Bishop calls on Holness to declare position on abortion
Published:Tuesday | January 12, 2021 | 12:12 AMNadine Wilson-Harris/Staff Reporter
Bishop Alvin Bailey, chairman of Jamaica CAUSE, is calling on Prime Minister Andrew Holness to publicly condemn calls for the legalisation of abortion even as one of his state ministers is asking for the issue to be placed back on the parliamentary agenda.
Junior Health and Wellness Minister Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn has expressed her desire to see the issue debated in Parliament following Argentina’s recent landmark ruling to legalise abortions up to 14 weeks.
The Olympian was rebuked by church officials and pro-life supporters after publicly declaring her support for abortion when she tabled a motion in the House of Representatives in 2018 to ensure that women have access to safe abortions.
“My views have remained the same. I think we need to be more progressive in our thoughts. I think we need to definitely change the laws. The laws have been there for a while. We have been trying to change them. Several ministers have tried to do so without success,” Cuthbert-Flynn told The Gleaner last week.
But Bailey would like Holness to “rein in” Cuthbert-Flynn for her public support of abortion and also declare where he stands on the matter.
In the case of Argentina, the bill was endorsed by President Alberto Fernandez, who has been a powerful backer of the pro-choice campaign.
“[It] must be publicly condemned by the prime minister if he is to be seen as having any moral authority to speak to the ongoing senseless killing of innocent people in our society through acts of crime and violence,” said Bailey, who is also the vice-president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals.
Bailey believes that Holness’ failure to tackle the matter head on would contradict his statements of being guided by Christian principles in his early development.
“I call on the prime minister to renounce in Parliament any intention to further pursue the abortion agenda but instead establish a joint select committee – comprising representatives of the Church and other civil organisations – to look at ways to assist pregnant mothers through adoption or foster care,” said Bishop Bailey.
The senior clergyman noted that Family Life Ministries, for example, offers a programme where Christian families have registered their willingness to adopt or foster children.
There have been lengthy deliberations since Cuthbert-Flynn’s motion just over two years ago. Then chairman of Parliament’s Human Resources and Social Development Committee, Ronald Thwaites, recommended that a conscience vote may be the best way for lawmakers to resolve the issue of legalising abortion.
President of the Christian youth group Love March Movement, Dr Daniel Thomas, is among those strongly opposed to a conscience vote and would support a referendum instead.
“We are very concerned that the member of parliament who brought the motion in order to have abortion legalised has been appointed a state minister. That is of great concern and a slap in the face of the democratic process,” he said.