Rev. Serene Jones: ‘Abortion Is Not a Biblical Topic’

EXCERPT:

JONES: "Absolutely. You know, there is two major points I like to make as a theologian who talks often about this issue, and the first is that abortion is not a biblical topic. There are one or two references to it that clearly prioritize the life and agency of the mother over a fetus, and that is it. To turn around and act as if the Bible has a mandate that is anti-choice when the Bible on every page is affirming the agency of people and the care of the vulnerable, the poor, the orphan, the woman at every turn. And the second is, it's very interesting to look back at history and realize that 50 years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention, which is now 100% anti-choice, came out with multiple platforms in which they affirmed a woman’s privacy, said that the state did not have a role in the decisions that women make with respect to pregnancy. So, the last 50 years has seen a very planned out, concerted, often savage and cruel program to bring this topic to the fore, in a sense make it up, and deploy it as a tactic."