“The most important abortion case in decades” is how the New York Times’ Adam Liptak describes it.
“The most significant abortion case in a generation,” agree the Wall Street Journal’s Jess Bravin and Brent Kendall.
“The biggest challenge to abortion rights in decades,” echo The Associated Press’ Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko.
It’s not hyperbole: Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, faces its biggest test yet. The Washington Post’s Robert Barnes explains:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday signaled it is on the verge of a major curtailment of abortion rights in the United States, and appeared likely to uphold a Mississippi law that violates one of the essential holdings of Roe v. Wade established nearly 50 years ago.
Whether the court would eventually overrule Roe and its finding that women have a fundamental right to end their pregnancies was unclear.
But none of the six conservatives who make up the court’s majority expressed support for maintaining its rule that states may not prohibit abortion before the point of fetal viability, which is generally estimated to be between 22 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.
At Christianity Today, Kate Shellnutt reports that “pro-life evangelicals who had rallied for the cause for decades were encouraged that the conservative-leaning court appeared willing to uphold a contentious Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks.”
Other helpful religion coverage:
• How faith groups feel about this major abortion case (by Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
• Before there was Roe: Religious debate before high court’s historic ruling on abortion (by Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
• Religion abortion rights supporters fight for access (by Holly Meyer, The Associated Press)
• As Supreme Court debates abortion, dueling theologies protest outside (by Jack Jenkins, RNS)
• Religious leaders, organizations react to Supreme Court arguments on Mississippi abortion law (by BeLynn Hollers, Dallas Morning News)
Expect a decision next June or July.
Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads
1. Horse troughs, hot tubs and hashtags: Baptism is getting wild: Yes, I saw this story. Thank you to everybody who made sure to share the link with me. Obviously, Godbeat pro Ruth Graham’s front-page piece for the New York Times resonated with many readers.
Graham is such an excellent reporter and writer. Check out her Twitter thread on the story behind the story.
2. Interfaith love a risk amid India’s Hindu nationalist surge: “He was Muslim. She was Hindu. Their love was great and they were determined to marry. But the romance so angered her family that they hired a hardline Hindu group to murder him. It is a grim reminder of how even love is at risk in Modi’s India.”
That’s how Sheikh Saaliq, India correspondent for The Associated Press, summarizes his in-depth feature on “love jihad.”
3. We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, but new worship songs only last a few years: Go ahead. Accuse me of picking this story based on the headline alone. You’d be mostly right. But really, I tend to enjoy reading everything Christianity Today’s Daniel Silliman writes, and this an excellent report on the increasingly rapid turnover time for church music.
CONTINUE READING: “Just How Big Is The Abortion Case The Supreme Court Heard This Week? This Big,” by Bobby Ross, Jr., at Religion Unplugged.