Rabbi Dennis S. Ross is author of "All Politics Is Religious: Speaking Faith to the Media, Policy Makers and Community," released by SkyLight Paths Publishing, He is a religious advocate and congregational rabbi and directs Concerned Clergy for Choice for the Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of New York State, a project that mentors and mobilizes clergy into advocacy on behalf of access to reproductive health care including access to birth control and safe abortion. Rabbi Ross serves at Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany, N.Y. Rabbi Ross has written for The New York Times, The Boston Globe and other publications, and has made numerous public and media appearances. His web site is www.DennisRoss.net All Politics Is Religious is at www.tinyurl.com/AllPoliticsIsReligious Concerned Clergy for Choice is at www.tinyurl.com/ConcernedClergyforChoice
Many U.S. rabbis and ministers have long recognized the moral wisdom of ensuring wide availability of safe and effective birth control.
We have been hearing plenty about “religious liberty” lately. Now let’s see who’s using the term “religious liberty” in a novel way, trying to conceal a campaign of religious overreach.
Religious opponents of birth control access and safe abortion have seemingly unlimited capacity to overlook the evidence.
As a religious advocate for reproductive care, I was taken aback by U. S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) recent comment, “That is not the issue,” when asked about extending health coverage to 30 million American uninsured.
As a rabbi, I have to say, money is only part of the issue surrounding this abortion tax hike. My concern is really about a religious minority – so extreme and desperate in an anti-abortion position and inventiveness – that it is turning to the tax code to pressure all of us to live by their restrictive faith teachings.
