This is why the recently leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court is frightening, to say the least. We are at the point where the stacking of the court with right-wing religious justices is giving them the opportunity to have their religious beliefs influence their judgments — and that is affecting those of us that do not share those beliefs.
According to the Pew Research Center, 59% of Americans support access to abortion. That's not just liberal women; even some religions are OK with abortions.
But the Christian Right has been on a crusade (full pun intended) to make abortion illegal since 1973 (Roe v. Wade) when protections were granted under the Constitution for abortion rights. As if abortions had been created because of that court decision. So if they can only make them illegal again, people will stop having them and the unborn will be saved and live happy productive lives, right?
According to historians, the first documented abortion occurred in Egypt in 1550 B.C. (Before Christians). So, whether it's legal or not, humans are going to do it. If that's the case, why not do it in a safe and hygienic environment with qualified professionals in case something goes horribly wrong? According to recent data from the NIH, about 68,000 women die of unsafe abortions every year. That's right now, before Roe v Wade gets overturned. Imagine how this will play out when women are only left with DIY options or back-alley solutions. If pro-lifers are really that pro-life they should be protecting the women who are at risk of dying from an injury because they made a difficult decision with out any other choice.
Much like chemotherapy, no one really wants to get an abortion, but sometimes it's necessary. It's a difficult choice and procedure for any woman to undertake.
This is not just about the right to choose or even women's rights, though. It has implications far beyond that. What happens when the highly conservative SCOTUS justices decide LGBTQ people have one too many rights protected by the Constitution? Or people of color? Or any other group that they decide doesn't conform to their specific religious beliefs? What happens to gay marriage, or interracial marriage? What about your right to use birth control? All were illegal not long ago — and all have been publicly declared to be targets by the Christian Right.