Being Pro-Life is Hard: A Challenge to the Pro-Life Movement

By: Craig A. Ford, Jr.

In the last few days, Br. Dan Horan, O.F.M, author of the blog Dating God has advanced significant points of critique, not only for any individual who attended the March for Life in Washington D.C., but also for any person who espouses an anti-abortion position more generally. His first post, “Why I Do Not Support the (so-called) March for Life” was a three-fold criticism of both the ideology behind the movement and the people who normally participate in it. He called attention to the fact that the “March for Life” has a willed myopia about its mission when the movement refers only to the plight of pre-born children at the expense of other causes within the pro-life ethic, including, but not limited to, issues of poverty, war, economic injustice, and educational injustice—the joint presence of which in our society should also be the concern of anyone who claims to be pro-life. The reason why this myopia is especially troubling is because all of these other issues are very much related to abortion, in that these issues often stand at the root of why mothers and fathers of pre-born children seek abortions. To the extent that we are worried only about the abortion clinic, it is to that extent that we blind ourselves to where our energies should also be directed—namely, to the classroom and the housing projects where people living in poverty feel that abortion is their only option. Br. Dan’s most recent post has more of an “examination of conscience” feel once he gets into it, and he invites his readers to consider how circumstances such as race and socioeconomic class can also provide an avenue of critique for the pro-life movement. The main question that Br. Dan brings to our minds is one that asks for a moral analysis of a political cause when non-White Americans and poor-Americans are not present for such a political cause. Indeed, all Br. Dan saw when he looked at a picture of the march on Monday was “young and old white people.”

The attitude to which I come to this post is not as much from a posture of defense as much as it is from a posture of challenge that acknowledges that the sword that I am using here is two-edged. As a pro-life, Catholic, black male of upper-middle class background this means that I will be exerting pressure in two directions: at one time, on the pro-life movement, and, at another time, on the concerns that Br. Dan raised as critiques of the pro-life movement in his two very-appreciated posts.

“But It Shall Not Be So Among You”: A Review of the “Theology of Choice” Lecture at Yale Divinity School

On October 26, 2011, the Seminarians for Reproductive Justice invited Maria LaSala, a Presbyterian pastor in New Haven, to speak to students at YDS about her ideas for a Christian theology of sexuality that could coherently sustain a pro-abortion position in a world which she described as currently being host to “hostile forces” that seek to take away from a woman the right to control her own body.  LaSala herself is active in Planned Parenthood of New England, and she is also involved in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), a network founded in 1973 by clergy and lay leaders of various faiths in order to “safeguard the newly won constitutional right to abortion” (http://rcrc.org/about/index.cfm). Raised in a Roman Catholic household but later departing from that faith, she has positioned herself as an advocate for women’s rights, which, in her pastoral position in the Presbyterian community, is enthusiastically embodied through her practice of “options counseling,” a version of pregnancy counseling that combines deep listening to and respect for men and women who come to her with an “openness” about all options that are available to a pregnant woman—options that include abortion. LaSala’s talk included a small meditation on an interaction she had with a pregnant woman and moved towards a consideration of the history of abortion in America (particularly from a clergyperson’s perspective) and concluded with a brief question and answer period after making a few remarks about the nature of meaningful moral agency for women.

LaSala argued that the necessity of a theology hospitable to abortion can be retrieved from an affirmation of the woman as one who is able to make informed, good moral decisions related to her reproductive health. Restricting the right of a woman to an abortion, she claims, is an explicit denial of this belief, as such restrictions reinforce a society built around control of a woman’s body. Furthermore, she claims, such a denial of a woman’s right to have control over her reproductive health directly affects the woman’s ability to achieve meaningful career and educational goals. The attainment of reproductive justice, Lasala believes, is directly dependent upon realizing the truthfulness of her claims in this regard. As she said multiple times during her lecture, “Women’s lives are complicated,” and this complexity in her view can be respected only through the ability to choose abortion in certain cases. Anything less, she believes, is not only a moral tragedy, but it also aims to undermine the complex history of women in relation to abortion in the United States.

“Affirmation of Femininity: The Fertility Awareness Method”

What if there were a way to avoid pregnancy that was fully pro-life and pro-woman, 98% effective, environmentally friendly, good for relationships, wholly organic and natural, and practically free?  There is!  It is called the Fertility Awareness Method, or FAM.

On October 20^th, Elizabeth Feeney and Katie Dardis-Singleton spoke about FAM to students and Yale affiliates in Niebuhr Hall, addressing four main issues: what it is, how it works, why people use it, and how it complements feminism.

Katie Byrnes: A Pro-Life Woman in College Ministry

It was a pleasure to attend Katie Byrnes’ opening lecture of the Right to Life’s Abortion and Feminism Series. Katie provided an illuminating perspective of what it means to her to be a pro-life woman in college ministry. Moreover, Katie gave a special vantage point into college ministry at Yale, pertaining to her services here as a chaplain and to her sister’s experiences here as an undergraduate student. As such, Katie provided a credible testimony for what it means to be a feminist who also embraces a pro-life perspective, and she did so in an unassuming and humble way that sought to truly listen to her audience and facilitate a stimulating and worth-while conversation.

Katie began her talk by openly and transparently telling a piece of her story. This was refreshing. Rather than diving straight into the issues or casting herself as an authority on the matter, Katie talked about her experiences, her convictions, and her journey of seeking to live out those convictions. Regarding feminism specifically, Katie spoke about her mother’s work in feminist circles, her career as a math teacher, and her mother’s involvement with Vietnam War protests. Katie also remembered hearing about the feminist campaigns to make the fields of math and science more accessible to women. She was energized by these campaigns but not limited to them, and she saw no conflict between feminism and her personal desire to be a nurse.  Recognizing that her attraction to nursing came primarily out of its pastoral aspect rather than its medical aspect, she decided to seek out a career in college chaplaincy.

Coming to Yale was Katie’s first time being a chaplain at a non-Catholic school, which necessarily impacts how one approaches pro-life issues.  Katie’s sister had attended Yale as an undergraduate and had to ask tough questions regarding abortion when she got pregnant in her sophomore year.  Katie and her sister worked together through the situation, and Katie’s sister ended up making a very brave decision to have her baby girl rather than follow the Yale chaplains’ advice of getting an abortion.  Even though this was before Yale’s implementation of an array of programs and institutions to care for students with children, Katie’s sister was able to live out her time at Yale as a student, and she has never regretted her decision, as challenging as it must have been at first.

Since coming to work at Yale, Katie has enjoyed the immense responsibility of students opening up their lives to her.  She seeks to be available to all students of all backgrounds as a welcoming minister, and she strives to communicate this through approachability on campus and through various programs.  Nobody, pro-life or pro-choice wants to see someone drop out of college to have a baby, and Katie is passionate about providing help to students in their times of need.  When she first came to Yale, she did have a conversation with the two chaplains who had advised her sister to have an abortion.  (These two chaplains are no longer serving at Yale.)  Rather than seek out a fight, Katie wanted to make them aware of the various other choices available to women – choices that would not have as difficult of consequences as abortion.

As a feminist, Katie contends that, when properly defined, feminism calls for rights for everyone; therefore, Katie saw a direct correlation between being a feminist and being pro-life, and she has seen no need to reconcile the two on an ideological basis.  As such, Katie seeks to talk to pro-choice women about their variety of options for care and support.  Katie recognizes it as a fail of feminism not to reach out and help women who feel desperate about their pregnancy.  As a woman of faith, Katie finds a strong role model in Susan B. Anthony, whom she regards as a feminist and theologian.  As a pro-life feminist and a college chaplain, Katie is working to reach out to men and women in need at Yale, and to provide the care and support that they need to meet the many challenges of life.

Announcing the Upcoming Abortion and Feminism Lecture Series!

The Abortion and Feminism series is a weeklong celebration of the voices of pro-life feminist women, voices whose perspectives are often marginalized in the broader, more general, articulation of feminism. To engage these voices we have invited the following speakers (Niebuhr Hall is located in Yale Divinity School at 409 Prospect Street; New Haven, CT 06511):

Monday, October 17th, 6 PM, in Niebuhr Hall: “Being a Pro-Life Woman in College Campus Ministry: A Conversation with Katie Byrnes” Katie is assistant chaplain at the Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale, and she will be speaking to us about her experiences as a pro-life feminist in college campus ministry. She will also discuss how she has situated herself as both an advocate for life and a proponent of the women’s movement.

Tuesday, October 18th, 6 PM, in Niebuhr Hall: “Laying Down Our Lives That Others Might Live: A Conversation with the Sisters of Life.” This talk will be led by Sister Bethany Madonna and will consist in an orientation to the Sisters of Life religious order–a contemplative/active religious order of women founded in 1991 by John Cardinal O’Connor. In addition to taking the three customary vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the Sisters of Life take a fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of life. The Sisters will be speaking to us about their ministry and their approaches to being pro-life in our contemporary world.

Thursday, October 20th, 6 PM, in Niebuhr Hall: “Affirmation of Femininity: The Fertility Awareness Method.” This talk will be led by Elizabeth Feeney and Katie Dardis-Singleton, and they will introduce the fertility awareness method as both a pro-life and pro-woman method of birth control. Their talk will touch not only on the scientific aspects of the fertility awareness method, but will also touch on the implication that the fertility awareness method has on femininity.

KEYNOTE: Friday, October 21st, 6 PM, Saint Thomas More Golden Center (located at 268 Park Street; New Haven, CT 06511). “Refuse to Choose: Reclaiming Feminism.” Sally Winn is co-founder of the Democrats for Life, and current vice-president of the Feminists for Life of America. She will speak on how an integrative, pro-woman perspective is one that embraces a pro-life perspective. DINNER WILL BE SERVED. To attend please RSVP to righttolifefellowship@gmail.com

Eggsploitation

Have you ever felt nausea wash over you, like an enormous dark wave about to pull you into unconsciousness?

Last week, I saw the documentary film “Eggsploitation” downtown at the Law School, and that was how I felt.  I was sitting there, listening to the women in the documentary talk about the medical complications they had experienced as a result of taking strong hormones to grow excessive amounts of egg follicles and then having their eggs surgically harvested…. and suddenly, a heavy wave of nausea seemed about to press me to the floor.  When I made my way out the door to sit outside in the hallway, I found that I wasn’t the only one to feel that way; several other audience members had also left midway, and were leaning against the wall looking utterly green.  The movie’s producer, Jennifer Lahl, came out to assure us that we weren’t the only ones to react in such a visceral way.  As it turned out, “Eggsploitation” has been shown all over the world and often leaves its audiences feeling decidedly unwell.  What is it about the facts of egg donation that would cause such a response?

As I thought about the movie and my response to it afterward, I realized that the movie’s impact had to do with its humanitarian approach and its humanitarian challenge.  After all, it wasn’t the purely medical aspects of the film that bothered me so much.  There weren’t any particularly gory scenes – no donors bleeding on surgical tables, or anything of the sort.  It was mostly sterile views of needles pulling at the round circular egg cells, like something you’d see in a biology textbook.  Rather, the film bothered me in its attention to the humanity which is present – and so horrifically undervalued – throughout that oh-so-scientific process.  The majority of the documentary comprised clips of women simply talking… talking about their motivations, experiences and regrets.  And their voices cut through the sterile, clean, business-like veneer of the procedure to show how deeply wrong it can go.

Some of them reflected on the way advertisements had led them to believe egg donation was an indicator of character, so that they felt obligated to give up their reproductive cells.  Others talked about the process itself, and how the doctors involved had pushed them to provide resources for the lucrative fertilization industry.  Others worried about the serious health problems they had experienced after the procedure.  All of them, however, felt as though their human dignity had been abused.  For whatever reason they had undergone egg harvesting… it simply wasn’t worth it.

The film was excellent at reminding people – even if it came as a nauseating shock – that everyone involved in the procedure/surgery/industry of egg retrieval is a human life that will inevitably be changed for having participated.  Is there anyone who is not somehow denigrated in the industry? The donors who undergo great risk, often without much knowledge about the medical ramifications?  The doctors who push such women to undergo the procedure and then leave as soon as possible so that they might not be liable for any complications? The egg receivers never knowing whose eggs were harvested or how much she might have risked and lost in the process?  And what about the fetuses that come into being as a result of all of this … do we have any way of knowing what happens to them? The film didn’t even touch on that at all.  All I know is that everyone seems to somehow lose in this milieu of danger and liability and ignorance.

Granted, I don’t know that egg donation/harvesting is always wrong… I can imagine cases in the problems I’ve cited aren’t necessarily de-humanizing.  For example, I have heard of cases where one woman gave eggs so that her sister might have children, and there it is clear that the parties involved would not only know each other but also mutually discern the risks and benefits involved.  In that case, egg donation might truly be life-giving through and through. And so, not having done enough research to condemn the technology altogether, I acknowledge that there may be instances where it is not wrong.

Nevertheless, insofar as egg donation is “eggsploitation” as the movie suggests, I am extremely disturbed by it and wish that more people were challenged to think about its implications.  The stuff of our bodies is not merely reproductive material to be taken and transferred and sold by a third party to strangers… It is for our humanity and dignity, not for the medical industry, that the human body can bring forth life.

YDS Right to Life Fellowship End of Year Report Published!

It is with great excitement that I present to you all the End-of-Year Report of the Right to Life Fellowship at Yale Divinity School. It’s been a great year!

Thanks to all of our contributors, especially to Alex Marshall, Kate Jackson, Josh McCormick, Eric Gregory, and Juliette Jeanfreau.

Congratulations, YDS RTLF!

YDS Right to Life Fellowship Makes It Onto YouTube!

A friend of the Right to Life Fellowship sent an email to the Fellowship, highlighting the image that you see below.

As it turns out, we appeared in the Students for Life’s promotion video featuring the 2011 March for Life in Washington D.C. The video is well done, so please do take a look at it! If you would like to locate where we are featured in the video, just fast forward about 3 minutes and 57 seconds.

There is a bit of a funny story connected to this year’s March for Life. As is typical of the march, the temperature was so low that  everyone was freezing, and as is also typical of the march, there are speakers prior to the official start of the march. For some reason, the number of speakers just seemed to be too many. Since it was getting well into the afternoon by this point, many of us were worried that if we didn’t start marching soon, we wouldn’t be able to make it to the Supreme Court building before our departing train left Union station. So there we were: cold, a little stir crazy from all the speakers, and anxious about the time. In an effort to get some answers, we began to move away from the national mall towards the path of the march. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we weren’t able to find anything definitive about when the march was supposed to begin. So, we just started marching… just as simple as that. Within a few minutes of starting to march, one of the organizers/security personnel told us to go to the side of the street, since the march had not officially started. By the time we got to the other side of the street, though, there were already multiple groups beginning their march. So, we just continued marching!

Yale University: be proud. We started the 2011 March for Life!

We Need Something Better Than This Planned Parenthood

I offer the following thoughts not in my office as president of the Right to Life Fellowship at Yale Divinity School, a capacity in which I represent all of the members of the Right to Life Fellowship, but instead I write below solely as a fellow member of the Right to Life Fellowship. Consequently, the opinion that you will find below will not necessarily represent the thoughts of all the members of the Right to Life Fellowship (although in the process of drafting this entry I have consulted various members of the Fellowship for their feedback). I write the following entry to provide a counter-perspective on the issue raised by a member of the Yale Divinity School community who recently encouraged all of us to indiscriminately support Planned Parenthood with federal funds from the United States government.

From the conversations that I’ve had with women who have had an abortion (and who also currently maintain a pro-choice stance), abortion is nothing less than a tragedy. I use the word ‘tragedy’ not in the sense reflecting the desire of one who would simply like to see abortion vanish instantly, but I use the word to reflect the complex and difficult decisions that women who seek abortions have to face, along with the families and ministers who love these women. Very often it is the case that the tragic circumstances of life surrounding an unplanned pregnancy–socio-economic status, rape, and young age, just to name a few–create together a constellation of factors that make a woman feel as if she has no other option but to receive an abortion. I’m sure that as you read these words you can think of women in many situations–perhaps reflecting those of actual women you know–who find that, in the face of an unplanned pregnancy, they cannot reconcile the lives that they envisioned themselves leading with the reality that currently faces them– the reality which asks them, at this particular time in their lives, to bring a child into the world.

Surrounded by this constellation of confusion, distress and seemingly endless, dizzying questioning, the women and the people who love and care for her approach places like Planned Parenthood. And in the midst of women and families confronted with fear and anxiety, and perhaps even with a feeling of unjust affliction, the counselors at Planned Parenthood offer answers to the questions that the woman and her family raise. There are many women in this country, and each one of them is unique; it’s impossible to know if the answer of the Planned Parenthood counselor is the first one that she hears, or if that same voice is another in a string of answers that she has begun to contemplate.

If I am to be honest, I don’t even know which questions she’s raising, and which answers she’s receiving. The one thing that all of us can know for sure, however, is that Planned Parenthood is not simply recommending that women receive abortions in every case. Nobody with any awareness of current events would believe that. Sometimes the question is What is contraception, and how can I use it?, and to this question, the counselor at Planned Parenthood could hardly be described charitably as recommending abortion full-stop. Sometimes the question is Can I have an HIV test?, and to this question the counselor answers with a voice of compassion and understanding, yes, and the counselor stands by the person while she or he goes through this painful process of waiting on a result that could completely change his or her life forever. Sometimes the question that the woman asks is one asking for a pregnancy test, which, in the face of a positive result, may be followed by the women’s welcoming of a new child into the world. But sometimes, the answer which the counselor at Planned Parenthood gives is one in which the counselor encourages the woman to receive an abortion; sometimes the woman doesn’t even ask the question–instead, she knows that an abortion is what she feels she needs at the time.