Pasadena : Church Is Pro-Choice
After months of work and numerous community forums, the governing board of All Saints Episcopal Church has adopted a pro-choice position on abortion.
The one-page statement affirms a woman’s right to abortion as legally granted under the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade and states “that no law should be enacted to force an unwilling woman to give birth to an unwanted child.”
“In our efforts to construct a loving society, where unwanted pregnancies do not occur, we advocate responsible expressions of human sexuality in the context of love and commitment,” the statement said.
The adoption of the policy Monday will enable the church to become active in events such as the Nov. 12 pro-choice march in Washington. The church may also take a part in lobbying the state Legislature, said Anne Peterson, executive assistant to the Rev. George Regas, pastor of the church.
A pro-choice sermon by Regas in July sparked discussion about the church’s stand on abortion and resulted in the policy’s adoption. By its action Monday, All Saints becomes one of the few Protestant churches in Southern California to take a leadership role in the abortion issue.
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