Salvation Army
Official website: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/
Contents
Beginning of Life
Abortion
Official Statement: from the Salvation Army's "Positional Statement: Abortion"[1]
"There is a responsibility on all involved to give the parents of the unborn child, particularly the woman, appropriate pastoral, medical and other counsel. The Salvation Army believes that termination can occur only when
- Carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or
- Reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period.
In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy." ("Positional Statement: Abortion"[2])
End of Life
Physician-Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia
Official Statement: from the Salvation Army "Positional Statement: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide"[3]
"The Salvation Army accepts the following principles:
- All people deserve to have their suffering minimised in every possible way consistent with respect for the sanctity of life.
- It is not suicide for people to choose to refuse or terminate medical treatment.
- It is not euthanasia for health care professionals to withhold or withdraw medical treatment that only prolongs the dying process.
- To provide supportive care for the alleviation of intolerable pain and suffering (e.g., by way of analgesics) may be appropriate even if the dying process is shortened as a side effect."[4])
In response to pro-euthanasia and pro-assisted suicide arguments based on autonomy and compassion the Salvation Army's states:
"The Salvation Army similarly prizes human autonomy highly, but believes human beings do not have the right to death by their own act or by the commissioning of another person to secure it. The Salvation Army considers each person to be of infinite value, possessing inherent dignity, and that each life is a gift from God to be cherished, nurtured and redeemed. Human life, made in the image of God, is sacred and has an eternal destiny (Genesis 1:27). Human beings were created for relationships and for those relationships to be expressed living in community, including in times of death (1 Corinthians 12: 26; 1 John 3:14). The priority that governs Christian compassion in the process of dying is to maximise care. We all know the fear of suffering and the frustration of being unable to relieve it fully, however, our continuing focus is not to eliminate suffering people but to find better ways of dealing with their suffering."[5]
