🙌🤝🚩 Da Fight fo’ Abortion Rights: Religious Freedom Arguments Shake Up da Debate!

⬇️ Pidgin | ⬇️ ⬇️ English

In all da lawsuits challenging da state abortion bans, lawyers representing abortion rights plaintiffs stay pulling out da religious freedom arguments dat da Christian right been using fo’ decades. It’s like a whole new twist on da game, yeah?

Religious liberty, one powerful weapon wielded by conservative Christians in battles ’bout contraceptive insurance mandates an’ pandemic restrictions, now get used by abortion rights supporters fo’ a different kind of fight: takin’ down dem state bans on abortion. 🙏✊🚫👶

Since da big change aftah Roe v. Wade, we seen clergy an’ followers of different religions, from Christian to Jewish denominations, file ’bout 15 lawsuits in eight states. Dey claiming dem bans an’ restrictions step all ovah deir faiths. 😇🛐

Dem plaintiffs, yeah, dey arguing dat according to deir religious beliefs, abortion should be allowed in some cases, but dose bans block dat. An’ dey say dat these bans violate religious freedom rights an’ da separation of church an’ state. Some even use state religious freedom restoration acts, which da conservatives already know ’bout, to make deir case. ⛪🕊️🚫

Professor Elizabeth Sepper, who knows all ’bout da law at da University of Texas at Austin, say dis shows “religious liberty no go only one way.” Everybody got deir own beliefs, yeah? 👥🙏

Aaron Kemper, one lawyer helpin’ out three Jewish women suing to overturn Kentucky’s abortion ban, say dey did deir homework an’ followed da examples of da conservatives who win da religious liberty cases. Dey use sections from dose cases, yeah? Like, if it work for dem, why not fo’ us? 🎓🤔💡

Now, most of da lawsuits still waitin’ fo’ court rulings, but da vibe say dese arguments might have some legal sway. In Indiana, fo’ example, one judge block da state’s abortion ban by issuin’ one preliminary injunction. She say da ban violate da state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which dey passed in 2015. An’ guess who was da governor back den? Mike Pence, who really no like abortion an’ now tryna be president. 🙄🚫🗳️

Some states like Oklahoma an’ West Virginia, dey see dis comin’, so dey change deir religious freedom restoration acts recently to make it clear dat dey no want no challenges to abortion bans usin’ dose acts. Sneaky, huh? 😏🚫🗳️

See, different belief systems, dey support women makin’ deir own choices when it come to pregnancy. Some say abortion should be allowed in certain cases, like when da woman’s health in danger or if da fetus got serious problems. An’ some religions, dey no even consider life startin’ at conception. 🤰✨🙅

In Indiana, da case filed by Hoosier Jews fo’ Choice, four women sayin’ da ban interfere wit’ deir religious exercise. An’ da judge, Heather Welch, she certify da case as one class-action lawsuit representin’ all dem people in Indiana whose faith tell ’em dey should get abortions in situations da ban say no. She say dese plaintiffs get deir religious exercise burdened an’ suffer harm. So, she stop da ban. 🛑✋

But, you know, da state fight back. Dey appealin’, sayin’ dat “abortion access” no be religious exercise. An’ dey argue dat da ban fo’ da greater good, fo’ da “compelling interest” of da state. Indiana’s attorney general even suggestin’ dat dey got oddah ways fo’ dem plaintiffs to get de same results, like abstinence or contraceptives. But da plaintiffs no buyin’ it. Dey say it cruel an’ dat Jewish law might even require abortion sometimes. 💔🤔

Funny ting, yeah? Back in da day, some anti-abortion groups, dey was worried ’bout dis religious freedom talk. Dey figgahed it could help da pro-choice side. An’ you know what? Dey was right. When Congress was talkin’ ’bout da Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993, da National Right to Life Committee an’ da U.S. Catholic Conference, dey both sayin’ dat da act goin’ open da door fo’ abortion access. Da Catholic Conference’s counsel even say dat if da act pass, it goin’ help dem pro-choice peeps. Who knew, huh? 🤷‍♂️🙅

Now, over in Florida, we got more lawsuits. We got Episcopal, Buddhist, Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, an’ United Church of Christ clergy goin’ up against da abortion restrictions. Dey sayin’ dose restrictions step all ovah deir religious obligations an’ faith. Dey makin’ noise ’bout how dose restrictions make it hard fo’ ’em to do deir religious ting an’ how dey violate deir freedom of speech. An’ dey ain’t just talkin’ ’bout minor obstacles. Dey sayin’ it like one big wall blockin’ ’em from practicin’ deir faith. An’ dat ain’t right, you know? 🤬🙌

One reverend, da Rev. Dr. Laurie Hafner, she speak out fo’ da rights of women. She say dat “God is da source of all life” an’ dat women should have da power to decide what happen wit’ deir own bodies. She talk ’bout how women get dis privilege an’ responsibility to create life, an’ dat means dey gotta be able to make da decision dat right fo’ ’em. She even share stories ’bout parishioners she help, like one 14-year-old girl an’ one woman wit’ one nonviable fetus. She worry what goin’ happen if da ban stay. How she goin’ help ’em if da law say no? 😔🤷‍♀️

Inside every faith, we know different peeps get different ideas ’bout abortion. But all dose peeps suin’, dey sayin’ dose bans only push da conservative Christian beliefs into da laws. Take Sarah Baron, fo’ example. She one 38-year-old mom an’ board member of one synagogue in Louisville. She say dat according to da Torah, da fetus ain’t got da same status as da mother till it take da first breath. An’ she no goin’ lie, she scared of da risks ’cause she older an’ had problems gettin’ pregnant befo’. Da Kentucky ban, she say, stop her from makin’ da tough choice if da pregnancy put her in danger or if da fetus ain’t gonna make it. She say it cruel, an’ she even say it against Jewish law to keep da pregnancy goin’ in dose cases. 💔🙏🚫🤰

Now, Judaism, like any religion, get different perspectives. Some Orthodox Jews, dey only support abortion in very limited circumstances. But Mr. Kemper, da lawyer fo’ da Kentucky plaintiffs, he say rabbis from all da big Kentucky synagogues, dey supportin’ da lawsuit. An’ dat make sense, yeah? If dey believin’ dat da bans violate deir religious rights, dey gonna fight fo’ what dey believe in. An’ dat what all dis come down to—peeps fightin’ fo’ deir beliefs. 👥🔥🙏

Dis lawsuit business, it ain’t new. Da Satanic Temple, of all da religions, been filin’ abortion-related lawsuits since dat 2014 Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision. You know da one dat let family-owned corporations opt outta da Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage. Da temple, dey ain’t no traditional religion. Dey one nontheistic religion, an’ dey see Satan as one character from English literature fightin’ against oppression. Some peeps tink dey goin’ too far wit’ dey provocative actions, but some courts takin’ deir religious freedom claims serious. One court even tellin’ one school district in Hellertown, Pa., fo’ let da temple’s After School Satan Club meet. 🤘😈📚

Now, dis temple, dey goin’ all out. Dey come up wit’ one abortion ritual, one way fo’ peeps to assert control ovah deir bodies an’ make decisions based on science. Dey got dis general counsel, Matthew Kezhaya, sayin’ da ritual help deir legal claims. It link abortion an’ da religion itself, an’ it show how da laws messin’ wit’ dat. An’ you know what else? Dey got dis telemedicine service goin’. Right now, dey only doin’ it in New Mexico where abortion legal, but dey plan fo’ expandin’ to states wit’ bans an’ religious freedom laws. Dey even got one catchy name fo’ it, “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic.” 😈🤰🔮💊

But don’t let da name fool ya. Dey doin’ everyting by da book. Dey followin’ da standard medical procedures, an’ dey got experienced nurses workin’ wit’ ’em. Dey even list wit’ da national clearinghouse fo’ legit medication abortion services. One patient, Mikayla, she went from Texas to New Mexico to use da service. Da nurse practitioner an’ patient care coordinator, dey talkin’ ’bout what she can expect an’ tellin’ her to call da nurse hotline if she get any concerns. But da process take one different turn aftah she take da medication. Dey goin’ on Zoom, an’ one minister make her look in da mirror an’ tink ’bout empowerment. She gotta recite some phrases like “One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.” She even gotta say somethin’ ’bout science. An’ aftah da pregnancy tissue come out, she can say, “By my body, my blood. By my will, it is done.” 🪄🌟👀💪💊

Legal experts tink some of dose lawsuits might actually succeed. ‘Cause da Supreme Court been makin’ decisions lately dat support religious exemptions, even when dey got health an’ safety concerns. An’ you know what? Most abortion bans, dey got exceptions already, like fo’ cases of rape. So da arguments fo’ exemptions, dey might hold some weight. But we all know dis one political issue, so who know what gonna happen in da end? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️👀🗳️

So, dat where we at now. Religious freedom arguments, dey shakin’ up da abortion debate. An’ who know what gonna come next? Maybe da fight gonna go to da highest court, an’ da Supreme Court goin’ have to decide. But until den, we gotta watch an’ see how dese lawsuits play out. Gonna be one interesting battle, no doubt. 💥👀🏛️🤝

Source:

• “Abortion rights supporters are deploying a new weapon: religious freedom laws” by Kimberly Winston, Religion News Service, published on June 29, 2023.

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🙌🤝🚩 The Fight for Abortion Rights: Religious Freedom Arguments Shake Up the Debate!

In all the lawsuits challenging the state abortion bans, lawyers representing abortion rights plaintiffs are pulling out the religious freedom arguments that the Christian right has been using for decades. It’s like a whole new twist on the game, right?

Religious liberty, a powerful weapon wielded by conservative Christians in battles over contraceptive insurance mandates and pandemic restrictions, is now being used by abortion rights supporters in a different kind of fight: taking down state bans on abortion. 🙏✊🚫👶

Since the significant change after Roe v. Wade, we have seen clergy and followers of different religions, from Christian to Jewish denominations, file about 15 lawsuits in eight states. They claim that these bans and restrictions infringe upon their faiths. 😇🛐

These plaintiffs argue that, according to their religious beliefs, abortion should be allowed in some cases, but these bans block that. They say that these bans violate their religious freedom rights and the separation of church and state. Some even use state religious freedom restoration acts, which conservatives are already familiar with, to make their case. ⛪🕊️🚫

Professor Elizabeth Sepper, an expert in law at the University of Texas at Austin, says this shows that “religious liberty doesn’t go only one way.” Everyone has their own beliefs, right? 👥🙏

Aaron Kemper, a lawyer helping three Jewish women sue to overturn Kentucky’s abortion ban, says they did their homework and followed the examples of conservatives who have won religious liberty cases. They used sections from those cases, you know? Like, if it works for them, why not for us? 🎓🤔💡

Now, most of the lawsuits are still waiting for court rulings, but there’s a feeling that these arguments might have some legal sway. In Indiana, for example, one judge blocked the state’s abortion ban by issuing a preliminary injunction. She said the ban violated the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was passed in 2015. And guess who was the governor back then? Mike Pence, who is strongly opposed to abortion and is now trying to become president. 🙄🚫🗳️

Some states, like Oklahoma and West Virginia, saw this coming, so they recently changed their religious freedom restoration acts to make it clear that they don’t want any challenges to abortion bans using those acts. Sneaky, right? 😏🚫🗳️

You see, different belief systems support women making their own choices when it comes to pregnancy. Some say abortion should be allowed in certain cases, like when the woman’s health is in danger or if the fetus has serious problems. And some religions don’t even consider life starting at conception. 🤰✨🙅

In Indiana, the case filed by Hoosier Jews for Choice has four women saying the ban interferes with their religious exercise. And the judge, Heather Welch, has certified the case as a class-action lawsuit representing all the people in Indiana whose faith tells them they should get abortions in situations the ban prohibits. She says these plaintiffs have their religious exercise burdened and suffer harm. So, she stopped the ban. 🛑✋

But, you know, the state fights back. They are appealing, saying that “abortion access” is not a religious exercise. And they argue that the ban is for the greater good, for the “compelling interest” of the state. Indiana’s attorney general even suggests that they have other ways for these plaintiffs to achieve the same results, like abstinence or contraceptives. But the plaintiffs aren’t buying it. They say it’s cruel and that Jewish law might even require abortion sometimes. 💔🤔

Funny thing, right? Back in the day, some anti-abortion groups were worried about this religious freedom talk. They figured it could help the pro-choice side. And you know what? They were right. When Congress was discussing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993, the National Right to Life Committee and the U.S. Catholic Conference both said that the act could open the door for abortion access. The Catholic Conference’s counsel even said that if the act passed, it would help pro-choice people. Who knew, huh? 🤷‍♂️🙅

Now, over in Florida, we have more lawsuits. We have clergy from Episcopal, Buddhist, Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, and United Church of Christ denominations going up against the abortion restrictions. They say that these restrictions infringe upon their religious obligations and faith. They are making noise about how these restrictions make it hard for them to practice their faith and how they violate their freedom of speech. And they aren’t just talking about minor obstacles. They say it’s like a big wall blocking them from practicing their faith. And that’s not right, you know? 🤬🙌

One reverend, the Rev. Dr. Laurie Hafner, is speaking out for the rights of women. She says that “God is the source of all life” and that women should have the power to decide what happens with their own bodies. She talks about how women have this privilege and responsibility to create life, and that means they should be able to make the decision that is right for them. She even shares stories about parishioners she has helped, like a 14-year-old girl and a woman with a nonviable fetus. She worries about what will happen if the ban stays. How will she help them if the law says no? 😔🤷‍♀️

Inside every faith, we know that different people have different ideas about abortion. But all these people suing are saying that these bans only push conservative Christian beliefs into the laws. Take Sarah Baron, for example. She is a 38-year-old mom and a board member of a synagogue in Louisville. She says that according to the Torah, the fetus doesn’t have the same status as the mother until it takes the first breath. And she’s not going to lie, she’s scared of the risks because she’s older and had problems getting pregnant before. The Kentucky ban, she says, stops her from making the tough choice if the pregnancy puts her in danger or if the fetus won’t make it. She says it’s cruel, and she even says it goes against Jewish law to keep the pregnancy going in those cases. 💔🙏🚫🤰

Now, Judaism, like any religion, has different perspectives. Some Orthodox Jews only support abortion in very limited circumstances. But Mr. Kemper, the lawyer for the Kentucky plaintiffs, says that rabbis from all the major Kentucky synagogues are supporting the lawsuit. And that makes sense, right? If they believe that the bans violate their religious rights, they’re going to fight for what they believe in. And that’s what all this comes down to—people fighting for their beliefs. 👥🔥🙏

This lawsuit business isn’t new. The Satanic Temple, of all the religions, has been filing abortion-related lawsuits since the 2014 Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision. You know, the one that allowed family-owned corporations to opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage. The temple isn’t a traditional religion. It’s a nontheistic religion, and they see Satan as a character from English literature fighting against oppression. Some people think they’re going too far with their provocative actions, but some courts are taking their religious freedom claims seriously. One court even told a school district in Hellertown, Pa., to let the temple’s After School Satan Club meet. 🤘😈📚

Now, this temple is going all out. They have come up with an abortion ritual, a way for people to assert control over their bodies and make decisions based on science. They have this general counsel, Matthew Kezhaya, who says that the ritual helps their legal claims. It links abortion and the religion itself, and it shows how the laws are messing with that. And you know what else? They have this telemedicine service going. Right now, they’re only doing it in New Mexico where abortion is legal, but they plan to expand to states with bans and religious freedom laws. They even have a catchy name for it, “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic.” 😈🤰🔮💊

But don’t let the name fool you. They are doing everything by the book. They are following the standard medical procedures, and they have experienced nurses working with them. They are even listed with the national clearinghouse for legitimate medication abortion services. One patient, Mikayla, went from Texas to New Mexico to use the service. The nurse practitioner and patient care coordinator talked about what she can expect and told her to call the nurse hotline if she has any concerns. But the process takes a different turn after she takes the medication. They go on Zoom, and a minister makes her look in the mirror and think about empowerment. She has to recite some phrases like “One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.” She even has to say something about science. And after the pregnancy tissue comes out, she can say, “By my body, my blood. By my will, it is done.” 🪄🌟👀💪💊

Legal experts think that some of these lawsuits might actually succeed. Because the Supreme Court has been making decisions lately that support religious exemptions, even when they have health and safety concerns. And you know what? Most abortion bans already have exceptions, like for cases of rape. So the arguments for exemptions might hold some weight. But we all know this is a political issue, so who knows what will happen in the end? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️👀🗳️

So, that’s where we’re at now. Religious freedom arguments are shaking up the abortion debate. And who knows what will come next? Maybe the fight will go to the highest court, and the Supreme Court will have to decide. But until then, we have to watch and see how these lawsuits play out. It’s going to be an interesting battle, no doubt. 💥👀🏛️🤝

Source:

“Abortion rights supporters are deploying a new weapon: religious freedom laws” by Kimberly Winston, Religion News Service, published on June 29, 2023.’