The Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. In a 6 to 3 vote, the Supreme Court overturned the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which confirmed a pregnant person’s constitutional right to choose whether or not to terminate during the early months of their pregnancy. We are deeply outraged, saddened, and mortified by this decision!  This is one of the few times that the Supreme Court has invalidated a precedent decision previously considered a constitutional right. While this decision does not make abortion illegal, it removes constitutional protection giving states the ability to issue bans. Over the past few years, states have passed laws that place extreme restrictions on a pregnant person’s legal ability to obtain an abortion, some issuing a complete ban. States like Kentucky where our denomination is headquartered, have enacted “trigger” laws that will go into effect immediately limiting or banning access to care.  The overturning of Roe v. Wade will have drastic negative impacts on individuals around the nation, with the greatest burden falling on low-income communities of color.  The Presbyterian Church (USA) believes that states should not be involved in creating hurdles to accessing abortion. At the 220th General Assembly in 2012 we affirmed, “no law should impose criminal penalties against any [person] who chooses or physician who performs a medically safe abortion…, and no law should sanction any action intended to harm or harass those persons contemplating or deciding to have an abortion.”  We have long held that “God alone is Lord of the conscience” and has endowed all humans with the moral agency to make choices. This is no less true for those making decisions about whether and when to have children. We believe “the artificial or induced termination of a pregnancy is a matter of careful ethical decision of the patient … and therefore should not be restricted by law.” We urge Presbyterians everywhere to affirm that which our church believes and tell the Biden administration to prioritize a proactive abortion agenda ASAP. The Biden administration must use its executive authorities to guarantee reproductive freedom. A proactive agenda would ensure that everyone, regardless of race, gender identity, age, income, ZIP code, insurance status, disability status, sexuality, and more would have equitable access to abortion care.  The Presbyterian Church (USA) celebrates the diversity of all genders and recognizes that access to full reproductive healthcare is a right deserved by anyone who bears children. Bodily autonomy is a basic human right that cannot be silenced nor legislated away. We stand with the words of our General Assembly and our fundamental belief in God’s sovereignty. We must never forget that as people of God we are called to speak for justice and stand with the oppressed. This is an opportunity to do so for all who are once again most marginalized in our country. We remain a Matthew 25 church led by a savior who said, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”