Is the abortion debate a religion story?

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

by Bobby Ross Jr.

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(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.

politico.comExclusive: 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.

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:

religionnews.comBefore 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.

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.

Chris Kenning @chris_kenning

What's next for anti-abortion groups if Roe v. Wade is overturned?usatoday.com/story/news/nat… with @grace_hauck for @USATODAY

usatoday.comAnti-abortion groups could win a 50-year fight to end Roe. They aren’t stopping there.Anti-abortion advocacy groups say the bombshell Supreme Court Roe v. Wade leak may allow activists to pivot the abortion battle to several new fronts.

Other helpful coverage:

• Abortion has long been complicated for Catholic Biden. Now, he leads the fight (by Matt Viser, Washington Post)

• Roe v. Wade: Faith leaders react to leaked SCOTUS opinion (by Emily McFarlan Miller, RNS)

• Where abortion will stand — and fall — if Roe goes down (by Leah Savas, World)

• For red-state clergy who back abortion rights, losing Roe is a call to action (by Bob Smietana and Alejandra Molina, RNS)

• Think piece: An abortion provider and a pro-life lawyer found common ground (by Andy Puzder, Wall Street Journal)