Pro-choice Christians
Today, tens of millions of American Christians are pro-choice. For the last several decades, dozens of different Christian and Jewish groups have supported ex*cellent contracep*tion, emer*gency contra*cep*tive pills and a woman’s right to choose.
The Religious Coalition for Repro*duc*tive Choice (RCRC) repre*sents over 40 different denomina*tions and faith groups in this coun*try.
They argue that since major re*li*gious sects in the U.S. strongly disagree among themselves on the abor*tion issue, this issue obvious*ly cannot be a “strug*gle between the God-fearing and the God*less”, as often portrayed by the anti-choice activists. RCRC surveys have found that wide*spread sup*port exists among Christ*ian and Jewish organiza*tions for repro*ductive choice, including safe, early abor*tions.
There is also a Catholic organiza*tion, Cath*olics For Free Choice.
They empha*size that Cath*olics who are con*vinced that their conscience is correct, must follow their con*science rather than the dic*tates of the Church.[ii]
In both France and Italy, countries which are 80-90% Catholic, abor*tion is legal and paid for by the state during the first trimester.
Most European Catholics do not believe that an em*bryo or young fetus has the same sacred value or inalienable right to life as does a newborn.
For pro-Christians, the Christian God is pro-choice.
They refer to a number of relevant biblical passages to support their position.
And since the Bible is vague about the time of ensoulment, some believe that souls can only thrive in wanted pregnancies, others that the soul can only enter fetuses after the brain and body have be*come sufficient*ly develop*ed to receive a soul. For still others, it’s when breathing becomes potentially possible.
These pro-choice Christians believe that women are mor*ally equal to men and capable of making their own tough ethical decisions regarding abor*tion. They believe that God would not want us to try to force the eighty million women on our planet who have unplanned preg*nancies each year to stay pregnant against their will.
By supporting choice they believe they’re do*ing God’s work by help*ing to end mas*sive debil*ita*t*ing infec*tions and excruci*a**ting deaths from il*legal abor*tions for millions of desperate women. To quote Reverend Ann Fowler, Episcopal priest, “To talk theologically about women’s rights to choose is to talk about justice, equality, health and wholeness, and respect for the full humanity and autonomy of every woman.”
