This comes from Steve Waldman at Beliefnet:
One of the most interesting evangelicals these days is Joel Hunter, senior pastor at Northland Church in Florida. He does not consider himself a part of the religious left. He's a registered Republican, strongly anti-abortion, author of "A New Kind of Conservative," and even spent about ten minutes as president-elect of the Christian Coalition.So there you have it.I was therefore a bit surprised when he mentioned during our chat this week that he's been asked by the Obama campaign to deliver the closing prayer at the Democratic convention. He said yes.
The next surprise was his suggestion that Democrats "could arguably steal the title of the pro life party."
Huh? How is that possible? Obama is just as pro-choice as any other Democratic nominee; critics say he's the most pro-choice candidate ever. Hunter makes a practical argument: providing women with economic help in carrying babies to term can actually reduce the number of abortions more, and more quickly, than focusing on overturning Roe v. Wade. "With eight years of Bush the abortion rates have not declined. Every indication is that with financial support and different forms of supporting pregnant mother and then some post birth help also we could come close to 50% reduction in abortions. That's huge. That's huge."
// snip //
He's pessimistic that the Democratic Party would go far enough to really take advantage of the opportunity, though he does think the new platform took a step in the right direction. He was consulted by the Obama campaign, and believes that on balance "philosophically this is a huge move" because it put the party on record supporting certain abortion reduction measures such as maternal health and adoption support. (For the case against the plank as being a substantial move, click here) But those advocating for a larger push to the center "had to go up against the status quo - very strong and well financed voices," meaning pro-choice feminists.
This is a shame for Obama, he says, because abortion is the number one issue keeping evangelicals from embracing him. They keep hearing he supports "infanticide" and partial birth abortion. If Obama came out forcefully for an abortion reduction agenda - even one that emphasizes support for women rather than legal restrictions -- that "would go a very long way in establishing trust with evangelicals. That would huge."
Democrats have an opportunity with evangelicals in part because these Christians feel they were "used" by Republicans. Interestingly, it wasn't Bush administration policies on abortion that first ruptured the trust between Christians and the Republican Party. It was Iraq. "People are saying wait a minute, what else did we think was going to go right that didn't go right? There's kind of a ripple effect of disillusionment." Anger over Iraq created a political opening on abortion.
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Sorry, but I will not buy that argument that the Democratic Party "will reduce abortions by providing economic help to pregnant women". This is after all the same Democratic Party that has been fighting tooth and nail over the past few years to shut down crisis pregnancy centers.
Obama is on record saying that his first act as president will be to codify RvW into law.
Nice try! I personally invited Obama, via one of his public national contacts with whom I communicate, to join the San Diego sidewalk counseling group outside the SD abortion center. My request was simple. If Obama REALLY cares about the babies or the mothers, why would he miss this opportunity to show us the "real thing?" I even added, IF he showed up, even I might reconsider my vote.
Needless to say, no sign yet, except of course, at the convention center when he showed up for the Hispanics Convention (Pro Life San Diego portested outside). Gee, we were RIGHT THERE, he was RIGHT THERE, and yet, not one gesture to show his support to tireless prolifers who actually ARE out there on the streets trying to stop abortions.
The Catholic support has been there AT LEAST since Cardianl O'Connor and Mother Theresa (those two even said they would take the babies).
Tonight on the Feast of Assumption, Bishop Cordelione of San Diego will dedicate the New Culture of LIfe Center in San Diego. Where's Obama? Where's the media? Under Bishop Cordelione, and the tireless pro lifers of San Diego, abortions are dropping drastically in San Diego, especially since Bishop Cordlione led a Eucharistic procession around the city with our Lady of Fatima statue which was in SD for 3 weeks last year(yeah, that got some looks). Bishop C quite often will pray with us or lead a rosary procession from the church to the abortion centers.
Be it in San Diego, San Antonia TX or Honolulu HI, the Catholic Pro Lifer's, backed by the powerful prayer of pro lifers worldwide, are making great strids. (It would never be possible witout the prayer behind it).
I just find it so interseting that with all the success going on, Mr. Change, or any of his followers, have not joined in or acknowledged the plan ALREADY IN ACTION.
OBAMA IS A PHONEY. Any Catholic who falls for "Obama's save the baby rhetoric" will be best to join their local Catholic Pro life group, and hopefully save their souls along with it.
It's mind boggling how strong the grips of the evil one is at this time; sadly even blinding the eyes of many of the faithful.
This is just one more "hijacking" of Catholic social issues, albeit like always, in lip service only.
Full agreement with the above two comments. As Judith Warner of the New York Times said yesterday, There is nothing new in the Democratic position on abortion. They are still in complete agreement with the decision of Roe v. Wade, want no change in the laws to protect the voiceless victims of abortuarial murder, and are angling merely to appear "compassionate". Smoke and mirrors.
Mark Stricherz has some sobering words for those who express attitudes like this pastor's:
“I think that pro-lifers in the Democratic Party are naïve,” he said. “They don’t seem to realize the power of the abortion industry and the feminists in the party. At least publicly, pro-life Democrats’ rhetoric says ‘the party can change if it just does a few things’.”
“No,” Stricherz countered, “the party has to negotiate with the feminists and the abortion industry, and those folks have no interest in negotiating. They’ve got what they want.”
Forgive me for being a pessimist...
I wonder who paid off Joel Hunter. It must have been a ton of money.
Upon the issue of abortion hangs the ultimate fate of the United States. Over 40,000,000+ unborn babies have been murdered in the United States legally since 1973, our moral standards resemble the barnyard and zoo, our children are warped and tormented by pornography, sexual depravity, and the cheapening and destruction of family life. The continuation of the moral madness and chaos is destroying our society more thoroughly than any external acts of the natural world around us.
Senator Obama is perhaps the most ardent and zealous supporter of this form of mass infanticide in the U. S. Senate. For whatever reasons--cupidity, political opportunism, stupidity--he has given up any claim to personal morality.
No observant religious person with any sense of divine justice can possibly vote for Obama or a DNC platform and its ongoing philosophy for what is really massive, unprecendented genocide by an honest name. And I hold the Republicans feet to the same test of fire.
There are many catholics who have lost their way and will end up either supporting Obama with their vote or supporting Obama with their non vote of the only viable pro life contender, McCain.
This article is foolish at best and the evangelical who supports Obama by appearing at the pro baby murder convention is selling his soul cheap. We had decades of government support for women to have babies called the welfare state and that did not end or minimize abortion and in turn created a monster we now see with millions dying every day and in jail because they were raised by the nanny state with no father. If Democrats were serious about trying to prevent pregancy, they would not be pushing condoms and other policies in schools and in full support of policies which promote abstenance. Guess where Obama would stand ont hat issue?
I think that directly addressing the reasons why women choose abortions will ultimately save more lives than trying to pass laws that authorize jail terms or fines for women who abort their babies. We have to solve this problem by using our intelligence and our wits, not by brute strength.
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