Friday, May 13, 2022

This Week in Religion - Religious freedom at stake in possible abortion ban

Lead story

A man bows his head while raising the cross in front of the US Supreme Court.

Editor's note:

The leaked opinion of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito that threatens to overturn almost 50 years of Roe v. Wade has led to strong reactions from those on both sides of this debate. For many conservative Christians, the life of the fetus, or “ensoulment,” begins at conception, and that leads them to believe that all abortions amount to murder.

Steven K. Green, a professor of constitutional law who has taught about reproductive rights and American religious history, emphasizes, however, that there isn’t one single religious view and that the abortion issue is as much about religious freedom rights as constitutional ones.

As he writes, many liberal denominations, such as the United Church of Christ, make it clear that termination of pregnancy is entirely up to each woman, depending on her personal and religious convictions. And Jewish law places the utmost regard for the mother’s life and does not recognize the fetus to be a person.

A portrait of Kalpana Jain, Senior Religion and Ethics Editor at The Conversation U.S.
 

Religion News

An immigrant Muslim finds his model of empowerment in Black American Islam

One in a new series of interviews with contemporary faith-based leaders reinventing American faith. By Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt/Religion News Service

After leak, religious rift over legal abortion on display

America’s faithful are bracing — some with cautionary joy and others with looming dread — for the Supreme Court to potentially overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and end the nationwide right to legal abortion. By Deepa Bharath and Luis Andres Henao/The Associated Press

The departure of any church or clergy from the denomination is not instantaneous, but must first go through its annual conferences. By Emily McFarlan Miller/Religion News Service

Centuries-old passion play returns after pandemic break

After a two-year delay, the famous Oberammergau Passion Play is finally opening on May 14 — the 42nd staging since its long-ago debut. By Kirsten Grieshaber/The Associated Press

Dresses donated by sexual assault survivors from Amish and other plain-dressing religious groups hang on a clothesline beneath a description of each survivors' age and church affiliation.

What they wore: Amish Country exhibit spotlights sex abuse

Each garment on display was either the actual one a survivor wore at the time they were assaulted or a replica assembled by volunteers to match the strict dress codes of the survivor’s childhood church. By Peter Smith/The Associated Press

 

Commentary and Analysis

Except for ending abortion, the Republican Party has little to offer the bishops. The bishops got what they wanted out of this alliance; it is time to move on. By Thomas Reese/Religion News Service

Temples are often open to the public for a period after construction or renovation, but only church members may enter once religious ceremonies begin. By Taylor Petrey for The Conversation

World War II has a central place in Russian nationalism. Its importance is written all over a new cathedral dedicated to the armed forces. By Lena Surzhko Harned for The Conversation

Father Damien's legacy has inspired health providers and humanitarians for over a century. By Mark Lambert for The Conversation

 
Muslim girls wearing colorful hijabs sit together outdoors during Eid al-Fitr prayers.

Muslims girls look on during Eid al-Fitr prayers in an outdoor area in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, May 2, 2022, at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

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  • This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
  • The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
 
 

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