As I type this post, the Supreme Court is listening to arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In that case, JWHO is challenging a Mississippi law that bans [updated] most abortions in the state after fifteen weeks of gestation (with no exception for rape or incest). Mississippi, on the other hand, is asking the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade (and,, in fact, appears to have passed its law precisely because it thought the Supreme Court would do so).
There’s a popular narrative in the U.S. that there is a single religious view on abortion: that it’s wrong and should be banned. But that view is both overly-simplistic and wrong. There is an enormous range of religious views on abortion. On the one hand, Catholicism opposes abortion, along with capital punishment and the death penalty, as part of its dedication to the sanctity of human life.
On the other hand, in Jewish teaching, personhood occurs at birth. Prior to that, there may be a religious obligation to have an abortion if the mother’s life is at risk.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints falls somewhere in between. It opposes abortion but makes exceptions in cases of rape, incest, risk to the life or health of the mother, or nonviability of the fetus.
I’m not suggesting that this is the full range of religious beliefs on abortion. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), for instance, believes that at least pre-viability, “[h]umans are empowered by the spirit prayerfully to make significant moral choices, including the choice to continue or end a pregnancy. Human choices should not be made in a moral vacuum, but must be based on Scripture, faith and Christian ethics. For any choice, we are accountable to God; however, even when we err, God offers to forgive us.”
But I think it’s important to push back on the idea that there is a single conclusion on abortion to which religion points: rather, it points in all different directions. And even Christian religions that staunchly oppose abortion recognize that forgiveness is possible.
I’ll note, too, that the various positions aren’t just rhetorical. Religious groups filed amicus briefs both supporting and opposing the Mississippi law.
CWhat is the Supreme Court going to decide in today’s case? I truly don’t know; I’m not really a Court-watcher or a -prognosticator. But the question is complicated, even religiously, and ignoring the fact that there are people of faith who disagree with you on such an important matter does a deep disservice to faith.
I’m going to leave the comments open because I think it’s critical that we be able to discuss important topics that we’re passionate about. But I will also moderate the comments ruthlessly, if not in real time. I expect good-faith and respectful discussion. If a comment denigrates somebody or some religion or some religious belief or if I think it can be read that way, I’ll delete it with no explanation and no apology. If you want to engage in ad hominems and misrepresentation and condemnation of others, I can’t stop you from doing it somewhere else but I can stop you from doing it here.