Life and Death Issues

Under construction. Meantime for abortion/sanctity of unborn life, see Bernard N. Nathanson, "The Abortion Cocktail," First Things, No. 59, Jan. 1996, pp. 23-26; "The America We Seek: A statement of pro-life principle and concern," in First Things, No. 63, May 1996, pp. 40-44; "That They May Have Life: A statement of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod," in First Things, No. 75, Aug.-Sept. 1997, pp. 47-50.

The 15 Affirmations for Lent 1974 touched on abortion and euthanasia in Affirmation 13: "We believe that God wills that every human life grow up into the maturity of Jesus Christ. Although we recognize that there may be exceptional circumstances in which human life must be taken in order to preserve other human life, we affirm the sanctity of human life before birth and afterward. Moreover, we are not our own but God's. We therefore oppose abortion on demand, and we think that our Church's official position to remove abortion from the Criminal Code effectively puts the Church in the abortion-on-demand camp" in TD IV/2, July 1989, p.4. Thomas F. Torrance's article "The Christian Charter: The soul and the person of the unborn child" appears in TD&O XIII/1, March 1998, pp. 5-9.

For euthanasia, see TD&O VII/1, Jan. 1992: "Always to Care, Never to Kill: A Declaration on Euthanasia" by the Ramsey Colloquium, published originally in First Things, Feb. 1992; and "Presbyterians Pro-Life: Position statement on euthanasia", pp. 13-16. John Gardiner MD FRCPC considers the United church's discussion paper on euthanasia in his "Caring for the Dying: Choices and decisions: A critique and commentary," TD&O X/2, July 1995, pp. 4-7. See also Paul Miller, "The Good I Would I Cannot Do: Sin and doctor-assisted suicide," in TD&O XII/1, Jan.(Mar.) 1997, pp. 11-15.

The classic book on life is surely The Gospel of Life [Evangelium Vitae] by Pope John Paul II (Random House Times Books, 1995), pp. 189.