Panel Discussion on Faith and Abortion

To promote an understanding and respect among the different faiths of our community, a panel discussion was held on “Faith and Abortion” at Baitul Ata mosque on February 25th, 2023. Different faith leaders shared their diverse perspectives on abortion. Respected panelists included Reverend Jan Taddeo from Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett, Imam Hammad Ahmad from Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Reverend Irma Guerra from Hispanic, Episcopal Ministries for the Atlanta Diocese, Father Henry Atem from St. Lawrence Catholic Church, and Pastor Jay Scharfenberg from Church Without Walls.
The first question which was presented to the panelists was to share the core tenets of their faith in regard to abortion. Pastor Jay Scharfenbergsaid, “Life and soul begins with conception. So, you shall not procure an abortion or destroy a newborn child. The fetus in the womb of a mother is already a human being and it is a monstrous crime to rob the life of the newborn who has not yet begun to enjoy it.” The same question was asked to Imam Hammad Ahmad and he said, “The basic tenets of Islam come from a couple of main sources. The first one is the Holy Quran, second comes the Sunnah which are the actions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the third one is Hadith which are the words spoken by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Islam addresses the issue of abortion in the Holy Quran when it clearly states, “Kill not your children for fear of poverty. It is We Who provide for them and for you. Surely, the killing of them is a great sin” (17:32). The verse means that God provides everything so do not kill your children for the fear of poverty. This is the one reason Islam condemns abortion. Islam closes this one door to abortion but leaves open other doors to abortion or other valid reasons when a couple or an individual may decide to get an abortion.”
Father Henry Atem said, “I should first define what abortion is for Catholics. It is a direct will of a parent to kill a child. An abortion is a direct intent to kill an unborn child. Our basic tenet comes from our scriptures. The first part of the scripture goes back to the story of creation which tells us that God created us in His image. And this is the very foundation of our dignity as persons.” Reverend Jan said, “Life is the most important thing from God and we must protect it. If parents want to have the baby, we are there to support the parents and we don’t judge if they decide to go for abortion.”
The second question was, “How do clergy of your faith interpret these tenets?” Reverend Irma Guerra answered, “Since 1967 Episcopal Church has maintained its unequivocal opposition to any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would have bridged or denied the rights of individuals to reach informed decisions about the terminations of pregnancy and to act upon them. The Episcopal Church reaffirms our commitment to equal access to women’s healthcare including women's reproductive healthcare which we view as an integral part of a woman’s struggle to serve her dignity and work as human beings. We don't judge and don't want to leave anyone behind.”
Reverend Jan said, “Clergy are encouraged to engage their own conscience. We know that women can manage their own reproductive decisions. We also recognize that women are capable of knowing what is best for their families and themselves. We are running several programs to educate our teens and youth about it.” Imam Hammad Ahmad said, “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India in 1889 who we believe was the latter day Messiah prophesied by all major religions. After he passed away, the community has been led by his successors; we refer to them as caliphs who are the supreme head of the AMC. Throughout history, our Caliphs have guided us on how to interpret Islam’s tenets and teachings when it comes to issues such as abortion. We believe that life begins with conception. However, after that there are developmental phases in life. It is according to those milestones we interpret the issue of abortion. So according to the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the first 120 days the life is dependent upon the womb. Because it is dependent, Islam gives a lot of flexibility to the woman or couple to decide for themselves what they think is the valid reason of abortion. As long as it is not the fear of poverty Islam can accept whatever reason you have. For instance, if a woman gets raped, Islam will support abortion if the woman wants it since the important thing is the woman’s mental health and moving on from that trauma. The same rule applies if the doctor says that the woman’s health is at risk or if there is a developmental concern. However, when we have passed those hundred and twenty days, that is the time when life becomes viable, Islam says that it is an almost independent life and you should respect it. This is the point when Islam outlaws’ abortion except if it is a medical necessity (mother’s life is at risk or there is a serious developmental issue then Islam will allow abortion since the life of the mother is still worth more).”
The Next question was about how do you apply your faith when providing counsel to the individuals faced with different types of unwanted or complicated pregnancy? Reverend Jan said that to qualify I invite them to share with me all the considerations they are wrestling with. I will be there to support and communicate with them. If they decide to terminate the pregnancy, I would go with them and if they decide to continue the pregnancy then I will support them throughout the process.” Father Henry Atem said that, “in the catholic churches if someone comes to me then I would try to understand the facts and all the circumstances. As long as there is an understanding that the couple is not directly intending to end the child’s life then we can have a different approach.” At the end of the presentations the audience were given a chance to ask questions to the panelists and they submitted several different ones which will be discussed in the next meetings due to the time constraints. Refreshments were served later on.
In total more than hundred people of different faiths came together and attended the event. The goal of this event was to strive to create and enrich the community by working together to encourage inclusion and acceptance while focusing on our commonalities.