Meet a Unitarian Sexologist

“We are seeing, in state legislatures across the country, an attack on women’s sexuality and women’s reproductive rights that far surpasses anything” that has come before it, alleged Debra Haffner, a Unitarian Universalist minister and self-described “sexologist.” Haffner is president of the Religious Institute, a “multifaith organization dedicated to advocating for sexual health, education, and justice in faith communities and society.” On March 21, 2012, Haffner discussed her dissatisfaction with traditional Christian teachings on sexuality on the radio show, Culture Shocks with Barry Lynn. Lynn is a United Church of Christ minister whose group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, opposes orthodox Christian expression in public life.

Much of the discussion centered around the Health and Human Services (HHS) provision in the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, requiring most employers, including those who object on moral and religious grounds, to provide health insurance coverage for contraception and abortifacients. Haffner asserted, “The argument that this [debate] is about religious freedom is a complete smoke screen. The fact that it’s now about birth control shows that it’s much bigger than a concern about embryos,” and supposedly, “about the Catholic hierarchy.” According to Haffner, opposition to contraception is not about genuine religious convictions, but “really about women and their sexuality. It’s about sexuality for pleasure, not just for procreation.”