The statement was signed by the President of the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania Sigitas Tamkevičius, Bishop of Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church Mindaugas Sabutis and Orthodox Metropolitan Innokentiy. It is noted in the statement that human life is a great gift which has to be valued; the unborn life has to be allowed to see the world in spite of difficulties and doubts.

‘We are aware that sometimes the protection of human life is associated with uneasy dilemmas, but this is not a sufficient reason to lose the determination to defend life. Tough choices do not justify refusal to strive for good’, the statement says.

According to the authors´, discussions on unborn life are sometimes accompanied by the comparison of the values and rights, the importance of which has definitely diverse meanings. The authors state that privacy is not equal to the value of life. The right to privacy is not a sufficient reason to deprive somebody of life. The violations of the right to physical integrity of women are not clincher arguments too. The conceived life is not a part of a woman, but a genetically unique embryo, which, unless someone decides otherwise, becomes an independent entity. Therefore the authors claim that the abortion is tantamount to the deprivation of life.

‘The protection of human life is above nations, religions, beliefs, ideologies, political affiliation. We support efforts to strengthen the protection of human life from the moment of conception and are calling for politicians of good will, people involved in social actions and other citizens to join the efforts,’ the church leaders appeal.

{SN ELTA}

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