County faith leaders are calling for support on the reproductive health ballot question

Faith leaders gathered at Silver Spring United Methodist Church on Tuesday to declare their support for a proposed Maryland constitutional amendment that would protect the right to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.

If voters approve the amendment in Tuesday's general election, the right to abortion will be enshrined in Maryland's Constitution.

“We live not in a theocracy, but in a democracy,” the Rev. Holly Jackson, pastor of the United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley in Germantown, told those gathered in the sanctuary. “I don’t pray for an end to abortion. I pray for abundant life for everyone, and sometimes (for that to happen) abortions occur. … Women are dying in Georgia, they’re dying in Texas, they’re dying all over the country because they can’t get care.”

While abortion has been legal in Maryland since 1973, the overturn of Roe v. Wade through the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 urged abortion rights advocates in the state to push for a constitutional amendment to protect access to reproductive health care.

The text of the question as it appears on the ballot states: “The proposed amendment affirms a person's fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including, but not limited to, the ability to make and implement decisions to prevent the person from becoming pregnant, continue or terminate. and provides that the State shall not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden or restrict the right unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

The event was hosted by Freedom in Reproduction Maryland, the political action committee that supported the referendum appearing on the ballot, and was attended by faith leaders from various religious traditions. The panel was moderated by Wendy Frosh, the committee's treasurer.

“The media generally portrays people of faith as strong and vocal opponents of reproductive rights. But from my conversations with religious leaders, I also understand that individual denominations have their own perspectives,” Frosh said.

Abbi Sharofsky, rabbi at the Jewish Community Relations Council of North Bethesda, said it is important to remember that some religious groups support abortion rights and that she believes restrictions on access to reproductive health care are a violation against Jewish religious communities represented freedom.

Lawmakers who oppose abortion access “absolutely represent a theological position that is at odds with ours as Jews,” Sharofsky said.

She noted that Christian terminology was cited in legal decisions on abortion. “These are not words that should be used in the legal arena. These are theological words,” Sharofsky said.

Support and resistance

The referendum received the support of the Montgomery County Council, which unanimously passed a resolution in September supporting the referendum and encouraging county residents to vote “yes” on the ballot question. The council's decision was both praised and rejected by the public. Other local supporters of the referendum include County Executive Marc Elrich (D), the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and the Montgomery County Education Association.

Critics of the referendum cited their opposition to abortion as well as concerns that the proposed constitutional amendment could contain a loophole that would allow minors to access gender-affirming care without parental permission.

The Montgomery County Republican Central Committee cited these concerns in its voter guide and encouraged voters to check “no.”

“The change applies to people of all ages, including minors, and eliminates parental consent requirements for abortions, transgender and other procedures,” the voter guide states.

However, the question text on the voting rights change contains no references to minors, gender-affirming caregivers or transgender people.

More support is needed after birth

The Rev. Sarah Odderstol, rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Silver Spring, said she wants abortion opponents to focus their efforts on supporting children after birth, especially those born into disadvantaged circumstances.

“I’ve seen this conversation change over 50 years. … It’s gone from a pro-life conversation to a pro-fetus conversation,” Odderstol said. “They want to make sure that that fetus is born, but once the child is born, there are no advocates of a social safety net that ensures that the child is fed, housed, clothed and educated.”

Rev. Will Green, senior pastor of Silver Spring United Methodist Church, shared a similar sentiment.

“I have watched what happens in communities that are already economically disadvantaged, where this perpetuates the cycle of economic disadvantage and causes the suffering of not just one or two people, but entire households and families,” Green said. “It’s not just about my life and my health, it’s about the life and health of everyone in all of creation.”

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