Editor's
Note: On June 22, the 214th General Assembly – by a 77 percent
vote – approved a statement that sanctions late-term abortions.
The statement, in part, reads: "The ending of a pregnancy after the
point of fetal viability is a matter of grave moral concern to us all,
and may be undertaken only in the rarest of circumstances and after
prayer and/or pastoral care, 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 recommendation for approval came from the Committee on Health and
Social Issues.
A minority report opposing the committee's recommendation, which failed
by a 64 percent vote, made the argument that, "The church counsels
women late in pregnancy to make a decision most likely to preserve both
their own lives and the lives of their children. The ending of a
pregnancy by an abortion after the point of fetal viability is a matter
of grave moral concern to us all, and may be undertaken only when
necessary to save the life of the mother. We urge our members to
surround these families with their prayers and tangible support."
In response to this action by the 214th General Assembly, the directors
of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, in San Diego at their semi-annual
meeting Sept. 19-22, unanimously approved the following:
An Open Letter to All
Presbyterians
We, members of the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee,
are deeply grieved by the action of the 214th (2002) General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church (USA) that removed any significant moral
restrictions from killing babies who could otherwise live outside the
womb.
The official stance of the denomination now permits, for almost any
reason, infanticide by the tragic and gruesome process known as "partial-birth
abortion." Condoning such a procedure is a catastrophic moral
failure that rivals the Old Testament sins of Israel as it left the Law
of God and adopted the pagan practices of its neighbors.
We strongly condemn our denomination's failure to cherish and protect
the lives of infants. Such callous disregard for the gift of life
destroys our witness to the Lord God, author and sustainer of life,
whose son Jesus Christ came "that they may have life, and have it
to the full" (John 10: 10b). Our General Assembly's action
separates us from the Christian community worldwide and through the
ages. It is an affront to all who are called to be "unashamed of
the gospel."
We urge all Presbyterians who share our convictions in this matter to
express their concerns to their pastors and sessions, and to take
appropriate actions in their presbyteries to elect commissioners to the
215th General Assembly who will restore Biblical integrity to the
policies of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
To the greater glory of God.