Michael Waldman writes about the recent Supreme Court gun ruling: The Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday striking down a New York gun law isn’t just the most significant ruling on the Second Amendment in a dozen years — it may be the...
abortion
We lifted the Current paywall for this week’s forum “The End of Roe”
Good morning. I hope you will spend some time this week checking out Current‘s four day series on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Today, Monday, we have Felicia Song, Randall Balmer, David Tucker, Una Cadegan, and John Haas. And...
The National Association of Evangelicals responds to the overturning of Roe
Here is the press release: The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) welcomes today’s Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson that overturns federal abortion rights based on Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The ruling represents the most significant change in abortion jurisprudence...
Current writers will address the end of Roe
Next week at Current we will be running a multi-day forum on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We have lined-up an impressive array of writers who will offer short commentaries on the decision from multiple perspectives. I am confident...
Better family policies will reduce abortions
As Fordham’s Charles Camosy writes, there is “plenty of evidence” to support this claim. Here is a taste of his piece at Religion News Service: …abortion rates (per 1,000 women 15-49) in pro-choice states such as New York (20.3) and...
What overturning Roe v. Wade will NOT mean for the future of abortion in the United States
Readers of Current know the work of Daniel K. Williams. He teaches American history at the University of West Georgia and is the author of several books on evangelicals and politics, including Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before...
On abortion, the Trump court evangelicals need the Supreme Court. On gun violence, all they have are “thoughts and prayers.”
If you read my Current piece on Thursday or Dan Williams’s piece today and want another example of the inherent contradiction in the Christian pro-life movement, just read the recent e-mail Trump court evangelical Paula White-Cain’s “National Faith Advisory Board‘...
On “thoughts and prayers” and “God-given rights”
I know I just reposted this piece a few days ago after the Buffalo shooting, but it continues to represent my thinking about these mass shootings. Here is what I wrote at The Washington Post in August 2019: In the...
“Economically vulnerable people of color are significantly more anti-abortion than rich white folks are”
Here is Fordham University moral philosopher Charles Camosy at Religion News Service: Stop me if you’ve heard claims like these since Justice Samuel Alito’s draft majority opinion was leaked: “We need to center the stories of the economically vulnerable and...
When it comes to abortion, conservative evangelicals act. When it comes to gun control, some call for revival but most say nothing.
In 2019, I wrote a piece at The Washington Post about the way that conservative evangelicals, mostly white conservative evangelicals, offer “thoughts and prayers” to the families of the victims of gun violence yet oppose gun control legislation. Here is...
The consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade
Michael Walther, a pro-life Catholic, can live with the consequences. But at least he is aware of them. Here is a taste of his piece at The New York Times: American society as we know it today came into being...
Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey will vote to codify Roe v. Wade into law
Here is Amy Gang and Seung Min Kim at The Washington Post: Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. said Tuesday that he would support legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into law, a dramatic shift for one of the few remaining Democrats...
Pro-lifers attack pro-life Christian pregnancy centers
This is what happens when you mix anti-intellectual populism and the anti-abortion movement. Emily Belz reports at Christianity Today. Her editors have chosen a polite and civil title for her piece: “The Supreme Court Leak Was an Unplanned Complication for...
Smart people talking about abortion
First, let me call your attention to Current contributing editor Daniel K. Williams‘s piece today at The Atlantic: “This Really is a Different Pro-Life Movement.” A taste: The enthusiastic embrace of the movement by white evangelicals in the Bible Belt...
Is abortion “deeply rooted” in American history?
In his leaked decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Samuel Alito wrote, “The inescapable conclusion is that a right to abortion is not deeply rooted into the Nation’s history and tradition.” Is this true? It is hard to define what “deeply...
Few Americans are absolutists on abortion
From Pew Research: Abortion should be legal in most cases: 36% Abortion should illegal in most cases: 27% Abortion should be legal in all cases, no exceptions: 19% Abortion should be illegal in all cases, no exceptions: 8% Abortion should...
If Roe is overturned, will abortions really come to an end in the United States?
When I was younger I spent some time in Ocean City, New Jersey. Ocean City is located on a barrier island off the Jersey shore. It is also a dry town. In other words, alcohol is not sold within the...
Evangelical roundup for May 5, 2022: Roe v. Wade edition
What is happening in Evangelical land? They are responding to the leaked draft of Samuel Alito’s Roe v. Wade majority decision. Read the press release from the National Association of Evangelicals. Christianity Today reports here. And a bunch of other...
Current on abortion
In light of the leaked Samuel Alito draft, I thought I would post links to a few pieces at Current that have addressed the issue of abortion. I am sure there will be more to say once we hear more...
Why overturning Roe is not a conservative choice
I imagine that readers of this blog will have differing opinions of New York Times conservative columnist Bret Stephens. But it is hard to argue with the fact that he is a consistent conservative. Here is a taste of his...