Posted on 12/02/2019 5:11:05 PM PST by Morgana
Hundreds of Anglicans have called on Church of England bishops to speak out against proposals to decriminalise abortion.
The open letter was signed by 384 people, including 49 members of the General Synod, concerned over the manifesto commitments by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
Many church leaders signed the letter, including Revd Dr Ian Paul, a member of the Archbishops’ Council, Revd William Taylor of St Helen’s Bishopsgate, and Revd Andrew Symes of Anglican Mainstream. ‘Most vulnerable’
The signatories said decriminalisation of abortion “would remove all sanctions in criminal law for those who perform abortions outside the limits set by the Abortion Act 1967”.
“These changes would amount to a declaration that a foetus is no longer a human being, worthy of the same statutory and common law protections against deliberate harm and termination of life.”
“These changes would amount to a declaration that a foetus is no longer a human being”
The Church of England officially teaches that an unborn child is a human life, and that abortion is wrong, and the signatories said that in light of this, they write “to express our sincere concerns about what is being proposed”.
They called on the bishops, “as shepherds of the Church, to do all you can to speak out against these proposals and in defence of some of the most vulnerable in our society”. Bishops’ response
Responding in a letter to The Times newspaper, the Bishops of Newcastle and Carlisle said they were grateful to the signatories for raising concerns.
“Every support, especially by church members, must be given to those pregnant in difficult circumstances and care must be shown to all, whether or not they continue with their pregnancy.”
They pointed out that issues such as abortion have previously been matters of individual conscience when MPs and peers vote in Parliament, and the bishops said they “firmly believe that it should remain so”.
Popularity versus theology
Anglicans worship expediency over principles. Remember how the church first came about.
Oops, my bad. I read the headline wrong.
“Every support, especially by church members, must be given to those pregnant in difficult circumstances and care must be shown to all, whether or not they continue with their pregnancy.”
They pointed out that issues such as abortion have previously been matters of individual conscience when MPs and peers vote in Parliament, and the bishops said they “firmly believe that it should remain so”.
Isn’t it the job of a bishop to council a member of his flock on where his conscience should be leading him?
But counseling a member of parliament to take an unpopular stance might cost a bishop an invitation to a swank party.
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