ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 29, 2009
Lutherans Study Genetics in Preparation for Social Statement
09-141-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
is studying genetics in preparation for a social statement. The church
has developed nine social statements in its 21-year history.
Genetics is a broad and new topic that can be very intimidating,
according to Dr. Per Anderson, professor of religion, Concordia College,
Moorhead, Minn. He said the task force wants to develop a social
statement that is committed to and in service of moral deliberation.
"We're moving towards a statement that may not make lots of
prescriptive statements, but a statement that will help the church
understand the significance of issues raised by genetics and engage in
these issues as a community," he said.
Anderson is co-chair of the ELCA Genetics Task Force, an 18-member
group charged with developing the social statement. In November 2008 the
task force released "Genetics and Faith: Power, Choice and
Responsibility," a study document to guide Lutherans in their examination
of genetics from a social, theological and ethical framework, engaging in
particular scientific and biotechnological topics. Responses from
congregations and others about the study are due to the task force by
November 2009.
Anderson said it is critical that the 4.7 million members of the
ELCA respond to the study to help guide the task force's work in
developing a social statement on genetics.
"The reality is that the church's deliberation about sexuality is
dominating people's attention," Anderson said. "We still need to hear
from congregations. The main unknown among task force members is what's
on the minds of our congregations" regarding genetics, he said.
Social statements are teaching documents that assist Lutherans in
forming judgments on social issues. The proposed social statement on
genetics is expected to be presented to the 2011 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly. Held every other year, assemblies are the church's highest
legislative authority.
According to Janet L. Williams, co-chair of the task force, it
is "challenging to capture the depth and breadth of how genetics impacts
the world and the power that we humans have to alter or manipulate
genetics." Williams is a genetic counselor at Intermountain Healthcare,
Salt Lake City.
Williams said people's approach to technology can change. "If your
mother develops Alzheimer's at age 49, and you realize that stem cell
research can benefit the situation, your ideas about stem cell research
are likely to change. Once the situation becomes personal and you learn
more about a particular technology, it's not as easy to have pat
responses."
Williams said a struggle among task force members is trying to
anticipate questions that will become issues in the future. "Science and
technology change so quickly that certain statements about genetics
become obsolete," she said.
"A good part of our work is to get appropriate expert input,"
Anderson said. "That work will conclude by the end of this year. At our
meeting this fall we're going to hear from people on genetically modified
organisms. This past April we had a great session about pastoral issues
and congregational life."
"Genetics is a topic where there are no moral experts, given its
novelty and complexity," Anderson said. "People of good will should
engage other perspectives and experiences to arrive at adequate
understandings and judgments. We hope the social statement will create
dialogue among people who need to communicate with one another."
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Information about the ELCA Task Force on Genetics is at
http://www.ELCA.org/socialstatements/genetics on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
