Recently a friend of one of my adult children said to me, “So I hear you hate Catholicism.”
I explained that this was a rather large mischaracterization about my feelings about the Catholic Church, which I was raised in, and religion in general. It’s not that I have anything against religion and spirituality, but I do admit that a lifetime of watching government and religion collide has led me to believe ever more strongly in the separation of church and state. Religious citizens, of course, will take their faith into account when they vote, but religious organizations, I firmly believe, have no place in politics.
And that’s where I start when I think about religion and abortion rights—I fully support any person’s right to personal beliefs about abortion, but the government can’t take the views of religious organizations into account if they want to create a coherent set of laws. That becomes glaringly obvious in the conversation you’re about to hear.
My co-host Christine suggested this topic, and as soon as she said it I thought, “Rabbi Paula.” Rabbi Paula Marcus is senior rabbi at the temple that helped us raise our children. She is a thoughtful leader, respectful of everyone. I had no idea what her views on abortion were when I contacted her, but I knew they’d be thoughtful.
I wasn’t disappointed. Rabbi Paula brought in two other religious leaders from our community who were willing to speak about their nuanced views of abortion, and their conversation makes clear that there is no monolithic stance on abortion in the religious community of our pluralistic nation.