Sacred Choices and Abortion: 10 New Things to Think About

This thoughtful film attempts to challenge the misrepresentation—or, what one of the ministers interviewed in the film calls “the big lie”—currently framing the American national debate on abortion: namely, that religious people are uniformly opposed to allowing women the right to choose to terminate pregnancy. Numerous religious leaders, including a Catholic theologian, an Islamic scholar, a rabbi, an Episcopal nun, and Protestant ministers provide thoughtful analyses of their respective religions' doctrines and texts on the subject of a woman's right to choose over the course of 10 sections. In one segment, a Catholic theologian discusses two official Catholic views on the topic—one pro-choice, the other not, illustrating how the resistance to abortion is integrally tied to religious views regarding women's liberation in general. Another segment looks at the experience of a minister who founded a group of clergy in the 1960s to counsel women on alternatives to abortion because he saw that shame, guilt, and fear of reprisal were causing women to seek help outside the church, while in a third segment, a doctor recounts the tragic consequences of self-induced abortion and reminds viewers that Roe v. Wade did not change the number of abortions, but did reduce the number of deaths from abortions. Other sections discuss the increased politicization of abortion and the myriad ethical and scientific debates surrounding the topic, with the most gripping segment detailing the plight of a nine-year-old Nicaraguan girl who became pregnant after being raped. When it became clear that her health was in jeopardy, her parents, despite their strong Catholic views, decided to terminate the pregnancy, a decision that ignited a storm of controversy, dividing the Catholic nation: human rights activists came to town, political leaders threatened doctors if they got involved, and the local cardinal compared the abortion to a terrorist act and claimed the family was, ipso facto, excommunicated from the church. Serving up a balanced discussion of an important and controversial issue, the very affordably priced Sacred Choices and Abortion is recommended. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)