Our Quaker faith begins with the belief that the living Spirit of God abides within every person and that each of us can have direct access to Divine Truth. Friends honor leadings of individual conscience as matters of personal religious faith and continually seek deeper Truth together as a community through collective worship. These fundamental beliefs and our living testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship guide how we try to live in the world and the positions we take on public policy.
Quakers have not found unity on the issue of abortion. Some Friends are strong advocates for abortion rights, recognizing that a woman’s choice is a matter of individual conscience to be taken in relationship with her God as she weighs the multiple impacts of pregnancy. Other Friends feel their commitment to nonviolence and honoring the Light of God in all human beings requires them to limit abortion options or oppose it outright.
FCNL will continue to seek Divine Guidance and hold with compassion and love all those—whatever their position—who are seeking to follow their conscience on the issue of abortion.
FCNL’s Policy Statement identifies abortion as a “challenge issue,” where our governing body is not in unity on a position. Therefore, FCNL does not take a position on abortion.
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling calls us to renew our discernment. As we seek Spirit’s continuing revelation, we ask ourselves and our policymakers to weigh deeply the impacts this decision will have on the sexual, mental, and spiritual health of individual girls, women, and all people who can get pregnant, particularly those already living in economically and racially marginalized communities. More than ever, Congress needs to ensure access to quality, affordable childcare, close the Medicaid coverage gap, provide access to prenatal and postpartum health care, ensure paid family and medical leave, protect people who are pregnant in the workplace, and guarantee more assistance to families, including making the Child Tax Credit expansions permanent.
We believe in the paramount need to protect and promote human rights, civil liberties, and civil rights. We seek a society free from discrimination, whether due to race, creed, gender, ethnic or national heritage, age, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition, genetic background, or gender identification or expression
We are also deeply concerned by how this decision affects the health of our nation and democracy. We mourn the inability of our country to find a collective way forward that respects differing religious and moral values, reduces suffering and division, and upholds the promise of a pluralistic, democratic society. At a time when our country is already dangerously divided, we fear this decision will drive further polarization, animosity, and violence.
We reaffirm our support for equal rights for all under the law, the right of individual conscience, and the separation of church and state.
FCNL will continue to seek Divine Guidance and hold with compassion and love all those—whatever their position—who are seeking to follow their conscience on the issue of abortion.
