Deep Schism Amongst America’s Religious Leaders Regarding Abortion, One Year Post Reversal of Roe v Wade

America’s Religious Leaders Show Polarizing Views on Abortion Post-Roe v Wade Reversal

Since the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to abortion a year ago, religious leaders and denominations in America have displayed a wide range of responses, highlighting the stark divisions within their ranks. While some religious groups celebrate the state-level abortion bans that have followed, others express anger, viewing the conservative Christian cause as an oppressive force that has altered the nation’s laws. These divisions are especially evident within the largest denomination, the Catholic Church, where national polls consistently reveal that a majority of U.S. Catholics believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases, contrasting with the support for sweeping bans from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Among Protestants, white evangelicals largely favor outlawing abortion, whereas mainline Protestants predominantly support the right to abortion. Several top leaders within the mainline Protestant denominations have criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which has weakened the protection of that right. In the Episcopal Church, for example, the presiding bishop, Michael Curry, expressed deep grief over the ruling, emphasizing its potential to institutionalize inequality by disproportionately affecting women without access to resources.

Some religious Americans have taken legal action, arguing that the newly enacted abortion bans infringe upon their own religious beliefs. Jewish women have been involved in lawsuits in Indiana and Kentucky, while a synagogue in Boynton Beach, Florida, called Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor, contended that a state abortion ban violated Jewish teachings. Dr. Sara Imershein, a practitioner of first-trimester abortions, explained that her Reform Judaism beliefs guided her decision to pursue this career path and criticized abortion restrictions as contrary to Jewish teachings and an encroachment on religious freedom.

Acceptance of abortion in certain circumstances is also found within Buddhism, Islam, and Sikhism, while the majority of U.S. Hindus strongly support the right to choose. Dheepa Sundaram, an assistant professor of religious studies, explained that this support is influenced by the concept of karma, which grants individuals the freedom to act and face the consequences of their actions. Randall Balmer, a professor of American religious history, notes that the abortion debate remains contentious, partly because proponents on each side interpret the Bible—despite its lack of explicit mention of abortion—in ways that align with their views. Balmer suggests that the inflexibility and lack of humility in these positions hinder productive dialogue.

Even within individual churches, divisions on abortion can arise. Bishop Timothy Clarke, pastor of the First Church of God in Columbus, Ohio, advocates for respecting differing views within his predominantly African American congregation. Although he describes himself as “biblically pro-life,” he criticizes the strict abortion bans enacted by several Republican-led states as excessive and extreme. Similar sentiments can be found among certain U.S. Catholics who believe that the stringent bans infringe on women’s access to healthcare and emphasize the need for a more compassionate approach.

The Catholic bishops, on the other hand, maintain a united front in their commitment to the pro-life stance. However, a poll conducted by The Big Big News-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealed a significant gap between the anti-abortion positions of the bishops and the prevailing views among U.S. Catholics. The majority of Catholic adults believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases and oppose the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Within mainline Protestant denominations, official statements recognize the complexity of the abortion issue, but the prevailing sentiment condemns last year’s Supreme Court ruling as an injustice to women, particularly those facing economic hardship and racial discrimination. Some Protestant pastors, like Jacqui Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, have emerged as vocal advocates for abortion rights.

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