Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, denounced the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) today for asking the Supreme Court to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks.
In a friend-of-the-court brief
Catholics for Choice President Jamie L. Manson said: “The USCCB’s brief to the Supreme Court in support of Mississippi’s severe, extreme, and unconstitutional abortion ban is as outrageous as it is predictable. U.S. bishops were a primary architect of the anti-choice movement, and for decades, they have spent millions of dollars trying to end legal abortion, control women’s bodies, and persuade Americans to oppose reproductive rights. But they have failed spectacularly: a majority of Americans support legal abortion, as does a clear majority of Catholics. If the bishops wish to continue their unholy anti-choice crusade, they should at least do so honestly and stop falsely claiming a broad basis of public support that, quite simply, does not exist.”
Indeed, polls repeatedly show that most Americans support legal access to abortion. A nationwide AP-NORC poll, conducted in June after the Supreme Court agreed to review Mississippi’s abortion ban, found that 57% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, with 61% saying it should be legal in all or most cases during the first trimester of pregnancy. Strong majorities want Roe v. Wade upheld, not overturned, and Gallup, which has been tracking Americans’ opinions on the issue since 1975, has consistently found that most favor abortion remaining legal, at least under certain circumstances. And among U.S. Catholics, decisive majorities also support legal abortion and want Roe v. Wade to remain the law of the land.
“The U.S. Catholic bishops’ radical, right-wing views on abortion are grossly out of touch – not only with the beliefs of most Americans, but even the people in their own pews,” said Manson. “To pretend otherwise is to disobey the Ninth Commandment’s prohibition on bearing false witness. The Supreme Court should listen to the voices of everyday Catholics as they decide this issue, not the loud cries of those who deceptively claim to represent them.”
Mark says
Man does not get to make God’s rules. I don’t think God cares about polls.
Heathenlady says
God told me not to listen to you. This is a democracy, not a theocracy!
flatsflyer says
These same religious idiots condone and ignore the abuse by their own Priests, they need to clean house and get rid of all the abusers hiding behind the collar. The biggest problem is that Bishops, Cardinals have often been the worst offenders and have never been dealt with. The criminal justice system needs to take control when the first complaint is made rather than allowing the church to sweep charges under the rug and transfer the abuser to another perish or promoted to a higher position.