ATLANTA — Local faith leaders are reacting to Georgia's "heartbeat law" going into effect this week. It bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is normally around six weeks.
This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling in June.
11Alive News reached out to The Temple in Atlanta. They weren't available, but the Women's Rabbinic Network calls abortion access a Jewish value.
On the other side of the debate, many conservative Christians praised the high court's ruling, but we found some denominations have a different opinion.
“Presbyterians have long affirmed a woman's right to choose to medically safe abortions and reproductive justice," Rev. Andy Acton said.
Rev. Andy Acton with Emory Presbyterian Church in Decatur said his denomination has traditionally been progressive and believed in a woman's right to choose.
“I think also Presbyterians take the stance that if you're going to be pro-life, then you should be pro-life about everything, right? That pro-life means that we shouldn't... have the death penalty or kill young black men and those kinds of things," Acton said.
However, some other religions, including Islam, have quite a different take.
“In terms of abortion, terminating the pregnancy or whatever it was started, the default also is that it is haram, which means that it is prohibited in Islam," Imam Bashir Mundi said.
Imam Bashir Mundi of the West Cobb Islamic Center said there are some exceptions if a Muslim wants to have an abortion. That includes a recommendation from a doctor, and in certain cases, it can be accepted up to 40 days after conception.
“Traditional belief is that it is at the 40th day after that conception that a soul is breathed into them," Mundi said.
A Gallup poll in May found 55% of Americans identified as pro-choice, while 39% said they are pro-life.
The nonprofit Public Religion Institute found in a 2018 study the religion most accepting of abortion is Judaism at 70%, followed by Buddhism at 69% and Hinduism at 62%.
Researchers in that study also found that 68% of Jehovah's Witnesses are against abortion, followed closely by Mormons at 66% and white Evangelical Protestants at 65%.