Please join us on Sunday (25 January 2015) at 9:30 AM for our adult religious education class.
This week, we are taking a break from our Nature’s God study group.
Melissa Gibson will be facilitating a discussion on reproductive justice — our denomination’s 2012-2016 social justice study action issue (Reproductive Justice: Expanding Our Social Justice Calling).
Reproductive Justice is a complex issue that goes far beyond the often loud and simplistic arguments of “pro-life” vs. “pro-choice.”
Attendant to the social inequalities that shape the lives of marginalized women, the “reproductive justice” framework was first created by women of color to work against “reproductive oppression” — the exploitation of women, girls, and others through their reproduction, labor, and sexuality.
Reproductive justice has four goals:
- (a) the raising of children in safe and healthy environments,
- (b) planned and healthy pregnancies,
- (c) ending or avoidance of unwanted pregnancies, and
- (d) expression of sexuality.
It works to address the myriad issues facing women in the context of
their reproductive lives.
The achievement of reproductive justice requires a paradigm shift in consciousness for many people and radical transformation of society.
As a long-term change strategy, reproductive justice requires resources and sustained organizing and momentum.
[Portions of this announcement adapted from Reproductive Justice Curriculum for Congregations.]
