Texas abortion laws violate religious freedom, ministers say

TEXAS, USA — Instead of desirous to restrict abortion for religious causes, a gaggle of ministers have lately began arguing the alternative. 

They say Texas’ abortion laws really violate their religious freedom. 

So, 4 north Texas ministers lately despatched a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, primarily placing him on discover that authorized motion may comply with.

Senior Pastor Rachel Baughman with Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is one.  And she’s desirous to ship a particular message to Austin.

“I hope it sends a counter-narrative to, honestly, the heavy-handed narrative of Christian nationalism,” she mentioned on Inside Texas Politics.  “That alternatively, I represent a mainline denomination.  We represent hundreds of thousands of people.  And I am really just trying to stand up and protect our rights and ability to have honest conversation and dialogue with our congregation members about things that matter.”

Baughman says SB 8, also referred to as the Heartbeat invoice, offers anxiousness to any clergy or others who supply counseling, steering and even dialog with girls who’re pregnant. 

And she says that’s as a result of they concern they might be seen as “aiding and abetting” in the event that they counsel that particular person to get an abortion, which may open them as much as felony prosecution.

“In my practice of counseling and offering guidance in terms of religious guidance, and guidance for what the church says, and what we hold as important social principles for how we conduct our lives as Christian people, my understanding is that SB 8 would burden my ability to do that, would even challenge the possibility that I be prosecuted for doing so, even for matters of life versus life,” Baughman instructed us.

And that life versus life argument is vital as a result of the Methodist church acknowledges the sanctity of the lifetime of a mom in addition to that of an unborn baby.  So, they argue any determination involving life versus life should be made on the particular person stage, however the regulation prevents it.

While this effort began with a letter to the Attorney General, Pastor Baughman absolutely expects it to be litigated.

“I don’t think it’s possible this won’t end up in Texas courts,” she mentioned.