The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

Original Text of Resolution:

(A065)

Whereas, new biomedical diagnostic techniques now allow the detection of a wide range of medical abnormalities in the unborn child; and

Whereas, the gender of the prospective newborn can also be determined by the same techniques; and

Whereas, such information gives use to the need for serious and difficult decisions as to the advisability of continuing a pregnancy; therefore, be it

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 67th General Convention of the Episcopal Church strongly condemns the act of abortion when the sole purpose of such action is the selection of the gender of the child; and be it further

Resolved, That this new ability to diagnose serious abnormalities in the fetus before birth is a welcome gift to reduce pain and sorrow in the parents and suffering in the newborn, but that abortion after the diagnosis of non-serious or trivial abnormalities, or abortion in a case where purely cosmetic abnormalities are discovered, is viewed by the Church as a matter of very grave concern.

The Committee recommended that the resolution be adopted without amendment.

Deputy Weymouth, of Maine, moved an amendment.

Proposed Amendment:

Substitute the word "sex" for "gender."

The Committee accepted the amendment.

Deputy Atkinson, of Atlanta, moved to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

Strike the words "is viewed by the Church as a matter of very grave concern" and substitute the words "is also strongly condemned."

The question was called on the Atkinson amendment.

Motion carried

Amendment accepted

A motion was made to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

Delete the second Resolve clause.

A motion was made to divide the question.

The mover accepted.

The question was called on the second Resolve clause.

Motion carried

The question was called on the first Resolve clause.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #129)