Appendix D and E
Appendix E: Note to Clergy In several surveys it has been estimated that more than 25% of all individuals seeking abortion services have spiritual or religious concerns either about their decision or about the reactions of others. * Given that a million women have abortions every year (and 1 in 4 will have an abortion in their lifetimes), one of these individuals may approach you for help. Generally, individuals and/or their partners and family members, are concerned with very basic concepts such as forgiveness, God’s (The Creator, The Divine, Allah) grace, moral consequences, and acceptance of their religious community. They may not even know their faith’s official policy on abortion and in fact, they may assume that all religions are against abortion. Regardless of the official policy or your own belief about abortion, these individuals will want to know how they can “be a good person,” “not be separated from God,” and “feel whole again.” They seek your compassion, yet fear your judgment. This Guide to Emotional and Spiritual Healing after an Abortion may be useful to you as well as the person or family you are trying to help. If you don’t have a complete copy of the guide, go to www. pregnancyoptions.info. One important point that you will see emphasized is that the situation that led to an abortion is always complex with many factors to consider, including the needs of children and others. It is crucial to recognize this and to partner with other mental health professionals if there are ongoing issues for the individual or family. Have your referral list at hand. Not every person will want the same thing so it is important to listen carefully to what they are asking for and if this is not clear, ask about their expectations. They may need a compassionate listener, or they may want you to pray with them or even to perform a ritual. They will most likely need new ways to think about their spiritual dilemma and reassurance that they can remain in relationship with God and their religious community.
Many clergy report that they do not get requests like this very often. If this is true for you, think about how you “signal” to your congregants that you are open to this discussion. It may be surprising to learn that many feel stigmatized about their abortion experience by the larger culture. People are often cut off from their usual support people, including from their community of faith because of this stigma. Including abortion and reproductive loss in discussions among your congregants or in written material may let people know that you are open to conversations and are non-judgmental on these topics. Some clergy include reproductive loss in sermons or in ceremonies on grief and loss. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice has excellent training for clergy, seminary students and pastoral counselors available on both reproductive loss and all-options pregnancy counseling. Contact your state affiliate or the national headquarters for more information. www.rcrc.org The Abortion Conversation Projects www. abortionconversationprojects.org focuses on increasing safe places to have open conversations about pregnancy options, especially abortion. On the website, you will find helpful information, handouts and training materials available to you at little or no cost. Or you may want to join the Abortion Care Network, www.abortioncarenetwork.org. Please also consult the Resource list on these websites and in the guide for additional suggestions. Spiritual Needs Survey 2007 The Abortion Conversation Project, STWS Chart Study 2003, 2005, Southern Tier Women’s Services, Vestal NY
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