"I believed I should be punished for having premarital sex, so I felt I deserved to lose control over my life."

Sharing Truth
Two Abortions, United States, Christianity

“My personhood was erased and overwritten with MOTHER before I even knew who I was . . . I had two abortions after my children were born, and I don’t regret those abortions or think about who those people would have been. I also realize that if I had continued those pregnancies, I would have loved those people. Yes, it can be true that you will love the child if you don’t have the abortion. It’s also true that whatever you thought would be so hard about having that child, whatever made you consider not having a child at that point in your life, may be exactly as hard as you thought it would be. As undesirable, as challenging, as painful as you feared.” Read more.

"As a member of the clergy, I know the role of my religion is not to tell me what is medically permissible."

Sharing Truth
Judaism, United States, Three Abortions

“People often bring up the Bible in these conversations. As a member of the clergy, I am delighted to tell you that the Bible does not forbid abortion. It does, however, forbid placing a stumbling block before the blind, which we could read as analogous to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that regulations cannot impose a substantial obstacle to abortion. We desperately need universal, affordable health care, so that any person can access the best medicine has to offer. That includes abortion.” Read more.

'The two decisions we made to have children were far more morally significant than the decisions to end two pregnancies."

Sharing Truth
Christianity, United States, Two Abortions

“Today’s Christians cannot stay silent while pregnant people in our communities are being harassed, abused and forced to bear children by the state. Recognizing and affirming that parenting is a sacred responsibility means that we need to recognize the moral wisdom my momma shared with me: “You shouldn't have a baby just because you are pregnant – you should have a baby because you want to be a mother, you want to have a family.” Read more.

"I am certainly not the first clergy person to terminate a pregnancy."

Sharing Truth
Judaism, United States, Audio, Later Abortions

“Our sacred stories have the power to humanize an act of healthcare that’s so often vilified and misrepresented by others, particularly those purporting to represent their faith. So if my story can add just a small amount of weight to a much greater tapestry of truth, then consider this one of the most sacred offerings I could make in a lifetime.” Read more.

Podcast ~ "There has been a hijacking of the conversation around religion and abortion."

Spreading Love
Judaism, United States, Audio

“When we are out in the world we have noticed a very loud voice saying religion and abortion don’t go together. And that loud voice actually represents a very small amount of people who believe that. We wanted to do more to support rabbis, cantors and educators to use whatever platform they have to counter that narrative and say very simply that Judaism permits abortion and sometimes requires it.” Listen to the interview.

"We want people to know that there is more than just one Christian response to the issue."

Spreading Love
Progressive Christianity, Northern Ireland

“We must remember that there are real women and real families who have to make very difficult and personal decisions around crisis pregnancies. When this happens, they will need compassionate and understanding pastoral care. The one thing sure to make things worse is yet more judgmental finger pointing and virtue signaling from the church.” Read more.

"That I have a choice represents His love for me and no one should judge that or come between that."

Spreading Love
Christianity, Canada

“Religious indoctrination becomes anti-love when faced with the choice of Grace. You discredit the women and men making those choices in the circumstances they are facing and lack compassion for their suffering. You dishonour that these people might have a relationship with Jesus or that He is doing His work in their lives. You show disdain for an incomprehensible and highly individual decision. Your ignorance becomes your religious shield, instead creating barriers and separation for those hurting souls who need Jesus’ love.” Read more.

"It was difficult for me to distinguish that personal grief from the anti-abortion rhetoric I had internalized in my childhood."

Spreading Love
Christianity, United States

“For most of my childhood, I accepted the anti-abortion rhetoric I heard at church wholesale. As I went through high school, my feelings about abortion and other social issues — like LGBTQ rights and gender equality — evolved. Being anti-abortion made less and less sense to me, oddly enough because of other values that my church instilled in me as a child, including social justice, compassion, and nonjudgment of others.” Read more.

"What happens to us has everything to do with who we are, to each other, with how we pick up the pieces of our brokenness and hang onto each other."

Spreading Love
Judaism, United States, Later Abortions

“A standard pro-life talking point on the ethics of abortion for a terminally ill fetus insists that any life, no matter how short or painful, is better than no life at all. I hope, on my good days, that the people who repeat this mantra never have to dwell in the fullness of their ignorance.” Read more.

"It’s revolutionary and beautiful to say that the honor of being created by God includes the right to make moral decisions about your own future and body."

Spreading Love
Judaism, United States

“I was also surprised to learn that Jewish law actively reaffirms principles of reproductive justice. Reproductive justice is a human rights movement developed by Black feminists in the 1990s. The movement goes beyond the reproductive rights movement’s limited focus on abortion alone, and asks us to look at the greater societal power dynamics that impact people’s ability to decide whether to have children and how to raise a family. “ Read more.

"I was the only one who knew what would be the best decision for me and my future, and I made this decision based on my own conscience and personal relationship with God."

Spreading Love
Christianity, Colombia, Later Abortions

“I needed to have an abortion, and it was not a hard decision for me to make. I realized that it was about self-determination. I was free to decide if I wanted to terminate my pregnancy, and no one—not my church or my parents—could tell me what to do. I was the only one who knew what would be the best decision for me and my future, and I made this decision based on my own conscience and personal relationship with God.” Read more.

"I made my fellow churchgoers recognize that you can’t separate the issue from the people who need help."

Spreading Love
Christianity, Australia, Later Abortions

“We’re still trying to change the general attitude that if you have an abortion, you must have done something wrong to begin with. I do have patients who are struggling not only with this social stigma, but also with a moral or spiritual conflict. I always remind them: “You need to look after yourself, but God is here for you.” I have nothing but overwhelming love and support for the woman standing in front of me. I believe God does, too. He would want me to do everything I could to care for this person—and that doesn’t exclude abortion.” Read more.

"Knowing there were others out there like me, and that they weren’t ashamed, really changed my perspective and helped me on my journey."

Spreading Love
Hindu, United States, Indo-Caribbean Community

“When I decided to have an abortion, my religion’s cultural expectation of purity was swirling in my mind. I knew I wasn’t ready to parent, that to try to do so would cause my dreams to come crashing down. I also knew that going through with the pregnancy would expose that I had done the most shameful thing: sex. As I got older, I felt that there was less potential for me to be slut-shamed in my community — and, furthermore, I stopped paying attention to it. I became more self-assured about my body and my queer sexuality. I stopped listening to some of the constricting messages in Hinduism and found my own path.” Read more.

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