By Rev. Catharine A. Cummings
As an ordained faith leader, I value the constitutional and human rights of all people. I respect a person’s religious liberty, which allows each individual to practice their own faith tradition freely and lawfully. Just as I value a person’s right to choose their own faith and religious practices, I also value a person’s medical and reproductive choices.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade is an egregious erosion of human rights for those who are able to become pregnant. According to religious historian Dr. Anthea Butler, the moral outrage over abortion is about race, gender, and, ultimately, power for white evangelicals who want to change the existing power structure and Reconstruction Amendments. The conservative Supreme Court continues to hamper laws that affect our civil rights.
It is appalling that I have fewer rights today as a grown woman than I did as a practicing Catholic teenager. Back then, my doctor prescribed contraceptives to reduce severely uncontrolled acne. My sister had two periods per month until she took “the pill” to regulate her cycle. Hormone therapy was a necessity for her mental, emotional, and physical wellness.
Please note, the aforementioned contraceptives plus Plan B can only prevent pregnancy. However, medical or surgical abortions are required to treat ectopic pregnancies. In this situation, the fetus cannot live regardless of medical treatment but left untreated can be fatal to the mother whose life is precious to God. It is imperative now more than ever that women and men examine their life experiences regarding reproductive health. With discussion among friends, family, and even church folk, one may surmise that approximately one in four women will have an abortion by 45 years old according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Growing up, a dear friend was raped by her uncle while she was sleeping. She came to school that day because she felt safer away from where the assault and betrayal occurred. After the police investigation, rape kit and medical attention, she later proceeded with a medical abortion. As with most things in life, if you are against eating pork, gossip, or abortion then refrain from it.
Although biblical arguments can be made for being pro-life or pro-choice, they have no place in making laws in a country governed by a secular constitution. When we read the Bible, especially in its original language, the current pro-life stance is poorly supported. As people of faith, God calls us to transform conditions of injustice and advocate for the rights of all people.
As leaders, we must educate and empower our communities by addressing tough subjects faithfully and ethically. Reproductive health should not be an afterthought. Personally, I am pro-faith, pro-life, pro-choice, and pro-justice. ■
