BIG Question Number Two: Was overturning Roe v. Wade about conscience and religion?
YES. “Quickening,’ “ensoulment” or “animation,” are all terms describing the first sensations of movement of the fetus in utero. This movement is generally felt by women between the third and fifth month of pregnancy. Pregnancy is a state of potential human life. When or if humanness occurs during pregnancy, is a religious belief.
From a Jewish perspective from biblical times, the mother’s life is prioritized. Ending a pregnancy is considered more through a social lens than from a theological one. The woman’s personhood is recognized over that of the unborn. The child’s personhood is recognized at birth.
Currently, the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Evangelical Protestant and some mainline Protestant churches oppose abortion in varying degrees. At the same time other mainline Protestant churches favor it, also in varying degrees, allowing the practice. Of course that doesn’t mean all in their congregations hold entirely the same positions. Support for abortion has increased in the US over the life of Roe v. Wade to seventy percent of Americans.
Looking at 2020 data on Americans who have no opposition to abortion, finds that cohort includes 33% of Evangelical Christians, 53% of Historically Black Protestants, 48% of Catholics, 80% of Jews, 60% of Muslims, 80% of Hindus, 80% of Agnostics, and 87% of Atheists. Only 30% of Americans, if that, actually oppose abortion on religious grounds.
Question: Does it matter what I believe?
YES. I believe for most people abortion is the lesser evil of two bad choices. I also believe that our government (currently run mostly by men) should never require a woman to relinquish control of her own body. If you don’t believe in abortion, don’t get one or pay for one. But, you’re only in charge of your own life.
Question: If overturning Roe v. Wade is about religion and conscience, aren’t the First Amendment’s protections for religious freedom supposed to support a woman’s right to follow her own beliefs and conscience without interference or persecution?
YES. But, for whatever their reasons, religious or political, some Supreme Court Justices (several of whom apparently lied to get their high court positions) are choosing to ignore, devalue or redefine these Bill of Rights protections
Question: Is the posed religious and moral overtones of the argument to overturn Row v. Wade in essence government establishment of religion?
YES. Establishing a court or government-preferred belief structure also violates the First Amendment. With a nation of many religions and an active conservative movement to create minority rule, proffering a national statement of faith and morality to end the right to abortion is a power play. The freedom to practice one’s own religion or lack thereof without interference or persecution means the right to learn, think, and have convictions. (Consider book banning a similar infringement.) If a religious minority of the nation has the actual power to take away our rights, one by one, or all at once, only that minority will have rights. Then that is called theocracy akin to the Taliban rule of Afghanistan. If it is not actually a religious minority that enjoys all the power and rights it may be an autocracy, an oligarchy, a dictatorship, totalitarianism, or an aristocracy; but it won’t be a democracy. (If it is truly a religious minority, they certainly would never use their rights, power and wealth to secure abortions for their daughters, wives, girlfriends, or mistresses now would they?)
(See Question Number Three in next blog)