In his opinion on Roe v. Wade, Justice Harry Blackmun wrote in part, “It should be sufficient to note briefly the wide divergence of thinking on this most sensitive and difficult question. There has always been strong support for the view that life does not begin until live birth. This was the belief of the Stoics. It appears to be the predominant, though not the unanimous, attitude of the Jewish faith. It may be taken to represent also the position of a large segment of the Protestant community, insofar as that can be ascertained; organized groups that have taken a formal position on the abortion issue have generally regarded abortion as a matter for the conscience of the individual and her family.” [emphasis added.]
Because we do not have a copy of the amicus brief from the American Ethical Union referenced in the SCOTUS opinion, we do not know for certain what Blackmun was referring to. But- what we can show is how the language of Roe made into mainstream religious denominations prior to Roe v. Wade being decided in 1973.
For this reason, we call upon Christian Churches to humbly consider possible complicity in the holocaust of nearly 63 million preborn children from abortion.
This is not a comprehensive work.
Where did the language of Roe originate?
In 1959, the American Law Institute (A.L.I.), an organization of American lawyers and other elite members of the judiciary, whose mission was the reform of American law, proposed that therapeutic abortions should be legal. Although the first draft of the Model Penal Code to liberalize abortion was released on May 21, 1959, the final version was issued in 1962.
American Law Institute (ALI) model penal code on abortion from CDC
The law proposed that “[a] licensed physician is justified in terminating a pregnancy if he believes there is a substantial risk:
(1) When continuation of pregnancy would gravely impair the physical and mental health of the mother; or
(2) When the child might be born with grave physical or mental defect; or
(3) When the pregnancy resulted from rape, incest, or other felonious intercourse.”
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code on Abortion (Image: Chicago Tribune, 1966)
The ALI’s Model Penal Code was the premise of the 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. At that time a large percentage of states allowed abortion only when the woman’s life was endangered. By 1967, three states had liberalized it; according to Time.com, by 1968, four of five states—Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia and Maryland, had authorized it “if the child is likely to be born defective,” but “California did not sanction this ground because Governor Ronald Reagan threatened to veto any bill that included it.”
American Baptist:
In 1967 the American Baptist Convention voted to support abortion in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother and saying that abortion a “matter of responsible personal decision.”
American Baptists vote for abortion 1967
In 1987 the church resolution read in part, “As American Baptists, members of a covenant community of believers in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge life as a sacred and gracious gift of God. We affirm that God is the Creator of all life, that human beings are created in the image of God, and Christ is Lord of life. Recognizing this gift of life, we find ourselves struggling with the painful and difficult issue of abortion. Genuine diversity of opinion threatens the unity of our fellowship, but the nature of the covenant demands mutual love and respect. Together, we must seek the mind of Christ.”
But they go on to state, “We also recognize that we are divided as to the proper witness of the church to the state regarding abortion. Many of our membership seek legal safeguards to protect unborn life. Many others advocate for and support family planning legislation, including legalized abortion as in the best interest of women in particular and society in general. Again, we have many points of view between these two positions. Consequently, we acknowledge the freedom of each individual to advocate for a public policy on abortion that reflects his or her beliefs.”
Episcopal Church
In 1976, the Episcopal Church reaffirmed it’s 1967 position, reminiscent of future language of Roe v. Wade, they wrote, “That the position of this Church, stated at the 62nd General Convention of the Church in Seattle in 1967 which declared support for the ‘termination of pregnancy’ particularly in those cases where ‘the physical or mental health of the mother is threatened seriously, or where there is substantial reason to believe that the child would be born badly deformed in mind or body, or where the pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest’ is reaffirmed. Termination of pregnancy for these reasons is permissible.’”
Their website currently states that, “The Episcopal Church teaches that ‘all human life is sacred. Hence, it is sacred from its inception until death. The Church takes seriously its obligation to help form the consciences of its members concerning this sacredness. Human life, therefore, should be initiated only advisedly and in full accord with this understanding of the power to conceive and give birth which is bestowed by God.’”
They go on to write, “In a series of statements over the past decades, the Church has declared that ‘we emphatically oppose abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason of mere convenience.’ At the same time, since 1967, The Episcopal Church has maintained its ‘unequivocal opposition to any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions [about the termination of pregnancy] and to act upon them.’ ”
A booklet published by the Commission on Marriage, Board of Social Ministry, Lutheran Church in America in 1970, used the same language of Roe v. Wade and read in part:
“The key issue is how we speak of the unborn fetus. Certainly the fetus is valuable in its potential; it is the organic beginning of human life. The termination of its development, therefore, is a serious matter, not to be taken lightly.
“As part of God’s creation, the fetus deserves the most careful consideration when its future is being decided. Nevertheless, a qualitative distinction must be made between its claims and the claims of a responsible human being endowed with all the human rights that are grounded in the image of God.
“This means that in decisions about abortion, in the light of God’s purpose of life-together-in-love, attention must be given, not only to the goodness of germinating life, but to the mother’s rights to life and health, her responsibilities toward other children and the father, the economic and psychological stability of the home, the laws of the land, and the consequences for society as a whole…
“…A point of view is emerging in North America which argues that there should be no laws at all in the field of abortion, except to protect patients from inferior and dangerous medical treatment and to protect physicians from unjust charges of malpractice.
“Although many regard this point of view to be valid, it is not recommended in our pluralistic society at this time. Rather, legislation ought to be enacted, roughly uniform throughout a nation, which permits abortion for such reasons as the following: when pregnancy (1) threatens a mother’s physical or mental health, (2) results from rape or incest, or (3) is likely to produce a child with severe physical or mental defects It should stipulate that abortion be done by a qualified physician and in an institution which is licensed by provincial, state, or local authorities to provide medical service. Such legislation should be in the realm of public health law, not the penal code.”
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
A 1992 PCUSA report indicates they also used the language of Roe v Wade – where they wrote, “By the 1970s, both the former PCUS and the UPCUSA were affirming the pregnant woman’s ability to reach a morally justifiable decision to abort. In the PCUS statement adopted in 1970, possible justifying circumstances for an abortion included: ‘medical indications of physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, conditions under which the physical or mental health of either mother or child would be gravely threatened, or the socio-economic condition of the family’ (Minutes, PCUS, 1970, Part I, p. 126). The assembly emphasized, however, that’ ‘the decision to terminate a pregnancy should never be made lightly or in haste” (Minutes, PCUS, 1970, Part I, p. 126).”
“Presbyterians have struggled with the issue of abortion for more than 30 years, beginning in 1970 when the General Assembly, the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declared that ‘the artificial or induced termination of a pregnancy is a matter of careful ethical decision of the patient … and therefore should not be restricted by law …’ In the years that followed this action, the General Assembly has adopted policy and taken positions on the subject of abortion.
“The considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be a morally acceptable, though certainly not the only or required, decision. Possible justifying circumstances would include medical indications of severe physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or mental health of either woman or child would be gravely threatened…The strong Christian presumption is that since all life is precious to God, we are to preserve and protect it. Abortion ought to be an option of last resort …”
In 1971, the SBC’s abortion resolution also used the language of Roe v. Wade:
WHEREAS, Christians in the American society today are faced with difficult decisions about abortion; and
WHEREAS, Some advocate that there be no abortion legislation, thus making the decision a purely private matter between a woman and her doctor; and
WHEREAS, Others advocate no legal abortion, or would permit abortion only if the life of the mother is threatened;
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, that this Convention express the belief that society has a responsibility to affirm through the laws of the state a high view of the sanctity of human life, including fetal life, in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon Southern Baptists to work for legislation that will allow the possibility of abortion under such conditions as rape, incest, clear evidence of severe fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, mental, and physical health of the mother.
The 1971 resolution was introduced by Foy Valentine, the Executive Secretary of the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and a founding member of the Christian Ethics Today Journal.
In 2003, Tom Strode wrote, “some SBC leaders affirmed the right to abortion. Foy Valentine, then-executive director of the SBC’s former Christian Life Commission, and three seminary professors endorsed ‘A Call to Concern,’ a statement affiliated with the then-Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights that supported the Roe v. Wade opinion. RCAR is now the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. The convention began adopting pro-life resolutions in the early 1980s after the conservative resurgence began…The Christian Life Commission did not become pro-life until Richard Land became its head in 1988. The CLC is now known as the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.”
“Before going to the Christian Life Commission, Valentine was director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission from 1953 to 1960,” wrote Baptist News Global (BNG).
Adding:
“Bob Allen said Valentine’s critics “overstated” his affirmation of abortion. “His position was that abortion was an evil but allowable for the health of the mother,” said Allen, who succeeded Valentine at the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission and later directed the SBC Radio and Television Commission.
According to Good Faith Media, Foy was “A past president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and board member of the religious-left Interfaith Alliance, Valentine was most despised by SBC fundamentalists for supporting the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, later known as the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.”
“After retiring from the CLC, which later was renamed the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Valentine founded the Center for Christian Ethics, now attached to Baylor University. He was the founding editor of the journal, Christian Ethics Today, in 1995 and a trustee of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, among other national groups.”
In 2004, the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention wrote, “Valentine led the SBC in 1971 to approve an abortion rights resolution. Later, Valentine opposed a constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion on demand and in 1977 was a national sponsor of the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights. He retired from the CLC in 1985 for medical reasons, but received a salary until 1988. Valentine wrote a book on ethics published in 2003 by Smith & Helwys, and is the founding editor of A Journal of Christian Ethics, a website established in 2000. He is a lecturer at the Hardin-Simmons University Logsdon School of Theology in Texas. Valentine formerly headed the Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor. He is a trustee for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.”
The SBC began to affirm the sanctity of life in 1976.
At the June 18, 2003,SBC annual meeting, decided to undo several resolutions adopted by the convention in the 1970s that expressed support for abortion in cases where the mother’s or infant’s health was in question and to, “lament and renounce statements and actions by previous Conventions and previous denominational leadership that offered support to the abortion culture” by embracing a resolution “on thirty years of Roe v. Wade.” (Read in full here)
By 2021 the SBC was fully against abortion, writing in part, “RESOLVED, that we humbly confess and lament any complicity in recognizing exceptions that legitimize or regulate abortion, and of any apathy, in not laboring with the power and influence we have to abolish abortion…”
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
In 1963, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations published their “Reform of abortion statutes” which used the same language later adopted by Blackmun in Roe v. Wade.
It read:
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: That the Unitarian Universalist Association support enactment of a uniform statute making abortion legal if: 1.There would be grave impairment of the physical or mental health of the mother; 2.The child would be born with a serious physical or mental defect; 3.Pregnancy resulted from rape or incest; 4.There exists some other compelling reason — physical, psychological, mental, spiritual, or economic.
By 1968, the Association wrote, “BE IT RESOLVED: That the 1968 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalists Association urges that efforts be made to abolish existing abortion laws except to prohibit performance of an abortion by a person who is not a duly licensed physician, leaving the decision as to an abortion to the doctor and his patient.” And by 1973, “BE IT RESOLVED: That we support the US Supreme Court ruling on abortion and its implementation.”
During the 1970 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, the conference took up the “issue” of population, “To renewed urging for limitation of population growth, the conference added a call for removing abortion from the criminal code and placing it under medical practice regulations.”
In June of 1970, New World Outlook, (published by the UMC Board of Missions), reported, “The General Conference of the United Methodist Church placed the denomination on record as favoring legalized abortion and voluntary sterilization as a partial solution to the world’s population crisis. The delegates adopted a resolution calling on the states to remove abortion from their Criminal Codes and place it under regulations relating to standard medical practice. A part of the resolution which triggered long debate stated that “abortion would be available only upon request of the person most directly concerned.”
Methodist New World Outlook on abortion resolution 1970
“The beginning of life and the ending of life are the God-given boundaries of human existence. While Individuals have Always had some degree of control over when they would die, they now have the awesome power to determine when and even whether new individuals will be born. Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy. In continuity with past Christian teaching, we recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion. We call all Christians to a searching and prayerful inquiry into the sorts of conditions that may warrant abortion.
“We support the removal of abortion from the criminal code, placing it instead under laws relating to other procedures of standard medical practice. A decision concerning abortion should be made only after thorough and thoughtful consideration by the parties involved, with medical and pastoral counsel.
“We applaud medical science for efforts to prevent disease and illness and for advances in treatment that extend the meaningful life of human beings. At the same time, we assert the right of every person to die in dignity, with loving personal care and without efforts to prolong terminal illnesses merely because the technology is available to do so.”
United Methodist Church abortion position 1972
UMC currently writes (in part) in their 2020 Revised Social Principles document, “Our commitment to the sanctity of human life makes us reluctant to condone abortion. We unconditionally reject it as an acceptable means of birth control or a mechanism for gender selection and other forms of eugenics…We oppose late-term or partial-birth abortion, a process also known as dilation and extraction. We call for the end to this practice, except when the life of the mother is in danger, no other medical treatments are feasible, or when severe abnormalities threaten the viability of the fetus. We recognize that these and other tragic conflicts of life with life may justify decisions to terminate the life of a fetus. In these limited circumstances, we support the legal option of abortion and insist that such procedures be performed by trained medical providers in clean and safe settings.”
In 2016, Pew Research wrote, “The United Methodist Church provides one example of a religious group whose stand on abortion is not entirely clear. At its quadrennial convention, held in May, church delegates voted to repeal a 40-year-old resolution supporting the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and approved another resolution ending the church’s membership in a pro-abortion rights advocacy group. However, the church’s Book of Discipline (which lays out the denomination’s law and doctrine) stresses that abortion should be, in some cases, legally available.”
Many of the nation’s largest mainline Protestant denominations – including the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Methodists – also support abortion rights, although several of these churches temper this support with the call for some limits on when a woman can terminate her pregnancy. For instance, while the Episcopal Church opposes statutory limits on abortion, it teaches that “it should be used only in extreme situations.”
As reported by Live Action News, it is also true that, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many mainstream religious groups were outspoken in the battle for the right to life. In 1971, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod condemned abortion, claiming, “no person has the right to extinguish human life…” By 1973, the West Ohio conference of the Methodist Church supported a Constitutional amendment for the “right to life of an unborn fetus…” Then by 1976, thousands of Protestants and Catholics opposed abortion at the First Covenant Church in Minneapolis, MN.
Lutherans and Methodists opposed abortion in early 1970s
Saynsumthn's Blog 