Respecting the Sanctity of Human Life
A consensus should be developed to respect the sanctity of all human life.
The MCC seeks to build public opposition to threats to the sanctity of human life, including abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, unethical life science experiments, the death penalty, crimes against humanity and torture.
Legal protection should be extended to the unborn child.
The MCC maintains an unwavering commitment to extend legal protection to unborn children. As long as states are prohibited from banning abortion, the MCC supports efforts to limit its evil effects. Women considering abortion should be provided relevant information about support for carrying her unborn child to term.
No public funds should be used to subsidize abortion services, human cloning or unethical life science experiments.
The long-standing policy of the state of Missouri promotes childbirth over abortion. Similarly, Missouri should only promote ethical forms of life science research. Public funds should not be used to promote or distribute contraceptive or abortifacient drugs or devices. Appropriations for health care or other services should not subsidize organizations that perform or promote abortion. Public funds should not be used to support research that destroys or devalues human life. The MCC opposes the use of tax dollars to fund human cloning, embryonic stem cell experiments and similar unethical activities.
The state of Missouri should promote alternatives to abortion.
Women in crisis pregnancies should be provided assistance, such as emergency housing, food, clothing, employment, health care, counseling and adoption services. The MCC supports expanded funding for the Alternatives to Abortion program. State law should require detailed information be provided to women on alternatives to abortion prior to any abortion being performed.
Appropriate palliative care should be provided to the terminally ill and people with debilitating conditions.
To protect vulnerable persons from euthanasia, assisted suicide, and neglect and abuse, laws should promote appropriate palliative care, including pain management, hospice care, home care services, and caregiver support. Family members, guardians or advocates should have access to information regarding, and input into, healthcare decisions concerning incapacitated persons to protect them from euthanasia or assisted suicide.
The death penalty should be abolished.
Society cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. Society is no better protected by execution than by imprisonment. As part of the process of forming a consensus against the death penalty, the MCC supports incremental steps such as a moratorium on executions while the fairness of the death penalty system is examined. Adequate resources should be made available to public defenders handling capital cases. Physical evidence should be preserved and additional scientific testing allowed before carrying out death sentences.
The state of Missouri should require the use of ethical vaccines whenever they are available.
Currently several common childhood vaccines are derived from aborted fetuses and ethical alternative vaccines are either unavailable or difficult to obtain. The MCC supports government incentives for the development and wide distribution of ethical vaccines. The state should consider the rights of conscience of parents as well as the risks to public health when mandating vaccinations.
Assaults on the dignity of human life including pornography, human trafficking and coerced organ “donations” should be confronted.
Pornography and human trafficking exploit women, children and vulnerable people. Television programming, advertising, the Internet, and other communications technology should shield the public, especially children, from pornographic and violent material. The state and federal governments should require all media based companies to make filters available so that families can protect themselves from pornographic material. Federal and state laws should be strengthened to protect women from human trafficking. Laws relating to organ donations should ensure that such donations follow ethical guidelines and are voluntary donations.
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