The Sacrament of Abortion [Paperback]

Ginette Paris (Author), Joanna Mott (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1992

Issues of life and death, love and responsibility are at the core of every religion. That is why the English translation of this book was originally published with the title "The Sacrament of Abortion," as it shows that the decision to abort may also spring from a religious feeling that it is the "right" thing to do, both physically and spiritually. As Ginette Paris writes, "Abortion is about love, life, and death." Since its original publication, the book has ben widely used in abortion clinics in Canada and in France and has even been given by some doctors to each and every women who had the procedure, along with pain killers.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An authentic woman svoice sings out in the work of Ginette Paris. Her prose . . . is lash and extravagant, sometimes frankly erotic, but always thoughtful and thought-provoking, always fresh and surprising." --Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times Review of Books --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 113 pages
• Publisher: Spring Pubns (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882143522
• ISBN-13: 978-0882143521
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,370,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I think I'm the second reviewer, thus far who read the book., June 10, 2003

By 

pedxing (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sacrament of Abortion (Paperback)

This is a book that challenges you to think and to open your mind. I still don't know precisely where I agree and disagree with her, but many years after reading "The Sacrament of Abortion," I am still thinking about what Paris had to say still agreeing and disagreeing and that makes this book far more valuable to me than most books I have read.

Ginette Paris goes right to the heart of one of the scariest and most difficult issues in the world today: abortion. She shows a courage, bordering on recklessness in confronting the issue. Paris doesn't glorify abortion as a ritual sacrifice, she sees the decision about whether or not to carry a child as a sacred decision which involves life, death, love, motherhood, sexuality and the origins of each humans' existence on earth. Paris suggests that no one should take the decision lightly. Having an abortion without truly considering the weight and significance of the decision is wrong, a violation of a sacred bond - but so is taking the decision away from a woman. Abortion is not a sterile choice. When a woman has an abortion, something sacred - something of value is destroyed. Yet, sometimes abortion can be the right choice. For Paris, a woman who chooses to have a child - when that child will clearly and obviously suffer a damaged, limited and wounded life has made the wrong maternal decision. No one should decide for the woman according to Paris, but there is a moral obligation for the woman to choose wisely.

Paris says that debates about the viability of the fetus are far too materialistic. Viability means more than just the ability to live outside the womb, viability should be seen socially and relationally. If I am to be a mother, I should consider: is there a community ready to embrace this child? Is there a world that I can prepare for this child so that s/he will thrive? Who will name and love the baby?

Ginette Paris also comments on how comfortable many of us are with singing the praises of men who fight and kill in war, or fights for honor. Society honors wise men who decide when to kill another and when to spare a life... yet we are so uncomfortable with the idea that a pregnant woman might make the same kind of decision about the life growing within her that we can't think straight about it. It is either an evil murder of an innocent, or a choice about a minor surgical procedure. Paris says it is neither. The reception that her book received shows how hard it is for us to think straight about the issue.

33 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Long overdue; Fairly talks about the other side., October 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sacrament of Abortion (Paperback)

This book deals calmly with an emotional subject. Too often through the media, we are led to believe all women suffer greatly if they have an abortion- for whatever reason. Dr. Paris understands and validates that for many of us, it was a sacred act ( a sacrament) to make both a rational and conscious choice not to create a child that could not be cared for properly. One's own spiritual philosophy is a factor certanily, but yes, there are many of us who have made such a decision and are very much at peace with this and life itself.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive and Beautiful., January 8, 2006

By 

Dave Alber (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sacrament of Abortion (Paperback)

I am a man who read Ginette Paris's The Sacrament of Abortion because I wanted to understand the `passion' of a woman in the trying time of choosing to have an abortion. The subject was obviously outside of my personal experience, but living in the Bible belt I witnessed the injustice of pseudo-moralistic institutions attacking abortion clinics and pregnant women who have accepted the choice of abortion.

Ginette Paris has written a book of profound sensitivity for women in a trying and emotional time. It is a book that cuts through the pretenses of imbalanced people who vent rage and hatred at vulnerable women as their `religious' practice. Ginette offers many examples of women's experiences with abortion to display the fullness of the range of that experience. Paris is a sensitive listener. Her book is a meditation on empathy and compassion. It is a meditation on a connection to greater mysteries and experiences through this rite of ritual significance. It is a book abut acceptance, both self-acceptance and Life-acceptance. It is brave in its clear-sightedness and profoundly empathic in transmitting the depth and range of female experience.