God "Rejoices" over Abortions Says Episcopal Priestess

LifeSiteNews.com -- Your Life, Family and Culture Outpost ^ | Wednesday June 24, 2009 | By Peter J. Smith

[topher]

Wednesday June 24, 2009

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God "Rejoices" over Abortions Says Episcopal Priestess

By Peter J. Smith

DENVER, Colorado, June 24, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Episcopal Church has to clarify God's official position on abortion - at least so says a priestess of the church, who claims that a proposed rite for post-abortive women conflicts with church theology and that the Deity "rejoices" when women elect to abort their children.

Rev. Nina Churchman wrote a letter to Episcopal Life Online expressing her outrage upon learning that her church has developed a healing rite for post-abortion women sorrowful over their abortion that seems to have language alluding to "sin" and "guilt."

Churchman said she "was sickened to discover that the rite for abortion is couched wholly in terms of sin and transgression." 

The priestess also took particular umbrage with the words, "I seek God's forgiveness" and the words "God rejoices that you have come seeking God's merciful forgiveness."

"The Episcopal Church, by resolution, has long held that women have the freedom to choose an abortion," asserted Churchman. "It is not considered a sin."

The Episcopal Church's "long held" position permitting abortion dates back to 1967, when the church began to lobby for abortion in limited cases (i.e. rape, incest, fetal deformity, health of the mother), which by 1994 had become a full-blown defense of a right to an abortion. The church's previous position on abortion, had lasted much longer. As late as 1958 the church had expressed an unequivocal defense of over 1900 years of Christian tradition against abortion, stating, "Abortion and infanticide are to be condemned."

"Women should be able to mourn the loss of an aborted fetus without having to confess anything," declared Churchman.

"God, unlike what the liturgy states, also rejoices that women facing unplanned pregnancies have the freedom to carefully choose the best option - birth, adoption or abortion - for themselves and their families."

"The wording of this liturgy focuses solely on guilt and sin instead of the grief and healing that may accompany a very difficult but appropriate decision to terminate a pregnancy," said Churchman.

Instead Churchman expressed her determination that the church should reject the rite at the next General Convention and do away with the references to "sin" and "guilt."

The proposed post-abortion healing service had been the idea of Georgette Forney, president of Anglicans for Life, who had obtained an abortion when she was 16. Forney had asked the church to create a healing service for women like herself seeking healing, and the Episcopal General Convention had approved the development of the project.

The result was a rite addressing "the pastoral needs of women and men and who have experienced miscarriage, abortion or other trauma in the childbearing or childbirth process" in a book called, "Rachel's Tears, Hannah's Hopes: Liturgies and Prayers for Healing from Loss Related to Childbearing and Childbirth." 

The 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church will consider and vote on the rite when it convenes July 8-17 in Anaheim, California.

See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:

"Abortion is a Blessing": US Episcopalian Lesbian Minister Appointed to Head Prestigious Seminary

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09062411.html

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[topher]

I guess I am at a loss on her term "long held position".

Until King Henry VIII started killing Bishops over his Divorces (and killing of his wives), I guess in King Henry's time, things were a "long held position" -- if it agreed with King Henry (when he was alive).

For the sake of the Episcopal Church, I pray that this person is not influential, and will break away from that church and form her own "priestess/abortion movement"...

[topher]

I am at a loss when there is "Christian Theology" that says abortion is okay.

I understand that something can get down to either the life of the mother or the unborn baby, but the wisdom of Solomon says to split the baby down the middle (using that old story)...

Maybe someone on the Theology side can enlighten me on this subject as to when Christians can be involved in abortions...

[GeronL]

This person does not worship the God of Christianity

[GeronL]

I pray that this person is not influential,

probably not, but she is simply reiterating her denominations stance on the issue

[lentulusgracchus]

....so says a priestess of the church, ....the Deity "rejoices" when women elect to abort their children... Rev. Nina Churchman wrote a letter to.....

Oh, wait, I get it ..... this is a sendup, right? You guys are pulling our leg, right?

[rawcatslyentist]

>"the Deity "rejoices" when women elect to abort their children. "

Their deity does. But then again they worship satan!

Oh Yeah

Thank You Satan 1:50

[beaversmom]

I’m not religious, but I believe GOD has a little something about this in the 10 Commandments—Do not carry GOD’s name in vain.

[siamesecats]

I am an Episcopalian and I have never heard of “Priestesses” in this religion.
The only “Priestesses” I ever heard of were related to Voodoo.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter, I attend the Roman Catholic Church with my husband, and have for quite some time.
There are too many issues, this being just another, that keep me from returning to the Episcopal Church.

[ColdSteelTalon]

Uhhh Lady thats not what God says !!!

Proverbs 6:16 - 19...

16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

God hates the hands that shed innocent blood!!!

Does the Episcopal Church leadership make up their own rules as they go along?

[cmj328]

Whod’ve ever thought that priestesses would lead to paganism? /sarc

[Chode]

[Venturer]

God rejoices when you kill an fetus??

Lady I dont know what to call you al lot of words come to mind, none of them pretty, but Lady—you aint no minister of the God I believe in.

[BuffaloJack]

Priestess ????????
Sounds like an abortion cult, complete with a stone alter where they cut human hearts from the living bodies of their victims.

[exit82]

Thou shall not kill.

—God.

[badbass]

Wow, at last, someone who really understands the commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain! Kudos to you.

[OpusatFR]

I’m so sorry. My best childhood friend’s father was an Episcopal priest and in no way did their beliefs vary from Protestant orthodoxy as the chimera today masquerading as Christianity.

This woman’s statment is simply wicked. There is no other possible explanation.

Job 10:8 ‘Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, And would You destroy me?

Psalm 63:9 But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things

Psalm 139:15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Psalm 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

Isaiah 49:1 Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me.

Isaiah 49:5 And now the LORD says—he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength—

[SECURE AMERICA]

These people consider themselves Christians ??????
Guess I had better read my Bible from front to back again cause I seem to have missed the section where it stated that God rejoiced in the slaughter of the innocent.

[OpusatFR]

“...”the pastoral needs of women and men and who have experienced miscarriage, abortion or other trauma in the childbearing or childbirth process””

How can they lump miscarriage and birth trauma which are accidental with abortion which is a deliberate sin?

That I had two miscarriages calls for healing from grief, not repentence from sin.

[georgiagirl_pam]

I think the real story here is that the Episcopal Church passed an official position in 1994 to defend the RIGHT to have an abortion.

[rhema]

The priestess needs to spend more time scrutinizing her Bible.

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." --Isaiah 5:20

"He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD." -- Proverbs 17:15

Recent research: Abortion's harm to women