COLUMBUS, Ohio — A group of Christian faith leaders in Ohio broke from their peers, advocating for the ballot amendment that would protect access to abortion and contraception.
About a dozen religious leaders met at the Woodland Christian Church Thursday afternoon to share that the government should not have a place in autonomy. There were people of different Christian denominations, as well as one Jewish leader.
Learn everything you need to know about Issue 1 by clicking here.
"It's our faith that brings us out today,” said Deaconess Katelin Hansen with the United Methodist Church and Community Development for All People.
Many churches have spoken out and donated against the amendment.
The largest in-state donors for the anti-Issue 1 movement are all related to the Catholic church, whether they are specific dioceses or Catholic fraternal groups, according to campaign finance filings.
Faith leaders like Hansen want to change that narrative.
"I am deeply pro-life and I am deeply pro-choice," Hansen said. "I don't find conflict in those things."
She said Issue 1 would help people thrive by allowing them to have healthcare. People in marginalized communities will suffer the most if Ohio takes away reproductive care, she added.
"The hard-living folks have more difficult access to jobs, transportation, housing and healthcare," Hansen said. "We want to protect health outcomes for all of God's people."
RELATED: For some religious Ohioans, Issue 1 about autonomy more than beliefs
But Maranatha Community Church Pastor David Appelt believes the scripture shows how important life is, which is why he is opposing Issue 1.
"We care about humans because God cares about humans," Appelt said. "We want to see them protected and cared for — the ways that He has spoken."
His faith shows him that life begins at conception, the pastor said, and everyone — in the womb or in the tomb — is sacred. Speaking differently is going against the Bible, he added.
"It, honestly, is sad because we're letting Christ down in what he's given us the motive, the mission to do," he said.
Not everyone's belief system opposes abortion, such as Judaism and atheism, but Appelt argued that those individuals can acknowledge what "life is."
RELATED: ‘This isn’t our belief’ — Jewish community speaks out against Ohio’s bill banning abortion
Hanson responded that caring about the sanctity of children means providing healthcare, housing, education — all things that aren't being considered by opponents of Issue 1.
"Does the sanctity of life limit itself to the womb?" she asked.
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