Florida Faith Leaders Join Together at Capitol for Reproductive Freedom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, April 17, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT

Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org, 540-280-3393

Tallahassee, FL – On April 17, Florida faith leaders and advocates joined together to call on lawmakers to protect reproductive freedoms in Florida and condemn the newly signed six-week abortion ban. These leaders joined together to protect abortion access because of their faith and moral values, not in spite of them.

As people of faith and conscience, we believe deeply in the values of dignity, compassion, justice, abundance, and respect. We reject efforts to impose a single religious viewpoint on all via law or regulation as well as efforts to manipulate and weaponize our nation’s founding principle of religious liberty to block access to or delay care.

Rabbi Dan Levin, Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth El, Boca Raton, FL

“We need to be clear. This bill denies women in Florida the right to live their lives guided by the teachings of their religious faith. Pregnant women ought to have the right to ensure their personal health, physical, mental and spiritual. The State of Florida should never force all women to abide by a single religious ideology, but instead allow women to follow their religious conscience, especially around matters of life and health.”

Rev. Joe Parramore, Chief Executive Presbyter, New Journey Ministries, Faith in Public Life Action, Quincy, FL

“The scriptures are abundantly clear that Jesus affirmed the moral agency of women. This simply means that Jesus trusted women to make their own decisions. The legislature and Governor have stripped away the fundamental rights of women in their most egregious attack yet. As a pastor, citizen and taxpayer, we must stand against this abhorrent behavior and overreach of our state legislature.”

Gloria Romero Roses, Board Treasurer, Catholics for Choice

"I’m heartbroken over HB 7/SB 300, which will effectively ban abortion in Florida and deny women and pregnant people the right to make decisions about their own bodies and their own lives. Abortion bans like this one are a profound violation of my Catholic social justice values, which teach me that each person is called to follow their own faithfully formed conscience in moral decision-making and compel me to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized — the same folks who will be most gravely and disproportionately harmed by this mean-spirited bill. Anti-choice Catholics like Gov. DeSantis often cite their faith as a reason for opposing abortion, but we at Catholics for Choice know the truth: the faithful pro-choice Catholic majority supports abortion access not in spite of our faith, but because of it."

Devon Graham, Florida Assistant State Director, American Atheists, Inc.

“The non-religious are the largest and fastest growing demographic in the US, and it's abhorrent that a law based on a very narrow interpretation of one religious sect is being imposed on us by the Florida legislature. No Floridian, secular or religious, should be subjected to these restrictions, and we are proud to stand with our interfaith partners in fighting for our reproductive and civil rights.”

Laura Guren Rodriguez, Florida State Policy Advocate Chair, National Council of Jewish Women

“It is abhorrent when faith is weaponized to victimize the marginalized and minorities - especially when the motivation is gaining power. We cannot stand by, as people of faith, and watch as compassion, love, truth and human decency - the foundations of faith - are twisted for personal and political gain.”

Kate Lannamann, President and Director, Florida Interfaith Coalition for Reproductive Health and Justice, Inc.

“As President of the Florida Interfaith Coalition for Reproductive Health and Justice, I know that Florida’s clergy, faith leaders, and people of faith from a wide spectrum of faiths affirm the sanctity of life by endorsing laws and policies that provide comprehensive reproductive medicine, including safe and legal abortion care for women and those who can become pregnant, not by passing extreme abortion bans such as HB 7/SB 300 which threaten their lives and well-being, particularly of Florida’s most marginalized people. We affirm the value of new life when we protect the capacity of each person to determine when or whether to bear a child in accordance with their own moral code, faith beliefs and conscience. Politicians and judges have no business imposing their personal faith strictures or religious definitions of medical services into Florida laws. We value real religious liberty which upholds the right of each person to make their own faith-based or conscience-based healthcare decisions.”

Jamarah Amani, Southern Birth Justice Network, Black In Repro

"In the face of this repressive law that undermines essential human rights and dignity, I want to continue to push for proactive legislation that actually protects families, in particular Black families that are targeted by the police state."

Od’Juan Whitfield, Florida Associate Manager, Faith in Public Life Action

“We believe that people can be trusted to make their own ethical, moral and faith-informed decisions about their body, family and future. We believe that medical providers and patients – not elected officials – are most equipped to make decisions concerning our health care. We believe that health care, including abortion care, should be free from social, political and religious shame and stigma. And we are here to condemn elected officials who are choosing to play God and doctor in this moment.”

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