Canadian Abortion Ruling a Setback for Prolife Groups

ABORTION

When Canada’s supreme court legalized nonmedical abortions earlier this year, many abortionists and prochoice groups thought their battle was won. But antiabortion forces say they will use various methods to restrict the number of abortions performed in Canada.

Under the old law, abortions had been restricted to accredited hospitals and could only be performed by a qualified physician. Further, the abortion could be performed only after a therapeutic abortion committee had certified that there indeed was a danger to the “life or health” of the mother. The supreme court decision now makes abortion in Canada a private matter between a woman and her doctor. Wrote Chief Justice Brian Dickson: “Forcing a woman by threat of criminal sanction to carry a fetus to term unless she meets certain criteria unrelated to her own priorities and aspirations is a profound interference with a woman’s body.”

Though evangelicals in Canada oppose the ruling, Brian Stiller, executive director of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), says it might ultimately be beneficial for two reasons. First, says Stiller, whose organization represents 24 denominations and more than 600 churches, the ruling has settled the women’s rights issue. “Now, we can get down to the fundamental issue. And that is the definition of human life.”

Stiller also points out that the setting of rules governing abortions must be done by Parliament. “So today, parliamentarians are not able to avoid the tough choices by saying we already have a bill, or by saying the court makes the decision. My hope is that it will bring us out of our spiritual entrenchment and move us out onto the real battlefield.”

That is where the church can be most effective, say Canadian church leaders. David Mainse, for example, host of the popular “100 Huntley Street” television program, urged the estimated 250,000 people in his viewing audience to “stand up and be counted,” says Doug Burke, director of communications at Crossroads Christian Communications in Toronto. Mainse encouraged both viewers and staff to write and send telegrams to the government about the abortion issue, Burke said.

Other organizations, like Focus on the Family/Canada, have also encouraged their people to get involved in letter-writing campaigns. James A. Sclater, assistant to the president at Focus on the Family in Vancouver, says that their president, Geoffrey Still, has written constituents about getting involved in this issue.

The social concern committee of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, on the other hand, is taking a slightly different route. “Our strategy,” says Hudson T. Hilsden, coordinator of the committee,” is to ask the government to bring in emergency legislation and even to bring in legislation re-enacting a form of the previous law as a temporary measure until a new law can be adopted.” But until then, says Hilsden, his denomination will be urging their people to write their MPs and government officials about the issue.

All this activity has not escaped the attention of Canada’s prochoice advocates. The Canadian Abortion Rights League in Toronto and The Issue Is Choice organization, for example, placed ads in at least one major English language newspaper—just 11 days after the decision. It read: “We need funds to continue the fight against the vociferous anti-choice lobby. And we still must mount legal challenges against those reactionary provincial governments who would defy the Supreme Court of Canada judgment.…”

Yet the Canadian government has recently said it is considering a new abortion law that would prohibit abortions after the first 18 weeks of pregnancy—a move that is sure to keep both sides arguing well into the forseeable future.

By John Stanhope.

North American Scene

HOMOSEXUALITY

Lutherans Affirm Gay Policy

When three gay seminarians were certified for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the newly formed denomination began receiving questions about its position on homosexuality. However, because the ELCA began operating on January 1, 1988, it has not had time to develop that position.

According to Bishop Herbert W. Chilstrom, the practice of the ELCA regarding the ordination of homosexuals is the same as that of its predecessor churches. Both the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America had statements indicating homosexual behavior and not orientation | rendered a candidate ineligible for ordination.

“Those [pastors] who are gay or lesbian in their sexual orientation, whether acknowledged or kept confidential, will be expected to be celibate,” said Chilstrom.

The students in question attend Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California.

DAY CARE

Sexual Abuse Lower

Child sexual abuse is less likely to occur in a day-care center than in the child’s home, a new study reported. Compiled for the federal government by researchers at the University of New Hampshire, the study estimated that an average of 5.5 children are sexually abused for every 10,000 enrolled in day-care centers. But at home, an average of 8.9 children are abused out of every 10,000, the study found.

The study also found that although men make up only 5 percent of day-care staff, they account for 60 percent of the abuse. Sexual abuse was less likely to occur at centers where parents had ready access to children, the study reported.

Preventive measures recommended by the study included teaching children the difference between “good touching” and “bad touching,” and telling children they should not keep secrets at day care that cannot be shared with their parents.

HEALTH

Airline Bans Smoking

Northwest Orient Airlines surprised analysts and announced passengers will not be allowed to smoke on any of its domestic flights except those to and from Hawaii. The ban by the nation’s fifth-largest carrier goes beyond federal regulations that go into effect this month prohibiting smoking on domestic flights lasting two hours or less.

According to Northwest spokesman A. B. “Sky” Magary, the prohibition is a response to passengers’ and employees’ requests. He cited a Northwest study showing that 90 percent of their passengers prefer to sit in the nonsmoking section of a plane. The study also found that about 30 percent of smokers expressed a desire for smoke-free flights. “We believe more nonsmokers will switch to Northwest than smokers will leave,” said Magary.

Northwest’s ban, which goes into effect this week, drew praise from officials of the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the U.S. surgeon general’s office.

PUBLISHING

U Finds A Home

After 47 years of publication, U magazine (formerly His) will merge with World Christian magazine. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, publishers of U, and the publishers of World Christian said the two publications will merge later this spring.

The announcement ended speculation regarding the status of U, which had recorded significant financial losses due, in part, to a longstanding policy of not allowing His to sell advertising. And while most observers were surprised at the proposed merger, Linda Doll, director of InterVarsity Press, believes the two magazines “are unified in our view of God’s call to world mission.”

Gordon Aeschliman, editor of World Christian, says U will continue to address specific needs of college students. It will appear as a special section in World Christian.

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Briefly Noted

Named: As coordinator of Mission to the World, the overseas missionary arm of the Presbyterian Church in America, John E. Kyle. Most recently, Kyle served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship-USA as missions director and director of the Urbana Student Missions Conventions.

Died: Paul Ramsey, 74, one of the nation’s leading scholars of Christian ethics and a professor of religion at Princeton University for nearly 40 years. He was referred to in the New York Times as “the principal opponent of ‘situation ethics’ among Protestant thinkers.”

Gerhard Claas, 59, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, from injuries sustained in a traffic accident near Lodi, California. Claas had been chief administrative officer of the 35 million-member organization since 1980. A citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany, he once pastored the historic Johann-Gerhard Oncken Memorial Baptist Church in Hamburg.

Audrey Ockenga, 78, wife of the late Harold J. Ockenga, founding president of Fuller Theological Seminary, pastor of historic Park Street Church in Boston, and long-time chairman of the board of Christianity Today, Inc.

Resigned: Gordon D. Loux, as president and chief executive officer of Prison Fellowship Ministries, citing “differences in management philosophy, style, and role expectations.” Loux helped Charles Colson found Prison Fellowship in 1976.

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