Choice Words

Now, we have seen the anti-abortion movement do all it can to prevent women from accessing abortions, such as Crisis Pregnancy Centers. But now the movement has taken the incentive to use Google ads for their views on abortion. A British Christian Organization took legal action against the Google company for not approving of their anti-abortion ads on their website. Well it just so happens that the Christian org won the case, but outside of the court. Why? The UK does not allow religious discrimination, despite of Google’s policy of not allowing “abortion nor religiously related content”. Maybe these guys know why this settlement occured?

These two links speak for themselves:
Sex Is For Fags & Iron Hymen.

These websites are completely satirical look at abstinence-only education. What do you think?

Last night (7/23/2008) on CNN, Soledad O’Brien hosted a segment called Black in America. Part One addressed Black women and the family and tonight, 7/24/2008, Part Two will address Black men. Several issues were presented during this 2 hour presentation and at moments I was in tears. The portion of the presentation addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the Black community was most intriguing to me. Some may say HIV/AIDS have become “a Black disease.” Certainly we all know that HIV/AIDS doesn’t have a color, but for some reason Blacks outnumber many other races when discussing this disease.

Often times the Black community looks to Black churches to help untangle the horrifying studies of HIV/AIDS cases. People want to know what they can do to help people who are directly affected. Many leaders within the church will establish programs to help educate young people about sex. Some programs aren’t favored within the churches. People have mentioned that talking about sex in the church is dismissing abstinence before marriage policy or encouraging young people to have sex. But the reality is we need comprehensive sex education.

Growing up within the Washington, DC-Metropolitan area, I’ve listened to the way preachers overlook or circle around HIV/AIDS. Last night on Black in America, Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas mentioned the struggles pastors face when discussing secular issues within the church. According to scripture, abstinence-only education is favored, but the reality is people are still engaging in sex, especially unprotected sex. I valued the opinion of Bishop Jakes, he mentioned (and I paraphrase) “the Bible teachings are ideal, but we also must teach reality.”

In essence, I long for the day when more pastors, ministers, bishops, apostles, or people of the clergy are not afraid to address issues directly affecting the Black community. Black churches are an avenue of influence within the Black community. There are some Black people that tithe (10% of income given to the church) because they were told God said it. So, when will more Black churches address the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Or better yet, when will more Black churches address sexuality?

Click here to watch a small portion from the CNN Special, Black in America (please watch the video “Genes may increase HIV risk,” for more info).

By Hanaa Rifaey, Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom (SYRF) Activist

The Los Angeles Times ran an article last week about abortion in the Arab world, following a survey by WorldPublicOpinion.org (PDF). The writer states in a related Times blog posting that he “was shocked at how commonplace abortions were in the Middle East. Everyone, it seemed, knew someone who had had an abortion, and knew of doctors and midwives to contact in case someone needed one.” There are 325 million Arabs in the 24 countries across North Africa and in Southwest Asia that make up the Arab world. (By comparison, there are 301 million people living in the U.S.) This hugely diverse population includes some of the very richest and poorest people in the world, and though the majority of the population is Muslim, Islam’s worshipers are also varied in every imaginable way. (Mind you, many of the countries have numerous other faiths—Lebanon alone has 18 religions recognized in its census.) In this day and age, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that abortions happen everywhere, regardless of laws, including areas of the world stereotyped as highly conservative.

My families are from Morocco and Egypt, and I am Muslim. I was a politically curious child who had conversations about choice and abortion on the school bus as early as second grade. While I may not have understood all the details of what abortion actually was at that early an age, my mother (who is and was very religious) made it clear that I understood that it is an underlying right of all women to be able to choose what happens to our bodies. As I grew older, I learned about the Qu’ran’s perspective on abortion as essentially being something that is not preferred but should be available as needed. However, as with any religious text, not every Muslim has the same interpretation, and the spectrum of opinions around abortion and choice are as diverse amongst the 1.4 billion Muslims worldwide as they are in any other population.

Much of the current discussions about Muslims and choice focuses not on reproductive choice or effective and quality healthcare, but on the opinions of religious scholars examining the issue through the lens of belief and tradition. The Times does spotlight the significant percentage of pro-choice supporters in the Arab world, which in many ways goes against the conservative moral stereotypes usually associated with Arabs, let alone Arab Muslims. However, the same article is quick to juxtapose the statistics with more narrow religious interpretations. It seems that even in an article highlighting the pro-choice stance of many Arabs, most of the same conservative stereotypes remain and are even reinforced.

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Last night was Syrf’s Soiree at the swanky and ever classy Vinoteca. Not only did we have our fair share of wine but we got a sneak peak of the new SYRF video. I have to say I’m kinda jealous of their video AND their new website.

Check out the pictures here.

For a long time, the easiest way to argue against the statement that gay men and women shouldn’t be able to get married because they could not conceive was an easy “Well, what about impotent men or infertile women? They can still get married!”

Well, I’m going to have to rethink my use of that retort now that a church in Italy told a man that he couldn’t have a church wedding because he is…wait for it… impotent.

Even though his fiancé knows that, a spokesman for Bishop Lorenzo Chiarinelli said that “No bishop, no priest can celebrate a wedding when he knows of admitted impotence as it is a motive for annulment.”

I’m sure telling an infertile woman that she can’t get married in a church isn’t that far off.

So the past two months have been a blur for me. I started a new job and have really been working every hour of my life-and loving every minute of it. But with all the expectations (and anxiety for me) with my new position, I found myself looking for my faith again.

I am a raised and practicing Catholic, and for the past eight years or so, I’ve gone back and forth between being proud and being ashamed. I’ve felt welcomed and I’ve felt turned away. I get angry and stop going. But then the anger fades and I find myself back.

I’ve started going to Mass every weekday morning before I go to work (when I am able to). And honestly, it’s been such a calming and beneficial experience for me. It was a part of my life I’d been desperately missing.

But I can’t help but sometimes feel that I don’t belong. Last month’s collection went toward Project Rachel, which Joy blogged about recently. Obviously, I do not give any money when I know it’s going to something like that.

But as I look down when the collection basket goes by me, I can’t help but feeling that I’m a coward. Is not giving money enough? Am I a hypocrite for sitting there silently? Part of me wants to talk to my priest after mass and introduce myself. I want to explain where I work and why I do it. And why I am proud of the work I do. I want to explain that I love my job and my religion, and I don’t think that has to be contradictory. But honestly, I’m scared to. I’m scared of what he will say. I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong. If the church chose not to accept me, I’d have no choice but to walk away. And I’m afraid that it would be for good this time. So I’m afraid to even ask for acceptance.

I’ve thought about this a lot lately as I sit in the pew. Am I an outsider there? Or am I just one of many afraid to speak up? Does anyone else go through something like this? And is there ever a way to do both without feeling like you’re compromising your values?

While I was home in Kansas I saw a million billboards for Project Rachel, a program of the Catholic Dioceses of Kansas City. The billboards ask “Hurting After an Abortion” and have red, white, and blue themed religious pictures– crosses, Jesus with open arms, etc..
Their mission?

The Mission of Project Rachel and Project Joseph is to help post-abortive women and men understand what took place with the abortion experience and its impact. Their struggles with sadness, anger and shame can be overwhelming. This program is a gentle guiding back to a loving and faithful Father. Through forgiveness the healing begins. We are open to all.

Deciphered:Yes, the church will welcome you back with open arms– if you repent your shameful, shameful dirty sin. Uhm, part of the reason why women feel bad about their abortion is the social stigma around it.

What irks me even more is this letter I found on their website:

Dear Rachel,

Whenever I hear the pro-life messages in my church, I don’t feel welcomed. I feel condemned. Yes I had an abortion, but it was when I was very young.

Can you help me?

Hurt

Dear Hurt,

Please remember there are 2 important messages that must be heard. 1-life is God’s from conception to natural death. Be proud that your church takes the right stand. 2—God is merciful and forgives. We are ALL in need of His mercy. Your church understands the abortion decision was very painful and has hurt you. This is why we offer Project Rachel to help you (and anyone who has experienced an abortion) heal. When you ask God, He forgives. In Reconciliation you will hear the words YOU ARE FORGIVEN. We want you back. Let Project Rachel walk with you to healing. In Kansas, call 913-621-2199 or toll free 888-246-1504. It’s free and CONFIDENTIAL. In Missouri, call (816) 591-3804.

Interestingly enough there is a program for men as well. I can think of more positive ways to approach people’s feelings after having an abortion.

So for those of you who know me, you know I LOVE musicals in a big way. A while back my sister turned me on to a new musical called Spring Awakening which was promised to be the RENT of the next generation. Now comparing anything to something as defining and influential as RENT it’s just doomed to fail (like when they promoted that show “My Boys” as the next “Sex in the City”…lame example but you know what I mean) but not this time. I’ve been listening to the music for a few months and finally got up to New York to see the show recently and I was really struck by it.

Placed in Germany in 1891, the show focuses on a group of Lutheran educated young people as they explore and negotiate their sexuality in a “proper,” god-fearing and sexually repressed world. The musical is based on the controversial 1891 German play of the same title which was banned in Germany due to its extremely controversial content, which included masturbation, abortion, rape, child sexual abuse and suicide. The musical stays true to the play in that it maintains all of those themes through “slice of life” scenes and haunting, beautiful and bold music.

The main storyline involves a young girl who’s mother refuses to tell her where babies come from. Throughout the show, she becomes very close with a boy and childhood friend and they have sex together. Predictably she becomes pregnant without knowing how it happened. She becomes furious with her mother for not telling her the truth about sex and pregnancy after all the times she had begged her to do so. Later in the show, she screams as she’s separated from her mother by a man you can only assume will be performing an abortion on her. The next scene, she is buried. Spring Awakening much like RENT is a tragedy ripe with social critique but also love, self discovery, sex, acceptance and friendship.

Fun Fact: the music from Spring Awakening was written by Duncan Sheik (who you may recognize from the video above), pop star from the late 90’s and as it turns out, unbelievable talent.

So last night I was watching a Nightline story about Scientology escapees, and while most of their stories were disturbing, one infuriated me. Apparently women in Sea Organization, which is Scientology’s clergy, aren’t allowed to have children. Women who get pregnant either have to leave the church or have an abortion.

Forced abortion??? Are you kidding me???

One woman they interviewed said that when she told a “church” official she was leaving, he responded “Oh is it too late for an abortion?”

I’m so frustrated with this situation because cults like Scientology are so impenetrable that I can’t think of any way to stop this.

On a not wholly unrelated note, Scientology brings up an interesting point in the “contentious objection” debate: if it’s ok for Christian pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control and the morning after pill because of their religious beliefs, does that mean it’s ok for Scientologists not to fill prescriptions for psychiatric medications because of theirs?