Protecting and preserving women’s reproductive rights

Iconsider myself a simple man. I was raised in the Catholic Church and I try to attend regularly because my faith and my religion are a vital and important tenet in my life. But individuals who subscribe to a faith, any faith, can no longer be silent — nor sit by and watch women being attacked and persecuted through outrageous legislation.

These tactics turn our country back to a time when women were placed in danger over a difficult but personal decision, simply because a well-funded organization or a doctrine decided what was “moral” or even legal.

The right for a woman and her reproductive choice was settled in 1973 when the Supreme Court, with the decision of Roe v. Wade — a decisive vote of 7-2 —

kept abortion legal under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

We cannot afford to return to the days when ignorance and heartlessness prevailed and harsh judgment was continually exerted over women.

I respect faith and an individual’s right to practice his or her faith, but the intersection between one’s religion and our democracy must be clearly assessed and therefore remain separate and on distinct paths.

The First Amendment determined in 1789 that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This effectively protects every American from a religious theocracy that would implement laws and government based on what’s “best” for a society. Any government that cites a religious or faithbased argument for justification of legislation is treading on dangerous ground to any democracy. We must demand that those kinds of influences and intimidations are invalid.

In short, religion must stay out of women’s reproductive rights, because what we are witnessing today goes far, far beyond limiting reproductive choices; much of the legislation we are seeing today breaches the very foundation of freedom and certainly the human dignity of women. Across the U.S., state legislators are implementing antiquated and barbaric laws that would effectively criminalize women for making personal decisions about their reproductive rights.

Sadly, I observed in disbelief and disappointment the vote taken recently in our own legislative body. New Mexico had the opportunity to tell the world that we would not allow archaic legislation to hurt and penalize women any longer through House Bill 51 — but our elected officials failed to protect and defend women, and the bill went down in defeat on the Senate floor.

Clergy must speak out for women; men must speak out for women; women must speak out and support other women; individuals of faith must speak out — because in the end, reproductive choices must solely be up to a woman.