FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2021
CONTACT
Manisha Sunil, West End Strategy Team
msunil@westendstrategy.com; Phone: 202-417-0171
Interfaith Advocates Urge Supreme Court to Protect Religious and Reproductive Freedom in Dobbs Case
Ahead of Wednesday’s oral arguments, religious freedom advocates rally in support of abortion rights
WASHINGTON—Religious freedom advocates with Interfaith Alliance are urging the Supreme Court to affirm reproductive freedom as a matter of religious freedom as justices hear arguments today on whether pre-viability restrictions on abortion are unconstitutional.
“Religious traditions approach matters of health care differently, and people of all faiths and none seek comprehensive reproductive services, including abortion, every year,” said Katy Joseph, Interfaith Alliance’s director of policy & advocacy. “True religious freedom means that people seeking care should be able to make decisions based on their own beliefs and circumstances, not the religious views of their doctor or state legislators. But pre-viability bans undermine the constitutional right to abortion as a matter of privacy by imposing one religious viewpoint on all and placing care out of reach for millions of people, especially communities of color, young people, and those in rural and underserved areas.”
“Reproductive freedom is a matter of religious freedom, full stop. Laws that require or coerce pregnant people to submit to reproductive treatment — or deprive them of treatment altogether — are not only an affront to personal liberty, but also to our freedom of conscience,” she continued.
Earlier this year, Interfaith Alliance joined Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, American Humanists Association, and Bend the Arc Jewish Action on an amicus brief in the case.
“These debates over legislating health care by religious values put more at stake than politicians’ beliefs,” added Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance. “These laws can make it impossible for people of differing faith or conscience to receive the treatments their own values demand, and thus deliver the clear message that the protections of the Constitution do not apply to them. That doesn’t uphold our sacred principles; it undermines them.”
If you are interested in speaking further with Interfaith Alliance on this issue, please contact Manisha Sunil at (202) 417-0171 or msunil@westendstrategy.com.
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Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.