Lutherans respond to SA abortion bill

The LCA/NZ’s Lutherans for Life (LFL) has responded to the new ‘Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2020’, which is before the South Australian parliament, with a public statement and call to action for the church.

Introduced into South Australia’s Legislative Council by Human Services Minister the Hon Michelle Lensink in October, it sought to remove abortion from SA’s criminal legislation, instead treating it as a health issue.

However, the LFL response says ‘the detail of the bill tells a different story’.

‘Currently in South Australia abortion is available until a maximum cut off of 28 weeks gestation with the agreement of two doctors, or after that to save the life of the mother’, LFL says. ‘This new bill allows for abortion on request until 22 weeks and 6 days, and after that if two doctors consider it “medically appropriate”. In this latter category no upper time limit is given, nor is the term “medically appropriate” defined … the extension of abortion effectively up until birth … will enable abortion of viable babies who would otherwise be capable of being born alive and living independently of their mothers.’

LFL, which is accountable to the church through the Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions, also called on all LCA/NZ members to pray and for those in South Australia to contact their local member of parliament about the bill.

‘We encourage all members of our Church to pray that our society is moved to the conviction that all life is sacred and so in need of protection’, the response says.

The full response is available from the Lutherans for Life website.