Sacred Choices and Abortion:
Ten New Things to Think About
Discussion & Action Guide
A
choice for abortion is a sacred choice; it is a pro-life choice.
Produced by The
Religious Consultation
2005 copyright, The Religious Consultation
Introduction
The Campaign
The video/DVD Sacred Choices and Abortion:
Ten New Things to Think About is
part of the Sacred Choices Initiative that is a worldwide issues
campaign aimed
at expanding scholarly and lay perceptions of the positions of the
world's
religions on contraception and abortion. The goal is to change the
discourse on
family planning and open the way to a more informed and humane stance on
woman's rights within a religious context. The campaign is organized by a
group
of international religious scholars from various religions known as
The Religious
Consultation
on Population, Reproductive Health and Ethics.
This remarkable documentary
explores the “big lie”…that religion is opposed to a
woman’s right to choose. Ten insightful segments feature scholars from
major
faith traditions—Christian, Muslim and Jewish—as well as women and
girls
whose lives have been forever changed by abortion.
Both thoughtful and dramatic, Sacred Choices
and Abortion radically
reframes
the debate over reproductive rights in our highly religious culture.
It has been
said that those who teach religious education need to carry their
sacred texts in
one hand and the newspaper in the other. This must be done so that
religion can
address, interpret and mediate contemporary society and culture with
faith. The
future of the world depends on our doing this.
The
Video/DVD
In many ways the use of Sacred Choices
and Abortion is
like working from the
inside out. It is a tool to foster understanding, create confidence, and
to inspire
engaging dialogues with less than like-minded people. It seems clear that
in
order for abortion to remain an option the public will need to mature
in the ways
in which it converses about the issue. At the same time the movement
also
needs to admit to grey areas, which nicely models deeper thinking for
the “other
side” as well. We cannot move from debate to policy unless our
dialogue grows
deeper, remains genuine, and is fully respectful of the sacred choices
that we
have. Dialogue does not happen in protest marches or petition
signing—it
happens in living rooms, churches and synagogues--in quiet conversations
across this country. We see the viewing of Sacred Choices and Abortion as
inspiring, nurturing and facilitating these conversations.
Facilitation
The facilitator of the Sacred Choices
and Abortion screening
might remind
people that the DVD presents a religiously based pro-choice view that
has not
been widely heard. One of the purposes of showing it is to allow
people to hear
this view, even if they do not agree with it. The facilitator might
say that it is
unhealthy when an important issue has people so divided that they cannot
dialogue about it. The facilitator might also add that he/she will be
neutral in their
facilitation of the discussion.
In order to encourage dialogue
the facilitator might ask the viewers what kind of
“talking
rules” will help them have a rich and caring conversation. You might want
to pass an object around as a “talking stick” and set a time limit
for speaking.
Viewers should be encouraged to
speak only for themselves. Understanding is
the main goal, not persuasion.
Suggestions on How To Watch Sacred Choices
and Abortion
Thomas Groome writes that
“naming your own knowing” is the key to
transformation. This implies that the viewer comes to his/her own conclusions
instead of having the expert who tells them what to think. We all have
our own
experiences with faith, our religious upbringing or lack of it, and how sex
and
sexuality were introduced to our lives. It is important that our individual
experiences are not discounted but heard. In following this philosophy of a
gentle
facilitation you might try the following steps. (For more detailed questions
for
discussion use please see section, Let’s Talk.)
1. Begin with a simple prayer
that helps welcome the participants and sets a
quiet, thoughtful tone.
2. Ask participants what they
already know about abortion rights and abortion.
How do they feel about
abortion? Gently encourage personal stories.
3. Watch Sacred Choices
and Abortion.
4. For a quick emotional read
of the room ask participants to share two words
that come to mind after watching the film. This gives viewers a way to
immediately respond and allows everyone a chance to be heard.
5,
Ask participants if attitudes and beliefs have changed. How have they been
stirred? How and why have they stayed the same?
6. Ask them if they will move
differently in the world? Will they do something
differently about the issue of abortion?
7. Have at the ready a variety
of resources to help instigate various actions.
The next section includes
statements, facts, and questions drawn from the
“chapters”
in the DVD. The following section, Let’s Talk, includes theological,
social change and personal questions that are extensions from the DVD.
Sacred Choices and Abortion
Ten New Things to Think About
Chapter Summaries
#1 Mary Had A Choice
This is the big lie—that many
religions are opposed to women having the right to
choose an abortion.
How is free will the doctrine
of your faith community?
In what ways do women make
moral decisions? How are women moral agents?
For Christians what does it
mean that God asked Mary if she would bear Jesus?
#2 Religions are pro-choice…a well kept secret
Are you surprised at the number
of religious organizations and faith communities
that support keeping abortion legal?
In history some religions were
clearly pro-choice. Can you give examples?
In the Catholic Church many
scholars believed that life did not begin until
quickening.
In Moslem historical tradition
a fetus has a soul after 120 days consequently a
woman could have an abortion before 120 days. Modern day Moslem
theologians say an abortion is acceptable in cases of rape.
Most Rabbinical authorities
would say that life begins when the majority of the
fetus emerges from the birth canal. In the Jewish Reform movement
psychological health issues are recognized.
What do you think of looking at
the psychological health of a woman and not just
her physical health?
The bible never mentions
abortion.
How can a fetus be more
important than a woman? Is pregnancy a means to an
end?
What profound differences are
there between a fetus and a baby?
#3 When abortion was illegal women died.
What would society look like if
abortions were illegal and birth control was hard to
get?
What would your daughter, your
niece, your grandchildren’s lives be like if
abortion were illegal?
How would this impact your sons
and grandsons?
Think about the wide spread
repercussions that will happen if abortion becomes
illegal. Will children be left motherless like Sharon McGee? Will
children be born
who are given less care than they need? Will there be more incidents
of spousal
abuse—what do you think?
What do you think would happen
to a healthy understanding of sexuality in our
society if abortion was illegal?
#4 Women are not interested in leaving the church.
How does abortion impact the
relationship between women and clergy?
How can faith communities make
it known that they welcome women who have
had abortions or who are considering an abortion?
#5 Religious people disagree--- often quite strongly
Is there irony in an
anti-abortionist activist using violence to make their point?
This chapter looks at
anti-abortion extremists and how historically abortion was
not such a controversial topic. Now the Christian Right has adopted
this issue as
their issue. Some of their argument
is that they believe that only God creates
and thus as humans we cannot take life away—that is only God’s
choice. What
do you think of their argument?
Do you agree that it is a
process of selection as to what to pick out of the bible to
support your point of view?
#6 Pregnancy is at least a 25-year
condition.
Bearing a child against one’s
will, is that enslavement?
How do you feel towards Lisa
and her decision to have an abortion?
What does Daniel Maguire mean
when he says that the only good abortion is a
pro-life abortion?
Did Mindy’s decision resonate
with you? What about Iraela and her husband’s
decision?
#7 A nine year old girl can get pregnant
What do you think of the
Catholic Church’s stand regarding Rosa, the 9-year-old
pregnant girl?
What could have been another
way for the Catholic Church to think about this
situation?
What actually makes sense to do
in a child’s forced pregnancy? Should religious
beliefs be weighed against common sense?
Could this happen here---where
a child who is raped and pregnant cannot get an
abortion?
Who has the right to make a
decision for a child?
What is your gut reaction to a
9-year-old child getting pregnant?
What is the best way to protect
a child who is pregnant?
How did
The father of
does this quote expand and deepen the discussion?
#8 Organized religion can promote guilt
or healing
The church has inculcated the
very guilt it points to in women who have had
abortions.
Many women who have abortions
are very spiritual—but yet they think they
cannot turn to their faith community.
Is it in a woman’s best interest
for a woman to keep her abortion a secret?
What will empower women to talk
about their abortions?
Does your faith community
listen to women’s needs and concerns?
Are women’s issues discussed
openly in your congregation?
This section also includes some
ideas for healing like using candles, tree
planting, letters of goodbye and prayers. Can you think of other ideas?
#9 It is a battle for religious freedom.
Why should we ask the
government to take away our responsibility to make
these kinds of important decisions? We don’t ask the government to
decide
whether we are morally correct in participating in war, do we? We have a
mechanism where the law recognizes different beliefs about killing in
wartime.
Any attempt to say that
abortion is murder even though Jewish Law does not say
this is an attempt to restrict freedom of religion.
How can one religious
interpretation wipe out other religious interpretations?
Does that not go against
separation of church and state?
#10 A choice
for an abortion is a sacred choice.
Texts in the Quran suggest that
humans need to make decisions for themselves.
God loves us unconditionally
and gives us the right to make decisions about our
lives.
We need to speak up about
abortion. We cannot put this back into a box hoping
that it will go away. We should lift the self-censure we have placed
on ourselves.
A choice for abortion is a
sacred choice; it is a pro-life choice.
Let’s Talk
Theological
Questions
How can one actually answer
when life begins? How do you answer the
question?
Can someone believe that life
begins at conception and still support abortion
rights? What supports that thinking?
What is the difference between
a potential life and a living human?
What about the great big
lie—that religion does not support the right to have an
abortion? What do you think of that?
How do women make moral
decisions?
How does free will play a part
in understanding the right to have an abortion?
Why do you think that the bible
never speaks to abortion?
How can a faith community
invite women to come to them for compassionate
counseling?
What signals can community
leaders give in their sermons, homilies, prayers,
that tell the congregation that they will be supportive of the woman’s
situation?
What signals do you need?
What should the role of your
faith community be in this issue?
Social Change Questions
There are at least seventy-five
nations in the world that have legalized abortion.
Abortion is not considered a
political issue; it is considered a private decision for
women to make. Why do you suppose that our country is so different?
How much does the argument over
the separation of church and state influence
your thinking about this issue?
Thirty three percent of women
will have an abortion in their lifetime. (Alan
Guttmacher Institute) Where are
these women in the abortion debate? How can
we help them speak up?
How important do you think the
abortion issue is to most Americans? Do you
think the issue influences how individuals vote?
If the right to have an
abortion is taken away what will happen in terms of illegal
abortions and the safety of women?
How can
What are some connections
between the abortion issue and the right to die?
What does “quality of life”
mean to you?
Does the issue of population
control come into play for you?
What do you think life would be
like in the
freedom?
Why is there now a movement to
prevent the use of the birth control pills?
Is being forced to bear a child
a form of enslavement?
What do you think of the film’s
assertion that pro-life advocates have an antiwoman
agenda?
How can those who oppose the
right to abortion support war? Support capital
punishment?
What does “pro choice” mean to
you?
What does “pro-life” mean to
you?
How can we refresh the language
that is used in this controversy? Do we still
want to use “battle,” “procedure,” “woman’s choice?” Don’t both sides
have claim
to “pro-life” and “right to life?”
Are there just two sides to the
issue or are there really more grey areas, and grey
responses than the media and our leaders prod us to think?
In your mind, what are some of
these grey areas when it comes to the issue of
abortion?
If a woman is raped and becomes
pregnant should society force her to continue
the pregnancy by taking away her right to have an abortion?
Are there connections between
the number of abortions in our society and the
lack of financial and structural support that poor women and poor
families
receive?
Intimate
Discussions
Talking with friends and family even one on one can help bridge
opinions and
experiences that are part of our healing and coming to terms with the issue.
In what ways has your religious
upbringing promoted guilt in your life? In what
ways has your religious upbringing promoted healing in your life?
Is pregnancy the essential
problem, or is it the range of circumstances that a
woman might find herself in? What about those circumstances? Do they include
an unwilling partner, medical issues, age and maturity, support of
other children,
mental health issues, and domestic violence?
Have you ever known someone who
had a child when they did not want to or
were not ready? What happened?
Have you known someone who has
had an abortion? What was the
consequence? How did it positively and or negatively impact that person?
If you have had an abortion how
has the information from the DVD impacted
you?
If you have had an abortion how
do you feel about it now?
What are some of the reasons
that you or someone you know has had an
abortion?
Under what circumstances would
you choose abortion? Can we really know how
we might react when faced with this decision?
How does stigma affect women
who have had an abortion? What are ways that
we can combat stigma in our own communities?
What does post abortion
spiritual health look like?
How can we encourage women to
share their abortion stories? What kinds of
support can we give them?
How can we help pro-choice
people in our community feel proud to speak out
about their beliefs?”
What are some of the
connections between issues of sexuality and abortion for
you?
How does the policy stance of
your faith community impact your feelings toward
that community?
Has the issue of abortion
impacted your relationship with your faith community?
How can communities of faith
support women who find themselves in unplanned
pregnancies?
How can communities of faith
support the partners of the women who have
unplanned pregnancies?
Action Steps
A
Tea
Invite women from another
congregation in your community to a woman’s tea to
discuss the issue on a personal level. In the interest of size this
gathering should
be no larger than seven or eight participants. Facilitation should
be neutral. If
participants find it helpful and healing continue to expand to other groups
and or
keep the same group meeting regularly.
Volunteer
Volunteer to show Sacred Choices
and Abortion and
talk about religious issues
with your local reproductive health care clinic staff. Help them to
know that there
is a spiritual and religious tradition that does not oppose
abortion.
Out
of the Church Closet
Ask local pro-choice activists
to come out of their religious closet. Encourage
them to see that their religious
beliefs compliment the effort to keep
abortion safe
and legal. Help them to lobby the head of the church to present a
sermon or
homily about this sacred right.
Be
Our Own Madison Avenue
What are some new tag lines
that would be effective to deepen the debate? If
you create a good one share it with others.
Pro-choice, Pro-child
Pro-choice, Sacred Choice
Keep the right for sacred
choice
My church is Pro-choice
Build a Bridge
Have people on both sides of
the issue create a large poster with succinct
reasons why they believe what they do. Ask them to use shades of gray,
black
and white, to symbolize the potency of their arguments. Hang them
side by side
for a focus to informal conversations.
Oral
History
Grab a recorder,
or video camera and take oral histories of women who have had
abortions, both illegal and legal
abortions. You could also do the same
with men
who have partnered with women who had abortions. Set up a screening
in your
church, synagogue or mosque.
Resources
Organizations and websites
The Religious Consultation on
Population, Reproductive Health and Ethics www.religiousconsultation.org
NARAL Pro-Choice
The Abortion Conversation Project
Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice
Planned Parenthood
Abortion Clinic Staff Blog
(Note - this is not a PP site)
http://abortionclinicdays.blogs.com
Resources and discussion
Women tell their stories
National After
Abortion Talk Line
Backline: Decision Making and
Post Abortion Support
Online magazine of abortion
stories (Spanish/English) http://www.ourtruths.org
Catholics for a Free Choice
The Alan Guttmacher Institute
www.agi-usa.org/sections/abortion.html
Multiple perspectives presented
in thoughtful ways http://womensissues.about.com
Ayn Rand and Capitalism
Magazine—conservative pro-choice response
Unitarian Universalist
Books
Abortion in
1900 by James C. Mohr
Abortion, My Choice, God’s Grace, Christian Women Tell Their
Stories, by
Anne Eggebroten
A Question of Choice, by
Sarah Weddington
Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War by William
Saletan
Beggars and Choosers: How the Politics of Choice Shapes Adoption,
Abortion, and Welfare in the
Behind Every Choice Is a Story, by Gloria Feldt
Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the
Renaissance,
by John M. Riddle
Educating for Life: a Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent, by
Thomas Groome
In Good Conscience, by
Anna Runkle
Sacred Choices: The Right to Contraception and Abortion in Ten World
Religions, by Daniel
Maguire
Sacred Rights edited by Daniel C Maguire
The Healing Choice: Your Guide to
Emotional Recovery After an Abortion
by Candace DuPuy, PhD, and Dana Dovitch
The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion
Service
by Laura Kaplan
The War on Choice: The Right-Wing Attack on Women's Rights and How
to Fight Back, by Gloria Feldt
FILM
I Had an Abortion, a new documentary about abortion and the women who
made that decision. Contact: gandj@speakoutfilms.com
© The Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive Health
and Ethics 2005