Christian & Missionary Alliance
Official Denominational Website: https://www.cmalliance.org/
Contents
Beginning of Life
Abortion
The Christian & Missionary Alliance opposes abortion.
Official Statement: from C&MA General Council, "Sanctity of Life" (1981)
- "The Christian and Missionary Alliance affirms the unique and sacred personhood of every human, including the unborn, on the evidence of Scripture. God told Jeremiah, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart . . . (Jeremiah 1:5). King David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth; Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:15–16). Upon such biblical grounds, we hold the intentional destruction of a human embryo for purposes of contraception, or for stem-cell research, whether by surgical abortion or use of drugs or devices intended to terminate unborn life or prevent its implantation and growth following conception, to be immoral. Abortion-on-demand must be opposed as a violation of human dignity and a moral evil precisely because it forcibly terminates the life of a human being fashioned in God’s image. Abortion may be an option only in the rarest instances, when it is impossible to save the life of both the mother and the unborn child." ("Sanctity of Life, Biblical Foundations")[1]
Contraception
The Christian & Missionary Alliance does not deal with contraception in general. However, they do state their opposition to forms of contraception that destroy a formed embryo.
Official Statement from C&MA General Council, "Sanctity of Life" (1981)
- "Upon such biblical grounds, we hold the intentional destruction of a human embryo for purposes of contraception, or for stem-cell research, whether by surgical abortion or use of drugs or devices intended to terminate unborn life or prevent its implantation and growth following conception, to be immoral." ("Sanctity of Life, Biblical Foundations")[2]
End of Life
The Christian & Missionary Alliance gives priority to the sanctity of human life in all matters dealing with the end of life.
Physician-Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia
The Christian & Missionary Alliance opposes all forms of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Official Statement: from C&MA General Council, "Sanctity of Life" (1981)
- "Since human life is a sacred gift from God, the termination of life by euthanasia, suicide, or assisted suicide is morally and biblically unacceptable.
- Compassion for those who suffer infirmity or illness compels believers to strive for the alleviation of their pain, as does the gospel itself. James instructs believers both to anoint and pray for those who are ill and to care for their physical need (James 5:14–15). However, in doing so, Christians are to acknowledge the spiritual dimension of human life, recognizing that God can and may use suffering for an ultimate spiritual benefit, and through that, for His own glory."("Sanctity of Life, End-of-Life Issues")[3]
Withholding & Withdrawing Treatment
The Christian & Missionary Alliance makes a distinction between physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia, and the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.
Official Statement: from C&MA General Council, "Sanctity of Life" (1981)
- "Euthanasia ("mercy killing") is a deliberate act of killing somebody diagnosed with an incurable illness or injury. The decision to remove life support from a terminally ill patient is not generally understood as such an act. Euthanasia and removing life support are inherently different. The first is the deliberate act of ending life; the second is not artificially extending life. Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome may be legitimate. Through advancements in medical technology, doctors are now able to extend the life of patients by artificial means. The fact that such contrived means are available does not create a moral imperative to extend life indefinitely. Family members are often required to make decisions whether to prolong the life of a loved one. These decisions are difficult ones to make. They require careful reflection upon Scripture as well as consultation with pastors, medical personnel, and on occasion, legal experts." ("Sanctity of Life, End-of-Life Issues")[4]
