UK Churches Unite To Demand Rethink On Abortion Law

Abortion was propelled to the centre of the British election campaign yesterday as the Church of England threw its weight behind demands for a thorough review of legislation. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who declared that there was a “groundswell of distaste” at the way the current law works, was backed by senior Anglican clergy who not only questioned the current 24-week time limit, but the whole of the 38-year-old Abortion Act. All the main Churches across Britain have drawn up guidelines on how churchgoers can challenge candidates at election meetings organised by local Christians. Christians, especially Roman Catholics, are expected to use the meetings to ask candidates from all political parties to support a review of the law. The Bishop of Southwark, the Right Rev Tom Butler, the vice-chairman of the Anglican mission and public affairs division, backed Dr Williams, saying that many Anglicans were deeply concerned that there were now more than 500 abortions a day in England. Methodist leaders also said that the issue needed to be “revisted from time to time” in the light of advances which gave very premature babies a greater chance of survival. Ms Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative backbencher, led calls for a Tory manifesto commitment on holding a debate in government time on lowering the legal time limit on abortion, in which MPs would have a free vote. The growing clamour will increase pressure on Mr Tony Blair, although Downing Street said last night that his view remained that abortion was an issue of conscience that should be addressed through a Private Member’s Bill, not government legislation. Church of England bishops would support a reduction in the current time limit of 24 weeks, which Michael Howard, the Conservative leader, has called for. The Bishops are not just concerned at the relatively small number of late abortions, which amount to less than 1 per cent of the total, but also at the extent to which the number of abortions has increased. Dr Williams said yesterday that the current law was causing “more and more of a shared unhappiness and bewilderment”. He indicated that the election campaign could provide an opportunity for voters to question individual candidates but dismissed fears that debating abortion could lead to single issue campaigning, as it has in parts of the USA. “The idea that raising the issues here is the first step towards a theocratic tyranny or a capitulation to some Neanderthal Christian right is alarmist nonsense,” he said. For a large majority of Christians, it was impossible to regard abortion as “anything other than a deliberate termination of a human life”.

UK Churches Unite To Demand Rethink On Abortion Law

The Times, London

LONDON, March 21. — Abortion was propelled to the centre of the British election campaign yesterday as the Church of England threw its weight behind demands for a thorough review of legislation.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who declared that there was a “groundswell of distaste” at the way the current law works, was backed by senior Anglican clergy who not only questioned the current 24-week time limit, but the whole of the 38-year-old Abortion Act. All the main Churches across Britain have drawn up guidelines on how churchgoers can challenge candidates at election meetings organised by local Christians.

Christians, especially Roman Catholics, are expected to use the meetings to ask candidates from all political parties to support a review of the law.

The Bishop of Southwark, the Right Rev Tom Butler, the vice-chairman of the Anglican mission and public affairs division, backed Dr Williams, saying that many Anglicans were deeply concerned that there were now more than 500 abortions a day in England.

Methodist leaders also said that the issue needed to be “revisted from time to time” in the light of advances which gave very premature babies a greater chance of survival.

Ms Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative backbencher, led calls for a Tory manifesto commitment on holding a debate in government time on lowering the legal time limit on abortion, in which MPs would have a free vote.
The growing clamour will increase pressure on Mr Tony Blair, although Downing Street said last night that his view remained that abortion was an issue of conscience that should be addressed through a Private Member’s Bill, not government legislation.

Church of England bishops would support a reduction in the current time limit of 24 weeks, which Michael Howard, the Conservative leader, has called for. The Bishops are not just concerned at the relatively small number of late abortions, which amount to less than 1 per cent of the total, but also at the extent to which the number of abortions has increased.

Dr Williams said yesterday that the current law was causing “more and more of a shared unhappiness and bewilderment”. He indicated that the election campaign could provide an opportunity for voters to question individual candidates but dismissed fears that debating abortion could lead to single issue campaigning, as it has in parts of the USA.

“The idea that raising the issues here is the first step towards a theocratic tyranny or a capitulation to some Neanderthal Christian right is alarmist nonsense,” he said. For a large majority of Christians, it was impossible to regard abortion as “anything other than a deliberate termination of a human life”.

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