The Washington times., 1931-03-21
REPORT SAID
. To Be FIRST
I. Of KIND
NotabIes Are Among Signers,
Wickersham Among Them;
Minority Asks Abstention

minority ASKS ADStentlOn
NEW YORK, March 21.-Broad
but conditional approval of birth
control is given in report Of
the Federal Council of Churches
of Christ in America, represent
ing a number of Christian de-
nominations.
The report declares that the
approval is the first such declara-
tiOn ever made by any inter
denominational body. Abstention
was recommended in minority
report rs an "ideap practice
among persons who feel unable
to have children.
Have Right to Guidance
The report, in brief, approves
birth control on the grounds that
1t may be morally right under
some circumstances; that some
method Of limiting families is
necessary, and that abstention is
not always a practical method.
The report, after stating that
birth control has become a fact,
added:
"The public, therefore, has a
right to expect guidance from
the church on the moral as
poets.
"Whatever the final decision
of the church may be, 1t should
not seek to impose anti.birth
control legislation, nor to seek
to prohibit physicians from i'm
parting information regarding
the use of cOntraceptiveS."
Recognized Procedure
The opening paragraphs Of the
report declared that the use OF
contraceptives Is nearly "the
status of a recognized procedure"
and that marital love cannot be
regarded solely as means OF
procreation but as an expression
Of affection and comradeship.
The report also pointed out that
the hazards of pregnancy under
certain circumstances must be
accepted as fact, and it added
that very large families tend to
produce poverty, endanger the
health Of the family, limit oppor-
tunities of the children, over
strain the mother, and take from
her the chance of any life larger
than home routine.
OverpOpulatiOn Mentioned
The problem of over-population
was also mentioned in the re-
port, which added:
"There is general agreement
also that sex union between
husbands and wives as an ex-
preston of mutual affection,
without relation to prOcreatiOn,
Is right. This is recognized by
the Scriptures, by all branches
Of the Christian Church, by
social and medical science and
by good sense and idealism Of
= mankind.
:, Gas to the method of control
Of conception, two ways are
possible. One is the use of
COntraceptices, or methods other
that abstinence, which may be
classified as such. The other
Is self control, or abstinence,
for longer or shorter periods of
time. Both may be considered
forms of abstinence"
Wickersham a Siguer
Signers of the report included
Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, jr., q
member of the National Board of
the Y. w. c. A.; George w.
Wickershan, and Mrs. Jonr Fergu-
son, president Of the National
Council Of Federated Church
women.
Minority signatories, who ad-
nitted that their idea Of abstain
ence is an Ideal of perfection"
were:
The Very Rev. Howard Chand-
ler Robbins, professor Of the
General Theological Seminary,
New York; Mrs. Orrin r. Judd,
president of the Council of
Women for Home Missions. New
York, and Mrs. Robert E. Speer,
president of the National Board
Of the Y. w. G. A., New York.
Three members expressed no
opinion. They were the Rt. Rev.
Charles K. Gilbert, Suffragan
Bishop Of New York: the Rev.
Ben r. Lacy, president of the
Union Theological Seminary,
Richmond, Va, and Mrs. w. A.
Newell, chairman of the Bureau
Of Social Service, M. E. Church
Snaith GrnaaShnrn N q