Abortion

It is a pity that the Orthodox Church has not taken a more vocal stand on the issue of legal abortion which has been so much discussed lately in connection with "liberalizing" laws adopted in several state legislatures, and particularly in New York. This relative silence may, perhaps, be explained by the fact that the issue, in Orthodox Tradition, is so obvious that our Church leadership thought it unnecessary to speak out once more.

It is fortunate, however, that the silence was broken during a symposium on abortion held at St Vladimir's Seminary last spring and presided over by Fr Thomas Hopko, and also in a widely publicized statement by Fr Stanley Harakas, the Dean of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological Seminary. "We welcome these statements because the "obvious" position of the Orthodox Church on abortion is still insufficiently known even by the Orthodox themselves.

Abortion is an act interrupting human life. The fact that this interruption takes place at an initial stage of the human life-process makes, of course, a psychological difference, but does not change the very nature of the act. Abortion is killing, and, as such, a very grave sin, because killing is always evil. The hundreds of thousands of legal abortions performed in New York hospitals are a case of mass killings.

These killings have been legalized because they are supposed to fulfill a social need, particularly the well-being of pregnant mothers who did not desire to conceive a child. Thus, in the minds of those who promote legalized abortion, killing seems to be justified because it secures the comfort of those remaining alive! One wonders, then, why our society, which is so much concerned with the well-being of those who are young and strong, should not also promote the legal murder of the old and the sick, who - just as unwanted babies - constitute a heavy burden to society. No one would doubt the fact that uncontrolled childbirth is indeed a very great tragedy in the ghettos of our cities among the most underprivileged people of our society.

Abortion is proposed by some as a positive solution to these social evils. But can one heal social evil through mass murder? Why not then promote a massive "mercy killing" in the hospitals of all those who are not guaranteed security in life?

Of course, let us not oversimplify the problem. The horrible choice between interrupting the life of the child and accepting the death of the mother sometimes has to be made. The Orthodox Church has never said that the life of the child should always be preferred. Similarly, she may also consider that killing in self-defense, or the defense of others whose life is clearly threatened, can be considered as a lesser evil than passivity and non-resistance. This is why the Church has never endorsed total pacifism. But she always considers killing - any killing - an evil and a sin, for which man - even a soldier who kills in war - is called to repent, even if this killing was accomplished as a lesser evil, for example, to save the lives of others.

What is most tragic in the current legalization of abor­tion is a total indifference towards the sanctity of human life and a conscious encouragement given to irresponsible egoism. Orthodox Christians should oppose this legislation at all costs.

From: Witness to the World by John Meyendorff, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY 1987