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During some of the most intense periods of fighting in the Syrian civil war, the maternal mortality rate in Washington, D.C., was worse than it was in Syria. Reading that statistic shook me to my core. The first time I came across it, I was in graduate school studying to become a social worker. A cold feeling pooled in my heart and dropped to my stomach as I absorbed a report that found Syria’s maternal mortality rate rose from 26 to 31 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2007 to 2015 — an increase researchers attributed to the nation’s ongoing civil war and the subsequent deterioration of its health care system. Meanwhile, during the same period, maternal mortality in the U.S. capital reached 33 deaths per 100,000 live births. A recent study found that the 2021 maternal mortality rate in the U.S. was greater than any other high-wealth nation, including France, Germany, the U.K., Canada, and Australia. For all the power and might the U.S. claims to have, this country chooses not to save the lives of some of our most precious members: mothers and children. I was amazed that lawmakers would sit idly by and allow pregnant people — including their own mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, wives — to face the risks of childbearing without necessary support. As a person of faith, I thought about scripture’s clear instructions not to “withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act” (Proverbs 3:27).
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From the Magazine Many Nations Deliver Babies Free of Charge. Why Can’t America? (by Rose Marie Berger) In a post-Roe world, we need to imagine easier access and greater services for pregnancy and childbirth — no strings attached. |
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Halftime Pastor Opportunity with Pilgrims Mennonite Church Pilgrims Mennonite Church, Akron, Pa., is a small congregation of Mennonite Church USA welcoming all to join us in following Christ. We seek a halftime pastor who is skilled in listening, counseling, teaching, and committed to help us expand our work for justice, peace, and anti-racism. Contact us at inquiry@ Interested in combining your faith and passion for social justice? Apply to Sojourners' yearlong fellowship program. The holistic program offers an entry-level position in our office and shared life in intentional Christian community. The application deadline is April 24, 2023 for the next cohort starting in August 2023. |
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