(Late because I was traveling and underestimated my ability to fall asleep on a train.)
This week, we’ll take a look at something in the in between — not exactly abortion stigma, but in its neighborhood. (Here’s a ceiling at the Met because I like to go to museums on weekday afternoons as though I were retired.)
“All people of faith are against abortion.”
As a both a person of faith and someone who believes in abortion justice, this is something that truly irritates me, because it’s yet another example of how anti-choice forces have managed to coerce media into showcasing a certain point of view about abortion and who fights for it.
The value of bodily autonomy isn’t solely one held by secular people, and all religions don’t believe life begins at conception. That being said, it’s not easy to be a person of faith in lefty circles. There is intense pressure to downplay/suppress certain religious identities in the name of being a “real” progressive. (I will spare you the gory details of being openly Jewish on the left after October 7th, but know that many of us have been changed on a level that is painfully molecular.)
Abortion justice and religion are not at odds, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking they might be. Understanding that we live in a Christian nationalist (not all Christians are anti-choice) hegemony that coopts political language is the first step to seeing the reality that you can work for abortion access and be a person of faith. There are organizations devoted to the intersection between religion and abortion rights as well as those who work for abortion rights by centering religious freedom. You can find a list at the end of this piece, along with some other important links.
If you are a person of faith who also believes in abortion access, speak up about it in spaces where it feels safe(r). What does your faith tradition say? What are the complicated parts of it for you, and how do you navigate them? If there isn’t a space that feels okay to talk openly, try to articulate your thoughts to yourself.
Coming up: The stigma about who has abortions.
See you next week!
Resources
This piece on blessing an abortion clinic
Organizations to check out: Faith Aloud, National Council of Jewish Women, Catholics for Choice, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Red Tent Fund.
Back in 2019, I talked to Molly Wernick about anti-abortion laws, Judaism, and how to take action, which is unfortunately still very relevant.