Publishedb y the Office of the General Assembly PresbyterianC hurch (U.S.A.) 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville. KY 40202-1396 Copyright @ 1992 The Office of the GeneralA ssembly PresbyterianC hurch( U.S.A) No part of this publicationm ay be reproduced,s tored in a retrieval system, or transmittedi n any form or by any meanse lectronically, mechaniCally, photocopying,r ecording, or otherwise( brief quotationsu sed in magazineo r newspaperre views excepted),w ithout the prior permissiono f the publisher. The sessionsp, resbyteries,a nd synodso f the PresbyterianC hurch (U.S.A.) may use sectionso f this publicatoin without receiving prior written permis- sion of the publisher. Printed in die United States of America. Additional copies available at $2.00 each from Distribution ManagementS ervices (DMS), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396,o r by calling 1-800-524-2612 outside of Louisville; 502-569-5000e xt. 2503 in Louisville. 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