Landry passed around a list of Jewish and Christian groups in the country that support varying degrees of legal abortion, from groups that support it only in cases of rape or danger to a mother’s life, to groups that support it regardless of circumstances.

She also discussed Biblical passages and church doctrines relating to abortion, including a passage in Exodus that fines men who cause miscarriages and the Gospel of Life doctrine of Pope John Paul II, which condemns abortion, capital punishment and euthanasia.

But though she said she believes in these doctrines, Landry maintained that the result of legal criminalization of abortion is the “incarceration of pregnant women and mandatory pregnancy.”

Although the meeting focused on Landry’s experiences, students also asked questions about the role of government in regulating abortions, the Catholic church’s attitude towards women and the abortion debate within minority communities.

Landry said she felt that liberal feminism had alienated minority communities by dismissing religion as patriarchal.

The final portion of the discussion centered around a climate at Harvard that students and Landry said was often hostile to religion.

Participants praised the rare opportunity last night’s meeting provided for discussion between religious and secular groups.

“When you inform whatever you do in the political arena with religious and spiritual tradition, it enriches both,” said Kate G. Ward ’05, vice president of the CSA and president of Church Ladies.

—Staff writer Sarah M. Seltzer can be reached at sseltzer@fas.harvard.edu.