UNITED METHODISM OPPOSES PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION:

THE GOOD NEWS AND THE SOBERING NEWS

By Rev. Paul T. Stallsworth

The 2000 General Conference of The United Methodist Church voted by an overwhelming majority of 622-275 to oppose partial-birth abortion. Here is the exact wording of the legislative action: "We oppose the use of late-term abortion known as dilation and extraction (partial-birth abortion) and call for the end of this practice except when the physical life of the mother is in danger and no other medical procedure is available, or in the case of severe fetal anomalies incompatible with life."

In the 2000 edition of The Book of Discipline, United Methodism's book of church law, this sentence will be added to the standing paragraph on abortion (Paragraph 65J in the 1996 Discipline).

To United Methodists and others who are dedicated to the Gospel of Life, this is good news. General Conference 2000's action against partial-birth abortion truly marks a milestone in The United Methodist Church's official position on abortion.

At the same time, our elation should be qualified, for by approving a sentence against partial-birth abortion, The United Methodist Church has taken just one small step toward fully protecting the most helpless and vulnerable among us - - the unborn child and mother. What follows are the reasons for this double response.

REASONS FOR REJOICING

Here are five reasons for rejoicing over the 2000 General Conference's rejection of partial-birth abortion.

First, by opposing partial-birth abortion, The United Methodist Church breaks ranks with the pro-choice/pro-abortion political lobby. Before this legislation against partial-birth abortion was passed by General Conference, The United Methodist Church had been officially and unquestionably pro-choice on abortion for decades, and silent on the partial-birth procedure.

The Book of Discipline's pro-choice paragraph and its silence on partial-birth abortion allowed United Methodist leaders and general-church boards to support political lobbies which are sustaining the legality of all abortion, including this particularly repulsive form of late-term abortion. In this way, certain United Methodist leaders and boards provided religious cover, religious legitimation, to those who are maintaining the legal status of partial-birth abortion. Therefore, certain United Methodist leaders and institutions directly collaborated with the Culture of Death.

However, now that the anti-partial-birth-abortion language has been added to the Discipline, The United Methodist Church is no longer a partial-birth-abortion collaborator. Therefore, The United Methodist Church officially opposes what, a matter of months ago, she was supporting - - the radical, pro-choice/pro-abortion political lobbies.

Second and more specifically, by opposing partial-birth abortion, The United Methodist Church now lives in tension with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC). RCRC basically advocates, in the political halls of the powers that be, for the legal availability of abortion on demand. For example, RCRC has worked Capitol Hill to maintain the legality of partial-birth abortion. Two United Methodist boards - - namely, the General Board of Church and Society and the Women's Division/General Board of Global Ministries - - are affiliated with RCRC. However, now that United Methodism is officially opposed to partial-birth abortion, the church as a whole now officially disapproves of some of RCRC's work.

Third, by opposing partial-birth abortion, The United Methodist Church joins the ecumenical community on this issue. The vast majority of Christian communions - - the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox churches, the Evangelical Protestant churches, and some Mainline/ Oldline Protestant churches (now including The United Methodist Church) - - are staunchly opposed to this form of abortion.

Fourth, by officially opposing partial-birth abortion, The United Methodist Church encourages its own bishops, district superintendents, and pastors to be more truthful in addressing God's gift of human life and the sin of abortion. This General Conference action gives official denominational permission to United Methodist leaders to serve more faithfully the Gospel of Life and to oppose more vigorously the Culture of Death.

Fifth, by opposing partial-birth abortion, The United Methodist Church shows that she is able to overcome the maneuverings of the small but well-organized pro-choice/pro-abortion minority within the denomination. By refusing to compromise the anti-partial-birth language it passed (by adding a health-of-the-mother exception) and by refusing to refer the sentence to the General Board of Church and Society (where the sentence most certainly would have been compromised beyond recognition or totally eliminated), General Conference displayed some real determination against the pro-choice/pro-abortion strategies that have long held sway in United Methodism's General Conferences.

REASONS FOR REALISM

While passage of this sentence is to be admired, there is still much work to be done with regard to abortion in The United Methodist Church.

First, the anti-partial-birth-abortion sentence is added to a basically "pro-choice" statement on abortion. This addition leaves in place a presumption toward abortion on demand.

It leaves unchanged a theology which elevates the "sovereign self," when considering the matters of life and abortion, above the sovereign God. It leaves the pregnant woman to make up her own mind about abortion - - as long as she prays and consults with others during her decision-making, and as long as she does not use the partial-birth method.

In other words, the legislative action on abortion by the most recent General Conference is a compromise - - a constructive compromise, a helpful compromise, but still a compromise.

The Faith and Order legislative committee considered all petitions related to abortion. By a margin of two to one, most of Faith and Order's roughly 100 delegate members were theologically evangelical and/or orthodox. In addition, several of the committee's members are strong, articulate voices for the truth of the Gospel within United Methodism. And Faith and Order was chaired by a pastor who was at least fair, and perhaps sympathetic, to the Gospel of Life.

Even with these seemingly pro-life advantages, Faith and Order behaved rather disappointingly: it bunched together tens of petitions which proposed major pro-life rewrites of United Methodism's teaching on abortion and denied the entire bunch the committee's seal of approval (i.e., a vote of concurrence). Then General Conference, as a whole, went along with Faith and Order's decision to dismiss the petitions that involved major rewrites.

Given Faith and Order's and General Conference's fatigue after legislatively dealing with other contentious issues, this compromise may be understandable. However, at the end of the day, while coming out solidly against partial-birth abortion, General Conference had affirmed a paragraph on abortion that is filled with theological problems and moral confusions. That is, General Conference, as usual, behaved in an institutionally conservative way: it took the easier way (oppose partial-birth abortion) and avoided the hard way (revise the paragraph on abortion to reflect classical Christian teaching).

Second, should not the Church be more determined in its faithfulness to God and the Gospel, and more comprehensive in its opposition to abortion? Stated differently, passage of this sentence, in theory and hope, offers protection to only a limited number of unborn children and their mothers. Instead of attempting to protect thousands of children and mothers by opposing partial-birth abortion, The United Methodist Church should be joining other churches in attempting to protect hundreds of thousands by opposing most or all abortions.

Third, passage of this sentence does not fundamentally change the hearts and minds of key church leaders, many of whom remain oblivious to the evil of abortion. It is amazing - - yes, amazing - - that United Methodism's Council of Bishops, as a council, continues to remain silent about the abortion crisis in church and society.

Again, much more witness within and from The United Methodist Church, on behalf of the Gospel of Life, is called for. It is most encouraging to note the tens of pro-life petitions submitted to General Conference 2000. They indicate a tremendous amount of theological and moral energy among pro-life United Methodists. That energy will need to be sustained in the years to come.

CONCLUSION

The 2000 General Conference made a decisive announcement to The United Methodist Church and to the world. This was the announcement: The United Methodist Church is standing with the unborn child and mother who are threatened by partial-birth abortion. Therefore, the pro-choice/pro-abortion establishment within The United Methodist Church no longer speaks for the church.

To be sure, the new pro-life voice of the church, willing to oppose partial-birth abortion only, is a bit timid. But from now on, by the providential grace of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit, that voice will gain confidence. In time, United Methodism's voice will speak more comprehensively with clarity, truth, and love about the gift of life and the evil of abortion.

Therefore, there is a pressing need for pro-life United Methodists to hold faithfully to the truth, to persevere in speaking and living the truth, and to be patient in truth all along the way. In the wake of the United States Supreme Court's June decision in Stenberg v. Carhart, which struck down Nebraska's legislative ban of partial-birth abortion, this counsel to faithfulness and truthfulness is especially pressing.

Therefore, "preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching.... As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:2 and 5, RSV).

Should United Methodists be celebrating, with unrestrained and unqualified joy, the decision of the 2000 General Conference on abortion? Perhaps, if the celebration lasts for 10 minutes or less.

But when the brief celebration ends, let us admit that United Methodism adopted legislation on partial-birth abortion that should be taken for granted by any communion that is part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Therefore, in the years to come, but beginning with this year, The United Methodist Church has much work to do for the Gospel of Life.

Rev. Stallsworth is the pastor of the Rose Hill United Methodist Church in Rose Hill, N.C. He is also the editor Lifewatch, a quarterly newsletter on The United Methodist Church, the Gospel of Life, and abortion. A slightly edited version of the above article will appear in the September 2000 of Lifewatch (For information on Lifewatch, please contact Mrs. Ruth Brown, Lifewatch, 512 Florence Street, Dothan, AL 36301, (334) 794-8543, e-mail: tumaslw@sprynet.com.)