early months of pregnancy and permit physicians to determine the applicability of more limited criteria thereafter." Thereafter, the Pronouncement on Women and the implementating Proposal for Action on abortions were submitted to the Secretary and to the local churches and Conferences for comment, as described above.

In the spring of 1971 the Council distributed two special issues of its magazine, SOCIAL ACTION, on these topics to the local churches and members. The one on abortion stated divergent views to facilitate discussion. We ask leave to file it as an Exhibit. Additional copies of it and of the issue on Women are available on request.

ACTION AT THE EIGHTH GENERAL SYNOD, JUNE 1971

On June 26 the Committee on Pronouncements reported on the Status of Women statement. It noted that the questionnaires had gone out to the Conferences, Associations, local churches, delegates and other individuals and that an open hearing had been held at the Synod on June 24. The Committee recommended a text which it had drafted in the light of the responses from the field and the suggestions made at the hearing. There was discussion and the Pronouncement was adopted overwhelmingly. It still contained a provision for "legalization of physician-performed abortions during the early months of pregnancy." A task force was also established to implement the pronouncement.

On June 29 the Committee reported on the Proposal for Action concerning abortion. It noted that the usual procedure of submission to the Conferences and local churches had been followed and reported that a tabulation of the responses showed that 2,804 persons were recorded as participating, 58.4% supported the Proposal in principle; 26.5% were opposed and 15.1% abstained. Replies were received from 35 states. Of the delegates to the Synod, 82.3% favored the permission of abortion in the early stages of pregnancy. An open hearing had also been held at the Synod on June 24.

The Committee then presented its draft, "based on what the churches and delegates said." This supported freedom, or no legislation, during the "early months" of pregnancy. A delegate then moved the substitution of another statement which was essentially that of the Board for Homeland Ministries calling for the "repeal of all legal prohibitions of physician-performed abortions." There was prolonged debate on the motion to substitute. It eventually carried by a standing division of the House. The vote was 474 to 128.

Other amendments were made, substituting various portions of different drafts. Finally, a motion to close debate carried and the statement was adopted as amended. A delegate who was also an M.D. then protested, stating that he had been waiting at the microphone for recognition; others had been heard subsequently at other microphones; and he had been cut off by the motion to close debate. Thereupon a motion to reconsider carried and the delegate was recognized. He raised both theological and medical questions and opposed the statement. Then the vote was taken again on the motion to adopt. This time it carried 523 to 51. A request to add a minority report was ruled out of order under the standing rules, since the majority had well over 75% of the votes cast. The statement thus adopted was as follows:

FREEDOM OF CHOICE CONCERNING ABORTION, ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL SYNOD, JUNE 29, 1971

"A responsible position concerning abortion should be based on a consideration of the rights of the individual woman, her potential child, her family and society, as well as the rights of the fetus.

Theological and Ethical Factors

"Standing in the Hebrew-Christian tradition, we affirm God as the Source of life our life, all life, life to the full. He has called us to share the work of creation with him, giving us the privileges and responsibilities of fellowship in the family and in the wider unities of society. Thus we affirm the freedom with which God endowed men and women, but we affirm and receive this as freedom bound to responsibility. At its best our Western legal tradition, too, has served the dual purpose of protecting human freedom and helping human beings to discharge their responsibilities to one another.

"Our religious heritage has also stressed reverence for human life. Accordingly, the enhancement of human life and the protection of the rights of persons, particularly the week and defenseless, has become an important element in our

legal system. It has found expression in laws intended to protect those who cannot protect themselves, such as children, including the unborn. It is neither likely nor desirable that organized society would disavow its responsibility in this regard.

"Inevitably, therefore, a judgment will be made or assumed as to when personal human life begins and at what point society has an interest in it and affirms an obligation toward it. Although a form of life exists in the sperm and the unfertilized ovum, a new kind of life emerges at the moment of their union. Many regard conception (up to 72 hours after coitus), others implantation (7 days), as the beginning of an inviolable life. But while such life is human in origin and potentially human in character, the integration of bodily functions and the possibility of social interaction do not appear until later. Alternatives candidates for the beginning of significantly human life are the final fixing of the genetic code (3 weeks), the first central nervous system activity (8 weeks), brain de velopment and cardiac activity (12 weeks). Some time after the twelfth week "quickening" occurs; that is, the mother can feel the arm and leg movements of the fetus. "Viability" in the present stage of technology begins between the 20th and 28th week, and the fetus has a chance for survival outside the womb. At some point in the process from conception to birth there comes "a period when a life contains that which is essentially valued as significantly human and should be vested with a sanctity uncompromisable to the interest of lesser claims" (Robert M. Veatch in SOCIAL ACTION, March, 1971).

"An ethical view does not require an undifferentiated concern for life. It places peculiar value upon personal life and upon the quality of life, both actual and potential. In that light it is understandable that today an increasing number of persons find it difficult, if not impossible, to attribute anything more than the potentiality of human personhood to the embryo in its early stages. The implication is that factors other than its existence may appropriately be given equal or greater weight at this time the welfare of the whole family, its economic condition, the age of the parents, their view of the optimum number of children consonant with their resources and the pressures of population, their vocational and social objectives, for example.

"On the other hand, many would agree that during the later months of a normal pregnancy life should not be interrupted except for the most serious reasons (such as the physical or mental health of the mother, abnormally or disease of the fetus, incest, or rape).

"This distinction is of the greatest importance. Individuals contemplating an abortion should make a responsible decision early, certainly within the first two or three months.

Legislative Policy

"The theological and scientific views on when human life begins are so numerous and varied that one particular view should not be forced on society through its legal system.

"Present laws prohibiting abortion are neither just nor enforceable. They compel women either to bear unwanted children or to seek illegal abortions regardless of the medical hazards and suffering involved. By severely limiting access to safe abortions, these laws have the effect of discriminating against the poor.

"The mere liberalization of the laws has not proven to be a viable solution to the problem of illegal abortions. The liberalized laws tend to cause more rigidity and narrowness of interpretation, and, in any case, cannot cover all circumstances in which an abortion may be appropriate.

"For these reasons, the Eighth General Synod of the United Church of Christ calls for the repeal of all legal prohibitions of physician-performed abortions. This would take abortion out of the realm of penal law and make voluntary and medically safe abortions legally available to all women. Simultaneously we ask that adequate protection be given to "conscientious objectors" against abortion, including physicians, nurses, and prospective mothers.

Call to Action

"In order to give effect to its concern for freedom with responsibility, and acknowledging the church's obligation to aid in the resolution of the problem of unwanted pregnancies, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ takes the following action :

1. The General Synod calls upon the churches of the United Church of Christ and their members to involve themselves extensively in programs which would

support repeal of present abortion legislation and to expand their ministries of counsel and concern to all women who have problems related to unwanted pregnancies.

2. The General Synod calls upon pastors, members, local churches, Conferences, and Instrumentalities to provide programs of counseling and education as to the meaning and nature of human life, sexuality, responsible parenthood, population control, and family life.

3. The General Synod calls on pastors, members, local churches, Conferences, and Instrumentalities to support and expand programs of family life and sex education in schools, agencies for adult education, communications media, and other public institutions; and to encourage the extension of information and services related to contraception as instrumental to the prevention of undesirable pregnancies and the achievement of wholesome family life.

4. The General Synod calls on pastors, members, and local churches to offer counseling opportunities and supporting fellowship for persons facing problems of unwanted or ill-advised pregnancies; to assist such persons in making wise ethical decisions regarding their problems; and to help them find professional assistance if necessary, as through existing noncommercial consultative services. 5. The General Synod urges the Council for Health and Welfare and its member agencies to work for the expansion of family planning services in the communities they serve and to initiate new programs that can serve as models to other hospitals and institutions.

6. The General Synod requests the Division of Health and Welfare and the Division of Christian Education to provide educational resources, consultative services and training for constituents who wish to sponsor programs which are consistent with this General Synod position.

7. The General Synod calls on pastors, members, health and welfare committees, the Division of Health and Welfare, and other agencies to develop ministries on behalf of disadvantaged and minority groups which would give them freedom of choice in the area of family planning and in the termination of unwanted pregnancies in keeping with this statement.

8. The General Synod calls the above action to the attention of Conferences and Instrumentalities and urges their appropriate staffs to cooperate closely in the implementation of the purposes of this statement."

SIGNIFICANCE OF A GENERAL SYNOD STATEMENT

It is basic policy in the United Church of Christ that each of its agencies speaks only for itself. This includes even the General Synod. No member of the Church is bound by any utterance unless he or she is convinced as to its rightness. Nevertheless, the delegates to the General Synod and its various instrumentalities are ministers and lay members whose devotion, interest and competence have been recognized in their selection by their fellow members. Their enactments therefore merit respect and serious consideration.

We have reported above the procedures concerning the abortion statement in great detail because they show the democratic nature and the careful, extensive, deliberate participation in the final decision. This was not a decision of one church official, or a small group of officials formulating their personal theories. This was a large cross-section body of almost two million Americans, engaging in ample grass roots discussions and gradually coming to a decision through their chosen delegates. The resulting statement is therefore entitled to great weight by the Congress and others seeking the judgment of the American people.

ISSUES RAISED BY THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

It is clear, of course, that the issue here is not for or against abortion as such. We have not taken a position in favor of abortion. The issue is one of freedomwhether the woman and her physician in what is usually an unplanned emergency can make the decision as to what is God's will, without being dictated to by Government.

Basically the issue is one of religious beliefs. Our organization is a church—a church of people who have carefully formulated their belief, their majority position, on this issue. Both of the amendments to the U.S. constitution proposed in S.J. 119 and S.J. 130 would nullify our beliefs and would make it illegal for our members to practice them. The amendments would prohibit the free exercise of our religion. They would be in conflict with the First Amendment to the Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishmment of religion,

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." If the amendments should be adopted, we would have to take them to the Courts to determine whether the First Amendment or the new amendments prevailed.

In our thinking, the issue involves also our conception of women and their standing in the sight of God. We reported above the consideration and adoption of a Pronouncement on the Status of Women in Church and Society. We have a standing Task Force to implement that pronouncement in our church and in society. If the Government said a woman had to give birth to a fetus, without regard to any and all circumstances, that dictation would reduce her personhood to that of an animal and constitute a gross violation of our Christian faith. Most abortion opponents concede the desirability of abortion in cases of rape and incest. Yet the proposed amendments would require these births. We attach our Pro nouncement on Women as an appendix to illustrate further our position on the desirable roles of women.

The issue also involves our conception of the standing of children in God's love. The sayings of Jesus Christ on children are well known. Yet the proposed amendments would make many of them the products of accidents, often undesired and unloved and sometimes malformed and doomed to live in misery for their entire lives. Tests can now be performed, known as amniocentesis, to determine the existence or nonexistence of chromosomal abnormality in a fetus. Mongolism, sickle cell anemia, diabetes and many other diseases can be identified. The proposed amendments would require the birth of all fetuses, regardless of their diseases and of the suffering which the resulting children would be predestined to endure.

For all these reasons, in the cause of both religion and humanity, we oppose the amendments and any others that would destroy the freedom of a pregnant woman and her physician to make the decision for birth or abortion.

APPENDIX

THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL SYNOD, JUNE 26, 1971

An integral part of our Christian faith is that God's love for all his children makes no distinction of worth between male and female. They are equal in value in God's sight; therefore, distinctions made by society which assume an inferiorsuperior relationship are contrary to the will of God. The right of each person to achieve his or her maximum potential as a child of God is basic to any understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We affirm the vital importance of the woman's role in the parent-child relationship; however, our society has locked most women into stereotyped roles as housekeepers and child-raisers without regard to their desires or abilities to perform other kinds of work. This has resulted in widespread discrimination in employment, job training, education, and compensation for work performed. Many a woman, sheltered by her husband's earnings and presence, never learns that discrimination exists until widowed or divorced. In great part women are excluded from better paying jobs, and in many instances they receive less pay for performing substantially the same work. Furthermore they are underrepresented on church boards, in church pulpits, and on the staffs of the denomi nation's national and judicatory structures.

The health of the church, the family, and all institutions of our society depends on the contributions all can make; thus, to deny any group the right to fulfill its maximum potential is to deprive society of the most effective means for solving its increasingly complex problems.

Moreover, women have been the victims of injustice resulting from cultural patterns which have greatly restricted their freedom in the performance of their sexual roles. These act as restrictions upon men also, since our culture makes assumptions about what are properly "male" interests and traits and what are properly "female."

In the light of these considerations, the General Synod calls on the members, local churches, Conferences, Instrumentalities, and other national agencies of the United Church of Christ to:

(1) Insist on increasing opportunities for women in theological education, ordination, voluntary roles, and employment at all levels of the church's life as pastors, as national and judicatory staff, with equal pay for equal work, and as members and officers of the policy-making boards and agencies of the denomination.

(2) Introduce into church and public school materials more information concerning the significant contributions women have made to our history and culture.

(3) Offer the church as inspiration and forum to develop a social action program concerning women's rights and expectations.

(4) Work toward elimination of discrimination in employment and compensation on the basis of sex wherever it exists in our society.

(5) Call on the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on Political Rights of Women which is now pending before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

(6) Work with easier access to contraceptive information and materials, and for legalization of physician-performed abortions during the early months of

pregnancy.

(7) Commend (without necessarily endorsing every claim, style, and proposal) the movements for women's rights for their contributions toward better understanding of the economic, cultural, and social injustices which have been inflicted upon the women in our society.

(8) Affirm new life styles for our children which allow boys and girls to express their essential humanity and free their vocational prospects.

(9) Recognize that there are other areas not covered in this document and deserving further study, especially those pertaining to the legal implications of the Equal Rights Amendment, such as military service, divorce, legal age, and property rights.