Abortion gag rule bill could shut down all kinds of services across the state

Many years ago, I was the pastor and executive director of a church and social service agency combination. I remember meeting with a 13-year-old girl and her parents. She was pregnant. I provided “all-option counseling” to the family, and helped them to obtain an abortion.

I tell this story for the sole purpose of illustrating the broad ranging issues I worked with my parishioners on. You see, I am a retired clergyman in the Presbyterian Church (U.SA.), and as an ordained minister, I am proudly pro-choice and must speak out against HB 142.

This bill, filed by Representative Lynn Bechler, has compelled me to speak. Here’s why:

There are faith communities who provide a variety of desperately needed social services as part of their stated mission, and those services may use what HB 142 calls “public agency funds.” When this is the case HB 142 would prohibit a clergy person from providing comprehensive care to parishioners with unplanned pregnancies.

Sound familiar? Maybe because this bill is Kentucky’s version of the Trump-Pence administrations unethical gag rule. Which makes it illegal for health care providers in the Title X program to refer patients for an abortion. Because of Planned Parenthood’s commitment to ethical patient care, it would be impossible for Planned Parenthood to continue participating in the program because Planned Parenthood won’t withhold critical information from their patients.

This would be the same concept for clergy participating in social services that utilize public agency funds. Like Planned Parenthood, I could never refuse comprehensive care to one of my parishioners.

Remember the story I mentioned earlier? If HB 142 became law, I would lose the agency’s “public agency funds” when I provided the best pastoral, moral and ethical care to that family.

The state should have no voice in the personal interactions between a faith leader and those under that faith leader’s care.

Further, even in a non-religiously based social service program, professional counselors and social workers would be prohibited from providing what us church folks call “all option counseling” to those who face what is for them a problematic pregnancy. Such a prohibition is morally and ethically unacceptable.

I speak against HB 142, and I will pray for its defeat in this legislative session.

I have asked others to join with me in the defeat of this dangerous and immoral bill, and their names are below:

The Rev. Wayne A. Gnatuk and members of Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice: Jean Abshire, Ann Allen, Karen Conley, Terrie Hill, Cantor Sharon Hordes, Laurie Kaplin, Heather Levitch, Neha Nehru, Beth Rich, Rita Sasse, Carol Savkovich, Rev. Muriel Schmid, Rev. Melissa B. Sevier, Elizabeth Tate.

Rev. Wayne A. Gnatuk is a retired Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastor who lives in Lexington; he is the Chair of the Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and is a supporter of Planned Parenthood.

This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 3:53 PM.