Statement on the death of Dr. George Tiller

To the Tiller family and community of supporters,

The Leadership Team of Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options (PARO), a ministry of the Presbyterian Health, Education & Welfare Association (PHEWA) offers our condolences and prayers of support in the wake of the tragic murder of Dr. George Tiller.

For almost two decades, Dr. Tiller and those individuals who helped provide care to his patients have lived under intense harassment tinged with persistent threats of violence. Even under these adverse circumstances, Dr. Tiller never wavered in his commitment to providing abortion services and other reproductive health care to women and their families, often in the most difficult and heartbreaking circumstances.

We cannot pretend to understand the circumstances facing women and their families, but believe that God has expressed love and grace in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are to express that love and grace to one another, especially when facing a difficult and complex situation. Dr. Tiller, being a man of deep faith, reflected in his life such grace with his patients. He cared deeply for and about women, and had a very real grasp of and compassion for the realities of women's lives and the struggles they faced.

Many of us knew that a sign at Dr Tiller's clinic read: "Abortion is not a cerebral or a reproductive issue. Abortion is an issue of the heart. Until one understands the heart of a woman, nothing else about abortion makes any sense at all."  With thanksgiving, we celebrate the life of Dr. Tiller and his commitment to the heart of a woman.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has worked for years to address the diverse opinions concerning individuals and families who face problem pregnancies and the question of abortion. Regardless of the diversity of opinions, the denomination is united in our “rejection of the use of violence and/or abusive language either in protest of or in support of abortion, whether this occurs in places where abortions are performed, at the homes of physicians who perform abortions, or in other public demonstrations.” (1992 “Problem Pregnancies and Abortion” p. 11). That Dr. Tiller was murdered during Sunday services in his church, a sanctuary of worship and prayer, is an affront to people of faith everywhere. This act of extreme violence in a religious space is extremely troubling and reminds us of the potential for religion to be used as a basis for acts of hatred and violence.

And so we pray. We pray for the family, loved ones and friends of Dr. Tiller whose lives have been devastated by this loss. We pray for those who continue to use violent actions and rhetoric. From the pulpit or in print they do not mirror the love and grace that God intends for creation. And we pray for the health care providers who bravely continue the care and compassion modeled by the life and work of Dr. George Tiller and for women and their families facing decisions that are, first and foremost, matters of the heart.

-The Leadership Team of Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options