It can't come as a surprise to hear that MPs have rejected a move to make women seeking abortion have independent counselling.
The MP proposing the move wanted to strip non-statutory abortion providers from fulfilling the role of counsellors. This would be handed over to counsellors independent of those providers. It is worth noting that the provision of abortion is one area that has proved a boon to the private health sector. There's a lot of money to be made for very little risk.
The position of the British Methodist Church is quite clear, though I'm not certain that we would automatically have supported the proposed change in the law about counselling. I'm not aware that we have made any statements over the last few days (and haven't had time to check as business has been a bit brisk).
Anyway this is where we stand:
....abortion is always an evil, to be avoided if at all possible by offering care to single mothers during pregnancy, and the adoption of their children if, at full term, the mother cannot offer a home. However, the Statement also holds that there will be circumstances where the termination of pregnancy may be the lesser of evils. These include situations where the embryo is grievously handicapped, the pregnancy is the result of rape or the health, mental or physical, of the mother is at risk.
At what stage does an unborn fetus become a person?
The result of the coming together of human sperm and ovum is obviously human. The appearance of the ‘primitive streak' (the beginning of the neurological system) after some fourteen days is an important stage. However for many weeks after this event, natural abortion will continue to bring about the termination of over 50% of embryos.
Fertilisation, implantation and subsequent development are parts of a continuous process. It is simply not possible to identify the single moment when a new human person begins. The right of the embryo to full respect clearly increases throughout a pregnancy.
Should there be a time-limit for abortion?
It would be strongly preferable that, through advances in medical science and social welfare, all abortions should become unnecessary. But termination as early as possible in the course of the pregnancy may be the lesser of evils. If abortion were made a criminal offence again, there would be increased risks of ill-health and death as a result of botched ‘back-street' abortions. Late abortions should be very rare exceptions. To refuse to countenance abortion in any circumstances is to condemn some women and their babies to gross suffering and a cruel death in the name of an absolutism which nature itself does not observe.
Counselling and pastoral care should be available to the mother and, where the father is known, to the father. The mother should be told clearly of the alternatives to termination.
The MP proposing the move wanted to strip non-statutory abortion providers from fulfilling the role of counsellors. This would be handed over to counsellors independent of those providers. It is worth noting that the provision of abortion is one area that has proved a boon to the private health sector. There's a lot of money to be made for very little risk.
The position of the British Methodist Church is quite clear, though I'm not certain that we would automatically have supported the proposed change in the law about counselling. I'm not aware that we have made any statements over the last few days (and haven't had time to check as business has been a bit brisk).
Anyway this is where we stand:
....abortion is always an evil, to be avoided if at all possible by offering care to single mothers during pregnancy, and the adoption of their children if, at full term, the mother cannot offer a home. However, the Statement also holds that there will be circumstances where the termination of pregnancy may be the lesser of evils. These include situations where the embryo is grievously handicapped, the pregnancy is the result of rape or the health, mental or physical, of the mother is at risk.
At what stage does an unborn fetus become a person?
The result of the coming together of human sperm and ovum is obviously human. The appearance of the ‘primitive streak' (the beginning of the neurological system) after some fourteen days is an important stage. However for many weeks after this event, natural abortion will continue to bring about the termination of over 50% of embryos.
Fertilisation, implantation and subsequent development are parts of a continuous process. It is simply not possible to identify the single moment when a new human person begins. The right of the embryo to full respect clearly increases throughout a pregnancy.
Should there be a time-limit for abortion?
It would be strongly preferable that, through advances in medical science and social welfare, all abortions should become unnecessary. But termination as early as possible in the course of the pregnancy may be the lesser of evils. If abortion were made a criminal offence again, there would be increased risks of ill-health and death as a result of botched ‘back-street' abortions. Late abortions should be very rare exceptions. To refuse to countenance abortion in any circumstances is to condemn some women and their babies to gross suffering and a cruel death in the name of an absolutism which nature itself does not observe.
Counselling and pastoral care should be available to the mother and, where the father is known, to the father. The mother should be told clearly of the alternatives to termination.
