Report of the Special Committee on Problem Pregnancies and Abortion

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Please specify DMS order #OGA-92-O17
(1988) to " ...formulate a new policy statement. ..
SPECIAL COMMITfEE ON PROBLEM
PREGNANCIES AND ABORTION concerningt he issuesr elatedt o problem pregnancies. ..
and abortion" (Minutes,1 988, Part I, p. 1016); and (2) to
be an agent of healing in the life of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.). Our processi ncluded attendancea t the
Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly (Micah 6:8)
PC(USA)'s National Dialogue on Abortion Perspectivesin
1989;p resentationso n relevant topics from each member
I. Narrative of the committee;p resentationsb y personso utside of the
committee with special expertise in areas under discus-
sion; summariesb y committeem emberso f all correspon-
AssignedR esponsibilities dence addressed to our committee, with the letters
themselvesa vailable to members at each meeting; and
The 200th GeneralA ssembly (1988) of the Presbyte- open hearings during most of our meetings, with addi-
rian Church (U.S.A.), meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, tional hearingsi n severalg eographica reasw here we were
was asked to respond both to ever-increasingp ublic tUr- not meeting as a whole committee, utilizing the local
moil over the issue of abortion and to turmoil within our presbytery offices and staff to arrange, publicize, and
own denomination, including numerouso vertures in re- assistw ith theses pecialh earings.L etters were sentt o the
cent years asking that the General Assembly change, moderators of each of the five racial-ethnic caucuses,
reconsider, or reaffirm the abortion policy expressedi n urging them to make their membersa ware of the oppor-
the 1983d ocument, Covenanta nd Creation.T he response tunities to sharet heir relevantv iews and concernsw ith the
of the 200th General Asse~bly (1988) was to mandate: members of the special committee:
The specialc ommitteea lso worked with the Presbyte-
1. That the Moderator of the 200th General Assembly rian Panela s a part of our processi n an effort to discover
(1988) of the PresbyterianC hurch (U.S.A.) select a Task Force to the attitudes of the denominationo n the issuesc ommitted
conduct a study, to be completedw ithin two years, of the National
Conference on Abortion Perspectivesd, esigned to give forum to for our consideration.3W e felt that our task was to dis-
each different theological position in debateo f the issuesr elatedt o cover our church's thinking on thesei ssues,n ot simply to
problem pregnanciesa nd abortion, and that the members of the agree with the responseso f the church. The questionnaire
commissionr epresentt he broadests pectrumo f theologicalp ositions
within the church and in harmony with section 0-4.0403. was developedb y the ResearchS ervices Division of the
Stewardshipa nd Communication Development Ministry
2. That the above studya nd other statementso f past General
Unit in consultationw ith the special committee,a nd was
Assemblies be used to formulate a new policy statementf or the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) concerning the issues related to used as the Presbyterian Panel in June 1990.
problem pregnancies,i ncluding male responsibility and account-
The responsesto the Paneli ndicatedt hat a majority of
ability, and abortion that speakw ithin the theological, Scriptural,
moral ande thical disciplines of the church. (Minutes, 1988, Part I, members and elders were either unaware that the
p. 1016) PC(USA) had a policy statementr egarding abortion or
they knew there was a policy statemenbt ut were not able
ModeratorC . KennethH all, in responset o the man-
to describei t accurately. A large majority of pastors did
date of the assembly,a ppointed fourteen personsd uring
indicatea warenesso f denominationapl olicy. Large major-
the years of 1988 and 1989, paying special attentiont o
ities of all samplest hought it appropriatef or the denomi-
representingd iversity in racial and ethnic perspectives;
nation to have an abortion policy statement. (For a
having varieties in background,o ccupations,a nd theologi-
summary of Panel results, see Appendix A.)
cal perspectives;a nd making deliberate effort to have a
balanceo f gendera nd views on abortion. Our work began The Panel results indicated a lack of clarity in the
in May 1989, just prior to the meeting of the 201st church on legal and moral issues surrounding abortion.
For example, with regard to legal issues, 64 percent of
General Assembly (1989) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
membersa nd eldersa nd 68 percento f pastorsd id not wish
From the beginning, we have understoodt hat we are
to see Roev . Wadeo verturned.Y et, when asked whether
only the most recent in a long line of Presbyterianc hurch
or not it should be possible for a pregnant woman to
bodies that have broughtt he Bible and theologyt o bear on
obtain a legal abortion "if the family has a very low
issueso f abortion, and which have attemptedt o guide with
income and cannot afford any more children," only 42
love and understandingth osei ndividuals and families who
percento f members,3 6 percento f elders, and 43 percent
face problem pregnanciesa nd the question of abortion.
of pastorss aid "yes." Asked if abortion should be legal
Assemblieso f both the PresbyterianC hurch in the United
"if she is not married and does not want to marry the
Statesa nd the United PresbyterianC hurch in the United
man," only 36 percento f members,3 4 percento f elders,
Stateso f America, as well as of the reunited denomina-
and 39 percento f pastorss aid "yes." Respondentsc' on-
tion, have considereda nd/or adopted statementso n abor-
clusions in the specific instances cited would seem to
..1
tion issues. contradict their general position that Roe v. Wade should
not be overturned.
B Process of Our Work Regarding moral issues surroundinga bortion, again
there was lack of clarity amongr espondentsT. herew as no
Throughoutt he three years that our special committee agreement,f or example, as to when life begins. Panelists
met, we understoodo ur primary task to be twofold: (1) to were also askeda bout,a nd differed on, questionsc oncern-
ing whethera bortioni s murder, whethera bortioni s moral
respond to the mandateo f the 200th General Assembly
A.
under certain circumstances, and whether Christians First of all, it should be noted what circumstances,
should try to impose their personals tandardso f morality faced by womeno r couples,a re brought to pastors and/or
on others. physicians as "problem pregnancies":
Our committeew as faced with a diversity of passion-
.Pregnancies that will result in a baby with congeni-
ately held views on problem pregnanciesa nd'abortion,
tal anomalies,i nborn errors of metabolism, or inherited
both within our group and in the church at large. In fact,
diseases.
the struggles of our church over these issuesh ave been
reflected in the struggles in our committee. Thus a very .Pregnancies that result from rape and incest. We
would include in thesec ategoriesa ny sexual activity with-
vital part of our life has been prayer and worship. We
out consentw ith strangers,f riends, partners, or husbands,
haveo penede achs essionw ith prayer, and have worshiped
and sexual activity with relatives. This category would
together at each meeting, including a celebration of the
also include women unable to give informed consentb e-
Lord's Suppera t one meeting. Each of our meetingsh as
cause of a mental or physical handicap.
included intensive study of Scripturesr elevantt o our topic
and to our generals piritual growth. We have soughtt he .Pregnancies in which the baby is exposed to the
work of the Holy Spirit in our efforts to hear and respect potential transmissiono f HIV, or to a congenital defect
each other's differing voices and opinions. And we have induced by self-administeredo r prescribedd rugs, indus-
often interruptedo ur work to enter into times of obedient trial chemicals or toxins, alcohol, x-ray or radioactive
prayer, asking the Holy Spirit not only to guide us, but exposure, or other probable causeso f serious deformity.
also to heal us and to heal our denominationa s we work to
.Cases of multiple pregnancyi n which reductiont o a
serve our Lord and our church.
safe number of fetuses is needed.
Throughout our deliberations,w e have rarely found
.Pregnancies resulting from failed contraception.
ourselves to be in unanimousa greement.H owever, there
are two things upon which the special committee has .Pregnancies where continuation will threaten the
agreed: that the Holy Scripturesa re the ultimate authority life or emotionalw ell-being of the mother, sucha s recent
for faith and practice, and that the church is subject in all breast cancer, terminal stages of cancer, major trauma,
things to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we severed epressiono r schizophreniao, r advancedc ar-
submit this papert o the General Assemblyo f the Presby- diovascular disease.
terian Church (U.S.A.), confessing our sinfulness and
.Pregnancies in which continuation will cause signif-
imperfection, but affiiming that we have earnestlys ought icant economic problems.
to be obedientt o the leading and Lordship of the Head of
.Pregnancies in which age, either below 15 or over
the church, JesusC hrist. It is our prayer that as the Holy
40, placest he woman at increasedr isk of complications.
Spirit has united fourteen different personsi nto one body
seekingt he glory of God and the proclamationo f Christ's .Pregnancies among women who have suffered a
Kingdom, so the same Spirit will unite our church in disastrouso r very stressfulp revious pregnancya nd do not
mission, worship, and work. believe they are able to face a subsequenpt regnancy.
In preparing our report, the committeer elied largely
on the expertisew ithin its midst. The report was organized
1, Medical Context
by a committeeo f the whole and sectionsw ere assignedto
memberst o write. The sectionsw ere then reviewed and
Medically, abortion has been a safe option in this
revised by the whole committee.
country sincet he advento f antibiotics for the treatmento f
The members of the Special Committee on Problem
infection and since the developmento f safe surgical tech-
Pregnanciesa nd Abortion are: Howard L. Rice, chair;
niques, which include aseptics, anesthetic and/or anal-
Margaret Wentz, vice-chair; ElizabethA chtemeier; Sarai
gesics, and blood transfusion. Other, more recent devel-
SchnuckerB eck; SamB uchanan;M ary B. Diboll; Cather-
opments, such as the ability to diagnosea pregnancyb y
ine GunsalusG onzalez;M yers H. Hicks; EdnaJ . Jackson;
blood, urine, and ultrasonographicte chniquesa t five to six
ThomasA . Miller; Ruth Montoya; Barbara Ndovie; Zol-
weeks past last menstrual period, have made women
ton Phillips ill; and J. Courtland Robinson.
aware of their pregnancym uch earlier than in the past.
On November 15, 1991, ThomasA . Miller, EdnaJ . However, early knowledgeo f pregnancya nd the ability of
Jackson,a nd ElizabethA chtemeieri nformed the group of doctorst o perform a safe abortionh ave been only the first
their intention to submit a minority report. steps in a continuing dialogue over a variety of medical
issuess urroundinga bortion. For example, people within
the medical field have beeni nvolved in discussionso ver:
c. Contexto f Our Discussion
.Who should make decisions about abortion?
We will not attempt a full review of the medical,
legal, sociological, and ecclesiastical history and debate on .When does life begin?
the issue of abortion, but we have been aware as a .When is a fetus viable?
committee, throughout our process, that we were not
.When does carrying a pregnancyt o term pose a
operating in a vacuum. We are one instance of a long and
threat to the mother's life?
complex debate over issues of problem pregnancy and
abortion. .What constitutesa "severe" fetal deformity?
2
.Is there an appropriateu se of fetal tissue in medical families through equal access to jobs, equal pay, and
research? adequatec hild care. They have struggledt o be free from
harassmenat nd from the use of force, both at home and in
the work place. In all thesew ays, womenh ave pursueda
2. Legal Context
dream of freedom from external control and freedom to
decide for themselvesth e direction of their own lives. But
Within the legal community, there is also a long evenw hile suchc hangesa s the vote, the use of contracep-
history of debate on abortion. Prior to 1973, it was a tives, and increasingj ob opportunitiesh ave given women
crime in a majority of statest o procure an abortion or to a growing perception of self-worth and control, the cir-
attempto ne, exceptw here medically necessaryto savet he cumstanceso f problemp regnancies-poverty, immaturity,
life of the mother. In 1973 (in Roe v. Wade)4theU nited lack of supportive relationships, inadequatec hild care,
States Supreme Court, in responset o a challenge to a peer pressure-can re-createa nd intensify powerlessness.
Texas criminal abortion statute,r uled that it and similar For women of color, the additional oppressiono f racism
statutesv iolate the Constitutioni n that they fail to give due adds to their burden.
considerationt o the rights of a pregnantw oman to have an
Another major social factor affecting the question of
abortion without unwarrantedg overnmentali nterference.
abortion is the increasingh iatus betweent he rich and the
The high Court instituted a constitutionalf ramework and
poor. In many instances,t he extreme poverty deprives
three-tier (trimesteQ analysis for balancingt he rights of
women of the freedom to choose. Finances and living
the woman to have an abortion againstt he rights of the
conditions are such that an individual would have grave
unborn child. The Court also ruled in pertinent part as
concernsa boutb ringing a child into sucha n environment
follows: (1) that prior to the end of the first trimester of
with little likelihood of sufficient meanst o provide even
pregnancy, a state may not interfere with or regulate a
basic living conditions. Theses amei ndividuals often have
patient's decision, made in consultationw ith her treating
the most difficulty in obtaininga dequatem edicalc are. The
physician, to tenninate a pregnancy; (2) that from and
churchh asm ade very feeble and inadequatee fforts in this
after the first trimestera nd until the fetus becomesv iable,
area. Our statementso f concernf ar outweigh our practical
the state may regulate abortions only to the extentn eces-
resolution of this problem.
sary to preservea nd protectt he life of the mother; and (3)
For many people, a significant factor is the eroding
that from and after the point where the fetus becomes
and demeaning of the importance of the conventional
viable, the state may regulatea nd even prohibit abortions,
family. Attitudes of society, actionso f the federalg overn-
exceptt hose necessaryf or the preservationo f the life and
ment, and portrayals in the media have contributedt o this
health of the mother.s
decline. Many of today's families lack adequates upport
In 1989 (in Websterv . ReproductiveH ealth Services)6
systems, dependable relationships, and positive role
the United StatesS upremeC ourt, in addressinga Missouri
models.
abortion statute regulating the performanceo f abortions,
ruled that more restrictive abortion statutesm ay be per-
missible, thus opening the door for legislatures, on a 4. EcclesiasticaCl ontext
state-by-stateb asis, to enacta bortionl aws that place more
governmentarl estrictions in the path of a womanw ishing
The church also has debatedw omen's roles. Within
to have an abortion than had been previously allowed
the church many women have experiencedt he use of
under Roe v. Wadea nd its progeny. The extensivel itiga-
Scripture to justify women's subservienceto men. Some
tion -ont he abortion issues ince Roe v. Wadec onfirms the
women feel that the churchi tself has contributedt o wom-
difficulty our lawlrnikers have had in trying to legislate
en's powerlessnessb y disseminatinga negative view of
this politically chargedi ssue. The end result is that Roe v.
women, by imposing significant restrictions on women's
Wade and the right of a woman to decide whether to
use of their God-giveng ifts, and by encouragingm en in a
tenninate her pregnancyis still, as of this writing, the law
belief that social control of womeni s appropriate. But at
of the land, but it is a law that is becomingi ncreasingle ss
the same time, the church has also been an agent of
secure over time.
change for women, both by holding up Scriptures that
proclaim women's worth, dignity, and equality (Gen.
SociologicaCl ontext 1:27-28; Gal. 3:28) and by giving women an increased
role in the church's life and leadership.
In addition to the medical and legal aspectso f the Abortion has beena topic of discussionf or Christians
abortion discussion,a n essentiale lemento f the debatef or as far back as the secondc entury. Within the Presbyterian
somei s the strufgle of women for power and control over church, however, the first General Assembly to take a
their own lives. For centuries, womenh ave struggled for position on abortionw as the 1869a ssemblyo f the Presby-
self-determination,o r even for the realization that many terian Church in the United States ()f America (Old
opportunities and choices were not open to them simply School). It was concernedo ver' 'unscripturalv iews of the
becauset hey were women. Especiallys incet he nineteenth marriager elation, in consequenceo f which the obligations
century, women in the United Statesh ave fought to be of that relationshipa re disregarded" (Minutes, 1869, p.
able to vote, to preach, and to control the numbero f their 937). It was pained at the ease with which divorce was
offspring, and thus their health, through the use of obtained,a nd viewed abortiona s a crime againstG od and
contraceptives. Women have struggled to support their nature.
3
3.
By the 1970s, both the former PCUS and the fetal life in her womb; (3) its view of human decision-
UPCUSA were affirming the pregnantw oman's ability to making does not adequatelyta ke into accountt he fallen-
reacha morally justifiable decisiont o abort. In the PCUS ness of our world and of our rational abilities; (4) the
statement adopted in 1970, possible justifying circum- paper does not give significant moral guidance to those
stancesf or an abortion included: "medical indicationso f struggling with problem pregnancies;( 5) not enoughc on-
physical or mental deformity, conceptiona s a result of siderationi s given to the variety and value of alternatives
rape or incest, conditions under which the physical or to abortion; (6) the concepto f Christian family and parent-
mental health of either mother or child would be gravely hood is vague; and (7) it is theologicallyu nsoundt o think
threatened, or the socio-economic condition of the of abortion as an act of faithfulness before God.
family" (Minutes, PCUS, 1970, Part I, p. 126). The All of this discussiona nd debate-over the beginnings
assemblye mphasized,h owever, that' 'the decisiont o ter- of life and fetal viability, over the legal limits to the right
minate a pregnancys hould never be made lightly or in to privacy, over the struggles of women to find an in-
haste" (Minutes, PCUS, 1970, Part I, p. 126). creased role in their own lives and in the life of the
In 1983, the reunited church received a paper origi- church, and over the interpretation of Scripture and the
nally drafted by a task force of the Advisory Council on role of the church-all have stimulatedt he debatew ithin
Church and Society of the former UPCUSA, and adopted our committee. Memberso f the committeeh ave disagreed
the policy statementa nd recommendationso f that paper. at many points, both on matters of "fact" within the
This document, Covenant and Creation: Theological debatea nd on questionso f interpretationa nd significance.
Reflectionso n Contraceptiona nd Abortion, has becomea We have felt throughouto ur processt he double challenge
particular point of contention for many in our denomina- of both protecting life in the womb and protecting the
dignity of women and their freedomt o make responsible
tion.
decisions. Weighing and justly balancing these dual in-
Covenanta nd Creation focused its Bible study parti-
terestsb asedo n biblical truths and in light of our knowl-
cularly on the first elevenc hapterso f Genesis,a nd on the
edge of God's world is a continuing challengef or us and
themeso f: (1) life as a gift for which humans, createdi n
for the whole Christian community.
God's image, are responsible;( 2) the burden of decision-
making as integral to humanness;( 3) the affinnation of
human life. by God and its inherent sanctity; and (4) the Biblical and Theological Presuppositions
Do
church as a listening and caring community. The paper
affinned that while "[t]here is no point in the course of a
Out of the wide spectrumo f Christian theology, the
pregnancyw hen the moral issue of abortion is insignifi-
special committeef ound the following affirmations to be
cant. ..[nevertheless] [a]bortionc an ...be considereda
basic for dealing with the issuesc ommittedt o its consider-
responsiblec hoice within a Christian ethical framework
ation. We found that we could agreeo n these,t hough such
when seriousg eneticp roblemsa rise or whent he resources
agreemendt oes not necessarilyle ad to agreemenot n what
are not adequateto care for a child appropriately" (p. 59).
recommendationso r policies should be developed from
The paper also insisted that "[t]he morality (or immorali-
them.
ty) of a particular abortioni s not contingento n the kind of
problem that promptsi ts consideration,b ut on the serious-
ness of that problem in the particular case" (p. 36). The 1. Jesus Is Lord
paper did not argue that abortion is a woman's right, but
rather insisted that ". ..for the genuine exercise of The final authority for Christiansi s JesusC hrist, the
consciencet o take place, women must have the right to
Lord of the church. In Jesus,C hristiansa cknowledget he
make the decision" (p. 52). It also affinned that Chris- ultimate revelationo f God. "Lord" is a title bestowedo n
tians ' , ...have a responsibility to work to maintain a
him by God (phil. 2:9-11), and not only a human ascrip-
public policy of elective abortion, regulatedb y the health
tion. Lordship, however, is also a human tenD, with
code, not the criminal code" (p. 52). human counterparts,a nd therefore needs to be clarified
Covenanta nd Creation has engenderedm uch heated when appliedt o Jesus.F or instance, in an ancient society
debatew ithin our denomination. Supporterso f the docu- a lord had greatp ower and prestige, but it was often to the
ment praise: (1) its emphasiso n stewardshipa nd on the detrimento f the commonp eoplew ho worked the land and
covenantalr elationshipb etweenG od and humanb eingsa s lived at bare subsistencele vels. There is still enough of
helpful categoriesf rom which to approachis sueso f prob- the oppressiven ature of this tenD left in our vocabulary
lem pregnancya nd abortion; (2) its insistenceo n the moral that somea re hesitantt o use it with referencet o God. We
agencyo f women, including both their responsibilitya nd retaint he word in tenDSli ke "landlord," and in European
their ability, guided by the Holy Spirit, to make good culture we know of lords who are quaint, wealthy, but not
moral choices; and (3) its emphasiso n the churcha s both very powerful remnantso f a past age. But we would not
a caring and a socially active community. want to equatet he Lordship of Christ with such human
Opponents of the paper argue that: (1) it is not counterpart.s
groundedi n a full presentationo f Scripture,a nd especially However, the tenD "lord" does carry with it major
not in those texts pertinentt o the issueso f abortion; (2) it truths that Ctlristians wish to affirm. First, Jesusis the one
does not articulate strongly enough the value of human to whom we give our ultimate loyalty. His claim to
life, particularly unborn human life, and places the sovereignty is not by democratic election, but by his
prerogatives of the woman ahead of those of the nature and work. He is God. We have not promotedh im,
but ratherh ave recognizeda nd acknowledgedh is authority been given to us. Jesust hen ceasest o be the Lord of the
and rule. church, and the church becomes its own authority.
Second,h is authority is over all of life. He is the Lord Scripturei s not a book of formulas, of directions in a
of the whole creation, not simply of human beings, and mechanicals ense. It is a book of history, of poetry, of
not only of those who affirnl his rule. Therefore, it is not letters, of stories, and in the midst of these forms are
only our religious life, but the whole of life, that is under commandmentsa nd teachings. It is not always obvious
his dominion. how contemporaryC hristians should determine their ac-
Third, becauseJ esus is Lord, he is to be honored, tions from this ancientl iterature. But we are promisedt he
glorified, worshiped, and obeyed in a way that no mere guidance of the Holy Spirit when we seek it. We need
humans houldb e. This is both a statemenat boutJ esusa nd such guidance,n ot only becauseo f the form of the litera-
a critique of humans ocietiest hat do offer such adulation ture but also becausew e are sinful humanb eings and as
to one of their own members. such approachS cripture. We come as those who have a
tendencyt o seeko ur own purposesr ather than God's. We
Fourth, since Jesus is Lord, we are, therefore his
need, therefore, not only a sincere desire to hear God's
servants. Servant and lord are the correlative ternls of
Word to us, but also guidanceb y the Holy Spirit so that
ancients ociety. It is his goals that are to be our goals, not
we can hear it.
ours that are to be his. It is his will that is to be done, not
This guidancem ay come through our private reading,
ours.
whenw e approachth e Bible acknowledgingC hrist's Lord-
At ilie same time, boili ilie life of Jesus and ilie
ship. It may come in the corporatew orship of the church,
witnessest o him make very clear iliat he acted in ways
particularly in the preaching. It may come through Chris-
iliat do not accord wiili many of ilie characteristicso f
tians readinga nd studyingS cripturet ogether, seekingw ith
humanl ordship. He was boili a lord and a servant.H e was
the help of others to separateo ur own wills and desires
a suffering servant. He suffered for iliose who were his
from what Scripture is leading us to see and do.
servants.H e was not distant, but came amongu s, as one
of us. He gave up his life for iliose who did not acknowl- Even thought he tradition of the church cannotb e the
edge him. He continuest o intercede for us. He calls us -norm for our knowledgeo f ,God, it is helpful to hear these
voices from earlier generations of Christians. This is
friends, not servants.T hesec haracteristicss imply do not
particularly true of the creeds and confessions of the
fit wiili any human model of lordship. Therefore, to call
church. Though Scripturei s the unique authority, we are
Jesus" Lord" has to be understoods o that it is clear iliere
is a servingi n ilie midst of this lordship. The model of his part of a confessionalt radition, and therefore take seri-
life as a servantt o oiliers also gives us ilie pattern our ously the history of the church's earlier biblical interpreta-
lives should take as his servants.H is service also brings tions.
perfect freedom to iliose who are his followers. In Scripture we learn again the character, will, and
purposeso f God that should govern our lives. We reap-
In our lives as Christians, in ilie decisionsw e make,
propriate the ways in which the people of God in the past
in ilie purposesw e seek, ilie fact iliat Jesusi s Lord, and
have beenl ed to do what God wanted them to do in their
iliat he is this particular kind of Lord, is ilie basic confes-
situations, so that we are open to God's guidance in our
sion iliat we make.
own. We learn what is unchangeablei n the midst of
constantly changing historical and social circumstances:
2. The Role of Scripture the character,w ill, and purposeso f God, the goals God
has for the world, God's faithfulness,a nd the call to us to
The unique and authoritativew itness we have for the be faithful s.ervantso f the One who is Lord.
revelation of God in Jesus Christ is Scripture. Although If we are to seekG od's will for us in Scripture, we
we have come to know the revelation of God in Christ need to become familiar with it through diligent and
throught he witness of the church, the sourcea nd norm of constants tudy. It is the whole of Scripture that needst o be
the church's understandingis Scripture. The revelation of used. We cannote asily find referencest o many issuest hat
God, through the history of Israel, in the life, death, and we face in the contemporaryw orld. On other occasions,
resurrection of Jesus, and in the witness of the earliest simply looking at a passageth at mentionst he topic we are
church, has, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, struggling with may give us a very incompletea nswer. It
been recorded and collected into the Scripturesw e pos- is the whole of Scripture that needst o be brought to bear
sess. on the decisionsw e face. The more we immerseo urselves
in Scripture, the more ready we are to let it really be our
In the sixteenthc entury, during the ProtestanRt efor-
guide whenw e turn to it. Evenm ore, the constant,f aithful
mation, when the Reformed tradition of which we are a
study of Scripture-the entirety of Scripture-will help our
part was in processo f formation, there was a sharpd ebate
lives be formed in accord with it.
as to the relative authority of Scripture and the decisions
and teachingso f the church. The Reformedt radition, with If we seekS cripture's guidanceo nly in the midst of
other Protestant groups, affirmed that Scripture is the controversy, we run the danger of seekingt oo simple an
unique authority for the church's teachings and life. answer or the justification of our own current opinion
Where anothera uthority, sucha s a tradition that does not rather than being open to the complexity, the unity, and
have a biblical baseo r is the result of humanr easona lone, the surprisest hat are there in the depths of the Bible. In
is given weight equal or superior to Scripture, the church the same way that we affirm the Lordship of Jesus, we
loses its way and begins to alter the revelation that has need to approacht he study of Scripture as servantsw ho
5
seek in it the Word to us from the One whose faithful particular relationship to other parts of creation. In the
disciplesw e wish to be. If we do not have broad familiar- words of Genesis1 :26-28, we are createdi n the image of
ity with Scripture before we need its guidance,w e may God and given dominion over the rest of the creation. This
well have difficulty understandingit when we really seek dominion is based on the fact the we are created in the
that guidance. The Holy Spirit can and may overcome image of God, and therefore have a particular role in
these obstaclesa nd allow us to hear the Word we need, governing the earth as God's stewards.
but the Spirit seekst o have us love and cherisht hat Word In the familiar portions of Genesis2 , Adam is given
throughs eriousa nd purposefuls tudyt hroughoutt he whole the task of "keeping the garden" and "tilling it." This
of our Christian lives. does not mean simply inhabiting a certain place. It in-
This specialc ommitteeh as beenc hargedw ith making volves altering the environmentt hat is given, plucking up
recommendationsfo r the church concerningt he issues of some things and nurturing others. It includes planning-
problem pregnanciesa nd abortion. We are not in agree- deciding what should be planteda nd harvested.I t does not
ment as to whether these issuesa re directly addressedin mean leaving the world exactly as it was found. This is a
Scripture, yet they raise profound theological concerns particular referencet o the sort of dominion that human
about creation, about the value of human life in God's beings have been given and the responsibility that is
eyes-both before birth and after, and aboutt he decision- included. God is the Creator, but human beings have a
making capacity of human beings-both in general and very important role in governing and planning for that
particularly in regard to procreation. We have wrestled creation, faithful to the intentions and goals God has for
with the guidancet hat Scriptureg ives to us in the midst of this world. This decision-makingro le of humanb eingsi s a
the controversyt hat has divided our societya s well as the serving of the rest of creation, and not a selfish domina-
church. In this, the committeer epresentst he state of the tion.
wider church. We have studiedS cripture together,b eliev- c. God is concernedf or all of creation. There is
ing that this is the unique and authoritativew itness to the purposea nd intentionality in all of God's work. However,
guidance that the church needs and seeks. it is also clear from Scripture that God is particularly
concernedf or that portion of creationt hat is in God's own
image. Human life, therefore, has great value in God's
3 God's Work of Creation
eyes and must in our eyes as well. This is true for life
before birth as well as after.
Scripture is clear that God is the creator of all that is.
According to the Bible, God is the author and sus-
No other power, no other being, is in any sensea creator.
tainer of all life and has createda ll personsa nd things. By
God only is the author of all that is, everything that we
God's faithful care they exist. (See, for example, Psalm
know about,a nd all that is beyond our humanc omprehen-
24:1; 50:10-11; Nehemiah9 :6; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians
sion. Several characteristicso f God's work of creation
10:26.) The Christian, therefore, has concernf or all life,
impinge upon the concerns of this special committee:
animatea nd inanimate,a s the creation of God. But God
a. Human sexuality is part of God's good crea- has given a special place to human beings. According to
tion. God created male and female. God intended their the words of Jesus, "Look at the birds of the air; they
attractiont o each other and that future generationsw ould neither sow nor reap nor gatheri nto barns, and yet your
occur by means of their marital union. Scripture teaches heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value
the ideal of fidelity in marriage and abstinencei n single- than they? ...Consider the lilies of the field. ..Will he
ness. God intended the relationshipso f parentsa nd chil- not much more clothe you?" (Matt. 6:26, 28, 30). This
dren, husbandsa nd wives, brothers and sisters, auntsa nd passagep oints to God's concern for all creatures,b ut in
uncles, grandparents,i n-laws, and all the oilier relation- particular the regard for humanity. (Passagesd etailing
ships that are part of our living in families. these considerationsin clude: Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 9:6;
Pregnancyis also emphasizedin Scripturea s a special Job 10:8-12; 12:10; 33:4, 6; Psalm8 :3-8; 100:3; 119:73;
state, precious in God's eyes, and treated with utmost 139:13-16; Isaiah 44:24; 45:9-12; John 1:2-3; Acts
care. Isaiah 40:1 1 speakso f the gentlenessw ith which 17:24-25; Colossians1 :16-17; Revelation 4:11.)
those who are with young should be handled. In Amos
1:13, 14, the LOrd summarizest he transgressionso f the
Ammonites and the reason why they will be punished. 4, The Fallenness of Creation
Among theset ransgressionsis the abuset hat thesep eople
Though Scripture is unambiguousa bout God as the
had toward pregnant women in that they "ripped up
Creator of all that is, it is equally clear that we cannot
women with child."
simply equate this world as we find it with the good
Plantsa nd insects,b irds and bees, fish and mammals,
creationo f God. Somethingh ash appened.S in hase ntered
all have forms of sexuality. But in the human creature,
into the human creationa nd its effects are throughoutt he
there is a decision-makingc apacity, a rational, intellectu-
whole earth. In the terms of Genesis3 , there is pain in
al, and moral responsibility to God, to other human be-
childbirth, subjection of wives to husbands,t horns and
ings, and to the rest of creation that is unique, in addition
thistles, all of which make life difficult, and have altered
to the instinctual drive toward reproductiont hat is to be
the relationship between men and women and between
found in other portions of creation.
humanb eingsa ndt he rest of creation.L ater, in Genesis9 ,
b. This decision-makingc haractero f the human after the story of the flood, human beings are given
creature points to the fact that humanb eings stand in a permission to eat animals, a change from the earlier
6
chapterso f Genesis( 1 :29-30). And the animals are now have allowed woment o plan their lives in ways previous
afraid of humanb eings, a sign of the broken relationship generationsc ould hardly imagine. Yet no method of birth
betweenh umanb eings and the rest of the natural world. control is absolutelyc ertain and unintendedp regnancies
Scripture connectsa ll of thesec hangesw ith humans inful- occur. Nor have there beenc hangesi n the rest of society
ness. that make childcare the responsibility of both parents, as
a. The fall of creation has had great effect on well as employers and the whole society. Because of
human sexuality and procreation. The distortion of the economicc hanges,t he income of women is often needed
relationshipb etweenm en and womenh as led to the kinds for the support of the family and yet the care for any
of power strugglest hat make it difficult to come to com- children remains largely the woman's private concern.
mon decisions about sex in general and "procreationi n The Reformed tradition has consistentlys tressedt he
particular. Rapea nd incesta re the extremei nstanceo f sex sinfulnesso f even the most moral humanb eings. We do
as a power weapon and misuse of sexuality, but other not see clearly either the motives we have or the rightness
instanceso ccur throughouth umans ociety. One can under- or wrongnesso f our actions. Our self-interesta nd ethical
stand developmentsin birth control as a form of increasing blindnessa ll corrupt our consciences,o ur wills, and our
human decision-makinga bility, and therefore a way of minds. Our certainty does not guaranteeo ur righteous-
carrying out human responsibility. The Presbyterian ness.
churchh as seent his as a positive development.B ut where
It is in the midst of this fallen world that human
the relationship betweenm en and women has been cor-
beings still must make decisions. Dominion, though dis-
rupted by sin, responsibled ecisionsi n regard to its use are
torted, still remains. The image of God we bear has been
often missing. Our contemporaryA merican society fre-
seriously distorted by sin. Yet our power over the rest of
quently deals with sex as a recreationala ctivity, uncon-
creationh as increasedt hrough scientific and technological
nected with responsibility, with marriage, or with the
advances.M any of thesea re positive: the causeso f some
possibility of pregnancy. Such an atmosphereh as been
birth defects have been discovered and tests for such
devastatingf or many young people, who becomei nvolved
disabilities have been developed. Prematureb abies who
in distorted sexual conduct before they have the mature
once would not have survived now do. But the gains are
moral senset hat would place sexualr elationshipsw ithin a
often ambiguous:i nfertility can sometimesb e overcomei n
healthy marriage. There are similar problems for older
dramaticw ays, but somem ethodsl eaveu s wonderingw ho
people. It is as though the instinctual level of human
actually are the parents of a child. New forms of birth
sexualityh as beenl eft without the moral decision-making control are being developed,b ut are not always effective.
character that human beings were intended to have. Methods of abortionh ave beenm ade safer for the woman,
But evenw here there is a good senseo f responsibility but abortioni s choseni n shockingn umbers( seeA ppendixB).
and clear attempts to make the proper use of human
sexuality, all does not go well. The effects of a fallen All of these developmentsh ave raised new questions
creation are distributed generally. Thorns and thistles and new debates. The human family has increased in
grow in fields without regard to the faithfulness of the power over processeso f nature, but our ability to make
farmer. A high proportion of conceptionse nd in spontane- good decisionsr emains drastically compromisedb y sin-
ous abortions-miscarriages-even when the pregnancyi s and the conditions about which we must make decisions
desired. Children are born with serious birth defectsa nd are those of a fallen creation. We live in a fallen society
defective genesa re passedo n from generationt o genera- and our decisionsa re rarely made in isolation from the
tion. We cannot say that these tragediesa re part of the rest of society. It.is no wonder that it is diffic~t to reach
good creationG od intended. But we affirm Romans8 :28, unanimousc onclusions.E ven when we reach reasonably
that all things work for good for thosew ho love the Lord. good and ethical decisions, we often find such actions
b. Sin has had terrible effect on the dominion difficult and costly to carry out.
given to human beings. Some people have assumeda
dominion that is without regard to God's intentions. Their
5. God's Work of Redemption
dominion has ceasedt o be a stewardshipa nd has become
the use of power over as much of creationa s possible for
selfish profit and use. Othersh ave abdicatedo r have been God has not left us alone in the midst of this fallen
left without power. Dominion has been unevenlyd istrib- world. From the very beginning God h~s been working
uted and, where it exists, has been corrupted. This has toward the redemption of creation. When we compare
been true in the relationship of the sexes, of races, and Genesis9 :1-5-the directions given to Noah and his fam~
betweenn ations.T he maldistributiono f power usuallyh as ily after the flood-with Genesis I :2 8-30-the original
political, economic,a nd social effects leadingt o injustices directions given in creation-it is clear that God is work-
throughout the world. ing with humanity in this new situation of a fallen crea-
tion. This is a point that mustb e emphasizeda s one of the
In our society, in recent decades,w omen have been
strands throughout Scripture.
reclaiming someb alancei n decisionm aking within male-
female relationships. New issuesh ave beenr aised, parti- Are we to make our decisions on the basis of the
cularly in regard to procreation, an area where the differ- original creation or on the basis of the fallen one? What
ent roles and experiences of the sexes are greatest. doest his mean in concretet erms?I t may very well be that
Advancesi n contraceptionh ave given womena nd couples it is precisely judgments on this matter that lead
far more control over their lives than existed earlier and to significant differences in biblical interpretation
7
amongC hristians. Some may hold to the demandso f the obtain the freedomo f the glory of the children of God. We know
that the whole creation bas been groaning in labor pains until now;
original creation with little or no allowancem ade for the
and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first
conditions of a fallen world. Others may be so aware of fruits of the Spirit. (Rom. 8: 19-23a)
the conditions of a fallen world that they find little room
Within the community of faith, the futility under
for the ultimateg oals of God's creation. Would there have
which the creationl abors leading to problem pregnancies
been problem pregnanciesi n God's good creation, or are
has indeed causedg reat groaning. Even though we have
they the result of a fallen world? Would the samep regnan-
been given the first fruits of the Spirit, the issues remain
cies have occurred, but not have been viewed as prob-
complex and ambiguous.B ut within the church we have
lems?
the possibility of overcomingt he brokenr elationshipst hat
The giving of the law to Israel was a high point in the exist betweenh umanb eings and to seem ore clearly what
guidance that God has provided. Yet adherenceto law is decisions faith would lead us to make.
not sufficient, for it leads to a sinful reliance on ourselves
rather than on God. The law cannot lead to salvation
6. The Witness of the Church in a Fallen World
(Rom. 7:7-25). A sinful humanityd oes not simply follow
such guidance. God who gave the law also has provided
forgiveness for those who have gone astray and have The churchh as its existencei n the midst of this fallen
turned to God again. The messageo f God's forgiveness world, as a witness to the new life God hasm adep ossible
has been constant in the Scriptures of Israel and the in Jesus Christ. Christians are not removed from this
church. The law is the guidance for a redeemedp eople, world and must live their lives under the samec onditions
who becauseo f their awarenesso f the astonishingg raceo f that affect the whole of humanity. Yet, through faith, we
God, now seekt o form their lives in accordancew ith the have glimpsedt he future God has for the creationa nd can
will of their Creator and Redeemer( Rom. 8:9-11). begin to live in accord with that. The churcha s a commu-
nity of faith recognizest he sin presenti n our commonl ife
Guidancei s important, but not enough.F orgivenessis
and is not contentt o considers uch sin natural or insignifi-
astonishing, but not enough. What is needed is human
cant. It proclaimst he forgivenesso f sin, the possibility of
transformation: a breakthrough to see God's will and
new beginnings,a nd hopew here human wisdom seeso nly
purposesa nd to chooset hem insteado f our own; to desire
futility. In its own life, the church tries to live as a model
them as our own; to use the power of humand ominiona s
of this proclamation.I n its witnesst o the world around it,
true stewardship.I n the redemptivew ork of JesusC hrist,
the church announcesb oth the judgment and mercy of
we becomep art of a new creation (2 Cor. 5:16-21) and
God and offers the new life possiblea s part of the body of
are made ambassadorsf or Christ to those in the old
Christ.
creation. We still live under the conditions of a fallen
world, but with increasedc larity aboutt he will of God and The church witnesses to the redemption God has
the goals of God's good creation. The crossi s the conflict given to a fallen world in the work of JesusC hrist. Faith
with the sin of this world and God's judgment on it. The in him leads to new possibilities, different decisions that
resurrection is the first fruits of the victory of the new we could not have imaginedb y ourselves.S uchf aith leads
us to seet he needsi n the world aroundu s and minister to
creation.
them with love and compassion.F aith allows us to keep
Those who acknowledgeJ esusa s Lord are redeemed
clearly in view God's purposes and intention for the
to take their proper role in creation, since they are no
world, in spiteo f the fallennessa nd sin that affect all life,
Jongert heir own lords; nor are they powerlessi n the grip
including the lives of Christians.
of sin and oppression. Redemptiona lso makes us the
Part of the task of the churchi s to wrestle clearly and
willing servantso f others, as well as the reconcilers of
faithfully with the difficult issuest hat face human beings
broken human relationships, with the word of God's re-
in the midst of a fallen creation. But this does not mean
conciling love to speak to others. The vision of true
that answers are obvious, or that Scripture addresses
human life is given to the Christian community with
clearly and directly all our contemporaryc oncerns. The
increasingc larity. Redemptiona lso gives us the gift of the
churchi s the body in which Christiansc an come together
Holy Spirit to guide, transform, and empoweru s, both as
to seekg uidancet hrough the Holy Spirit. Such help may
a community of faith and as individual Christians, to
well come throught he voices of other Christiansw ho see
wrestle with difficult decisions and be open to God's
guidance and power. things differently.
When we have faithfully engagedi n suchd iscussion,
event houghw e do not agreeo n all mattersa nd significant
In the words of Paul differences remain, we may be able to speak with one
voice on what we do see.W e can also proclaim with great
The creation waits with eagerl onging for the revealing of the confidencet hat the God who createda good world con-
children of God; for the creationw as subjectedto futility, not of its tinues, throughW ord and Spirit, to love and work with a
own will but by the will of the one who subjectedi t, in hope that
the creationi tself will be set free from its bondaget o decaya nd will fallen one.
8