Posted on 05/08/2005 6:18:27 AM PDT by The Great Yazoo
The pro-choice voice among religious groups has been silent for a long time, but now, at least in Collier County, that will be a thing of the past.
About 100 people from five faith organizations in the community, their religious leaders, and supporters of Planned Parenthood of Collier County met Saturday for a conference about abortion and reproductive freedom, realizing a shared conviction for women's rights to choose and the need to be vocal.
The intent of the three-hour workshop held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in North Naples was to launch a coalition to fight the misconception that religious faith means across-the-board opposition to women's rights to reproductive freedom and abortion.
After hearing the personal and denominational positions of the five local faith leaders, the audience divided into small groups to discuss whether a coordinated religious-based pro-choice response to the religious right is needed and, if so, what the priorities should be and how they could be achieved.
To the first, the answer was a resounding "yes" to the coalition, Religious Voices for Choice.
Ideas generated during the group sessions ranged from designing posters to developing a business plan to fight the religious right, even potentially with a pro-choice SWAT team to respond and be seen when controversial events occur.
"There is nothing more business-oriented than what the religious right has been doing for over 30 years," said Donna Carty, who was part of the organizing committee for the event.
Participants also expressed a desire to reach out to more faith groups to join. Another idea is to have a panel discussion with faith leaders who oppose abortion for the learning experience.
The idea of Saturday's workshop and the formation of the coalition developed after the Rev. Kathleen Korb, with the Unitarian Universalist church, spoke at a rally at Planned Parenthood in January on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Abortion opponents traditionally demonstrate at the event each year and Korb said she was struck by how just one religious viewpoint, against reproductive choice and abortion, was expressed.
There were no abortion opponents demonstrating outside the Unitarian Universalist church Saturday. Traditionally, abortion opponents, including students from Ave Maria University, demonstrate each week outside Planned Parenthood even though the local clinic does not perform abortions.
The faith leaders participating in the panel discussion Saturday were Rabbi Daniel Sherman, with Temple Shalom; the Rev. Ron Patterson, with Naples United Church of Christ; the Rev. Thomas Harp, with Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Rick Sosbe, with Metropolitan Community Church; and Korb.
All of them said they personally support women's right to choose; the same goes for their denominations. Sosbe, of Metropolitan Community Church, said his denomination has not taken an official position but said he believes the general consensus is a pro-choice position. On the issue of whether abortion is a religious issue, the faith leaders, to varying degrees, said people draw upon their religious convictions for support when they confront difficult life decisions, including the decision to have an abortion.
"It is a religious issue but I don't want your religion telling me what to do and you don't want my religion telling you what to do," Harp said. "Every issue is a religious issue. How we vote is a religious issue. We have a very biased and narrow understanding of religion in this country and I don't like it very well."
On the issue of abortion being murder, the stance of the religious right, the faith leaders said their denominations do not recognize a fetus as a human being.
"A fetus is seen as a potential life," Sherman said, adding that traditional Jewish law says if ever there is a question over saving a woman's life or that of a potential life, there is no debate but to save the woman's life.
Following the group discussions, participants signed up to be members of the coalition and several expressed the need to have another meeting shortly to keep the momentum strong.
A mission statement has been drafted and selecting an executive committee or board is likely, said Char Wendel, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood, which co-sponsored the event with the Unitarian Universalist church.
Copyright 2005, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved.
Why would you go to a "church" like one of these? Why not just save your money for whores or crack cocaine?
"Faith"? In what? Where is the supporting scripture?
It is the precise business of religion to tell people what to do.
I much prefer the biased and narrow understanding of religion as a set of divine edicts to the all encompassing, what ever you choose to believe, attitude.
The good pastor is not defining religion, she is defining a private club, a more appropriate definition for these 5 organizations.
In the pages of the New York Times.
Ah, the good ol' Unitarians. They believe in everything, so they believe in nothing.
The Unitarian Universalist Collective is a "church"? I thought it was just a subsidiary of Millionaire Socialists For The Taxation Of Others.
Curch of Soros--sniff around, you'll find him.
All I need to know about Unitarians. There's that "arian" thing again. Unitarians and Pagans don't believe in God.
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Arianism
... But the technical terms of doctrine were not fully defined; and even in Greek
... It was the ultimate scope of Arian opposition to what Christians had ...
www.newadvent.org/cathen/01707c.htm
" The Semi-Arians attempted for years to invent a compromise between irreconcilable views, and their shifting creeds, tumultuous councils, and worldly devices tell us how mixed and motley a crowd was collected under their banner. The point to be kept in remembrance is that, while they affirmed the Word of God to be everlasting, they imagined Him as having become the Son to create the worlds and redeem mankind."
Welcome to the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans
Promotes networking among Pagan-identified Unitarian Universalists, and provides for the outreach of Unitarian Universalism to the broader Pagan community.
www.cuups.org/
"About 100 people from five faith organizations in the community, their religious leaders, and supporters of Planned Parenthood of Collier County met Saturday for a conference about abortion and reproductive freedom, realizing a shared conviction for women's rights to choose and the need to be vocal. "
Quote: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:22-23
That is a very good scripture that I think all of us should pay attention to. I kinda see that scripture describing some that actually worship amonst us. I doubt if these people even go so far as to profess anything scriptural.
Abortion is a ritual murder upon an altar of conceit, before an idolatry of one's own vanity.
'Unsex me here!
Who is he that is not of woman borne? Surely, the angel they must serve would have told them that they were borne of woman.
Divinity of Hell!
When devils will the blackest of sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as they do now.
They are of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.
All the world is a stage for such villainous parody from these that have so slender a claim to be admitted to the table of the Saints.'
Shakespearean psychology...
I paraphrase congruent Shakespearean ideas...
Unsex me here!
Who is he that is not of woman borne?
Surely, the angel they must serve would have told them that they were borne of woman.
Divinity of Hell!
When devils will the blackest of sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as they do now.
They are of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.
All the world is a stage for such villainous parody from these that have so slender a claim to be admitted to the table of the Saints.
I paraphrase congruent Shakespearean ideas...
Unsex me here!
Who is he that is not of woman borne?
Surely, the angel they must serve would have told them that they were borne of woman.
Divinity of Hell!
When devils will the blackest of sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as they do now.
They are of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.
All the world is a stage for such villainous parody from these that have so slender a claim to be admitted to the table of the Saints.
I paraphrase congruent Shakespearean ideas...
Unsex me here!
Who is he that is not of woman borne?
Surely, the angel they must serve would have told them that they were borne of woman.
Divinity of Hell!
When devils will the blackest of sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as they do now.
They are of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.
All the world is a stage for such villainous parody from these that have so slender a claim to be admitted to the table of the Saints.
Faith is not freedom or license.
I'm surprised the Baal worshippers didn't send a representative to this meeting.
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