Is the abortion debate a religion story?

Panel explores religious response to Roe v. Wade's likely strikedown

May 6

by Bobby Ross Jr.

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.

(ANALYSIS) News that the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority might overturn Roe v. Wade is not overly shocking. We’ve known that for months.

But the timing — and manner — of this week’s leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft majority opinion that would strike down the landmark 1973 decision, which legalized abortion nationwide? That counts as a bombshell.

To discuss the big scoop by Politico’s Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward, ReligionUnplugged.com convened a panel of top religion journalists who have written extensively about the abortion debate.

Watch the full discussion.

Clemente Lisi and I moderated the panel. Lisi, who teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York, is a ReligionUnplugged.com senior editor who focuses on Catholic news.

The panelists were:

• Adelle Banks, Religion News Service production editor and national reporter (see “If Roe goes, Black church leaders expect renewed energy for elections”).

• Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News religion reporter and associate national editor (see “As some rallied over Roe v. Wade, these Christians prayed”).

• BeLynn Hollers, Dallas Morning News reporter who covers women’s health, politics and religion (see her coverage of Texas’ restrictive abortion law).

• And Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today senior news editor (see “This is and isn’t the moment pro-life evangelicals have waited for”).

POLITICO @politico

The Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito and obtained by POLITICO. “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Alito writes.

Exclusive: Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Justice Alito writes in an initial majority draft circulated inside the court.politico.com

Among the tantalizing questions the panel explored: Is the abortion debate a religion story?

Yes and no, Hollers said.

Yes, Dallas said. “But maybe not for the reasons people might assume,” she quickly added.

READ: Supreme Court hears arguments in case that could overturn Roe v. Wade

Banks’ RNS colleague Jack Jenkins interviewed demonstrators outside the Supreme Court after the leak.

“He noted how much of a religious presence there was there, which I guess in some ways answers that question,” Banks said. People for and against abortion, she said, were “there for religious reasons.”

Shellnutt said, “It’s kind of hard to ignore, I think, the differences among faith groups you see on this.”

Adelle Banks @AMBankstw

Norman Vincent Peale was on one side, Richard Nixon on the other in the religious and political debate over abortion in the years before #RoeVWade became law. My @RNS story, based on a look through our archives:

Before there was Roe: Religious debate before high court’s historic ruling on abortion(RNS) — Reports reveal blunt statements opposing the procedure, broadening definitions of what could be legalized and religious politicians’ reactions to state legislatures’ debates over the controversial procedure.religionnews.com

Other questions ranged from the religion-related history of Roe v. Wade (both Hollers and Banks have delved into this) to the religious freedom ramifications of the court’s potential decision.

The future of religious groups’ activism on abortion — on both sides of the issue — was a major topic, too.