Pastoral counseling on voluntary sterilization for retarded individuals

Conclusion Wise counseling can relieve the anxiety and inner conflict of parents torn between the dread of their retarded offspring becoming a parent and the fear of an operation they believe to be illegal, immoral, and castrating.By knowing where to refer patients, clergymen can make it possible for some of these deprived members of society to find support and love within marriage without being overburdened by children they are not capable of rearing properly.The author wishes to express her sincere thanks and appreciation to the Reverend Jerry Carpenter, Reverend Robert Denton, and Reverend William H. Genne for reading this paper, and especially to the Reverend Edward L. Lee, Jr. and to Reverend Charles F. Penniman, Jr. for their many suggestions.