Possible justifying circumstances would include medical indications of severe physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or mental health of either woman or child would be gravely threatened. We are disturbed by abortions that seem to be elected only as a convenience or ease embarrassment. We affirm that abortion should not be used as a method of birth control. Abortion is not morally acceptable for gender selection only or solely to obtain fetal parts for transplantation. The strong Christian presumption is that since all life is precious to God, we are to preserve and protect it.
Abortion ought to be an option of last resort. . . .
The Christian community must be concerned about and address the circumstances that bring a woman to consider abortion as the best available option. This tradition includes public stances on the abortion issue. The church acknowledges that many of its members find fault with the philosophical basis of Roe v. Wade and its division of pregnancy into three trimesters, preferring that the state be permitted to regulate and even prohibit abortions throughout the pregnancy, rather than just at the stage of viability. Others feel that Roe's framework effectively safeguards the constitutional liberties of pregnant women while also recognizing the state's interest in protecting the unborn child and the woman. Based on prior experiences of the courts and legislatures, it will not be easy to present a standard that will balance the competing interests in such a manner that will not lead to additional litigation.