February 2012 Newsletter
From the Executive Director
One of the primary goals of the Religious Institute since its founding has been to promote a mainstream and progressive religious voice in the public square. As the U.S. Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops and the contenders for the Republican nomination raised their voices against contraceptive coverage in the Affordable Care Act, we found ourselves working with the White House, key national women’s health organizations, and major press outlets to do just that.
Last week, I appeared on “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox Television News, and gave countless newspaper interviews (including a front page story in the New York Times) on religious support for birth control.
I was on a phone call with the White House this past Friday morning, before the President announced his sensible accommodation to assure health insurance that covers all preventive care services for women—regardless of employer—while not requiring Catholic institutions to pay for birth control coverage. I was appalled this weekend when the U.S. Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops decided to reject the White House compromise on birth control access in health insurance for women employees of Catholic hospitals and universities, even though they won’t have to provide it or pay for it. Under the White House plan, Catholic institutions do not have to financially support contraceptive care; no woman is required to use it.
It feels clear to me that the all-male Roman Catholic Bishops are cloaking their anti-women’s sexuality views in religious liberty arguments because they are trying to do with health insurance reform what they have not been able to do from the pulpit: deny women access to modern contraceptives. I am shocked that they have decided to make contraceptive coverage a political wedge issue, when nearly every heterosexually active adult in America uses it, including most Catholics.
The Catholic Bishops do not speak for all of religion on contraception. Last week, in partnership with our colleagues at Catholics for Choice, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and the National Council for Jewish Women, the Religious Institute released a statement on behalf of now twenty-six mainstream Christian, Jewish, and Muslim national organizations supporting birth control. These national faith organizations represent millions of religious leaders and people of faith across the country.
There is nothing new about religious organizations supporting the provision of contraception and women’s moral agency to decide when, whether, and if to use birth control. More than 20 denominations have policies affirming birth control, passed as early as 1959.
There is an authentic, historically ground religious Jewish and Christian perspective that supports access to birth control. It is precisely because of our religious belief that life is sacred, that we commit ourselves to assuring that it is created intentionally through the use of, and access to, contraceptive services. It is because of our beliefs as religious leaders and people of faith from distinct traditions that we affirm that individuals must have the moral agency to make decisions about their sexuality and reproductive health without governmental interference or legal restrictions.
Our belief in religious liberty and the separation of church and state means that we understand that no single religious voice should speak for all faith traditions on contraception or any other sexuality issues, and that the government should never take sides on religious differences. Just as Jehovah Witnesses who run secular institutions must cover blood transfusions for their employees and Christian Scientists who run secular institutions must offer health insurance at all, so must Catholic hospitals and universities provide health insurance that covers all preventive health care services to their employees and students.
Much of the media—including progressive blogs like “Religion Dispatches,” national newspapers such as the Washington Post, and blogs on the right—inaccurately talked about “religious views” on birth control as anti-contraception and anti-women’s health. We know better. The almost 4000 religious leaders that have endorsed our Religious Declaration have endorsed a faith based commitment to access to voluntary contraception. Your support makes it possible for us to make sure that religious voices that endorse sexual justice can continue to be heard.
Take Action!
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Show Your Support for Including Contraception in the Affordable Care Act - President Obama has announced an “accommodation” in the contraception mandate to preserve contraceptive services as part of insurance coverage. Click here to show your support.
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Support the Respect for Marriage Act –If you think the time has come to recognize all families, click here to tell your Senators to support the Respect for Marriage Act, which overturns DOMA.
Read more about how DOMA has affected people here.
News and Current Events
Washington State Legalizes Marriage Equality
On February 13, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed marriage equality into law, making Washington the seventh state with legal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Read more here.
White House Stays Strong in Support for Contraception Coverage
On February 10, President Obama announced an “accommodation” in the contraception mandate that preserved contraceptive services coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act. Read more here.
Teen Pregnancy Rate Hits 40 Year low
On February 8, the Guttmacher Institute noted the pregnancy rate among teens is down 42% from its peak in 1990, bringing it to a 40 year low. The abortion rate among teens dropped almost 60% from its peak in 1988.
Read more here.
Prop 8 Found Unconstitutional
On February 7, The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco found California's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. The 2-1 vote was the first ever by a federal appellate court to overturn a state law defining marriage between a man and a woman. Read more here.
Komen Breaks from Planned Parenthood, Then Reverses Decision
On January 31, Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced it would no longer fund breast cancer screenings through Planned Parenthood, causing a major outcry and charges of political motivations within Komen. On February 3, Komen apologized and stated it would continue to fund its current grants, and that Planned Parenthood would remain eligible for future funds. Read more about the controversy here.
New Resources
Research - Long-Term Worldwide Decline In Abortions Has Stalled
Research from the World Health Organization and the Guttmacher Institute finds the decline in the abortion rate has stalled. This corresponds with a slowdown in what had been a steady increase in contraceptive use. Restrictive abortion laws are not associated with lower abortion rates. Read more here.
Click here to see this chart at full size.
An Unquenchable Thirst: One Woman's Extraordinary Journey of Faith, Hope, and Clarity, by Mary Johnson.
During her twenty years with the Missionaries of Charity, then-Sister Donata grappled with her faith, her sexuality, the politics of the order, and her complicated relationship with Mother Teresa. Read more here.
Faithful Voices Network
Observe a Rachel Sabbath in your congregation!
It’s not too late to make a Rachel Sabbath part of your worship service, religious education or other activities! Highlighting reproductive justice can be as simple as using one of our responsive readings, or can be the centerpiece of your worship service. Much more information is available here.
Congregational gatherings or events near International Women’s Day (March 8th) and Mother’s Day (May 13th) are ideal times to make a powerful statement on behalf of women and girls everywhere. Prayers, sermons and more are available on the Rachel Sabbath web site, here. Please sign up here to let us know that your congregation will participate and speak out for reproductive justice and health!
What could we accomplish? Consider this:
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$1 billion U.S. annual investment in international family planning would prevent 53 million unintended pregnancies, 150,000 pregnancy-related deaths, and 25 million induced abortions.
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Doubling current global investments in family planning and pregnancy-related healthcare could save the lives of 400,000 women and 1.6 million infants each year.
People won’t take action if they don’t recognize that global maternal mortality is a moral and public health crisis. Celebrating a Rachel Sabbath will not only highlight the challenges in women’s and girls’ reproductive health services worldwide, but it can also highlight the actions we can all take to become a part of the solution.
Much of this information and the above statistics has been adapted from the Religious Institute’s International Women’s Day resource, available here.
Please take a moment to sign up here and let us know that your congregation will participate and speak out for reproductive justice and health. Thank you!
Religious Institute News
Religious Institute Doubles the Number of Seminaries Preparing Clergy to Address Sexuality Issues
The Religious Institute’s Sex and the Seminary project has resulted in doubling the number of United States seminaries, divinity and rabbinical schools that are preparing the next generation of clergy with the training they need to address sexuality issues in ministry. Twenty seminaries now meet a majority of the criteria for a sexually healthy and responsible seminary, compared to just ten in 2009. Read more here.
The Religious Institute joined a small group of religious and reproductive health leaders in creating a statement supporting contraceptive coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act. Twenty-seven mainstream religious leaders, collectively representing millions of religious leaders and people of faith across the country, endorsed this statement. It received major press coverage including the New York Times, MSNBC, “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News, the “Geraldo Rivera Show” and the National Catholic Reporter among others. .
See Rev. Haffner debate this with Bill O’Reilly (and commentary) here.
Events
International Women’s Day.
March 8, 2012. Consider observing it with a Rachel Sabbath in your faith community.
Webinar for clergy: Theology of Reproductive Justice
March 13, 2012, 1pm EST. This webinar will focus on finding and using faith language to speak for reproductive justice. Register via email here. mwestfox@rcrc.org.
Religious Institute on the Road
February 19, 2012, St. Mark’s Episcopal Chapel, Storrs, CT
Associate Director Marie Alford-Harkey will be preaching at the worship service. Read more here
February 23-25, 2012, From Stumbling Blocks to Building Blocks of Faith, Kansas City, MO
Sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Religious Institute will be exhibiting at this event. Stop by our table and say hello! Read more here.
February 26, 2012, The Unitarian Church in Westport, Westport, CT
Rev. Haffner will be preaching at the worship service. More information is available here.
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