A Letter from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice goes to the Indiana Statehouse
Abortion bans in Indiana and other states will kill women. But do Hoosier Republican lawmakers want women to pay for abortions with their own blood? Image courtesy of Gioele Fazzeri @gioele_fazzeri_89, Unsplash
On Thursday, a letter signed by the the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, signed by nearly 400 people of faith, was finalized. It expresses concern that forthcoming abortion bans will curtail reproductive freedom and cause women to suffer. The signatories include faith leaders and lay people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Hindus, and Buddhists among signers.
“It is significant that so many Hoosiers representing different faiths have come together to express their concern about reproductive freedom and health care during this special session,” said Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Rabbi Emerita, Congregation Beth El Zedeck in Indianapolis and Co-founder, Women4Change Indiana in a press release. “We are sending a powerful message to our Governor and legislators that this is a matter of religious freedom – a freedom that should not be curtailed by state laws favoring one faith perspective over others.”
The letter is being hand-delivered to all 150 Statehouse legislators and the Governor, who has yet to comment on the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade.
The reason for the timing of this letter couldn’t be more clear.
On Monday, a special legislative session will begin in the Indiana Statehouse and abortion legislation will be foremost on the agenda. Leaders of the Republican-dominated Senate have already proposed an abortion ban that would ban abortion from the time an egg is implanted in a woman’s uterus. The bill will allow for some limited exceptions, including for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and would not ban emergency contraception.
Debate over this bill will occur in the wake of the controversy resulting from a 10-year old rape victim having to travel to Indiana from Ohio to receive an abortion, to circumvent that state’s strict abortion ban.
Whether an abortion ban with exceptions will be draconian enough for the Republicans in the House of Representatives is unknown. Likewise, Governor Eric Holcomb has not yet made his position known on tighter abortion laws, which face at least 2 weeks of debate in the Indiana Statehouse according to the Associated Press.
Read the full text of the letter below:
July 20, 2022
The Honorable Todd Huston
Speaker, Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
RE: An Open Letter from a Multi-Faith Collective for Reproductive Choice Dear Speaker Huston:
We express our concern and protest today as a multi-faith collective of clergy and lay people across the State of Indiana.
The United States Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating the federally protected right to abortion significantly impairs a woman’s autonomy and ability to access basic health care. It also infringes on the free exercise of religion for those whose teachings allow for, and in some cases require, abortion as part of the care of women and families. Fundamental beliefs in many religions align with the right to seek a safe and legal abortion for a variety of reasons.
We are a country of many faiths. Freedom of religion is a right guaranteed by our Constitution. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestant denominations, and other faith traditions differ in their teachings concerning reproductive matters. For example, the premise that human life begins at conception or that an embryo should be accorded legal protection is not a universally held tenet. Those who hold that belief have every right to do so, but Indiana should not privilege one particular Christian belief above other religious beliefs by codifying it into law. To do so violates the separation of church and state and robs other people of faith - who understand conception, reproduction, pregnancy, and autonomy differently - of the freedom to make these decisions in accordance with their core religious beliefs.
Importantly, we note that reproductive health care is a uniquely sensitive and private matter and one that uniquely affects women’s ability to stand in equal citizenship, make choices in their and their families’ best interests, and determine how, when, and why to use their God-given talents. This is to say nothing of the complex and unpredictable medical circumstances women, including non-binary individuals, may face during a pregnancy. We believe reproductive health care decisions, including abortion, rest with individuals, their physicians, and their faith. The majority of Americans agree. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center Study, 61% of U.S. adults believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Below we have included examples (not an exhaustive list) of statements from faith groups articulating their position on reproductive choice. Perspectives may be complex and differ within these communities - which is precisely the reason to protect freedom of religion on this issue.
As clergy and lay people across different religions, we raise our voices in concern and protest. As citizens across the state, we call on our elected leaders to honor the integrity, equality, and health of women and to preserve our constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom.
Thank you.
Please note: Of the nearly 400 people who signed this letter, the list of faiths includes: Episcopalian, Unitarian Universalist, Disciples of Christ, Hindu, Jewish, Methodist, Buddhist, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Muslim, Jain, Catholic, Religious Society of Friends (Quaker), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mennonite, and Non-denominational Christians.
And the signers, who chose to identify where they reside, are from the following communities: Indianapolis (Marion County), Carmel (Hamilton County), Greenwood (Johnson County), Fort Wayne (Allen County), Angola (Steuben County), Munster (Lake County), Merrillville (Lake County,) Sheridan (Hamilton County), West Lafayette (Tippecanoe County), Crawfordsville (Montgomery County), Terre Haute (Vigo County), Columbus (Bartholomew County), Evansville (Vanderburgh County), South Bend (St. Joseph County), North Manchester (Wabash County), Zionsville (Boone County), Gary (Lake County), Bloomington (Monroe County), Oaklandon (Marion County), and Fishers (Hamilton County).
If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Rabbi Sandy Einsenberg Sasso or Dr. Anita Joshi at INreligiousfreedom@gmail.com
Signed Faithfully (in an individual capacity),
Sujata Barai Chugh, Nikhil Jain, Anita Joshi, Arun Jain, Rabbi Sandy E. Sasso, The Rev. Julia E. Whitworth, J. Brent Bill, Helene Russell, Stephanie Reinert, George Edward Kelley, Cathy Ann Scott, Kathleen A Marrs, Helen Mundy Hudson, Charles William Allen, Jennifer Lynne Hodes, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso, Dennis L. Southerland, Catherine M Southerland, Aimee Rose Formo, Allison Jocasta Bishop, Wesley Reid Bishop, Richard Lewis Zeckel, Melissa Cohen, Sathya Thulasiraman, Renuka Sathyamurthy, Suvarna Chhajed Vinze, Johanna Edmondson, Meet Anilkumar Patel, Donna Higgins Smith, Catherine J. Romano Griffin, James Williams Edmondson, Elizabeth J. Brandt, Sunila Reddy, Pierre M. Atlas, Julia Lynne Moore, Tony Wiederhold, Roberta Schweitzer, Jason Organ, Maria L Simon, Arica Simon, Patricia Castaneda, Annette Gross, Gunabhushan Sathyamurthy, Joscelyn Ilana Moore, Michele A Ashworth, Marianne Glick, Katherine Marlowe, Winifred Goldblatt, Linda Westfall, Ellen Jacobson Nathan, Rabbi Bruce J. Pfeffer, Margaret Wyant, Pearl Z. Regenstrief, Rabbi Brian Besser, Alexandra Segal, Brett Krichiver, Jordana Chernow, Rabbi Roxanne J.S. Shapiro, Joyce Kleinman, Donna Nelson, Ronald Klotz, Colette Durham, Loretta Good, Jesika Alexander, Daniel Fox, Karl Brynolf Lyon, Jamie Budack Dameron, Amanda (Avi)Gail (Batya) Messenger, Elizabeth Farner, Justin S Kerber, Amanda Conwell, Kerry Brockhagen, Caitlin Labranche, Pooja Singal, Gale Halperin, Sarah McDonald, Carmen Kruer, Patricia Matthews, Rabbi Leonard Xukrow, Kristina Clayton, Carrie Savage-Zimmerman, Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, Michelle Miller, Andrea Presslor, Andrea K. Pactor, Janice S. Potash, Douglas Zp Zipes, Rorye Hatcher, Linda Hewitt, Sumitra Maun, Laura M. Toops, Carol Adelman, Cantor Aviva Marer, Celeste Gossmann, Michael Wallack, Kim Berebitsky, Kelly Sobol, Alan James Rieger, Jennifer M
Whitehead, Nancy Jo Berkowitz Bate, Mary Ann Schubert, Carmen Kruer, Mia Morrison, Mandie E Gould, Joani Rothenberg, Dennis Dean McCarty, Phillip Silberberg, Diane Zehr, Kumar P. Dave, Eleanor Vonnegut, David Gabovitch, Jerry Zehr, Patricia A O’Connor, Daniel Carpenter, Debora Herold, Sheila Elaine Greenwald, Sapna Joshi, Charles Edward Wiles, Laurie Lee, Laurie Pylitt, Bernard Pylitt, Andy McSheffery, Donald V. Stikeleather, Dina Lissoos, Lyon Mercaeant-Koohns, Kelly Hayes, Sathish Das, Julianne Delano, Teresa Bayse, Vipin R Amin, Julie Marie Harper, Maya Mesick, Julie L Johnson, Adam Mesick, Javan, Rev. Sarah A. Nowak, Imli Bagh, Jane Morrison, Anand Bemra, Crystal M. Hofer, Manoj Wagh, Anne Smeltzer, Mariellen Katzman, Elizabeth Valencia, Rabbi Lew Weiss, Jyoti Das, Gia Berns, Rachelle Katz, Sridhar Rao Patibandla, Grace Kozak, Rev. Robert M. Nowak, Ellen Rosenthal, Raj K Maturi, Shannon Jonell Walsh, Karen Companez, Rev. Dr. John C. Van Nuys, Adrianna Newcomb, Margaret Sorg, Rainie Grant, Laura Anne Louden, Sath Annamalai, Suchita Shah, Raymond G. Mills, Anita Gupta, Panna Barai, Kimberly Collins, Rima Anjum Shahid, Leigh R. Meltzer MD, David J Hadley, Jon Hamilton, Sheridan L. Hadley, Cheryl Lynn Gorman, Ahmed Alamine, Taylor Hahn, Rabbi Gary Mazo, Uma Kuchibhotla, Madhu Bhargava, Alicia L Cave, Syed Ali Saeed, Priya Menon, Sudha T Manikandan, Dhanuskodi Manikandam, Raja Ramaswamy, Karen Vohra, Jaclyn Renneisen Cotton, Chandra Reddy, David G Kenyon Jr, David DuBow, Vishal Singal, Amy Hardin, Laurie Gold, Karen L Friss, Barbara Wolanin, Rebecca Billingsley, Brinn McDowell, Brittany Grace Denton, Judith Maas, Linda Vought Spencer, Warren Rosenberg, Andrea Green, Kshitija Duge, S Paul, RC, Girijachandran, Vidhya Patnaik, Kaye McSpadden, Bridget McDowell, Sheetal Vinayek, Carolyn Meagher, Sue Ellen Braunlin, Heera Shenoy, Jennifer Dobbs-Oates, Sudha Shankar, Kathleen Freeman, Khushboo K Chougule, Rupa Chougule, Ajay Jain, Jennifer Cooper Perez, Megan Purcell, Rev. Linda Dolby, Sunita Sarda, Mary Margaret Glass, Rev. Brian Shivers, Archana Ranginani, Shriya Jain, Janet Cohen, Terri Winn, DDS, Sonal Paresh Sanghani, Aliya Amin, Anne Moman Brock, Kiran Chougule, Linda B Smith, Pratish Patel, Sonal Patel, Sangeetha O Kolla, Sarah Lund, Jennifer Abbott, Seema Mattoo, Heidi Jeannine Winters Vogel, Ann-Michelle Rhoades, David Brian Vogel, Howard Ivan Friedman, Nancy J Bennett, William N Doemel, Valerie A. Vogel, Uma Peeta , Nancy Martin, Vidhya Iyer, Emily Manvel Leite, Neil Schmitzer-Torbert, Elizabeth A. Justice, Amy Noble Arogge, Cynthia Heckman-Davis, MD, Agata Brewer, Elizabeth Oshel, Susan H Doty, Gary Lester Breslauer, Nicole Maxwell, Karen Berman, Andrea Vermeulen, James David Roth, Anju Mittal, Jana M. Giles, Raja Ramaswamy, Kiran Anand Rekha, Kelly Nelson, Robert F. Rugh, Laurie Blackburn, Gayla Breslauer, Eric Vermeulen, Mary Ann Macklin, Alexander Lloyd Dent, Kerri Lynn Warner, James Roush, Angela Marie Kurtz, Nancy Ellen Carpenter, Jean Marie Place, Debbie B Smith, Claudette Grace Einhorn, Julia Rosenberg, Betsy Jo English, Leslie Bary, Rajesh Patnaik, Brittany Glass, John B Thompson Jr., Melissa E. Hickman, Matthew Konrad Tippel, Elena Mariana Gindlin, Matthew Creel Weedman, Janet L Schutt, Marta Reisman, Elan Justice Pavlinich, Judith Newton, Saina Husain, Atul Chugh, George Lewis, Cynthia S. Keller, Jennifer Priddy MD, Marie Elizabeth Siroky, Marjie Giffin, Anindita Sen, Shyamal M Kamat, Rebeca Wagers, Chandrika Patel, Sabre Campbell, Mehuli Kulkarni, Lisa Dimond, Barbara B Conard, Marcia Louise Smith-Wood, Gary Palmucci, Rucha Soman, Sangita Handa, Juliana Maxwell Berry, Joseph Michael Wood, Susan W. Alley, Laura M Redelman, Nancy Jo Zimmerman, Deborah Bonte, John H.R. Taylor, Robert A Goodman, David M. Mellott, Rose-Marie Goodman, Benjamin J Tapper, Sara S Zelonis, Amy L. Allen, Nancy McCammon-Hansen, Devika Chakrabarti, Patricia Severns, Mary Louise Stump Prout, Chetankumar Patel, Anita Giddings, Meinda McCan, Hal Schevitz, Shobha Reddy, Vijayapal
Reddy, Anne Bain Epling, Rabbi Meir Bargeron, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals, Rev. Misty-Dawn Shelly, Bruce Garrison, Bharath B Reddy Bynagari, Timothy Charles Murphy, Wendy Keller, Rev. Kimberly C. Koczan, Ann L Pitman, Rev. Carrie Helene Winebrenner, Sara E Ney, Pagan, Daniel Henry Baron, Kenneth Scott Bowie, Cornelius Mark Roeda, Dayakar R Pareddy, Sara Elizabeth Harbin, Bonnie Frye,Ravi Surap, Rev. Martin García, Satish Gajjala, Kevin R Boyd, Rev. Nicole Leigh Shaw, Sundderraj Kannaiah, Aparna Puri, Arun Balakrishnan, Bhagyashree Sarda, Christina Jones Davis, Shari Wagner, Mary C Sturm, Lynda Jill Lamberton, Donna Lynne McCarty,Amy Cuomo, Jilann W Savery, Kelly Nickson, Susan Lassar Vinicor, Babette R. Miller, Cindy Sibert, Sandra Read Reiberg, Heart Hoover, Abigail Moore, Rebecca O. Kendall, Kathleen D Dewees, Leslie Kidwell, Kim M Gattle, William M. Plater, Dharati Dave, Joni Mercer, Gail M. Plater, Cristy Sagalowsky, Jane Ellen Gosling, Robert Katz, Jennifer Williams, Elcira del Carmen Villarreal, Lana Fridman
Examples of Similar Statements
Parliament of the World’s Religions
Parliament Statement on the Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decision | Parliament of the World's Religions (parliamentofreligions.org)
National Council of Jewish Women
https://www.ncjw.org/news/national-council-of-jewish-women-outraged-over-supreme-court-ruling-ending right-to-abortion/
Muslim Advocates
Supreme Court’s Radical Abortion Decision Threatens Muslims, Civil Rights - Muslim Advocates
Hindu American Foundation
https://www.hinduamerican.org/press/hindu-american-foundation-on-abortion-rights
The Episcopal Church
https://houseofdeputies.org/2022/06/24/from-president-jennings-responding-to-the-supreme-court-decisio n-on-dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization/
United Church of Christ
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/06/24/2468970/0/en/Church-s-leaders-respond-to-Su preme-Court-decision.html
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Abortion (churchofjesuschrist.org)
Unitarian Universalist Association
https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/committed-reproductive-justice
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - Sadness, anger, frustration (pcusa.org)
