Rebecca Todd Peters, a religious studies professor at Elon University and ordained Presbyterian minister, is actively working to change public perception of abortion, aiming to challenge the idea that it is a sin. Peters leads the Abortion and Religion project and openly advocates for reproductive rights, sharing her personal experiences with having two abortions.
During a July 9, 2023, address at a Unitarian-Universalist church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Peters acknowledged the discomfort surrounding abortion. She recounted her own abortions, stating that she felt God's presence and experienced no guilt, shame, or sin. She further asserted that forced pregnancy or birth is not holy. This speech followed North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper's signing of a new law restricting abortions after 12 weeks, down from 20 weeks.
Peters also critiqued the Christian church's stance on reproductive rights, expressing her dissonance with those who identify as loving Christians while opposing abortion. Her website highlights her work as a feminist social ethicist focused on reproductive justice, among other issues. She offers sermons about abortion, with one titled "Blessed are those who end pregnancies," and contends that abortion is a moral and social good. Peters’ website emphasizes her interest in reproductive health, rights, and justice, as well as poverty, economic justice, privilege, globalization, and solidarity.
