Historian Heather Cox Richardson pointed out an interesting development on her blog:
There was international condemnation of right-wing policies in the U.S. today, when the European Parliament voted 324 to 155, with 38 abstaining, to condemn the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wadedecision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion. It also demanded that the European Union recognize the right to abortion in its charter, and to provide “safe, legal and free abortion services, pre-natal and maternal healthcare services, voluntary family planning, youth-friendly services, and HIV prevention, treatment and support, without discrimination.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The Old World Is The New New World
Haaa!!!
There are very few countries where people have a right to abortion that was created by judicial decision. I know Canada is one. Can’t think of any others offhand — there are others, but not many.
Anybody seen any state-specific polling on the issue from red states post-Dobbs? Prior polling strongly suggests that there are majorities, even in those states, that do not want total bans on abortion. But maybe it’s like gun control legislation, where the polling suggests one thing but it never materializes at the ballot box.
I expect our European friends are worried. SCOTUS has become another destabilizing political force here.
Trump was the first President to attend a March for Life event. The President of March for Life formerly held various positions working for the Catholic Church. She is a graduate of the Pope John Paul II Institute which is located at Catholic University of America (Wash. D.C.). CUA’s board is very close with Charles Koch. Other nations are wise to fear destabilization, as are the Jewish people. Wikipedia’s entry about Persecution of Jews (Western and Christian antisemitism) explains why. The amount of cover the Catholic Church is getting in its campaigns to privatize public schools and to ban abortions should alarm all Americans who don’t want the nation to continue its move backward.
The various state legislatures, their state governors, and the SCOTUS, have all ignored the very important input of those who are most affected by their anti-abortion rulings…the medical personnel of doctors, nurses, EMT’s, etc and most importantly, women. These people do not care for anyone other than themselves or the unborn fetus. They give no leeway or compassion for women whose lives may be in danger, whose pregnancy may be terminated naturally, nor for the women or very young children who have been raped by family members. They have listened only to themselves; have paid lip service to the compassion generally found in Christians, they are not truly following Christian beliefs and moral teachings. They have taken an extremely narrow view and are forcing it down the throats of all Americans. Most Americans, I believe, are more than willing to have a difference of opinion with others and are accepting of others believing differently than they do. This situation is far beyond a difference of opinion. This is “my way is the only way”. I beg to differ.
Remember women make up half (a little more than half, actually) of voters. And men’s views on abortion are not substantially different than women’s views. If red-state women don’t want abortion bans, they could make that clear at the ballot box. Will they?
Flerp-
I understand that most men wouldn’t buy-in to a religion that discriminated against them. I would like for the U.S. to be a nation where more women were seen in leadership roles and didn’t face societal norms that worked against them.
Rhetorically, do the men in leadership roles at conservative churches, bear any responsibility for telling women born into religious households that they will go to hell, if they deviate from the dictates of a God/Christ who the men interpret for them?
Does a solution involve, people on the sidelines criticizing the religions? Do you have a suggestion to affect change? Relative to Nancy Pelosi, would it work against her reelection if she took a stronger stance against her Church?
Unfortunately, I can’t speak for men. I wish it were otherwise!
I don’t think you are going to be effecting any marginal increase of political change by attacking Catholicism. But by all means speak the truth as you see it. The only effective things I can think of that are within my power are donating money, talking to the people I know and persuading those who can be persuaded, and voting.
Flerp-
In terms of the truth as I see it and I’d like others to see it- my attacks are against the Church’s politicking to elect Republicans and to achieve the GOP agenda. My attacks are against the Church’s success in achieving a death sentence for women in child bearing ages.
I feel lucky that the Church can’t, as I write this, charge me with heresy and imprison me. I feel unfortunate that helping a 10-year old abuse victim could get a person imprisoned and, a doctor saving a woman’s life could lead to imprisonment.
I don’t know how European democracies threw off the shackles of oppressive, conservative religion that insists on God’s law over man’s. Based on what I’ve read, peer pressure against religion-based dogma
exists in those nations.
Gerrymandering is a real problem and frankly makes it hard for many in certain states to make their votes count.
TOW- You’re correct. And, the electoral college set-up rigs the system against liberals. An upcoming SCOTUS case about elections will likely be the death knell for the vestiges of democracy. Credit where credit is due- Charles Koch and his network made it possible. He reportedly has close ties to Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society, a group that steers a return to a time when rights were the exclusive domain of white men.
FLERP!
An abortion ban in Red States will never affect the only women that count. Too many Southern White Woman believe that they are in that caste.
Threatened Out West
That may be true but that would hardly affect a statewide race with the exception of voter suppression . And that is only as effective as a determined electorate.
Susan,
Women of childbearing ages should weigh carefully their choice of hospital. One in 6 hospitals in the U.S. are Catholic. Jamie Manson, who is associated with Catholics for Choice posted, at the site, in 2019, an article about the USCCB’s influence on reproductive care at Catholic hospitals. The title of Manson’s article includes the keywords, nun’s excommunication bishops attacks on Biden.
Well said, Susan!
Thanks, Greg, for the video link.
Off topic, but relevant to a recent post and discussion, here’s an interesting article about the impacts of gun violence on communities.
FLERP!
Yes very off topic. Curiously enough the NY Times did not include NY in the piece, certainly not because neighborhood data was unavailable. Not that I found much objectionable, but to go further into the woods Krugman had an interesting piece on 7/8 that is a commentary on far more than Economics and the Journalists who cover it.
Susan, You are spot on.
What a beautiful church! Continue to do nice acts for the Lord! Thank you to all of the Christian churches and missionaries! I’m delighted to see that more local churches, such as https://lhhouston.church/, are offering in-person services. Thank you for letting us come back, vaccination!