Testimony on behalf of Senate Bill SB23-190 “Deceptive Trade Practice Pregnancy Related Service.”

 I was asked to testify on behalf of  the Colorado State Senate Bill SB23-190 “Deceptive Trade Practice Pregnancy Related Service.”

This bill makes it a deceptive trade practice for a person or organization to make or disseminate to the public any advertisement that indicates, directly or indirectly, that the person provides abortions, emergency contraceptives, or referrals for abortions or emergency contraceptives when the person knows or reasonably should have known that the person does not provide those specific services.

A health-care provider engages in unprofessional conduct or is subject to discipline in this state if the health-care provider provides, prescribes, administers, or attempts medication abortion reversal in this state.

Here is my testimony:

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My name is Rabbi Joseph Black.  I serve as Senior Rabbi at Denver’s Temple Emanuel – the largest and oldest Synagogue in the State of Colorado.

I support this legislation because of my faith. Most of the so-call “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” that cater to vulnerable and frightened individuals are based on a narrow, Christian Fundamentalist perspective. While I certainly believe that the sponsors of these deceptive centers are entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, they do not have the right to force their beliefs on others. This is unethical and, frankly un-God-like

I believe that it is vitally important that anyone faced with making a difficult decision about health care should be able to make informed choices about the options available to them.

I believe that Abortion is health care and it is immoral to try to coerce, deceive or mis-inform individuals who are in a vulnerable state.

Just because we are people of faith, we still need accurate medical information – not unproven and potentially dangerous recommendations that are medically inaccurate.

My tradition teaches that the decision to terminate a pregnancy should never be taken lightly. At the same time, there are many reasons why someone would need to have an abortion. It is not our place to judge or cast aspersions on anyone faced with this difficult decision.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 30, verse 19, we find the following text that is often used against abortion rights. It reads as follows:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life, that you and your descendants may live!”

The words, “choose life” are quite powerful.  But they also can be spun and defined in a variety of ways. They can used to motivate us to live to our highest potential – choosing God’s loftiest ideals for our daily living and the choices we make, or they can be used as a weapon to narrowly define an agenda of intolerance.

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that anyone who is facing an unwanted pregnancy has the ability to make an informed choice – without the pressure of deceptive, manipulative or immoral advertising, coercion or unproven, unsafe and unethical pseudo-scientific advice.