In July, 1996, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice embarked on a project to create a program to stimulate dialogue on issues of human sexuality and reproductive choice in a congregational setting. As part of the preliminary research for this project, the Religious Coalition decided to survey clergy in order to determine their attitudes toward these topics and their interest and willingness to conduct such a program in their congregations. The result was the Clergy Survey on Human Sexuality and Reproductive Choice.

The survey was created by Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Director of Clergy Programs, in collaboration with Rachel Goldberg, consultant and Ph. D candidate in statistics, polling and public policy at Georgetown University. Over 420 responses were received. Over all, the survey results showed a high degree of support for choice among clergy, with 92% of respondents agreeing with the statement: ‘I believe that every woman should be free to make decisions about when to have children, according to her own conscience and religious beliefs'.

It also demonstrated a great deal of clergy support for discussing both sexuality and reproductive choice in their congregations. The question, ‘Individuals can benefit from dialogue within the congregation about issues of sexuality and reproductive choice', received overwhelming support from virtually all groups. Not only did virtually everyone agree with this statement, nearly half of the respondents agreed strongly. Furthermore, there was broad support for discussing these issues in adult education, and considerable support for discussing them in religious school and youth group settings, as well as from the pulpit. African-Americans and Jews were the most supportive of using the pulpit, 95% and 91 % respectively.

These results are very significant in light of the goals of the Religious Coalition to promote faith-based educational materials and other assistance to clergy and congregations to help foster an understanding of the theological basis of the religious pro-choice movement.

Another goal of the Religious Coalition is to educate the public that reproductive choice encompasses a broad range of issues, including but not limited to abortion. The initial question of the survey asked people to mark off what, from among a number of categories, they would include in their definition of choice. Relatively high numbers in all categories demonstrates that clergy have a broad understanding of the term reproductive choice. There is some reason to believe that including an item in one's definition of choice demonstrates support for that item, because people tend to fashion their idea of choice into something they can support. There is, for instance, an impressive correlation between including access to safe and legal abortion in one's definition, and supporting a woman's right to choose.

Jews were generally the most supportive of choice, the most inclusive in their definition of choice, and the most open to discussing it in their congregations. 97% of Jews included access to abortion as part of choice. By contrast, only 76% of Presbyterian Church (USA) clergy included it, but this still reflects over 2/3 support for choice among Presbyterian Church (USA) clergy. 98% of Jews included access to sex education in their definition of choice, 88% of PC(USA) clergy and 89% of Methodist clergy.

Age also was a factor - 95% over age 65, and 91% age 55-65 included access to abortion in their definition of choice, but under 35, only 81% did so. Overall, older respondents (over 65) were more likely to include all categories in their definition of choice than were younger age groups. The broad understanding of choice, and broad support for choice among older clergy, as opposed to younger clergy, may be attributable to the fact that older clergy have memories of what it was like pre-Roe v. Wade, while younger clergy may be more apt to take safe and legal abortion services for granted.

Asked the question if they saw a need for discussing sex and choice in the congregations, most respondents of all ages and denominations agreed, with PC(USA) clergy and UCC clergy being the most likely to agree - 90% each. This shows encouraging support for the programs and goals of the Religious Coalition, which aims to provide faith-based sexuality reproductive choice curricular materials for congregational use.

The most direct question on choice showed strong support across denominations. The question was: I support a woman's right to access to a safe and legal abortion. Fully 80% of the respondents supported choice, with over half of those responding ‘always', and with no group dropping below two-thirds support. Jews and Methodists each said 'always' or 'most of the time' 88% of the time, while 68% of PC(USA) clergy said ‘always' or ‘most of the time'. African Americans said ‘always' or ‘most of the time' - 70%, Whites - 80%, Jews - 90%.

The question ‘I consider the following to be serious problems in my faith community' had as possible answers teen pregnancy, unintended pregnancy, lack of access to reproductive health care/family planning services, and lack of religiously based sex-ed materials. 75% said lack of religious sexuality education materials was a serious problem. This shows that there is a perceived need for the types of materials the Religious Coalition can provide. Broken down by faith and ethnicity - Jews were least likely to cite teen pregnancy (13%), African Americans most (85%); lack of sex education materials was cited least by white Protestants (68%), compared to Jews (81%) and African Americans (91%).

On the question, ‘Decisions regarding sexuality and reproductive choice are basically private and personal', Jews agreed 83% of the time, Methodists 87%, other faiths 74%. African Americans agreed 90% of the time, whites 77% and Jews 83%.

When asked what factors should be used in making decisions regarding sexuality and choice, the most popular choices were religious tradition, one's own beliefs and values, science and medicine and quality of life. Religious tradition tended to be a popular answer with anti-choice respondents, although it also was a popular answer among Jews, who tend to be strongly pro- choice. This is probably due to the understanding of Jewish tradition as allowing for abortion under certain circumstances, while other faith groups who gave this answer had an understanding of their faith tradition being anti-choice.

Those respondents who were pro-choice were more likely than anti-choice respondents to include economic factors. This supports the results of the recent New York Times/CBS News poll on the general population's attitudes toward abortion (NY Times, Jan. 16, 1998), which showed an overall support for choice, but which ranked low for support of using economic factors in making decisions regarding reproductive choice.

When asked if their denominations had done enough, too much, or not enough in promoting and providing materials on human sexuality, and materials on choice, several PC (USA) clergy and United Church of Christ said too much was being done in both areas, while no Jews and few Protestants of other denominations said too much was being done in either area. Jews and Methodists were more likely to say that not enough was being done in either area. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that both the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the UCC have excellent sexuality education programs which were developed specifically by and for each church, while neither the Reform nor the Conservative Movements of Judaism have comparable programs. The PC(USA) and UCC are also both engaged in revising and updating their programs, the UCC in collaboration with the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Asked what subjects the clergy would like to see covered in a program on sexuality and choice, the most popular choices overall were sexual ethics, talking to kids, and biblical/traditional (but not denominational) sources. Sexual ethics also was seen as a very important topic by clergy who attended last year's National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality, and this issue will be an important part of this year's upcoming Summit.

Overall, the survey showed solid support among clergy for reproductive choice, and a strong willingness to include issues of sexuality and choice among congregations' educational programs.

Report authored by Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Director of Clergy Programming