BISHOP SPEAKS ON ABORTION

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33664, 14 October 1974, Page 18

BISHOP SPEAKS ON ABORTION

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, October 13. Medical science clearly showed that abortion meant the destruction of unborn children, the Bishop of Auckland (the Rt Rev, E. A. Gowing) said in a sermon at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity tonight.

Bishop Gowing said that the present increasing ; desire for liberalisation ' showed an unwillingness to accept responsibility for per- ’ sonal actions. “The course I am advocat- , ing means that the woman has to have a child which i she does not really want,”!, he said. But he said that abortion; would not remove the , anguish of having a child in I: difficult circumstances and frequently resulted in a sense!' of guilt. “We should be willing to ■, face up to what abortion: basically means,” he said. “1 am for the preservation,: care, and protection of the i unborn.” Bishop Gowing said he wanted to make it clear that he could not speak for all . Christians — or even all Anglicans — but was speak- ' ing of what had been revealed; ■ to him as he had considered ■ the question. i “Society needs a more re-! ’I sponsible attitude towards ■ sex and a willingness to share , in the results of our acts,” he ■ said. Care for those who were '.born and perhaps not really ■ wanted fell on society and (the Church. ’I The Bishop advocated more birth control for men and

women. “I want to make it: clear that men have great responsibility in this matter as well,” he said.

He would favour abortion in the “extremely rare” cases of pregnancy resulting from rape, and in cases where the mother’s life was at stake and medical opinion recommended it. “Those against abortion on Christian grounds are often told they have no right; to impose their views on others,” he said. Where beliefs were sin-! cerely held and their acceptance was not injurious to society but increased the, well-being of society. Church members should firmly advocate those values. Where it had been shown that other policies would threaten the community, they should be opposed,' said Bishop Gowing.