The Methodist Church in Ireland is opposing the abortion referendum and is recommending a No vote.
In a statement, the Methodist Council of Social Responsibility said it was recommending a No vote for three reasons.
It did not regard the Constitution as the right place to deal with the issues. The proposal sought to row back on the X case judgment and did nothing to reduce the number of abortions.
It said the Constitution was not the right place to deal with such complex social and legal issues. They should be dealt with by appropriate legislation.
"The constitutional route is, we believe, inappropriate both because it is too blunt an instrument for such issues - giving rise to the danger of neglecting real issues through over-simplification - but also because the Constitution is inherently the wrong place for such specific matters," it said.
The best solution would have been the introduction of carefully drafted, sensitive but relatively restrictive legislation.
"Complex social issues require the comprehensive detailed approach which is possible with legislation but impossible through the blunt instrument of a few words in a constitutional amendment," it stated.
The statement expressed concern about what it stated was the over-simplification of the issues in prior debates on the matter and the lack of concern for the social and personal circumstances which caused women to seek the perceived solution of an abortion.
There had also been a lack of discussion about means of prevention or reduction of the very high rate of abortions carried out annually on Irish women. There was an urgent need for comprehensive counselling, follow-up support and contraceptive facilities, among other matters.
The Methodist position on abortion was that abortion on demand was wrong as the foetus could not be regarded as just an appendage of the mother's body but as it developed, so it should progressively be accorded rights. However, Methodists also believed abortion was a permissible choice in a small number of very specific cases.
In 1992, the Methodist Church believed the referenda on travel and information should be supported and the referendum on abortion should be opposed.
Its reasons were that firstly there was a need for clarity following the Supreme Court judgement in the X case but secondly the third amendment did not adequately deal with supporting the rights of the mother when complex decisions must be made.
The Methodist Church favoured a pluralist democratic society where all shades of opinion were treated with respect. The role of law should not attempt to legislate for a specific work of morality but rather to set minimum standards for the social good.
Members had argued to the Oireachtas Committee that the way forward was not to have a further referendum and not to restrict the judgment in the X case.
They favoured enacting legislation which went somewhat beyond the X case to allow for abortion in controlled circumstances.
These were where there was a risk to the physical or mental health of the mother, with the caveat that they were taking about serious certified conditions; pregnancy as a result of rape or incest and serious congenital malformations. They did not believe abortion should be allowed for economic or social reasons or on request, the statement said.