Feminists For Choice

Last week the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice published an “Open Letter from Religious Leaders to Members of Congress Supporting Inclusion of Abortion Services in Health Care Reform.” The letter is signed by over 70 leaders from a wide variety of faith organizations and churches ranging from the United Methodist Church and Lutheran Women’s Caucus to the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism and the National Coalition of American Nuns.

While many would look at this act as one of bravery, the letter makes an attempt to paint reproductive justice as a concern of the majority of religious people, not the other way around: “The majority of faith groups have affirmed that abortion is a decision of conscience that should be safeguarded by government. Further, these faith traditions affirm that health care services, including abortion, must be available to all, regardless of income.”

It angers me to think that believing in reproductive rights is seen as something that religious leaders and people of faith have to justify. Given that the foundation of reproductive freedom is respect for the dignity and lives of women, it is a crime that one would assume religious individuals are anti-abortion unless otherwise noted.

The letter makes clear that while the signers of the letter are diverse, they each share the same motivation for urging reproductive justice: “While our reasons for supporting the inclusion of abortion services in health care are diverse, they are grounded in the teachings of our faith traditions and our commitment to social justice.”

While attending the Planned Parenthood national conference in March I had the experience to attend the Inner Faith Breakfast, hosted by the PPFA Clergy Advisory Board–an active but lesser-known part of PPFA. The event, titled “To Be the Change We Seek” was an uplifting experience that had a profound impact on me. It truly left me thankful to be a part of such a dynamic, diverse, and enthusiastic movement. It also made me proud to be a strong woman with a spiritual practice and church affiliation.

I am proud to point out that my own religious community, Unitarian Universalism, is well represented on the PPFA Clergy Advisory Board and represented many of the signers of the RCRC letter to Congress.

I hope that the push to make progressive clergy members more visible will serve to educate the general public about to the truths about the pro-choice community. I also hope that the push will encourage more young feminists to join spiritual communities and come to know the joy of being part of a progressive spiritual community. They are out there and they are thriving, I promise!

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