Americans United denounces Alabama Supreme Court decision on IVF that imposes religious beliefs on all Alabamians

Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to the Alabama Supreme Court decision on Friday that declared frozen embryos to be children and that destroying embryos violates the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act:

“Our country’s promise of church-state separation is meant to protect citizens from government officials enshrining their personal religious views into law. The Alabama Supreme Court ignored that constitutional promise to impose on all Alabamians a policy rooted in religious theology about the origins of life. The decision imperils the ability of Alabamians to have children through in vitro fertilization and prevents people from making their own decisions about their reproductive health care based on their own beliefs.

“In a concurring opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker says the quiet part out loud – repeatedly referencing God, his religious beliefs and even quoting from the Bible to justify his decision. He frankly admits that beliefs about life beginning at conception and that ‘God made every person in His image’ are theological, not legal or medical. These kinds of statements have no place in court decisions. 

“The Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion aligns with the Christian Nationalist agenda to ban abortion and limit access to reproductive health care. Religious extremists are trying to force all of us to live by their narrow beliefs. Americans United is calling for a national recommitment to the separation of church and state to stop these abuses of power. Church-state separation is the shield that protects freedom without favor and equality without exception for all of us.”