Religion in Women's Health - Isabella Tuch (revised)

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This photo shows a pro-choice protestor amongst anti-abortion protestors. Her sign says “Keep Your Rosaries Off My Ovaries” amongst signs that say “I am the Pro-Life Generation.” The use of black and white in this photo demonstrates how, regardless of the recentness of this photo, it is an ongoing and historic issue. Regarding the pro-life posters: “I am the Pro-Life Generation” and “Feminists are the Majority”, this image reflects that the majority are for equality and abortion access. However, there is only one woman in this image carrying a pro-choice poster. Her poster shows how, despite this position being a majority opinion amongst American women, the church remains strong in challenging access.
Considering the history of abortion rights in the US, I believe that this speaks gravity regarding Bellah’s theory. Abortion was vastly legal in the US until around the time of the civil war. With a growing rate of male doctors who wanted to take control from midwives who traditionally were the leaders in women’s health in combination with the Catholic church, all seeking further control over women’s bodies, movements began to call for the banning of abortion. The new-found religious connection with women’s health caused the first ban on abortion in 1910 (PlannedParenthoodAction.org). Even today, abortion is deeply connected with religion. Although science has consistently proven that abortion is a safe route (and not murder) that is a viable choice for women, religion still consistently seeps into conversations surrounding women’s health. The United States is a country that claims freedom of religion in its constitutions, and yet, religion still finds its way into political conversations and even the supreme court.
Bellah theorizes that although civil religion stems from religion, many Americans follow civil religion in which a group revolves around a shared notion of holidays, politics, and values rather than that of God. In this instance, women follow a pro-life stance. Although this may have stemmed from their position in Catholicism, however, they now follow a new civil religion that centers around the pro-life stance and still has the certain ideals of Catholicism. Their Catholicism has been changed into civic religion specifically to address the experience of American pro-life citizens as that is not fully applicable to the Pope and more. These instances take on a new overall tone to inform this civil religion.
 

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