Overturning of Roe Is Not a Win for People of Faith: Florida Faith Leaders Denounce Dobbs Ruling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 24, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT
Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org, 540-280-3393
Overturning of Roe Is Not a Win for People of Faith:
Florida Faith Leaders Denounce Dobbs Ruling
Jacksonville, FL — Today, faith leaders from across Florida denounced the Supreme Court decision made in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Phillip Baber
Pastor, The People’s Church of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL
“For decades, certain politicians have strategically allied themselves with reactionary church leaders sympathetic to the goals of Empire, using their narrow, extremist, and often shockingly inept Biblical exegesis to misrepresent God’s position on a woman’s right to choose. The high court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade (1973) rightly curtailed the State’s attempt to control the bodies and destinies of women through thinly veiled legislation designed to codify deeply misogynistic ecclesiastical edicts. The overturning of Roe signals the beginning of a chilling new chapter in the story of America, a great leap backwards. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us—but especially people of faith—to resist the creep of fascism, especially when it slithers toward us quoting Biblical proof texts”.
The Rev. Dr. Russell L. Meyer
Executive Director, Florida Council of Churches
Tampa, FL
“The genius of America is the recognition of unalienable rights that the Declaration of Independence proclaims and that the Constitution exists to protect for the people. The unnamed right to privacy is wholly implied in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, for without privacy no one can enjoy those three named rights. The Ninth Amendment codified all unnamed unalienable rights in saying, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” The Supreme Court shirked its duty to correct Roe v. Wade by establishing it upon foundational principles. Being a true right, privacy cannot be taken from us, only suppressed and oppressed. In its decision today the Supreme Court has suppressed an unalienable right to privacy and told the states that they may oppress the people if they wish. This is an action of a Catholic-oriented court using sectarian doctrine, not the Constitution, to deny what is unalienable. To be sure, the people will recover their use of what cannot be alienated from them. That is the liberty which we celebrate on July 4th and the reason why this ruling will eventually be overturned.”
Rev. Dr. Joe Parramore
Chief Executive Presbyter, New Journey Ministries
Quincy, FL
“The scriptures are abundantly clear that Jesus affirmed the moral agency of women. This simply means that Jesus trusted women to make their own decisions.
The decision of SCOTUS to restrict women’s right to health care, a decision that should be made between her and her physician is reprehensible. This far-right ideology of “save them in the womb, just to kill them in a classroom” is unconsciousable. If there has ever been a time where communities of faith need to stand on the wall and take their watch, it’s now! What’s next!”
Rev. Terri Steed Pierce
Sr. Pastor of Joy, MCC
Orlando, FL
“The Supreme Court has overturned a ruling that has been in place for 50 years. What a sad day for America. This ruling will affect the marginalized and poor far more than the privileged. My prayers are with those who will be negatively impacted by such a ruling that perverts the freedom upon which this country was supposedly built. I’ll keep fighting. The arc is long but it bends toward Justice”.
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Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, with a network of over 50,000 leaders, they are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level that affirm our values and the human dignity of all.