Church leaders discuss how to talk about abortion rights with congregations

About 30 clergy and lay church leaders representing nine denominations on Tuesday at a seminar in Rapid City, S.D., received advice from several religious organizations about how to hold appropriate discussions with their congregations about "divisive" issues such as abortion, the Rapid City Journal reports.

The educational program, titled "Controversy and the Clergy," was sponsored by Network of Spritual Progressives and was led by speakers from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and the Network for Spiritual Progressives.

The majority of the invited participants were from "mainline" Protestant churches that have official statements supporting abortion rights in certain circumstances or that allow views on the issue to be "left to individual conscience," the Journal reports.

The seminar's "Faith and Choices" curriculum examined the denominational statements on abortion rights for Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ and other Christian groups, as well as several branches of the Jewish faith and the group Catholics for a Free Choice.

The Rev. Bruce Herrboldt, pastor of South Park United Church of Christ in Rapid City, said he hosted the day-long seminar because he feels that the religious "middle ground" on issues such as abortion in the Christian community continues to shrink, adding, "I'm required more and more often to be 'either/or' on issues. ...

The grand middle that allows for there to be extreme views is getting smaller."

Herrboldt said the church is the right place to have conversations about issues such as abortion, adding, "That's what the church should be about -- where people can talk about anything and still be in fellowship, still members, one of the other" (Garrigan, Rapid City Journal, 8/16). USA Today on Monday provided a summary of viewpoints held by various religious groups on abortion rights (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/14).