Wanted for supporting the criminalization of Abortion: Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty

This is the seventh in a series of WANTED posters, looking at individuals, families and organizations in West Michigan that have contributed significantly to the criminalization of abortion and the undermining of reproductive justice.

Today’s focus is on the Far Right Think Tank, the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. Unlike some of the other entities that have garnered Wanted Posters, the Acton Institute does not fund anti-abortion groups and they do contributed to anti-abortion candidates. What the Acton Institute does, is provide an ideological framework to individuals, businesses, candidates and organizations who are actively or leaning towards an anti-abortion position. 

The Acton Institute was a strong ideological supporter of Amy Coney Barrett in the summer of 2020, when she was first nominated for the US Supreme Court. Barrett was one of the majority that voted to overturn Roe v Wade.

As a Catholic institution, the Acton Institute has followed the Catholic hierarchy’s stance against abortion and has discussed this position repeatedly in articles and podcasts on their website. The Acton Institute has also invited numerous people to speak on abortion, primarily at conferences, even though abortion is not the main focus of the organization, Capitalism is.

Lastly, the Acton Institute has been supported by many of the other individuals and families in West Michigan that have donated millions to anti-abortion efforts. In fact, most of these same families and individuals have sat on the board of directors of the Acton Institute since it was founded in the early 1990s. Past board members that have contributed to the criminalization of abortion are Rich DeVos, Else Prince, and Betsy DeVos. Current board members that take the same position are John Kennedy and Rick DeVos. 

We encourage you to share this poster and consider directing some of your rage at the recent US Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v Wade towards the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, which is located in downtown Grand Rapids, at 98 E. Fulton Street, at the corner of Fulton & Sheldon SE.