Area clergy split on Roe v. Wade ruling

The Supreme Court’s controversial ruling Friday overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortions divided local clergy like it has the nation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be talking about it at services this week.

While most clergy members say they support the ruling with regard to preserving human life, some worry about the consequences of all-out bans on abortions.

“More babies will have life. We value life. This is a victory for every baby in the womb, as well as for those who are handicapped or elderly,” said Donn Chapman, senior pastor of Cornerstone Ministries, an evangelical church on Route 22 in Murrysville, whose church has been involved in the pro-life movement for more than 40 years.

The Rev. Eric Damon, the interim pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeport and Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Harrison, said he won’t directly address the Supreme Court ruling Sunday, but it is on his radar.

There is a range of clergy opinions within the Evangelical Lutheran denomination on the issue, he said.

The church’s 1991 social statement on abortion states “the number of induced abortions is a source of deep concern” but teaches that the practice should be legal, said Bishop Kurt Kusserow of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod.

Damon said, “What I can say is that the support for life does not directly equate to a ban on abortion rights.”

At Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greensburg, the Rev. Brian Chaffee had a succinct comment in response to the Supreme Court’s decision.

“I fear for the women,” Chaffee said.

Rabbi Sara Perman of Greensburg, rabbi emerita of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg, sees an inconsistency when laws to restrict abortion to preserve life could endanger the life of the mother.

Perman questioned whether states will ban abortions in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg attaches outside the lining of the uterus, sometimes inside the fallopian tube that could burst and cause life-threatening bleeding. Overturning Roe v. Wade likely will mean that some states will not permit exceptions to abortion bans, such as rape and incest.

“Sadly, I think there will be a lot of women who will die because of this. There are times when a mother’s life is in danger. People don’t get it,” said Perman, who served the congregation for about 30 years.

Some states may ban abortions in the case of rape or incest, Perman said.

“You are going to make a woman carry a rapist’s child?” Perman asked.

For the unmarried women who give birth to a baby, “what is his (birth father’s) responsibility?” Perman wondered.

Jewish law does permit abortions, Perman said. Biblical law suggests the fetus is part of the woman’s body. Orthodox Jews, a more traditional and conservative theological branch of Judaism, however, oppose abortion on demand or abortion for the purpose of gender selection.

The Rev. Mitch Nickols, the pastor of Bibleway Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational, Full Gospel church in New Kensington, said he might mention the ruling in passing.

“I don’t dedicate a whole message to a topic like that,” he said.

As a pastor, Nickols said his views align with Scripture, which is pro-life.

“We are called to love people,” Nickols said. “I have pastored for many decades, and I’ve encountered people who decided to have an abortion. I cannot not love that person.

“I’m there to preach to the love of Jesus, to love people and to assist people with whatever life decisions they need to make,” he said.

Tom Walters, a pastor of Word of Life Church, a pro-life church along Route 136 in Hempfield, said he was happy with the Supreme Court ruling but was concerned “about the consequences for riots and violence” by those in the pro-choice movement.

For the pro-life and pro-choice movements, the Supreme Court’s historic decision will put the focus on elections of governors and state legislatures that will create laws that can impact a woman’s decision to maintain or terminate their pregnancy.

“This next election will be one of the most important in our history,” said Cornerstone Ministries’ Chapman,

The state’s gubernatorial race pits a pro-choice Democrat, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, against a staunchly pro-life Republican, state Sen. Doug Mastriano from Franklin County.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Perman observed.

Although the Rev. James Clemens, pastor of Lower Burrell Baptist Church, takes a biblical position and is opposed to abortion, it might not come up during any of his sermons.

“When it comes to the political and hot-topic stuff, I’m not trying to use the pulpit to be political or anything like that,” Clemens said. “I care about the congregation and their heart to love one another and to be a light in the world.”

Clemens said the laws are good and heading in the right direction when it comes to anti-abortion.

“But there are a lot of people’s hearts that need to change, and that is more important,” he said. “As we are a loving congregation, a listening congregation and a praying congregation, we will focus on changing hearts going forward.”

This story has been updated to reflect that Doug Mastriano lives in Franklin County.