Return to Index of Sermons

Presentation at Planned Parenthood of Hawai‘i Fundraiser
Royal Hawaiian Hotel
January 20, 2006
Neal MacPherson

My name is Neal MacPherson. For the past eighteen years, I have been the pastor of Church of the Crossroads, a Just Peace and Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ. I am also a member of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Hawai‘i.

We have just viewed a remarkable and instructive film. From the film, we learn that the issue of abortion back in 1970 was clothed in ambiguity and filled with complexity. What was true back then is also true today. The issue of abortion is far more complicated and complex than we would be led to believe if we were to listen only to the way the debate is currently framed in our society. The cultural war that is now being waged over abortion depicts the issue simplistically. Either one is against abortion and therefore against a woman’s right to choose or one is for abortion and for a woman’s right to choose. The issue is far more complicated than this simplistic division between the “yeas” and the “nays.” This is what we learn from the film we have just seen.

The issue of abortion will always be filled with moral complexity. And yet, our focus cannot be just upon whether or not we are for or against abortion on a personal level, but instead needs to center on our need to act on behalf of the common good of all. And that common good includes a safeguarding of a woman’s right to choose. Our support of this right must be unwavering, and also public.

I am afraid that the culture war being waged over abortion in our society has the possibility of silencing us. And that is a real danger. The quality of public discourse over issues that matter in our society has degenerated in our day, as religious conservatives and right wing ideologues have sought to impose their will on everyone. As a society, we need to return to a commitment to an open democratic process, a process that will allow everyone to enter into the discussion without fear of being labeled or disregarded. This commitment to an open democratic process was the strength of Governor Burns, as we have learned from the film. He brought everyone to the table and then, in freedom and conscience, decided what to do. After listening to everyone, he set aside his own self-interest on the matter and out of a disinterest allowed the bill decriminalizing abortion to become law without his signature. He, after all, was the governor of all the people. Both he and Vince Yano paid a price for their action, both personally and politically. And yet, knowing what might happen, they stood their ground.

When it comes to matters such as abortion and a woman’s right to choose, I suspect that the prevailing spirit of Church of the Crossroads, the church I serve as pastor, is not unlike the prevailing spirit of everyone who has gathered here tonight. The members of Church of the Crossroads are united in their affirmation of a woman’s right to choose, and their commitment to the common good of all the people of Hawai‘i. That is why the members of the congregation are so supportive of my involvement on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Hawai‘i.

At the same time, again not unlike the members of the church I serve, I suspect that we who have gathered here this evening in support of the work of Planned Parenthood of Hawai‘i are diverse in many ways. We come from different backgrounds, and draw upon a number of religious, indigenous, and humanistic moral traditions. And we probably hold differing views when it comes to abortion itself. Some of us gathered here would in good conscience personally choose abortion for ourselves as well as for others. Some of us gathered here may have a moral or religious perspective that would lead us not to choose abortion for ourselves. We are not unlike Governor Burns or Vince Yano, who, on a personal and religious level had moral qualms about the practice of abortion. My own position is not unlike theirs. And yet, out of a disinterest rather than a self- interest, I am committed to the common good, and the common good surely includes a woman’s right to have reproductive choices. After all, I am not a woman. And I am not an eleven year old pregnant child who has been raped by my father. In good conscience, I would not presume to dictate to others what they should or should not do. My only concern is that all women have the right to choose an abortion if they are led to do so. My concern is also that there be no restrictions on that right to choose and that there are services available to them in their own communities, services that are accessible and affordable. Of course, we would rather see fewer abortions. That is why Planned Parenthood is also so committed to provide quality medically accurate sex education for the youth of our society and also family planning services. In fact, it is these services that constitute most of the work of Planned Parenthood in our community.

In the absence of the labeling and the religious and political ideologies that so cloud the democratic process of today, the people of Hawai‘i thirty-five years ago made a decision that has enabled countless women to make decisions for themselves and their own well being.

Today, that right is being threatened. And so, my friends, we must not take a woman’s right to chose for granted. We must be vigilant. We must be prepared to speak openly, knowing that no matter what our feelings are about abortion we will never allow this basic right to be curtailed or overturned. We must also be prepared not only to speak but to act on behalf of the common good. We must be prepared to testify publicly and also participate in the democratic process, convinced that we should never, as a society, return to the days of secrecy and back street butchers. So will a woman’s right to choose and the important work of Planned Parenthood in the nation and in Hawai‘i be safeguarded for years to come.

On behalf of the board of directors of Planned Parenthood of Hawai‘i, thank you for your kind attention and for being here tonight.

Return to Index of Sermons