Campus Religion and Abortion

The Y-Song Chapel, a church on UCO’s campus, is one of several in Oklahoma and across the Bible Belt. The Wesley campus ministry is a group that is associated with the First United Methodist Church.

With the latest abortion bill in Oklahoma passing and abortion being a topic that is often associated with religion, some may wonder what campus religious groups are doing to support students.

The Wesley ministry has a middle ground outlook on the new bills that Governor Kevin Stitt has signed into law.

Mackenzie VanZee, the head of UCO Wesley Communications, said, “There’s more conservative people that are United Methodist, there’s more progressive people that are United Methodist, there’s also a lot of people that are in the middle.”

The Methodist Church has their own opinion on abortion that directly correlates with their social principles, which states, “While we understand the need for women to have access to safe, legal abortions, we also ‘mourn and are committed to promoting the diminishment of high abortion rates.’ We encourage ministries that reduce unintended pregnancies, such as sex education, access to voluntary family planning, contraception, and ‘initiatives that enhance the quality of life for all women and girls around the globe.’”

The Wesley team believes in teaching students about safe sex, the various types of contraceptives, and family planning as a means to limit abortions, but they also just want to give students a safe place.

“We are just here to provide UCO student with a safe, strong, faith based community,” VanZee said. 

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