The Portland Alliance, May 2002
Prior to Sept. 11, the abortion debate in the United States was
wrapped in party politics which culminated in approval or rejection of
Roe v. Wade. The terrorist attacks of last fall pried open American
eyes to the fact that we inhabit this planet with billions of other
people whose cultures and religions differ from ours. The Islam shelves
in the library are thin these days as Americans seek to understand
their suddenly, much nearer, neighbors.
Enter Daniel Maguire, Professor of Ethics in the Theology
Department at Marquette, University. Planned Parenthood of the Columbia
Willamette invited Dr. Maguire to speak at Reed College on April 11
about the globalization of the abortion debate, or put another way, he
discussed how the world's religions are major shapers of social
policies and private decision-making regarding birth control and
abortion. Maguire gathered expert testimony from international
religious scholars and placed their knowledge in his latest book, Sacred Choices: The Right to Contraception and Abortion in Ten World Religions.
By reexamining the holy texts of major religions such as Islam,
Buddhism, Catholicism, and Hinduism Maguire explained that while
positions for the pro-life arguments often rely on religion, equally
valid arguments for contraception and abortion are found in all major
religions. For example, how many people do you think know there's a
pro-choice Catholic saint named Antoninus, or that for centuries the
idea of delayed ensoulment was interpreted by the most revered Catholic
theologians as justification for aborting fetuses since they lacked a
soul? Probably about as many that know the Islamic Shiite Zaidiva
religion respects a woman's choice to abort for any reason until first
breath. More significant than such specific revelations about
pro-choice traditions in the world's religions is the overarching
philosophy they embrace in the process of refining their belief
systems. Maguire points out all religions that have survived and
flourished have done so because of their adaptability to changing
societies around them, and this is the foundation behind religions
accepting various degrees of abortion. Most religions place a heavy
focus on the interlockedness of the universe and seek to avoid excess
and maintain balance in the world. Hindi dharma is similar to the
Chinese concept of yin and yang which is similar to Native American
eco-religions in that all stress a respect for responsible harmony in
life that transcends the individual. Persons who follow these faiths
look at what's around them to see the sacred whereas persons who follow
Christian-based faiths tend to look skyward to find the sacred.
And how does this affect the debate over abortion, you ask?
Consider that abortion is not value neutral in any religion but is seen
as a necessary evil in all. If the choice is to bear a child into an
overpopulated world where the resources to provide for; it are lacking
or to abort, these religions opt for the decision that contributes to
the greater good for all society—abortion. There is a respect for life
and the gift of children that recognizes fertility can be both, a
blessing and a potential curse. Judaism goes so far as to proclaim
abortion for pregnancies that threatens women's lives are a Mitzvah, a
sacred duty. The stated ideal is of course to terminate a pregnancy,
but in addressing the non-ideal needs of the populace, the world's
religions consider the needs of women and society always more important
than a developing fetus. In this way, Maguire eloquently argued that to
deny women the right to choose is to deny women the right to religious
freedom.
Catholicism contains a similar philosophy Church teaching calls sensus fidelium,
the sense of the faithful. It acknowledges that one path to truth is
respecting the moral consciences and experiences of good people who are
not of the hierarchy but who have knowledge of married life and
children. Catholics who sought relief from lifelong childbearing
pressured Pope Pius XII to give his blessing to the rhythm method in
1954, opening the door to accept contraceptive intent and results. With
95 percent of American Catholics already using some form of birth
control and the realities of overpopulation and AIDS bearing upon the
world, it is only a matter of time before the noble idea of sensus fidelium
catches up with the hierarchy that has over the years forgotten to
consult the wisdom of people who choose the responsibility for a
livable world to future generations.
This quote from the preface of Sacred Choices captures the essence of Maguire's speech on religious tolerance and acceptance of abortion:
The world's religions can be our guides. For all of
their imperfections, each of them is a classic in the art of
cherishing. Each of them faces the fact that life is the good and the
precondition of all other goods. But the life that is so good also
bears the mark of the tragic. Sometimes the ending of incipient life is
the best that life offers. Historically, women have been the principle
cherisher and caretakers of life. We can trust them with these
decisions.
As people who cherish the First Amendment and its guarantee of
religious freedom, most Americans duly recognize abortion as part of
the freedom to decide matters of the sanctity of life according to
one's own moral compass. The right to religious freedom is
the right to choose abortion.
S.M.Berg
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