Media Release 3 September 2014

Why are the Anglican Bishops silent in defending life?

The Anglican Archbishops in Aotearoa New Zealand have identified four key challenges facing the country in the run-up to the General Election onSeptember 20. These issues are:
• Child poverty
• Income inequality
• Lack of affordable and accessible housing
• Global warming
The Archbishops Winston Halapua, Philip Richardson and Brown Turei called on all Anglicans to exercise their right to vote in the election,.

It is commendable that the Anglican Bishops have provided leadership in drawing the attention of the community to these important justice issues. They encourage us to remember that every individual has dignity conferred by God and that we are but stewards of God’s creation. The Bishops remind us that we should give consideration to the common good of the community when voting.

The Anglican Bishops have designated child poverty as the most important justice issue. It is a national tragedy that one quarter of New Zealand’s children live in poverty, that is nearly 270,000 children. Why do the Bishops not recognise that child poverty begins in the womb? The greatest poverty that can be inflicted on our children is to be brutally murdered while still in the womb.

Every day the equivalent of two classrooms of children are murdered in their mothers’ womb. Why are the Anglican Bishops silent in the face of this appalling violation of human rights that is a crime against humanity?

The children are God’s precious infants, the Bishops have a serious moral duty to defend the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death especially the weak, the defenceless and the vulnerable. Have the Bishops accepted the murder of the innocent and the war on women as part of our culture?

There is also a further serious threat to human life-euthanasia, with the “End of Life Choices” Bill of Maryan Street which if passed would allow doctors to kill their patients or assist in their suicide. At this election we have two serious threats to life, the decriminalisation of abortion and euthanasia, supported by the Labour Party, the Greens and the Internet Party. Candidates for Parliament who are not committed to defending life are unworthy of being elected. Why is there a deafening silence from our Anglican Bishops on these serious threats to life?

Ken Orr
Spokesperson,
Right to Life.

ENDS

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