We Knew it was Coming: Religious Rights are Abortion Rights


I admit to not understanding religious people--even though I was a church member the majority of my life. I'm unable to understand why some Christian people think that when they are able to succeed in putting their religious views into law and everyone else with a religious axe to grind will not do the same. Several religious groups have made an effort to list abortion as a religious right. It was inevitable some group would succeed with some judge or jury somewhere. In time, a religious argument for abortion rights will succeed at the Supreme Court.

Really, every argument about religious liberty has a fatal flaw. "Legitimate" or "Sincerely Felt" religions can be most any thought or worship anything that exists. Since religion is a product created in the mind there are no built-in limits to what defines it. I realize people who are very religious cannot see it this way but the law ultimately has to agree.

This case took place in Indiana. Indiana allows abortions for some reasons such as rape and to save the life of the mother. An argument means there are circumstances so grave they outrank the rights of the fetus. Religion has always ranked at the top of the heap in matters of importance. If stopping abortion rights directly prohibits someone from practicing her religion, how the argument for abortion rights fail?

Using "religious liberty" arguments to punish those groups some other group dislikes is like going down a rabbit hole. "Religion" has to be defined in some way that has guard rails. So does "liberty."  So far it's open season.  

Matters get even more complicated in laws that allow abortion up to X number of weeks. Regardless of the number of weeks tossed into the legislation, abortion is not murder of a fetus until this time. The number of weeks is an arbitrary choice. If this is an arbitrary choice why then can some religions or religious views be considered legitimate and others not.

In the Hobby Lobby case, the opinion said antiabortion practices can be followed by firms if the firm "thinks" personhood begins at conceptions. Thus, if another firm or individual thinks personhood begins at birth how can abortion not be available.

The new members of the Supreme Court are not the brightest porch lights on the block.


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