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General Assembly 2004
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Women's Right to Choice |
| Facing the
dilemmas of birth defects, let's not accept over-simple answers
[6-21-04]
Yesterday's
(6/20/04)
New York Times carried
a front page
article on the ethical dilemmas facing prospective parents who discover
birth defects, or the possibility of birth defects, early in pregnancy.
Increased use of pre-natal testing to screen for such diseases as cystic
fibrosis has brought about both the blessing of increased knowledge and the
increased burden of choice for such families.
Every year our
denomination wrestles with issues of reproductive choice and the ethics of
abortion. This year will be no different, with several overtures again
revisiting the ethical dilemmas connected with those few abortions that
occur later in pregnancy, while one overture seeks to insert a statement in
our Book of Order calling simply for an end to abortion, presumably by
recriminalizing it.
Obviously, these
are issues about which Presbyterians and other morally serious persons will
never fully agree. The article in the Times
demonstrates some of the many shades of grey involved in making complex
decisions around this ethical dilemma.
Awareness of
these complexities might also help to underscore the need for mutual respect
for our differences of opinion.
Unfortunately,
there are groups that continue to claim that our denomination "promotes any
and all abortions" (Presbyterians for Renewal, ReNews, GA
Briefing) and those who boast to the New York Times
(May 22, 2004) of their intention to be present "in force," at GA, using the
issue of abortion as a wedge to divide and conquer.
Looks like
another interesting General Assembly.
Bruce Cameron,
Co-moderator
Presbyterians
Affirming Reproductive Options, a network of the Presbyterian Health,
Education and Welfare Association
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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Plan now for our 2010 Ghost Ranch
Seminar!
GHOST RANCH SEMINAR
July 26-August 1, 2010
WE’RE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER
CONFRONTING THE STRUCTURES OF INJUSTICE |
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