Reflection on Abortion: A Christian Perspective
In light of proposals to defund Planned Parenthood because a small percentage of its operations are providing abortions, and in response to the renewed call for “heartbeat” and other anti-abortion legislation, I thought it might be useful to provide some theological and personal reflection on the issue.
We often hear in the media about The Christian Perspective on issues, as if there is only one. But there are many Christian viewpoints—even in my own Episcopal Church.
It is the official position of The Episcopal Church, by action of the Bishops, laity and clergy gathered in General Convention, that women should have the legal right to choose whether to continue or end pregnancy.
We must recognize and honor the moral agency of women. There is a long history of sexism that stands behind the “choice” debate that men and paternalistic government get to choose for women. If government can force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term, then government could also force a woman to abort (as has been the case in China). Perhaps it is time to get government out of the equation altogether.
The Church recognizes the grave nature of such a choice and encourages women considering abortion to carefully consider their options, to consult with their clergy, and to pray for wisdom in their choosing.
In the best of all possible worlds, the willful termination of a pregnancy might be wrong on many levels. However, not only do we not live in such a place, but the world of any woman seriously considering the issue is far removed from perfection. She is often not choosing between right and wrong, good and evil, but may well be confronting many shades of gray.
Although abortion may be fraught with moral danger, the other choices may be just as bad. Bringing an unwanted infant into the world; birthing a child without physical or emotional resources to provide for its well being; having a baby with known or probable defects—these are just a few examples. Choosing to abort a fetus may be a moral wrong. But too often the issue is not balanced with the corollary that choosing to not abort is always a moral good.
The very real list of options from which a woman must select is narrow, and each option may be fraught with difficulty. Therefore, I strongly agree with the church’s teaching where the woman can have good medical, psychological and spiritual information and care in order to make her own choice.
My religious perspective is a thoroughly Anglican hesitancy to be too certain about anything. God is other; and neither God nor her will can be fully grasped by the human mind. (“Now we see through a glass dimly.”) Language is metaphorical and symbolic. Motives behind our behavior and our choices are often mixed. Therefore, any sources of authority to which we might turn for guidance are often themselves unclear or questionable. Scripture, tradition and reason must all be brought to bear to inform the conscience. And then the individual must make her choices with ”fear and trembling”; always in the belief and confidence that righteousness is an unearned gift.
The other perspective I bring to the question is that of a foster and adoptive parent. For over 30 years my wife and I fostered nearly 80 children, mostly infants. We adopted six. Although we dearly love each one, the majority of our children have had serious problems as the result of poor pre-natal care, alcohol and drug effects, neglect, and/or overt abuse. Neither the foster care nor adoption systems can ameliorate the needs of many of these children. The education, childcare, medical and social welfare systems that should provide and care for them are often not capable of doing so.
In many states, one of the few areas of government that consistently grows is the criminal “injustice” and prison system. So while our society struggles with pre-birth abortions, we seem to have little problem with what some have called post-birth abortions. We work hard to see that children are born, and then we abandon them by refusing to pay for quality healthcare, education and so forth. And in some of those same states, the number of third or fourth graders failing to read is used to project the number of additional prison cells that will be needed within the next decade.
Finally, we need to consider stewardship of the environment. Overpopulation is one of the main engines driving the various ways that we are destroying the planet. If we are to be responsible stewards, then (at the very least) we must pay much closer attention to birth control issues around the globe. Although I do not advocate abortion as a form of birth control, many who argue against abortion also oppose birth control in any form. We must recognize that every child born into this life places an additional burden on the earth’s resources. From this perspective, then, advocating and/or legislating against birth control places the earth and the lives of future generations in jeopardy. It at least raises the question about what is the true pro-life position on these matters.
For a Jewish perspective on abortion visit this website: http://www.bethabrahamdayton.org/words
–The Rev. John Paddock
Yoke of Interdependence on Independence Day
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:29-30, NRSV)
The simplest meaning of yoke is attachment. A common image is the wooden beam across an animals shoulders yoking one to another. Try to imagine if we were each attached individually to Jesus that would mean that those with shelter and the homeless would be attached to him. The laborers and unemployed would be attached to him as would be the employers, the haves and the have-nots. The sick would be attached; those of a different political view would be attached; even, those we call our enemies. There’d be this vast set of yokes all reaching out from Jesus at the center-a wheel with many spokes of yokes
“Learn from me,” he says. And as he totally gave of himself, imagine that as he empties himself for the least of these, he breathes his spirit into the wheel leaving everyone to be attached to each other in his spirit. A wheel with center and spokes of yokes becomes a vast interdependent network. Through that network, needs are met, music is heard, and the realm of God has come near. It would be so vast that no one would fall through.
On this Independence Day weekend, may we find our greatest freedom and our greatest well-being in our interdependence upon each other, through the yoke of Christ, even those we consider our enemies.
— Rev. Mary Slenski
Transportation Planning for Seniors
Sometimes items come to our attention that need to be shared. Many of us have faced the difficult choices confronting aging parents and friends regarding housing and transportation. And some of us are now approaching or are already in our senior years.
The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission recently distributed a report published by Transportation for America regarding some special challenges.
As many people age, mobility and transportation can become problematic. Living as we do in an automotive culture, getting around for groceries, medical appointments, church and all the other things we do can become very difficult. In a new report entitled Aging in Place; Stuck Without Options, Transportation for America outlines the problems and offers some things to think about ahead of time.
We encourage seniors to think through their transportation options before they are stranded. Some Christ Church members have recently taken these issues to heart and have made arrangements to deal with their current or potential future needs. The full report from Transportation for America can be found at this link: http://t4america.org/docs/SeniorsMobilityCrisis.pdf
If you would like to speak to someone about these matters please contact The Rev. John Paddock in the church office (937-223-2239 or jpaddock@christepiscopal.com)
Death of Christendom
There are many changes taking place in our society. And one of the biggest for Church folk is the demise of what we call Christendom. Some date the beginning of Christendom to the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine who recognized Christianity and made it the religion of the Empire. It prevailed in numerous places, especially in Western Europe and the United States, until fairly recently. Although Christianity was never the official religion in our country, it was the de facto religion. Church and state were closely linked.
But more importantly, in Christendom the Church served as a kind of touchstone in consideration of public issues—for good or for ill. People wanted to know what the Church’s official position was on any particular topic. After the Reformation, the grip of Christendom began to loosen with the rise of multiple churches. The emergence of sovereign nation states, universities, large corporations and economic institutions, mass media, and the internet all began to serve as other touchstones for people in our society. The voice of the church today is only one among many—and it is frequently a disjointed and weak voice.
One result is that fewer and fewer people look to the church, attend church, or seek to know the church’s teaching or theological reflection. Christendom is now dead.
There are multiple implications for Christian formation, ministry, and mission which we will explore in coming posts. I invite you to share your thoughts and observations by replying.
Thought on a Hot Summer Day
Feeling the heat today. The repairs to the church air-conditioning are still not complete. So we are making do.
I am always making plans for this or that, and then, life intervenes. The plans go out the window, and I have to scramble to adjust. To paraphrase Robert Burns, “The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.”
I only really get in trouble when I insist on my original plan, or complain that my planning is more important than the new information and circumstances. Why should my plans be more important that those of others or of God?
Humility seems to be the right attitude for a Christian. It is a kind of self-forgetfulness.
“Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.” ~ Archbishop William Temple
May News
As many noted this past weekend, our air conditioning is not working. Just before Easter our mechanical services contractor discovered that fully half of our system had failed due to corrosion in the water that circulates within the air conditioning. The Finance Committee, Endowment Trustees, Building and Grounds Committee, and Vestry have explored repair options and financing. The result is that work has begun. If all goes well, then we should have air conditioning by Sunday, May 29, which is the Memorial Day weekend.
We were privileged to experience worship this past Sunday in the flavors tasted by our youth at Procter Conference Center. Especially moving were the prayers and the testimonies offered by our young people. (Click the link to hear them.) Their faith, enthusiasm, and energy are inspiring and welcome to those of us who may have lost touch with or forgotten what life and faith is like when it is fresh.
The facelift that began last summer and fall with the new sidewalks, entry ramp, and parking lot resurfacing will continue this spring and summer. “The Great Lady of First Street” as our facility is known in the parish history will have her bricks repaired, tuck-pointed and sealed. Of course, it will have to stop raining long enough for everything to dry out!
We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Goodwill/Easter Seals, which is cleaning our building interior. Many are observing that things are a bit brighter and fresh. The main worker is Ezell McCleskey. Ezell is generally here during the day on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. And he returns on Saturday evenings to make certain that all is ready for Sunday mornings. Not only do we benefit, but it is good to partner with such a fine organization.
–The Rev. John Paddock
Titles as Icons
Alone.
The Confession.
Dead or Alive.
Unbroken.
Heaven is for Real.
Known and Unknown.
The Hidden Reality.
Life.
Each word or phrase on the list is the title of a book on the NYT Combined Print and E-Book Best Sellers list. Each points to the most basic questions of life, death and the relationships in between. It’s the spiritual undertone to each word or phrase that has me fascinated. A good title of a book serves in some way as an icon to connect what the author is offering between the pages and what the reader wants or needs to hear. If these are best sellers, I’d propose that each one of these titles point to an epidemic of spiritual hunger, of desire for connection.
Many people today claim to be spiritual rather than religious. The difference is the role community makes. Spirituality is between me and the God who goes by many names. That’s a good and wonderful thing but for the relationship to be all that it can be, it’s the community of others sharing the spiritual journey and shaping a common life as one body that makes the difference. Where do you see evidence of spiritual need or desire for connection to something greater or deeper than ourselves? What should be our response? –Mary Slenski
What are you looking for?
Jesus asks two of John the Baptist’s disciples, “What are you looking for?…They said to him,’Rabbi, …where are you staying?'” (John1:38)
What are you looking for?
We started something new at Christ Church in the fall. On the First Friday of the month we’d gather at some local watering hole from 6-8 pm. The point is to gather, talk, share our day and our week, connect and re-connect, hopefully in a venue and format that would make it easy to include our friends and acquaintances. We also said that we would commit to 3 or 4 months and then re-evaluate. It’s been four months. There’s a photo of our last gathering on our FB page. Ten or more folks have gathered each month. Different folks have come each month. We’ve tried three different venues (Marion’s Piazza, Brixx Ice Co, and Blind Bob’s Tavern.)
There’s a real tension in the venue and time decision. Central Miami Valley…or out in the suburban sprawl? Quiet…or not so quiet? Alcohol available…or not? Child friendly…or adults only? Cash only…or plastic money. Anyway we choose, somebody will feel that it’s not for them. There’s no good way to resolve the tension. Rather than give up, I say let’s stay in it, fully conscious that’s it’s imperfect but at the same time extends our reach of hospitality into the community. After all, gathering in the first step in our worship as the people of God. As people called to bear Christ to the world, let’s ask “What are you looking for?”
Jesus then said to those two disciples, “Come and see.”
–Rev. Mary Slenski
Preparing for the Prince of Peace
It’s now Advent, a short season of preparation for the celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace. Living as close as we do to a large military installation, we can either be very conscious of the military presence in our midst, try to ignore it or become so used to it that it blends into the landscape and ceases to be noticeable. Many in our parish family have served directly in the military, or a loved one has or is. It’s a mixed blessing to be so dependent upon the economic stability Wright-Patterson AFB brings to the Miami Valley. If peace on earth and goodwill toward all truly reigned, we wouldn’t need such an installation.
Military service and the reality of war present real challenges of conscience for those who follow the Prince of Peace. It’s the work of living our Christian faith in a violent world. We make all sorts of decisions weighing the options and we don’t always agree with each other. Support the people who serve is a familiar faith response. Whatever you think of the war or the decisions around it, support the people who serve. At Christ, Dayton, we do that in our prayers and in the care packages sent to troops overseas. And, we respond further. Installation art on the church wall made of the names of those who’ve died keeps the cost of violence along side us. Parishioners are involved as peace activists. But, we can do more. We can make changes that will reduce the violence.
Let’s expand supporting the people who serve to simply…support the people. Jim Wallis, a well-respected writer and advocate for social justice, wrote: “We should know by now, and most of those on the ground in places like Afghanistan do, that what re-builds a broken nation; inspires confidence, trust, and hope among its people; and most effectively undermines terrorism is an old and proven idea — massive humanitarian assistance and sustainable economic development. And it costs less — far less — than continued war.” We can, each of us, support the people in war-torn and at-risk countries and develop stability and sustainability.
For your holiday giving, consider redirecting a gift from a retailer to one of the many charitable organizations supporting the people of the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Africa. Our own Episcopal Relief & Development www.er-d.org works in all of these areas as does Heifer International www.heifer.org. For a more personal approach, consider Kiva www.kiva.com, not a charity in the same way, but an organization that focuses on administering micro-loans and building economic stability around the world. There are many others; find one that speaks to you. Certainly, let’s continue to support our veterans and those serving in this time of war, but let’s also strive to build a world where peace is possible. I can think of no better way to prepare for the coming of the Prince of Peace. –Rev. Mary Slenski
To read the entire blog: http://blog.sojo.net/2009/10/29/afghanistan-a-whole-new-approach/
PS: I wrote this a year ago for a different congregation and sadly, it’s still just as relevant today as it was then. -M
My Soul Is Troubled Within Me
My judicatory will hold its annual convention next year at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Some hairsplitters will suggest that the Hope Hotel is not really on the base since it’s outside the gate. However, the hotel is built on property owned by and leased from the base. It was built to support military and civilian personnel who do business on or with the base.
Wright-Patterson is the primary research base for the United States Air Force. Buildings, offices, and labs belonging to military contractors ring the sprawling facility. Wright-Patterson is the largest employer in the Dayton area, and regional economic development organizations see job and regional economic growth as more and more tied to it.
The University of Dayton, a strong Roman Catholic University, used to refuse (on religious grounds) research projects that were directly related to weapons. However, in recent years the appeal of big money has caused U.D. to succumb to the lure of weapons research.
Wright-Patterson is home to the U.S. Air Force Museum with its primary focus on displays of military aircraft. School children are regularly taken through the museum. A recent activity of the Dayton region’s arts program for youth (the K-12 Gallery) was to have the kids decorate model F-16 fighter planes that now “enhance” light posts throughout downtown Dayton. Every performance by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra begins with a rendering of the national anthem that celebrates “the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air.”
Although I have been warned by a friend not to say that Wright-Patterson’s mission is to devise new and more efficient ways to kill people, I would submit that more benign and even benevolent activities related to the base take a secondary position to this primary role.
Many people in my parish work in or with the military or the research associated with the base. Others work or volunteer with the museum. Still others are retired from there. Livelihoods, families, education, economic wellbeing, and even the arts in the greater Dayton area swim in a sea of militarism, a celebration of war and war-making machines, and depend upon the oxygen that comes from that sea. Therefore, there’s little or no critique, and a deep reluctance to overtly explore how our baptismal faith might put every one of us in a quandary.
I am paid, in part, by money earned and contributed to the church from salaries that come through Wright-Pat. I pay taxes that support the military. I am a citizen of a country that is governed, as many commentators have observed, by the Pentagon and the vast military/industrial complex. My brother, a retired Air Force colonel, now works at Wright-Patterson as a civilian. I have a son who is on active duty in the armed forces, which is the only place he could find a job, training, and benefits to support himself and his family. So I write not as one who disinterestedly stands outside of the sea of militarism. I swim there, too.
Much of the time I join the vast conspiracy of silence. But my soul is troubled within me. I promise to follow the Prince of Peace who came proclaiming the kingdom of God in direct contrast to the kingdom of Caesar ruled through violence. This last Sunday (November 7, 2010) we heard the gospel proclamation, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Our congregation renewed our baptismal vows:
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
“I will, with God’s help,” we all proclaimed after each question. But do we really want God’s help in fulfilling these promises if they mean resisting the sea in which we swim, if we understand that the oxygen we take from it is toxic, if we become more deeply conscious that even our silence collaborates with the kingdom of Caesar?
As I write, our President is traveling the world like a an old-fashioned peddler, hawking American goods (including very high-priced and very dangerous weapons) as a way of producing jobs here at home—while the holders of those new jobs will also become addicted to the toxicity of the military/industrial complex.
Something about our Diocesan convention meeting on the grounds of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has struck a discordant note within me. Maybe we can’t get out of the martial sea. But I hope and pray that we can find a way to talk about this. I do not want to simply go to that convention and to have the world see us meeting there, and to think that we are there to baptize what takes place there in the name of and for the sake of Jesus.
I hope and pray that other souls are as troubled as mine.
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