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Serap
Guest
I have read on CAF that some Potestant denominations support abortion. Which ones are they?
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Scoobyshme
Guest
Well, that’s a pretty tall order, considering that there are literally thousands of Protestant denominations. (Actually, there is but one Church, the Catholic Church. Protestants have denominations (the word comes from the Greek and means “from the name of”).
All who are validly baptized are members of the Catholic Church. Protestants, unfortunately, are not in communion with the Church, which of course, is against the will of God. Jesus said He wished that we were all one. Not thousands.
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Stylteralmaldo
Guest
- United Church of Christ strongly supports the legalization of abortion.
- Southern Baptists have been pro-abortion but have become more pro-life in recent years.
- American Baptists do not have a unified stance for or against abortion.
- United Methodist Church maintains a strong pro-abortion position.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) funds elective abortions in the church’s health care coverage.
pregnantpause.org/people/wherchur.htm
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losh14
Guest
Where Protestant churches support abortion as an official stance, it’s generally fairly reserved. I have yet to see any church support abortion on demand without some substantial need - save the life of the mother, in cases of rape, etc.
Given the structure of some Protestant churches - where a local pastor has final authority for his congregation over such matters, rather than an ecumenical or ecclesial council - it is possible that a local church would give consent where the structure to which it belongs make no ruling.
The United Methodist Church rejects abortion in cases of failed birth control or for gender selection, though from this I would understand it to be allowed in cases of financial hardship.
The Episcopalian church is more supportive of abortion rights - and this is a root cause behind the flight of many Episcopalians and Anglicans to the Catholic Church.
The PCUSA (as opposed to the PCA) supports abortion rights, though expresses moral concern during viability. This again is a cause of the Presbyterian Church’s recent split into two antagonistic factions.
Other churches tend to straddle the fence between expressing support for reproductive freedom and support for the life of the unborn, and often do not issue an exact opinion. This may be partly due to an understanding of Grace and sin (“once saved always saved”) that diverges from Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
Given the structure of some Protestant churches - where a local pastor has final authority for his congregation over such matters, rather than an ecumenical or ecclesial council - it is possible that a local church would give consent where the structure to which it belongs make no ruling.
The United Methodist Church rejects abortion in cases of failed birth control or for gender selection, though from this I would understand it to be allowed in cases of financial hardship.
The Episcopalian church is more supportive of abortion rights - and this is a root cause behind the flight of many Episcopalians and Anglicans to the Catholic Church.
The PCUSA (as opposed to the PCA) supports abortion rights, though expresses moral concern during viability. This again is a cause of the Presbyterian Church’s recent split into two antagonistic factions.
Other churches tend to straddle the fence between expressing support for reproductive freedom and support for the life of the unborn, and often do not issue an exact opinion. This may be partly due to an understanding of Grace and sin (“once saved always saved”) that diverges from Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
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hn160
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The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is very much pro-life and anti abortion.
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DElias
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I have actually never known a Baptist church that was not pro-life.
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MuchAfraid
Guest
Most “pro-life” Protestant denominations are not 100% pro-life, they still allow for “exceptions” to the rule and very few also condemn contraception anymore (even though it was almost universally condemned less than 100 years ago).
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TimothyH
Guest
The position of the United Methodist Church on abortion is at archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1732
**Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy. In continuity with past Christian teaching, we recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection. **
I wonder what “past Church teaching” they are talking about and would love to hear the term “tragic conflicts of life” quantified. I really wasn’t aware of this. My best friend is a Methodist pastor and I’m sure he and I will be having a conversation in the near future.
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**Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy. In continuity with past Christian teaching, we recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection. **
I wonder what “past Church teaching” they are talking about and would love to hear the term “tragic conflicts of life” quantified. I really wasn’t aware of this. My best friend is a Methodist pastor and I’m sure he and I will be having a conversation in the near future.
-Tim-
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Curious_Seed
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There is one Church, of which history shows Catholicism is one of the many denominations, regardless of their preferred labeling [a rose, by any other name . . .].
The Church is constitued by those who believe, as Peter in Mark 8:29.
Protestants are against the will of God?
Well, history clearly evidences otherwise.
As a Catholic, I am sure you spurn everything I say; but, God loves you anyway.
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Scoobyshme
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Actually, the Catholic Church is not a “denomination” since the word “denomination” comes from the Greek and means, basically, “from the name of.”
There is one Church, of which history shows Catholicism is one of the many denominations, regardless of their preferred labeling [a rose, by any other name . . .].
The Church is constitued by those who believe, as Peter in Mark 8:29.
Protestants are against the will of God?
Well, history clearly evidences otherwise.
As a Catholic, I am sure you spurn everything I say; but, God loves you anyway.
There is but one Church founded by Christ, the Catholic Church. Historically, none other can trace their roots back to the time of Christ. For the first 1000 years of Christianity, if one was Christian, one was Catholic. There was no other Church. Then, in 1054 A.D., the Orthodox split off. They retained Apostolic Succession, and, therefore, all seven Sacraments. Only in 1517 A.D., did Protestantism begin. Now, there are literally thousands of man-made, doctrinally disagreeing denominations, all claiming to be led by the same Holy Spirit, reading the same Bible, but coming up with contradictory interpretations of the Bible. That cannot be the will of God. Nowhere does it say anyone was authorized to found a church or denomination apart from the Church built by Christ.
For any Protestant denomination to be “valid,” it would have to show 1) that the Catholic Church, founded by Christ failed and 2) show directly where Christ authorized anyone else to found a different Church apart from His. Also, if you can do 1, then we’re all wasting our time following Christ, because He failed, and therefore, is not God.
The Catholic Church is indefectibly holy, not because of the humans within it, but because it has Christ as its head and the Holy Spirit as its soul.
Jesus Christ had two natures when He was here on earth. One human and the other Divine. His human nature was like us in all things but sin. The Catholic Church, which St. Paul calls the Body of Christ, is similar. It has a human nature, composed of us humans, and a Divine nature, composed of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The human nature of the Church, though, unlike Jesus, is sinful.
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GeorgeTheWild
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I think to characterize Southern Baptists as ever having been pro-abortion is incorrect. The absolutely most liberal position the convention has ever adopted was that abortion could be a possibility in very extreme cases (see below). Currently the only time the SBC think abortions should be an option are in order to save the mother’s life.
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JRRTFAN
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That being the case, it still indicates a severe conceptual flaw. If the unborn is, in fact, a human being, there is no circumstance under which the unborn’s right to life is subordinant to any other human’s right to life. In other words, there is never a justification for killing an innocent even to save another human’s life.
To propose otherwise is to, essentially, deny the whole premise of “life begins at conception”.
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Serap
Guest
However, many don’t share your belief. I hold the same belief as you, but it’s very complicated.
If I ever knew a woman who was pregnant and thinking of an abortion, I would definitely tell her to keep her baby alive. I would not accuse her of murder though b/c she’s already going through enough turmoil.
Or if I knew a husband and wife who had an abortion so that the wife could live, I cannot openly accuse them of murder either. They are already going through enough turmoil. We need to be kind and empathetic to people going through these situations.
Standing outside an abortion clinic saying “MURDER” is only going to make others think I am a lunatic. They will just write me off as a crazy person.
It’s very complicated. We cannot condem, we can only educate with kindness and empathy the best we can.
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Jedimonk
Guest
Our Church gives us a great example to follow on this matter. Love everyone, but never sacrifice your principals.
hopeafterabortion.com/
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Bran_Stark
Guest
I don’t think any Protestant would dream of claiming that his denomination is in any way equivalent to the Catholic Church (of which he is a full member).
Anyhow, we need to remember that just as millions of Catholics sadly oppose Catholic teaching on abortion, so likewise in any officially pro-choice denomination you will find many members who are solidly pro-life. Though unlike pro-choice Catholics, we are not hypocrites, since our denominations don’t demand unity of these matters as condition for membership.
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CMatt25
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The mother is not an innocent human life worth saving?
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JRRTFAN
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She is indeed worth saving, anything short of killing another person to do so would be appropriate.
If you disagree what do your base the theory of hierarchy of human worth upon? In other words, who has the authority to say one human life is worth less than another?
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Serap
Guest
Hey, this is not nice. Matt is just seeing two sides of the coin.
I would give up my life for my unborn child, but we have to respect everyone’s philosophy and if we want to convert, we do it with kindness.
Mother Theresa did it that way.
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JohnnyReb
Guest
Unfortunately we are forced to make that choice regardless if only one life can be saved. Its not really that one is less than the other, but rather a painful and difficult choice that must be made. If its my wife and child, you better believe I am going to tell them do everything they can to save both.
Whatever choice is made by a person, calling the murders and casting judgement on them is not Christian. Christians are very good at shooting our wounded.
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