As a womanist theologian, my views on abortion, Roe v. Wade, and reproductive rights likely offend those who are pro-choice as well as those who are so-called pro-life. My intersectional perspective doesn't fit neatly into a political, ideological, social, or religious box.
Womanist theology is a methodical approach to theology which is centered on Black women's experiences with and perspectives of God. It considers the intersectionality of religion, race, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, color, sex (including gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity) and class.
As a womanist theologian, I believe that most so-called pro-lifers are HYPOCRITES. They're not pro-life. They're pro-birth and simply want to control the reproductive rights of women. I'm pro-life in that I do not support the shedding of innocent blood.
I believe examples of shedding of innocent blood include:
1. Taking human lives in unjust wars
2. Abuse of power by police and those in authority which results in deaths of persons who have not been charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced to the death penalty
3. The disparate use of the death penalty based on classism, racism, sexism, colorism, and other forms of discrimination
4. Killing of the unborn who've reached the age of viability when its not medically necessary to preserve the life of the mother
I'm outraged by the supreme court leak. I feel its an attempt to sway the decision of the Court. I suppprt overturning Roe v. Wade (primarily because it doesn't outlaw late term abortions). However, I believe women should have access to early term abortions primarily because of my care and concern about the health, safety and well-being of women in the margins of our society. We can't go back to the back alley butcher shops.
And it is important to note abortion has been used as a form of eugenics in the black community (see Margaret Sanger and the foundations of Planned Parenthood). It is also notable that now that there's a relatively low birthrate among specific segments of the population, the court is considering overturning the 1974 Roe v. Wade decision (Roe v. Wade: My Thoughts, 2022).
Bottom line: Abortion should be safe, legal at any stage in every state when medically necessary to preserve life, legal at 23 weeks or less in any case for whatever reason in as many states whose voters support it, free when medically necessary to preserve life, affordable when making choices to exercise reproductive rights, treated as murder at 24 weeks or later when not medically necessary to preserve life, and UNCOMMON!
Reference: Cheray James, May 5, 2022, "Roe v. Wade:My Thoughts ," retrieved May 6, 2021 from Facebook. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02LF6XajxA2LCbLV2yMPSo7zRij6hL57EKkQy1s45ThHoZYUzKpeYd8FhP3b1AEcf6l&id=506646197
