The Alaska United Methodist Conference, which encompasses 27 churches across the state, joined partner congregations from the greater Pacific Northwest in affirming the “divine gift of free will” to choose abortion, and denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Gathered in a joint session, leaders from the United Methodist Church approved a document on June 25 which stated that both the laity and clergy of the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences support legalized abortion, comprehensive sex-ed and contraceptive advocacy. It also affirmed abortion access as essential to the “emotional health and spiritual well-being of parishioners.”
Approved just one day after the Supreme Court struck down Roe, the statement quotes the United Methodist’s social teaching document which states that while “we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child … we recognize the tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases, we support the legal option of abortion…”
The social teaching frames abortion in spiritual terms, saying that the decision to kill an unborn child “should be made only after thoughtful and prayerful consideration.”
While denouncing “in the strongest terms” the decision to overturn Roe, the newly approved joint statement reaffirmed the United Methodist Conference’s commitment to “anti-racism, equity, justice, and care.”
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The document called on member congregations and church ministries to help raise money for women who want abortions in states that now ban the practice.
“We call on our congregations to have well-facilitated conversations about abortion care, reproductive health, and the intersections of health care, racism, poverty, and sexism, prioritizing compassion over judgment,” the document states. It also urges churches to support a constitutional amendment that would enshrine legalized abortion into the nation’s founding document.
The statement ends by calling on people to “publicly bear witness to the Church of Jesus Christ” by standing with and for those seeking abortions.
The approved statement was presented for consideration by Rev. Nico Reijns of Alaska, along with Rev. Ruth Marston-Bihl (Pacific Northwest Conferences) and Rev. Eilidh Lowery (Oregon-Idaho). According to the United Methodist website, the statement was approved by an overwhelming margin of lay and clergy members of the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences.
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34 Comments
That’s blasphemy killing God’s children.
Not surprising from a cult of Antichrist which glorifies evil depravities such as lgbt and other things that DIRECTLY goes against God, Christ and the Bible too!!
I guess you can CALL yourself a Church of Jesus Christ, but I’m thinking promoting baby killing probably makes that statement a lie.
This is why the Methodist religion will be extinct soon. Woke Christianity isn’t very attractive to people. People are yearning for traditionalist, orthodoxy, and clear moral guidance versus moral relativism that you are getting through the MSM and popular culture.
Agree
Listen up people stop going to these
(lies, stealing and destroy) churches
Wait those are NOT church’s if they support killing babies.
@DoneWithIt, can you clarify for me what “woke” Christianity is, other than a view of Christianity that does not fit into the mold you see? I think the Bible and all of the teachings of Christ have broad interpretations, hence the different sects of the Christian religion. Also, is “woke” bad? That seems like an awakening. “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed (Romans 13:11).”
Satan is a spirit….
This hyocrisy is another reason visitors to the faith question God by God’s elect actions to say you don’t matter in the womb but your life matter when you consider suicide. These are the
same leaders who have a justification responce
for assisted suicide. Life matters at the beginning and
at the end.
.
Jesus said suffer the children to come unto me. Not MAKE them suffer and come unto me.
Heretics.
Wow! Such vitriol and hatred towards these men and women who give their lives to serve God. Where does that come from? Would someone be able to provide me a passage from the Bible that speaks about protecting the unborn child? Let us accept that there are differences and that in this wonderful country we live in, some may not feel the same way that we feel, and that’s ok. We should never impose our religious beliefs or will on others. We do not have that power.
Those men and women are false teachers, just like the professional people of Jesus’ day who persecuted him all the way to the cross. They deserve no respect or honor any more than any other heretic.
As for the Bible speaking about protecting the unborn: Exodus 21:22.
The right to life is not a “religious belief”, it is a fundamental God-given right to life. To terminate a life before birth is nothing short of murder because the unborn baby is not just a lump of tissue, but a living human being which responds to stimuli. Scans show that. The Bible speaks about the vivacity of unborn babies in multiple places including the pre-born John the Baptist leaping for joy within Elizabeth’s womb when in the presence of Mary carrying Jesus.
Christians ARE allowed to judge others who claim to be Christians (I Corinthians 5:12). We have that power.
Steve, I believe what Exodus 21:22 says is, “ If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.” Right? As for your statement that this is not a “religious belief” but a God-given right to life, the latter expressly suggests that it is a “religious belief”. What if the woman were of a different religion than Christianity? Our Constitution protects religious freedom. What if they believe something other than Christianity? Shouldn’t we respect their beliefs? It’s a slippery slope when we impose our religious beliefs or ideology on others. We can’t always have our cake and eat it too.
As for the lump of tissue point, that’s true, but so is the life of the woman. I’m curious if you would ever feel that it is ok to abort a fetus (and there’s a reason we call it a fetus – it can’t live on its own without the help of the woman)?
And finally, Christians can judge. Absolutely. But they shouldn’t be allowed to dictate. Freedom of religion, again.
This is anathema and absolute blasphemy! Gods judgement will be harsh on those leading their “sheep” to hell’s gates. As it’s written, “ Satan goes to and fro seeking those whom he may devour. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
JES SAYIN, are you unable to see the consequences that would surely follow from erasing the right to life from the law because of its theological premise?
Yes, Joe Mamma, I think I am. Your comment seems focused on the Christian theology. What of the other religions that our Constitution protects. You could make the argument that the “Commandments” say thou shalt not kill and then make the point that I would be saying that murder is ok. However, all faith based religions see murder as a “sin”. The theological question is how do other religions answer the abortion debate. In Judaism, the Torah says it is not only ok, but right to terminate the pregnancy if the Mother’s life is endangered because she has more life than the unborn child. Should we tell that Mother to disobey her religious beliefs?
Tried to respond and got moderated. Was very interested in having this discussion.
I am pro choice. Choose abstinence, choose birth control, abortion is not the only choice.
The same people coming after abortion are coming after birth control though…
That is not a true statement!
To the Methodist Conference:
I do believe you have just pounded the last nail in the coffin of a foundational principal of life itself, not something “voted on” by the Methodist Church, but that life is given to us by God. God who gives everything life. You have just decided to override God…might be a big oops on your part, as far as saving your souls. You might start praying for them (your souls) right this minute, as I believe you will NOT be welcomed into the realm of Eternal Life, as you are now against that very concept.
To have “the Church” come out with this type of declaration proves your organization/members do NOT respect life. I have no respect for hypocrites, which your conference has proven to be. Do you think Jesus would support your position? I do not.
Please don’t claim to be protecting the mother, whose life might be in danger, by automatically killing the baby she is carrying…life itself. How many woman have died because they couldn’t get an abortion vs how many abortions have been given. What are those statistics?
And don’t claim that the baby is not “alive” until it’s born, as it must be alive inside her, otherwise it wouldn’t be growing and you wouldn’t have the need to eliminate it.
Linda, you seem very passionate. You asked for stats on deaths of women vs. deaths of abortions. I don’t think they are the same. Are you saying the unborn child has the same value as the mother? What if the mother has 3 other children to take care of? No one wants to get an abortion, but sometimes it is, very unfortunately, necessary to save the life of the mother.
Not surprising from a cult of Antichrist which glorifies evil depravities such as lgbt and other things that DIRECTLY goes against God, Christ and the Bible too!!
There will be hell to pay.
These people are like the false teachers of Jeremiah ch. 7.
It seems like every day the various churches have less and less to do with God.
Maybe it’s just your vision of God that they have less to do with.
There is the “church,” the building and there is the “church” the glorious body of Christ; This lot are clearly building occupiers. You can build a church building and post a name on it, paint it any color you want, gather a congregation of likeminded people, fill it with icons and references to your god, but it won’t be the Body of Christ. The body of Christ is not a building built with hands, but it is built on the person of God in Jesus Christ and His blood; Founded with Him as the chief cornerstone, filled with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, sacrificial love, an honest testimony that glorifies God, and grows with spirit filled congregants daily. You only see them in the news when they are standing on the principles of God’s Word, in stark contrast to the world or when some elected official takes umbrage at the gaul of it’s shepherd insisting on obeying God, rather than man. Read your bible, the UMC looks nothing like the Body of Christ, but rather looks like everything Christ found wrong with 6 of the 7 Churches of Asia, and will certainly hear those words, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Do not be deceived, God will not be mocked. The UMC does not have it’s own lampstand, rather is a part of the work of Satan.
Our Constitution is not one of Christian beliefs. We value all beliefs, and we respect those who have different religious beliefs than we do, right?
we value all beliefs to varying degrees, we aren’t moral relativists. When a belief is fundamentally contradictory to our principles, such as killing children, we don’t have to respect that. Additionally we all have a theological foundation on which we build our political beliefs. whoever or whatever you make your god will necessarily influence you politics.
Jo, I appreciate your comments, however, Jewish law accepts and even demands that they unborn child should be aborted if the life of the mother is in danger. Do we respect that? Do we respect the Jewish beliefs?
we respect the jewish law to the extent that it adheres to natural moral law. the law that you are siting has to do with the intention behind the action. when procuring such an abortion you MUST go in with the intention to save the mother not the intention to kill the baby. the death of the baby is a unfortunate consequence–not the objective.
Oh, I agree completely. So for you, Joe, this would be an acceptable abortion?
Joe, what about placental abruption or preeclampsia, both of which could be fatal to the mother. Would these abortions be accepted?
Get prepared for every pro-abortion person to use this alleged Methodist position against Christianity.