioethics By Helga Kuhse, Peter Singer
- ^ When children became people: the birth of childhood in early Christianity By Odd Magne Bakke
- ^ ReligiousTolerance.org
- ^ Aquinas on Abortion By Catholic Answers
- Evelyn B. Kelly, Stem Cells (Greenwood Press 2007 ISBN 0-313-33763-2), p. 86
- [Robert Nisbet, Prejudices: A Philosophical Dictionary (Harvard University Press 1982 ISBN 0-674-70066-X), p. 2
- Michael J. Gorman, Abortion and the Early Church: Christian, Jewish, and Pagan Attitudes (InterVarsity Press 1982 ISBN 087784397X), p. 50
- Jane F. Gardner and Thomas Wiedemann, The Roman Household: A Sourcebook (Routledge 1991 ISBN 0-415-04421-9), p. 98
- Paul Carrick, Medical Ethics in the Ancient World (Georgetown University Press 2001 ISBN 0-87840-848-7), p. 123
- ^ Brian Clowes, PhD. "Chapter 9: Catholic Church Teachings on Abortion: Early Teachings of the Church". Facts of Life. Human Life International.
- Canon 63. If a woman conceives by adultery while her husband is away and after that transgression has an abortion, she should not be given communion even at the last, because she has doubled her crime.
- Canon 21. Concerning women who commit fornication, and destroy that which they have conceived, or who are employed in making drugs for abortion, a former decree excluded them until the hour of death, and to this some have assented. Nevertheless, being desirous to use somewhat greater lenity, we have ordained that they fulfil ten years , according to the prescribed degrees.
- An exclusion from communion for ten years was considerably greater than the two or three years that was normal in the 4th to 6th century for grave sins, but it was less than the twenty or thirty years that in that period was the maximum (see Rinaldo Ronzani, Conversion and Reconciliation: The Rite of Penance (Pauline Publications 2007 ISBN 9966-08-234-4), p. 66).
- Philip Schaff and Henry Wallace (editors), Basil: Letters and Select Works, p. 225 - Letter 188, to Amphilochius
- Matthew Schwartz, Roman Letters: History from a Personal Point of View (Wayne State University Press 1991 ISBN 0-8143-2023-6), p. 151
- Dictionary of ethics, theology and society By Paul A. B. Clarke, Andrew Linzey
- "Abortion - Excommunication". Eternal Word Television Network. Retrieved 2007–06–24.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - Brian Clowes, PhD. "Chapter 9: Catholic Church Teachings on Abortion: On the Historical Opposition of the Catholic Church to Abortion". Facts of Life. Human Life International.
- catholicsforchoice.org
- True to the Faith (LDS) article on abortion. Retrieved 2006-05-06.
- Официальный сайт Русской Православной Церкви
- The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Membership List
- Ny Times
- Religious Tolerance
- ^ They Kingdom Come pg. 12, a book by Randall Herbert Balmer, Professor of Religion and History at Columbia University.
- They Kingdom Come pg. 15, a book by Randall Herbert Balmer, Professor of Religion and History at Columbia University.
- NPR.org "Church Meets State in the Oval Office" on Fresh Air
- NPR.org "Charismatic Movement"
- The Johnston Archive
- Johnston Archive
- Baptist Press"Sparks fly in Land’s appearance at black columnists’ meeting"
- National Association of Evangelicals
- Religious Tolerance "Current beliefs by various religious and secular groups"
- ^ EpiscopalChurch.org
- Anglican Church of Australia
- Anglican Diocese of Melbourne (2007-11-09). "Submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission Inquiry on the Law of Abortion from the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne".
- "Anglicans call for new stance on abortion" The Age
- Disciples of Christ
- ELCA Social Statements
- From Christ to the world: introductory readings in Christian ethics By Wayne G. Boulton, Thomas D. Kennedy, Allen Verhey
- Abortion: Where do churches stand?. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- What about abortion?. Barry, A. L. Article undated, retrieved 2009-05-07.
- Dennis R. Di Mauro, A Love for Life: Christianity's Consistent Protection of the Unborn. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2008), 76–77.
- ^ "Abortion". The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 2007–06–08.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) Cite error: The named reference "UMC - Abortion" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - "United Methodist Church Continues to Become More Pro-Life". National Right to Life. Retrieved 2009–01–04.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - Methodist.org.uk "Abortion was made legal in 1967 by the Abortion Act, which provided for a number of certain circumstances whereby abortion is permissible. The Methodist Conference welcomed the intention behind the Act as it reflected a sensitivity to the value of human life and also enabled serious personal and social factors to be considered."
- The Methodist Church of Great Britain
- ^ Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options
- http://www.opc.org/nh.html?article_id=409
- http://www.prolifeforum.org/churches/statements/philapresbytery.asp
- ^ The Quakers in America by Thomas D. Hamm
- The United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministry
- The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Christianity and politics | |
---|---|
Key concepts | |
Movements |
|
Issues | |
Theology | |
Christian state | |
Related topics |