Honoring the Rights of the Poor in a Post-Roe America
VirtualThis event has passed. You can watch it in full below. In an age of growing income inequality, rising inflation, racial disparities in wealth, and a pandemic-induced economic crisis, poverty remains a major contributor to abortion in the U.S. Nearly three-fourths of abortion patients cite inadequate means of support as a reason for terminating their pregnancies. After the anticipated rollback of Roe v. Wade, more low-income households will face additional needs and challenges caring for their families. Communities of color, rural communities, and those with the least access to health care will be most impacted. States with the most restrictive abortion laws are least equipped to meet these growing needs. To follow Christ is to demonstrate love and solidarity with the poor. In the Western Christian tradition, the “rights of the poor” were among the first rights ever recognized by the Church. Under international law, the human right to life implies rights to the basics of human survival—like food, shelter, and healthcare. But the U.S. has generally refused to honor these human rights, allowing poverty to endure and remain closely tied to race in America. What are our responsibilities, as people of faith, to build a society where all families […]
