ÿWPC6 ð(1Žê…Lie _©î6@ñûîQ’(¡Ç ±AMiesÔ…ÈE`ŒýÇ»Þm ­¹?£ŸöшyéiôR@³4îéÀ@ úUtÂ<…ÒÍE°ÆËÂÜOÁ%aëŠÓbÞ¤Vk·<X¤P r‡°½Rñ—hš¬çJÃUµVëœRU9ºEè@§Ö­AAÒ™˜žá‹Iä©Ák ï9Ø×J9NEvÜ ¥B¸ á[œ.-QOû®«r4Hç-€¤P;+W|•Á­ÈÍGôâØ‚\§Ìöità iŒ*|lj=[:ûpMÀ‚~ÁØc4Ð ío1+ÊùN^ñ ]SöÈÛrB®Üo5“Ĥ¯w2•¢ÜÆÇ`4ü–}åþD0lÚµVÐÔzînqAGô „õ#Τd•¾ò*±‹EÛ\ ¡„F('ò@:,Á܃dmîËtÚfž¢·¹è?\h ajØþŸ¾ÜN#6éÿ‰,ÒÔ¨}®—ñy—û¨Ç{3Eeñ•ÈE+„–úA­cFàäÇG<€©þAî]£»¾~$S!פ“RÍ»ÎD8i}¬2C¢—·0,ðÆöÝÁÖÓ‰tS6qˆrË^,¬®0*r÷çpÛ÷2˜³îãôSÐ ž8ÙëŸýx 0(  m2RI›#!·UNØ %&^ , 0R8NŠ ^Œnê 0NX D+¦w@Ñ4%4($¡¡ÿU‹ÿÀÀÀhttp://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/tumaslw/LIFEWATCH˜Brother HL-630,,,,,,,,0(ÖÃ9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularXx©!&ä(WÙë$ÅÅò òòòÔ  ÔÔ Ôó óóó ˜c:\COREL\SUITE8\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~2\WP8US.WPTc:\Corel\Suite8\Template\Custom WP Templates\wp8US.wpt(ÍO$——ÔÿÔòòóóÔÿÔ'ÈÈÈÈdxd UUDUUUUUEU Ÿ•%$tm‚¨…3|xÝ ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÝ‚ ÙëEÝò òòòÔ  ÔÝ  ÝÝ‚ Ùë+ÝÝ  ÝLIFEWATCH'S€MODEL€RESOLUTION݃ Ùë+YÝÔ AԌР° ÐŒó óóóÝ  ÝññÌññAs€The€United€Methodist€Church€prepares€for€yet€another€season€of€Annual€Conference€sessionsÏin€1999€and€yet€another€General€Conference€in€2000,€the€Lifewatch€community€can€and€should€beÏpreparing€to€lead€our€denomination€toward€a€more€faithful€witness€on€life€and€abortion.€With€thatÏchallenge€in€mind,€we€offer€the€following€model€resolution.ÌÌLifewatch€invites€and€encourages€you€to€bring€this€resolution€to€the€floor€of€your€AnnualÏConference€session€this€coming€spring€or€summer.€You€might€have€your€local€church€approve€itÏand€submit€it€to€your€Annual€Conference.€Or€you€might€gather€a€group€from€your€District€or€yourÏConference€to€endorse€it€and€send€it€in.€Or€you,€as€an€individual,€might€offer€it€to€your€AnnualÏConference.€Whatever€means€you€employ,€please€make€sure€that€this€resolution€is€brought€to€aÏvote€during€the€1999€session€of€your€Annual€Conference.ÌòòÌTo€get€this€model€resolution€to€the€floor€of€your€Annual€Conference€next€summer,€you€will€needÏto€submit€a€copy€of€the€resolution,€edited€for€your€home€conference,€to€your€conference€officeÏbefore€your€conference's€resolution€deadline.óó€Some€deadlines,€we€understand,€are€as€early€asÐ  ð Ðmid-January€1999,€so€it€would€be€good€to€get€cracking€on€this€project€immediately,€if€not€sooner.ÌÌYour€effort,€in€service€of€the€Gospel€of€Life,€might€well€assist€General€Conference€2000€inÏstepping€away€from€United€Methodism's€present€pro-choice,€indeed€pro-abortion,€position.€YourÏeffort,€in€service€of€the€Gospel€of€Life,€might€well€help€General€Conference€2000€to€break€ranksÏwith€the€culture€of€death€and€join€the€culture€of€life.ÌÌOur€thanks€to€Ruth€Brown,€James€A.€Gibson,€Michael€J.€Gorman,€John€E.€Ô_ÔJuergensmeyerÔ_Ô,€RobÏÔ_ÔRicheyÔ_Ô,€and€Marc€Rogers€for€their€wise€counsel€and€helpful€assistance€in€crafting€this€modelÏresolution.€ÌÌAlso,€thank€you€for€your€careful€attention,€your€prayerful€consideration,€and€your€affirmativeÏresponse.€And€may€the€Lord€be€with€you€as€you€advance€this€Christian€witness€for€life.ÌÌRESOLUTION:€AMENDING€òòTHE€BOOK€OF€DISCIPLINEóó'S€PARAGRAPH€ON€ABORTIONÐ t!Ä Ð(65J):ÌÌWHEREAS,€the€Church€has€witnessed€and€worked,€through€the€ages,€to€protect€"the€least€ofÏthese"€(Matthew€25:40),€including€unborn€children€and€their€mothers;€that€is,€from€the€òòDidacheóó€toÐ $%t # Ðthe€Church€Fathers,€from€Martin€Luther€and€John€Calvin€and€John€Wesley€to€Karl€Barth€andÏDietrich€Ô_ÔBonhoefferÔ_Ô,€from€Albert€Ô_ÔOutlerÔ_Ô€and€Paul€Ramsey€to€Mother€Teresa,€the€teachers€andÏteachings€of€the€Church€have€consistently€promoted€protection€of€the€unborn€and€their€mothers;ÌÌWHEREAS,€Paragraph€65J€of€the€1996€òòBook€of€Disciplineóó€states€belief€in€"the€sanctity€of€unbornÐ À)%( Ðhuman€life"€and€"the€sacredness€of€the€life€and€well-being€of€the€mother;"ÌÌWHEREAS,€Paragraph€65J€on€abortion,€as€it€now€reads,€is€morally€ambiguous;€therefore,€thisÏparagraph€is€incapable€of€rendering€moral€guidance€on€abortion€that€is€consistent€with€historicÐ p-À(, ÐChristian€teaching€and€with€its€own€affirmations;€this€is€particularly€tragic€in€American€society,Ïwhich€has€counted€over€35€million€abortions€performed€since€1973€and€now€averagesÏapproximately€3,800€abortions€performed€each€day;ÌÌWHEREAS,€Paragraph€65J's€moral€ambiguity€has€allowed€The€United€Methodist€Church'sÏGeneral€Board€of€Church€and€Society,€along€with€the€Women's€Division€of€the€General€Board€ofÏGlobal€Ministries,€to€affiliate€with€and€support€the€Religious€Coalition€for€Reproductive€Choice,€aÏpolitical€lobby€that€advocates€abortion€on€demand€in€American€society€and€contradicts€ParagraphÏ65J's€own€assertion€of€"the€sanctity€of€unborn€human€life;"ÌññÌññAND€WHEREAS,€Paragraph€65J€is€sufficiently€ambiguous€to€allow€United€Methodist€leaders€toÏsupport,€in€a€public€way,€the€continued€legal€status€of€partial-birth€abortion,€a€procedure€whichÏonly€the€most€radical€advocates€of€abortion€approve;€ÌññÌññññññTHEREFORE€BE€IT€RESOLVED,€that€the€1999€session€of€the€_______________€AnnualÏConference€of€The€United€Methodist€Church€hereby€charges€its€Conference€Secretary,€using€theÏentire€rationale€stated€above,€to€petition€General€Conference€2000,€in€a€timely€and€appropriateÏmanner,€to€amend€Paragraph€65J€of€òòThe€Book€of€Disciplineóó€to€read:Ð \¬ ÐññÌññ"Paragraph€65(J)€Abortionò ò--Human€beings€are€created€by€God.ó ó€The€beginning€of€ò òlifeó ó€ò òhumanÐ 4„ Ðlivesó ó€and€the€ending€of€ò òlifeó ó€ò òhuman€livesó ó€are€the€God-given€boundaries€of€ò òearthlyó ó,€humanÐ $t Ðexistence.€ò òWhileó ó€ò òNot€only€haveó ó€individuals€ò òhaveó ó€always€had€some€degree€of€control€over€whenÐ d Ðthey€would€die,€ò òbut€also,€through€much€of€history,ó ó€they€ò ònowó ó€have€ò òhadó ó€the€awesome€power€toÐ T Ðdetermine€ò òwhen€and€evenó ó€whether€new€individuals€ò òwilló ó€ò òwouldó ó€be€born.€Our€belief€in€the€sanctityÐ ôD Ðof€ò òunbornó ó€ò òalló ó€human€life,€ò òincluding€the€unborn,€as€God's€gift,€as€affirmed€in€Scripture,Ð ä4 Ðtradition,€and€experience,ó ó€makes€us€reluctant€to€approve€abortion.€ò òButó ó€ò òWó óe€are€equally€bound€toÐ Ô$ Ðrespect€the€sacredness€of€the€life€and€well-being€of€the€motherò ò,€for€whom€devastating€damage€mayÐ Ä Ðresult€from€an€unacceptable€pregnancyó ó.€In€continuity€with€past€Christian€teaching,€we€recognizeÐ ° Ðtragic€ò òand€rareó ó€conflicts€ò òofó ó,€ò òwhere€theó ó€life€ò òof€the€unborn€childó ó€ò òwithó ó€ò òdirectly€and€immediatelyÐ œì Ðthreatens€the€physical€ó ólifeò ò€of€the€motheró ó,€that€may€ò òseem€toó ó€justify€abortion,€and€in€such€casesÐ ŒÜ Ðò òencourage€clergy€and€congregations€to€pray€for€and€support€such€mothers€and€theirÐ | Ì Ðfamilies.ó ó€ò òsupport€the€legal€option€of€abortion€under€proper€medical€procedures.ó ó€We€cannot€affirmÐ h!¸ Ðabortion€as€an€acceptable€means€of€birth€control,€and€we€unconditionally€reject€it€as€a€means€ofÏgender€selection.€ò òWe€deplore€the€use€of€the€cruel€form€of€late-term€abortion€known€asÐ D#”! Ð'partial-birth€abortion,'€in€which€the€infant€is€killed€as€she€is€being€born;€and€we€believe€itÏshould€be€illegal,€except€in€cases€where€the€mother's€life€is€threatened.€We€also€deplore€theÏmurdering€of€those€who€perform,€and€who€assist€in€the€performance€of,€abortions;€suchÏmurdering€violates€basic€Christian€teaching.ó ó€ò òWe€call€all€Christians€to€a€searching€and€prayerfulÐ ø&H"% Ðinquiry€into€the€sorts€of€conditions€that€may€warrant€abortion.ó ó€ò òWeó ó€commit€our€Church€to€continueÐ è'8#& Ðto€provide€nurturing€ministries€ò ò(including€the€ministry€of€forgiveness)ó ó€to€those€who€terminate€aÐ Ø(($' Ðpregnancy€ò òfor€any€reason,€and€hospitality€ministries€(including€the€ministry€of€adoption)ó ó€toÐ È)%( Ðthose€in€the€midst€of€a€ò òcrisisó ó€ò òdifficultó ó€pregnancy,€and€to€those€who€give€birth.€ò òWe€recognize€thatÐ ¸*&) Ðgó óovernmental€laws€and€regulations€do€not€provide€all€the€guidance€required€by€ò òthe€informedó óÐ ¨+ø&* ÐChristian€ò òteachingó ó€ò òconscienceó ó,€ò òand€affirm€that€such€laws€and€regulations€should€not€permitÐ ˜,è'+ Ðor€advance,€among€the€citizenry,€a€casual€disregard€for€unborn€human€life.€In€a€cultureÐ ˆ-Ø(, Ðwhich€devalues€human€life,€the€Church€is€a€community€of€life,€offering€the€life-giving,Ïlife-transforming€gospel€of€Jesus€Christ.ó óÐ œì Ðò òññÌññTherefore,€a€decision€concerning€abortion€should€be€made€only€after€thoughtful€and€prayerfulÏconsideration€by€the€parties€involved,€with€medical,€pastoral,€and€other€appropriate€counsel.ó ó"Ð `° ÐññÌññ[In€this€paragraph,€ò òboldface€typeó ó€indicates€insertion,€and€ò òstrikeoutó ó€note€deletion.]Ð 8 ˆ ÐññÌññSubmitted€by€_______________________ÌññÌññ[The€text€of€this€model€resolution€can€be€copied€from€the€Lifewatch€Webññ€ññsite:ÏÔ4‚Ý °ÔÝ‚ ÍOÝÔÿÔòòÝ  ÝÔ5  Ôhttp://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/tumaslw/Ô6í ÔÝ‚ ÍO!ƒÝóóÔÿÔÝ  ÝÔ7Ý Ì/!Ô€]