Christian closes New York store over abortion law

Syracuse, New York, bookstore owner Jon Speed closed his business Jan. 23, 2019, to protest the state's new abortion law.

Protesting New York state's new law legalizing abortions up to birth, a bookstore owner in Syracuse closed his store Wednesday rather than collect sales tax for the state.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law Tuesday hours after the state Senate and Assembly passed it.

LifeNews.com reported Jon Speed, owner of The Book Scout, announced Wednesday he closed his store for "a day of mourning in New York" after the bill was signed.

Speed posted a sign in a store window stating: "Closed Today. This is a day of mourning in New York State. We will not collect sales tax today for a tyrannical government that murders babies. We will resume regular business tomorrow, collecting sales tax under duress. End abortion Now."

Speed told Faithwire: "I'm pro-life mainly because I'm a Christian and because I understand that murder is wrong. What I understand from prenatal science is that clearly — and even from what the Bible says — that the baby in the womb is a baby, it’s a human life."

Speed said he had a "restless night" Tuesday and felt he needed to act.

"I obviously can't stop paying sales tax to the state of New York — I can't do that altogether, although I would like to, but I can't," he said. "So I thought, 'Well, I'll put a sign up on the front window of the store and say we're closed [Wednesday] and express our thoughts on it, just so we can make a statement.'"

The law, which removes abortion from the criminal code, is meant to protect access to abortion if the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is overturned.

It allows abortion after 24 weeks, until birth, if the baby is not "viable" or when necessary "to protect the life of the mother."

"Today we are taking a giant step forward in the hard-fought battle to ensure a woman's right to make her own decisions about her own personal health, including the ability to access an abortion," Cuomo after signing New York's Reproductive Health Act.

"With the signing of this bill, we are sending a clear message that whatever happens in Washington, women in New York will always have the fundamental right to control their own body," he said.

On Thursday, Roman Catholic lay leaders demanded that Cardinal Timothy Dolan excommunicate Cuomo for signing the law.

Christian author, radio broadcaster and family counselor Dr. James Dobson called the law "pure barbarism on a scale rarely seen since the Middle Ages."