- All Records
- Textual record
- Abortion - Canada
- 1980s
- Date
- 1988 May
- Source
- National Executive Council. Minutes
- Record Type
- Resolution #65-05-88
- Date
- 1988 May
- Record Type
- Resolution #65-05-88
- Mover
- Ven D.J. Woeller
- Seconder
- Dean B. Stavert
- Prologue
- In response to a request from the House of Bishops (February 1988), the Primate reported he had invited Mrs. P. Creighton, Mrs. D. Marshall and Dr. J. Reed to form a Task Force to prepare a contemporary statement regarding abortion.
- It was agreed that we, as Christians, must work towards the creation of a society in which every human being is welcome and recognized that we must both work for change of legislation which affects social programming.
- Chancellor David Wright stated that difficulties outside the Criminal Code fall within the jurisdiction of the provinces and the federal government can enter the field only through the Criminal Code, but can control processes through funding.
- Text
- That this National Executive Council:
- 1. express its heartfelt thanks to the members of the Task Force on Abortion;
- 2. endorses the report of the Task Force;
- 3. refers the report to the Primate for appropriate action. CARRIED #65-05-88
- Notes
- It was agreed that the Primate should send the report to appropriate people in the life of the church and the country.
- The Primate, on behalf of the NEC, expressed thanks to Mrs. Creighton, Mrs. Marshall and Dr. Reed for their report.
- Subjects
- Abortion - Canada
- Abortion - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Bioethics - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church Seeks Third Option in Abortion Debate: Neither Woman nor Foetus Should be Victim, Report Says
http://archives.anglican.ca/en/permalink/official1843
- Date
- 1988 May 13
- Source
- Anglican News Service
- Record Type
- Press Release
- Text
- For immediate release
- Mississauga, May 13, 1988 -- The Anglican Church will today [EDITOR: Friday] attempt to define a third choice in the debate on therapeutic abortion.
- A task force report to be delivered to the church's national executive council meeting here this afternoon, says: "Too often the abortion debate is couched in terms of a woman's right over her own body as against a foetus's right to life." It suggests the issue may be addressed from a new perspective in which neither the mother nor the foetus is required to serve as "victim."
- "Christians hold a spectrum of personal views about the morality of abortion, from utter rejection of it to conviction that it is a personal ethical matter for a woman."
- Either approach, the report suggests, is one-sided: either it ignores the cry of the unborn while trying to raise the status of women; or it remains indifferent to the plight of women while trying to protect the unborn.
- The task force was convened in March to consider the Anglican Church's stance on abortion in light of the Supreme Court's decision in the Morgentaler case. That decision declared the provisions of the Criminal Code dealing with abortions to be unconstitutional. The church had previously expressed its support for the law.
- The 15-page report recommends that the church continue to oppose unregulated access to abortion. The church, it says, sees abortion as "always a tragedy fraught with moral ambiguity...To resort to abortion lightly or casually is to degrade our humanity, to deny the responsibility and responsiveness of human nature."
- SEEKING "TRUE" CHOICE
- The report spends its greatest energy addressing the circumstances in which women "choose" abortion. In many cases, it says, the choice is hollow: When women choose to abort, it is frequently in coercive, lonely and grief-stricken circumstances where they feel completely unable to bear their child. Often the biggest problem facing the woman is her lack of a real social and economic support system. Many women who choose not to bear their children, then, make their decision out of alienation and hopelessness.
- "For us as Christians, such despair cannot be left as the motive force...True choice must involve alternatives to despair."
- The report says new legislation to regulate abortion should "establish procedures to make abortion available equitably across the country as a therapeutic measure for women whose pregnancies endanger their life or their physical or mental health." It says counselling should be required.
- The report rejects the concept of legislating easy access to early abortion and more restricted access later in the term (after 12 weeks for example): "Abortion is always the taking of a human life and, in our view, should never be done except for serious therapeutic reasons. Any such line is arbitrary and seems to argue that the value of the foetus and the seriousness of abortion in the early stages will be discounted."
- ABORTION OR POVERTY TOO OFTEN ONLY CHOICE
- Noting that many women have a choice of aborting a foetus or bearing a child to live in poverty, the report urges an extensive program of social action to reduce conditions which make the choice of abortion more likely. It stresses the need for:
- * more affordable housing;
- * pay equity for women;
- * a guaranteed annual income, and other financial measures "to secure the dignity -- indeed the survival -- of mothers and children;"
- * universally accessible, publicly funded child care;
- * an intensified national program to collect child support payments from delinquent fathers;
- * better educational programs about sexuality, including contraception, in the schools;
- * and other measures.
- The council, which has been meeting since Wednesday, concludes late this afternoon.
- - 30 -
- For further information contact: Doug Tindal, Director of Communications, Anglican Church of Canada, (416) 924-9192 ext 286, (416) 335-8349 residence
- Subjects
- Abortion - Canada
- Abortion - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Sexual ethics - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Bioethics - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Women - Canada
- Birth control - Canada
- Birth control - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Contraception - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Poor women - Canada
- Poverty - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
Long Range Planning Committee Report [Abortion]
http://archives.anglican.ca/en/permalink/official1124
- Date
- 1980 June
- Source
- General Synod. Minutes
- Record Type
- Act 89
- Mover
- Miss W. Ainsworth
- Seconder
- Mrs. E. Rankin
- Text
- That this General Synod encourage each diocese to be responsible for sending copies of resolutions passed at General Synod regarding abortion and programs of education on this topic once they are developed, to the various secular agencies involved in counselling of families and young women facing issues of abortion. CARRIED ACT 89
- Subjects
- Abortion - Canada
- Abortion - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Bioethics - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
Report of the House of Bishops
http://archives.anglican.ca/en/permalink/official2088
- Date
- 1988 November 16-18
- Source
- National Executive Council. Minutes
- Record Type
- Resolution 49-11-88
- Date
- 1988 November 16-18
- Record Type
- Resolution 49-11-88
- Mover
- Most Rev. W.H. Jones
- Seconder
- Rt. Rev. H.J.P. Allan
- Prologue
- The Primate, as President of the House, presented the report and outlined the recommendations.
- Text
- That this National Executive Council authorize the Primate to take the necessary steps as soon as possible to have the Report on Abortion, following minor revisions, printed in an appropriate form and made available to the church and the Canadian public. CARRIED #49-11-88
- Subjects
- Abortion - Canada
- Abortion - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Bioethics - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada