The Minnesota Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice seeks to ensure that every woman is free to make decisions about having children according to her own conscience and religious beliefs.
As people of religious faith and conviction, the Minnesota Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice supports reproductive freedom for every person. Our struggle for reproductive freedom includes these core values:
We believe
- That families are created in many ways.
- That all families should have the resources to care for their children with dignity.
- That all persons desiring to be parents should have the right and opportunity to do so.
- That no one should be forced into parenthood or into narrowly-defined parenting roles.
- That the sexual experiences of consenting adults are not open to government inspection, opinion or legislation.
- That all persons have a right to privacy.
- That all persons have a right to education and employment without discrimination based on gender, pregnancy, or sexual orientation or identity.
- That no person should ever be forced or coerced into contraception, sterilization, or abortion.
- That caring communities have a responsibility to ensure that all young people have access to medically accurate, comprehensive sex education.
- That all people should have access to all reproductive and sexual health information and services, including birthing options, contraception, sterilization and abortion.
- That all persons should be able to live a life free from violence, including physical and sexual violence, which prevents them from controlling their sexual and reproductive lives.
- That sexually transmitted infections are not a result of moral failure, and the best medical information, prevention, and treatment should be available to all.
- That sex is a glorious component of the human experience, a gift of the Divine, to be expressed with respect, responsibility, and joy.Minnesota Religious Coalition members have great respect for the value of potential human life, while remaining committed to women as responsible moral decision makers. We believe that the key to reducing abortions is to educate and empower individuals to prevent unwelcome pregnancies. We oppose efforts to establish by law one religious perspective on reproductive choice above all others and thereby limit the free exercise of religion by all.
We are an affiliate of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, a national organization with headquarters in Washington, D. C. We are a statewide coalition of religious organizations that believe that a woman should have the freedom to make reproductive choices according to her own religious and moral values.
We define reproductive choice in the broadest possible sense. Although the widely understood definition of “choice” applies to abortion, we believe that reproductive choice encompasses the many choices that people make about how and whether to become parents. Therefore, we faithfully support comprehensive sexuality education, family planning, contraception, and other reproductive health services, as well as maintaining that abortion can be a morally responsible choice. We also support living wage jobs, affordable housing and child care, and access to health care as vital services that empower women who would like to become parents.
