Baptist Press
By Tim Ellsworth, posted October 24, 2024 in Abortion
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP) – A ballot initiative in Florida would drastically loosen the state’s restrictions on abortions, according to Southern Baptist leaders and other pro-life advocates who are highly critical of the measure and are asking voters to reject it.
Florida currently bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, a restriction that took effect earlier this year. Amendment 4, known as the “Right to Abortion Initiative,” would instead allow for abortions up to viability, or around 24 weeks. However, the initiative’s vague language would allow abortion at any stage of pregnancy, pro-life advocates say.
The amendment reads, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”
One problem among many with the amendment, according to Florida Baptist pastor Aaron Burgner, is that “patient’s health” can be broadly interpreted to include even emotional or mental wellbeing, providing cover to abort a perfectly healthy unborn child.
“You can have (an abortion) essentially for any reason as long as you can find a doctor that’s agreeable that this is a health problem,” Burgner said.
Since the 2022 Dobbs case in which the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion advocates have rallied at the state levels to remove as many restrictions as possible. Seven states have passed ballot measures related to abortion since then, with pro-life measures losing every time. More Here
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