WHEREAS, attempts are now being made to deny Medicaid funds for abortion and to enact Constitutional Amendments that would limit abortions to life-endangering situations and thus remove this decision from the individual and her physician; and

WHEREAS, such legislation is an infringement of the principle of the separation of church and state as it tries to enact a position on private morality into public law; and

WHEREAS, such anti-abortion legislation would cause the revival of illegal abortion and result in the criminal exploitation of women who are without money or influence, forcing them to resort to unsafe procedures; and

WHEREAS, we affirm the right of each woman to make the decisions concerning her own body and future and we stress the responsibilities and long-term commitment involved in the choice of parenthood;

WHEREAS, the majority of the Supreme Court has ruled on June 20, 1977 that the states are not obligated to expend Medicaid funds for elective abortions, and has also ruled that public hospitals are not obligated to perform abortions;

WHEREAS, there is a strong national movement to have two-thirds of the state legislatures request Congress to convene a Constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing a Constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the 1977 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association expresses its dismay and regret at the June 20, 1977 decision of the Supreme Court as seriously jeopardizing the right of legal abortion won in the Supreme Court decisions of January, 1973; opposes the denial of Medicaid funds for abortion and any Constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion and urges members of the societies of the Unitarian Universalist Association to write or wire their senators and representatives in Congress and state legislatures to inform them of our position on these issues.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the 1977 General Assembly positively affirms its respect for the responsibilities and joys of parenthood, and the member societies of the Unitarian Universalist Association are encouraged to develop workshops and other programs on parenthood and parenting.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the 1977 General Assembly urges that federal funds be invested in research to find more effective and safer methods of birth control.