Over 150 Missouri Clergy and Faith Leaders from Across Missouri Unite to Support Ending the State’s Abortion Ban, Encourage “Yes” Vote on Amendment 3
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2024
Contact
press@moconstitutionalfreedom.org
Over 150 Missouri Clergy and Faith Leaders from Across Missouri Unite to Support Ending the State’s Abortion Ban, Encourage “Yes” Vote on Amendment 3
Jefferson City — More than 150 clergy and faith leaders from across Missouri have publicly endorsed Amendment 3, which would end Missouri’s abortion ban and protect reproductive freedom, including access to abortion, miscarriage care, and birth control.
These leaders, representing diverse faith traditions, are calling on all Missourians to vote “Yes” on Amendment 3 in the upcoming November 5 election, citing their moral and religious responsibility to care for others and respect individual freedom.
In an open letter, these clergy and faith leaders emphasize the importance of compassion and personal choice, especially when it comes to deeply personal decisions like abortion.
Rev. Kirk Perucca, who served as a Presbyterian pastor in Kansas City for 43 years and is featured in an ad for the campaign said, “As people of faith, we are called to love one another and respect the dignity of every person. When it comes to a woman’s personal health decisions, I believe she is best equipped to make the right choice for herself and her family. Amendment 3 honors that trust by giving women the freedom to make these deeply personal decisions without government interference.”
“As a pastor—one of God’s Shepherds, and as a woman, I truly believe every woman, along with her doctor and her God, has the right to choose what is best for her body,” said Rev. Mary Lou Kegler from Kansas City.
Rabbi Doug Alpert, from Kansas City, said, “In Judaism the sanctity of human life is of the highest priority. It is the life of those carrying a pregnancy that always takes priority. Amendment 3 not only would ensure that women following Jewish tenets regarding abortion and reproductive health are free to make health decisions according to their faith, but all Missourians can make those health decisions based on their own faith tradition without political interference.”
Rev. Molly Housh-Gordon, a Unitarian Universalist pastor in Columbia said, “I believe stripping away people’s agency by controlling their bodies in the face of some of the most intimate and tender decisions of their lives is an affront to our humanity and to God. Safe, legal, compassionate abortion care is necessary to the health, dignity, and thriving of our families. ”
“Voting yes on Amendment 3 is not just about abortion but about our fundamental rights for religious freedom. The decision for medical care should be between a person, their doctor, and– if they so choose– a trusted faith leader, not politicians,” said Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg from St. Louis.
Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said “This open letter from Missouri clergy and faith leaders shows the strong, multi-faith support for reproductive rights and underscores the shared belief that women should have the freedom to make their own medical decisions. By voting ‘Yes’ on Amendment 3, we have the opportunity to affirm the values of compassion and personal autonomy that are important to all Missourians.”