Whoopi Goldberg under fire for saying right to celebrate Christmas is like right to abortion

Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg attends a news conference to announce new musical at Operetta house in Hamburg December 4, 2009. Stage Entertainment Germany will present the famous musical 'Sister Act' at the TUI Operetta house at Hamburg's Reeperbahn from autumn 2010 on. REUTERS/Christian Charisius (GERMANY - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT HEADSHOT) (Reuters)

Whoopi Goldberg raised eyebrows when she compared the right to celebrate Christmas to a woman's right to have an abortion.

The 61-year-old was engaged in a debate with her "View" co-hosts on Tuesday about the separation between church and state in regards to public Nativity scenes to celebrate Christmas. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Goldberg took the opportunity to bring up abortion saying it is "the same conversation with a woman's right to choose."

"What I do with my body is my right. It is not your right to tell me," Goldberg argued. "The same thing is it's – if you believe in Christmas, it's not my right...and, you know, kids who didn't go to Catholic school had Christmas and they – we never knew what their religions were, but we hung cause it was Christmas holiday."

Many viewers did not appreciate Goldberg's remarks, taking to social media to air their grievances.