Difference between revisions of "Seventh-Day Adventist Church"

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Revision as of 12:09, 9 February 2012

Beginning of Life

Abortion

Official Statement: from "Guidelines on Abortion"^[1] on the denomination website.

"Many contemporary societies have faced conflict over the morality of abortion. Such conflict also has affected large numbers within Christianity who want to accept responsibility for the protection of prenatal human life while also preserving the personal liberty of women. Seventh-day Adventists want to relate to the question of abortion in ways that reveal faith in God as the Creator and Sustainer of all life and in ways that reflect Christian responsibility and freedom."

"Prenatal human life is a magnificent gift of God. God's ideal for human beings affirms the sanctity of human life, in God's image, and requires respect for prenatal life. However, decisions about life must be made in the context of a fallen world. Abortion is never an action of little moral consequence. Thus prenatal life must not be thoughtlessly destroyed. Abortion should be performed only for the most serious reasons."

"Abortion is one of the tragic dilemmas of human fallenness. The Church should offer gracious support to those who personally face the decision concerning an abortion. Attitudes of condemnation are inappropriate in those who have accepted the gospel. Christians are commissioned to become a loving, caring community of faith that assists those in crisis as alternatives are considered."

"In practical, tangible ways the Church as a supportive community should express its commitment to the value of human life. These ways should include: strengthening family relationships, educating both genders concerning Christian principles of human sexuality, emphasizing responsibility of both male and female for family planning, calling both to be responsible for the consequences of behaviors that are inconsistent with Christian principles, creating a safe climate for ongoing discussion of the moral questions associated with abortion, offering support and assistance to women who choose to complete crisis pregnancies, and encouraging and assisting fathers to participate responsibly in the parenting of their children. The Church also should commit itself to assist in alleviating the unfortunate social, economic, and psychological factors that add to abortion and to care redemptively for those suffering the consequences of individual decisions on this issue."

"Abortions for reasons of birth control, gender selection, or convenience are not condoned by the Church. Women, at times however, may face exceptional circumstances that present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as significant threats to the pregnant woman's life, serious jeopardy to her health, severe congenital defects carefully diagnosed in the fetus, and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. The final decision whether to terminate the pregnancy or not should be made by the pregnant woman after appropriate consultation."

Christians "seek balance between the exercise of individual liberty and their accountability to the faith community and the larger society and its laws. They make their choices according to scripture and the laws of God rather than the norms of society." ("Guidelines on Abortion"^[2] on the denomination website)

Contraception

Official Statement: from "Birth Control: A Seventh-day Adventist Statement of Consensus"^[3]

Responsible stewardship: “Christian stewardship also requires taking responsibility for human procreation. Sexuality, as one of the aspects of human nature over which the individual has stewardship, is to be expressed in harmony with God’s will.”

Procreative purpose: “The perpetuation of the human family is one of God’s purposes for human sexuality. Though it may be inferred that marriages are generally intended to yield offspring, Scripture never presents procreation as an obligation of every couple in order to please God.”

Unifying purpose: “Sexuality serves a unifying purpose in marriage that is God-ordained and distinguishable from the procreative purpose. Sexuality in marriage is intended to include joy, pleasure, and delight. God intends that couples may have ongoing sexual communion apart from procreation, a communion that forges strong bonds and protects a marriage partner from an inappropriate relationship with someone other than his or her spouse. In God's design, sexual intimacy is not only for the purpose of conception. Scripture does not prohibit married couples from enjoying the delights of conjugal relations while taking measures to prevent pregnancy.”

Freedom to choose: “For those who choose to bear children, the procreative choice is not without limits. Several factors must inform their choice, including the ability to provide for the needs of children; the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of the mother and other care givers; the social and political circumstances into which children will be born; and the quality of life and the global resources available.”

Appropriate means of birth control: “A variety of methods of birth control--including barrier methods, spermicides, and sterilization--prevent conception and are morally acceptable. Some other birth-control methods¹ may prevent the release of the egg (ovulation), may prevent the union of egg and sperm (fertilization), or may prevent attachment of the already fertilized egg (implantation). Because of uncertainty about how they will function in any given instance, they may be morally suspect for people who believe that protectable human life begins at fertilization. However, since the majority of fertilized ova naturally fail to implant or are lost after implantation, even when birth control methods are not being used, hormonal methods of birth control and IUDs, which represent a similar process, may be viewed as morally acceptable. Abortion, the intentional termination of an established pregnancy, is not morally acceptable for purposes of birth control.”

Misuse of birth control: “The use of such methods to protect sex outside of marriage may reduce the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and/or pregnancy. Sex outside of marriage, however, is both harmful and immoral, whether or not these risks have been diminished.”

A redemptive approach: “Less effort should be put forth in condemnation and more in education and redemptive approaches that seek to allow each individual to be persuaded by the deep movings of the Holy Spirit.”

("Birth Control: A Seventh-day Adventist Statement of Consensus"^[4])

"Abortions for reasons of birth control, gender selection, or convenience are not condoned by the Church." ("Guidelines on Abortion"^[5] on the denomination website)

Infertility & Reproduction

Reproductive Technology

Official Statement:

"" ( {add citation info})

Frozen Oocytes

Official Statement:

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Healthcare & Medicine

Official Statement: from "Operating Principles for Health-Care Institutions"^[6]

"Health-care institutions function as an integral part of the total ministry of the Church and follow church standards including maintaining the sacredness of the Sabbath by promoting a Sabbath atmosphere for staff and patients, avoiding routine business, elective diagnostic services, and elective therapies on Sabbath."

"Seventh-day Adventist health-care institutions give high priority to personal dignity and human relationships. This includes appropriate diagnosis and treatment by competent personnel; a safe, caring environment conducive to the healing of mind, body, and spirit; and education in healthful habits of living."

"Health-care policies and medical procedures must always reflect a high regard and concern for the value of human life as well as individual dignity."

("Operating Principles for Health-Care Institutions"^[7])

Access to Healthcare

Official Statement: from "Seventh-day Adventist Call to Commitment to Health and Healing"^[8]

"The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists reiterates its commitment to the principles of human dignity and equity, social justice, freedom, self-determination, access to clean food and water, and non-discriminatory universal access to available health care."

"Regarded globally as teaching a wholistic model of evidence based healthful living in primary health care."

"Seen at all times as a trusted, transparent ally of organizations with compatible goals and vision, in alleviating suffering and addressing basic health and well-being."

"Recognized for the unconditional scope of its embrace of all persons seeking this basic health and well-being."

"Involved not only administratively but also functionally at every level including each congregation and church member in this ministry of health and healing." ("Seventh-day Adventist Call to Commitment to Health and Healing"^[9])

Science & Technology

Emerging Technologies

Ethical Use of Technology

Official Statement:

"" ( {add citation info})

Issues of Human Dignity & Discrimination

Disability Ethics

Official Statement:

"" ( {add citation info})

Eugenics

Official Statements:

"" ( {add citation info})

Notes

[1] ttp://www.adventist.org/beliefs/guidelines/main-guide1.html

[2] ttp://www.adventist.org/beliefs/guidelines/main-guide1.html

[3] ttp://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat44.html

[4] ttp://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat44.html

[5] ttp://www.adventist.org/beliefs/guidelines/main-guide1.html

[6] ttp://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat31.html

[7] ttp://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat31.html

[8] ttp://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/health-healing.html

[9] ttp://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/health-healing.html

[10] ttp://www.adventist.org/beliefs/guidelines/main-guide1.html

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@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ==Healthcare & Medicine==
+'''Official Statement:''' from "Operating Principles for Health-Care Institutions"<ref>http://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat31.html</ref>
+:"Health-care institutions function as an integral part of the total ministry of the Church and follow church standards including maintaining the sacredness of the Sabbath by promoting a Sabbath atmosphere for staff and patients, avoiding routine business, elective diagnostic services, and elective therapies on Sabbath."
+:"Seventh-day Adventist health-care institutions give high priority to personal dignity and human relationships. This includes appropriate diagnosis and treatment by competent personnel; a safe, caring environment conducive to the healing of mind, body, and spirit; and education in healthful habits of living."
+:"Health-care policies and medical procedures must always reflect a high regard and concern for the value of human life as well as individual dignity."
+:("Operating Principles for Health-Care Institutions"<ref>http://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat31.html</ref>)
 ===[[Access to Healthcare]]===
-'''Official Statement:'''
+'''Official Statement:''' from "Seventh-day Adventist Call to Commitment to Health and Healing"<ref>http://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/health-healing.html</ref>
-:"" ( {add citation info})
+:"The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists reiterates its commitment to the principles of human dignity and equity, social justice, freedom, self-determination, access to clean food and water, and non-discriminatory universal access to available health care."
+:"Regarded globally as teaching a wholistic model of evidence based healthful living in primary health care."
+:"Seen at all times as a trusted, transparent ally of organizations with compatible goals and vision, in alleviating suffering and addressing basic health and well-being."
+:"Recognized for the unconditional scope of its embrace of all persons seeking this basic health and well-being."
+:"Involved not only administratively but also functionally at every level including each congregation and church member in this ministry of health and healing." ("Seventh-day Adventist Call to Commitment to Health and Healing"<ref>http://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/health-healing.html</ref>)
 ===[[Conscience Issues]]===

Difference between revisions of "Seventh-Day Adventist Church"

Revision as of 12:09, 9 February 2012

Contents

Beginning of Life

Infertility & Reproduction

Reproductive Technology

Healthcare & Medicine

Science & Technology

Biotechnology

Emerging Technologies

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End of Life

Issues of Human Dignity & Discrimination

Notes

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