The Revd Dr Amy Butler became the 7th senior pastor of The Riverside Church in 2014. She is the first clergywoman to be called to the position. The Riverside Church has just under 2000 members of record and is affiliated with both the American Baptist and the United Church of Christ denominations.
Dr Butler was moved to tears by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s words regarding abortion and specifically his description of late term abortion, during a candidate debate against Hilary Clinton. Dr Butler chose a late term abortion for herself at a time when she and her husband had been trying very hard to expand their family of three. On the USA Today website, she shared that story in an op-ed piece that was posted Yesterday morning.
But his words won’t tell my story, so I’ll tell it here. I don’t often speak about this experience. And I’ve never written about it until now. The late-term abortion I chose was the end of a dream. The pain was so real and so consuming that navigating my way through the grief, I never thought that I would have the happy, healthy family that I do today. It was one of the most agonizing experiences of my life and a true lesson in the reality that life is not always as clear-cut and obvious as you might think it is.
The Revd Dr Amy Butler
Please follow the link to the USA Today website to read the rest of her moving story of making this very personal decision.
The main photo is from The Riverside Church.
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My heart is with you. Our youngest son was born with severe genetic defects and lived for 4 1/2 months. If the amnio with our subsequent child had revealed the same problem, I would have made the choice you did. It would not have been easy, but it would have been the right choice for our family just as your choice was the right one for your family. Without the option of abortion, I would never have gotten pregnant with our beautiful, healthy daughter who is now 37. It is too personal a decision to be legislated against.