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Jamaican Religious and Civic Leaders Respond to Proposal to Decriminalize Abortion

By John Jalsevac

KINGSTON, Jamaica, February 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - News that the Jamaican government is considering legalizing abortion in the predominantly Christian country, which has traditionally been strongly pro-life, has created a furor amongst religious and political leaders and set off a firestorm of debate.

The news was recently made public that a 17-member Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group was set up in September 2005 to review Jamaica's abortion policies and to recommend changes to the law. The Group has since recommended the decriminalization of abortion up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Currently in Jamaica abortion is outlawed in all cases, although it is widely understood that the abortion law is not enforced.

Dr. Wynante Patterson, one member of the advisory group, told the Jamaica Gleaner that she could not say what rights the fetus did or did not have, but that as long as she was ignorant about whether or not the fetus was a person, society should "protect women".

"I don't know what rights the foetus has," she said. "Is the foetus a legal person and a citizen? But while this debate is going on, we need to protect our women."

In response to the news about the efforts to decriminalize abortion, a host of pro-life and religious groups have responded unequivocally, denouncing any attempts to foist abortion on Jamaica.

At a press conference last Thursday at the Knutsford Court Hotel, statements condemning abortion and any effort to liberalize Jamaica's abortion laws, were given by Roman Catholic Archbishop Donald J. Reece, Ms. Zandra Levy of Youth for Life Jamaica, The Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, Dr. D. Brady-West, Shirley Richards, and the Pregnancy Resource Centre of Jamaica, and others. (To read all of these statements in full, see: http://www.defendlifejamica.com)

"We have been reliably informed of the recent effort to table the Report of the Abortion Advisory Group," said Archbishop Reece, "and this not only causes us deep concern but also raises many questions about accountability and principles. We have not, thus far, seen an organized effort by any group to respond to this development, but it is our intention to make such a response today with a united front of churches and civic groups."

The Archbishop continued on, questioning why the Jamaican people had not been consulted on so important an issue as abortion. "In the three years that this Abortion Advisory Group has been in existence, the Christian people of Jamaica have never been truly consulted on this divisive issue despite multiple promises of inclusion in the process," he said. "It also needs to be noted that certain churches whose positions are known to be strongly against the legalized killing of children seem to have been deliberately excluded from offering input on this issue."

The archbishop also asked whether or not someone other than the Jamaican people was attempting to "impose" abortion on the Christian nation, given that there has been no recent public outcry from the people demanding abortion.

"Not only is the project to liberalize abortion in Jamaica contrary to the Law of God, it also militates against the deeply-held values of this nation. The people of Jamaica have not asked for abortion; the churches have not asked for it nor has the vast majority of civic groups or their leaders. A reasonable person might rightly question who exactly it is that wishes to impose abortion on this nation."

Youth for Life Jamica spokesman Ms. Zandra Levy said that while her group recognized that abortion was often defended as a means of helping those with unwanted pregnancies, what was really needed was not abortion, but better support for women who become pregnant. 

"It is clear to us that abortion is not the essential demand of Jamaican women, but is instead a ruthless response to a harsh socio-economic problem that does not cater to the specific needs of women in our society," she said

"As the future Generation we intend to move Jamaica towards creating a culture of life and forming a society that addresses the particular needs of our citizens which starts by preserving the fundamental right to life of our most valuable citizens. Choose life Jamaica so that we and our descendants may live!"

Subsequent to the Defend Life Jamaica press conference, however, the Jamaican government attempted to distance itself from the recommendations of the Advisory Group.

Health Minister Ruddy Spencer suggested that the government had merely undertaken the beginnings of a consultation phase, in which the government began to explore the issue.

"I had some discussion with the anti-abortion groups and I advised them that I wouldn't be taking a bill to Parliament before there was widespread public discussions," said Spencer. "What we eventually did in Parliament was to set the background, the frame work for that kind of public discussion, by tabling the report as distinct from a bill. So, after the report was tabled in the Parliament, we asked for a committee comprising (of) members from the Senate and members from the House."
 
"Those people who are pro and those who are anti, we are asking them as soon as possible, as the committee is established and starts its business in Parliament, to come before the committee (and) put their positions forward. We will endeavor to have widespread consultations, so that when a report is made, it is from an informed position based on the public's reaction to the whole question of abortion. Again the government is neither pro nor anti, what we are doing is facilitating the process."

To contact:
Health Minister Ruddy Spencer:
OCEANA HOTEL COMPLEX
2 KING STREET, KINGSTON
TELEPHONE: 967-1092/1094/1096/1100-1112
Fax: (876) 967-7293
E-mail: Chiny@moh.gov.jm

THE HON. ORETTE BRUCE GOLDING, M.P., PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA
58a Half Way Tree Road
Kingston 10.
Jamaica W.I.
Phone: 876-926-3740
Fax: 876-926-6715
e-mail: jis@jis.gov.jm

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