METHODIST AGENCY ENDORSES REINSTATEMENT OF FUNDING FOR OVERSEAS ABORTIONS

03/03/2001

"It's very predictable but sad that they would defend U.S. funding for groups around the world that would advocate or endorse abortion."

(AgapePress) - The United Methodist Board of Church and Society is endorsing a bill that would repeal the ban prohibiting tax dollars for international family planning.

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California and New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey are sponsoring the bill. It calls for a repeal of the global gag rule, which President Bush put into place January 22. It basically reinstates the 1984 Mexico City policy prohibiting foreign organizations from receiving funds if, with their own funds, they discuss or refer abortions.

The fact that the United Methodist Board of Church and Society supports such funding does not surprise Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.

"The Board of Church and Society is reflexively supportive of any and all abortion rights and opposed to any potential restrictions on abortion's availability," Tooley says. "It's very predictable but sad that they would defend U.S. funding for groups around the world that would advocate or endorse abortion."

Tooley says the Methodist lobbying group's endorsement does not represent official Methodist policy.

"This endorsement is one more argument for abolishing the agency outright. It's one more example of the agency claiming to speak for the whole church, when really the church has not given it a mandate to speak on that particular issue," he says.

"The General Conference of the United Methodist Church has passed a lot of crazy political resolutions, usually at the behest of the staff of the Board of Church and Society. But to my knowledge there are no resolutions that have ever been approved that say that the church supports government funding for abortion."

Not only is Tooley not surprised by the Board's endorsement, but he also expects the Methodist Board of Church and Society to oppose President Bush, a Methodist, on most issues.