Terminating Pregnancy: Deciding between Life and Life

In Latin America abortion and sexuality are controversial topics and the official position of the Catholic Church is very conservative. The dissemination of Christian feminist thinking is strategic, because it questions the precepts of the Catholic Church as an institution and contributes to the creation of alternatives. This document provides arguments to demystify religious positions and provides alternatives to traditional ideas about these controversial issues. This strategy has been used extensively in the feminist debate around abortion in Nicaragua. For instance, the Catholic Church often argues that women who terminate pregnancies cannot be religious as abortion is about taking away a life - the life of the foetus. But for many women, abortion is about having control over their own lives and their well-being. Women have a fundamental right to choose and take responsibility for their lives through autonomous thinking, decision-making and action. These concepts, the paper argues, are all present in the Christian religion. Unfortunately the Church as an institution has too often interpreted these concepts in the framework of patriarchal values. In order for women to make responsible choices in their lives, they need to have reliable information and be free to choose. They need to have sexual education, which some religious groups oppose, and access to modern contraception, which is still not allowed by the Church. Both the legislation and the debate on abortion must privilege women's points of view and trust that, with the right information and without stigma, women will choose the route which is best for them.