Baptist pastors Fred Smith and Errol Domingue take on misconceptions about abortion and faith
Baptist pastors and friends of nearly 30 years Fred Smith and Errol Domingue were both raised in the church. Over the years, their views on abortion have shifted and evolved — with help from their wives, who are also both clergy.
While their steadfast support for reproductive freedom may leave them in the minority within the Baptist church, both Fred and Jeff are hopeful that in time, other faith leaders will join them in reexamining long-held assumptions, and preaching a message of love. As Errol says, “I suppose we just keep speaking out, and hopefully others will join us.”
Fred and Errol sat down for a conversation recorded by StoryCorps Studios, part of Abortion in America’s collection of interviews with people in Louisiana about the ways in which the state’s abortion ban has affected their lives.
I challenge anybody to find one scripture that says abortion is a sin. It’s not in there.
Audio Transcript
Fred Smith: Errol, in addition to our work as clergy, we’re both married to clergy. I’m curious how your wife, Angela, has helped to shape your perspective on abortion.
Errol Domingue: Well, of course, everything is a kitchen table discussion. And so, as we think about abortion, I try to put myself in the shoes of a woman, as she has taught me to — what would I want for myself? (Mm-hmm)
And so that’s the way that it works in our house. What about you?
Fred Smith: Very much the same way. Demetria challenged me on issues that I thought I had a certain degree of expertise on. And abortion is certainly one of those issues.
As Baptists, we are taught that you don’t question what scripture has to say. And we were early in our relationship when I said, “Well, the scripture says…” She says, “No, the scripture doesn’t say that. That’s the way that it has been translated.”
I challenge anybody to find one scripture that says abortion is a sin. It’s not in there.
She has helped me to learn that we are negligent if we don’t spend some time being honest enough to acknowledge the fact that some of the things that we were taught were wrong.
Errol Domingue: Definitely.
Fred Smith: Before my time as pastor, they had a ministry group called True Love Waits, which advocated for chastity. One of the young ladies got pregnant. And it was decided that person could not participate in any ministries in the church while pregnant. She left the church. Her mother left the church. Those children are now in their 20s and they would not darken the church door. It was a bad decision that was made and it has had generational consequences. The message was supposed to be love.
Errol Domingue: Too often we have a group that has dug their heels in, with the old saying, “I shall not be moved.” (Right) If we who say we have a faith don’t allow our faith to grow and to expand, many of us would be in a world of trouble.
Fred Smith: When it comes to abortion, there are many people who might hold the view that we hold, but they’re afraid of what it will cost them. Now, I don’t know if I’m stupid or crazy. I don’t tend to think that I’m that brave, but I’ve been through enough problems in my own life to know that God will take care of me. And so, I’m less inclined to be silent, because silence is complicit.
Errol Domingue: Yes. So, I suppose we just keep speaking out, and hopefully others will join us.
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