Mainline Churches Ask Senate For Abortion Money
Baptist, Brethren, Lutheran, Methodist Churches Ask Senate for Abortion Funds
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 2, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – A coalition of mainline Protestant churches have authored a letter to members of Congress asking them to make certain the health care bills they are considering contain taxpayer funding for abortions. The letter comes from a group of churches that have long advocated the pro-abortion position.
Under the umbrella of the Religious Institute, the church denominations and more than 1,100 pastors and church staff from the denominations endorsed the letter: http://www.religiousinstitute.org/sites/default/files/press_releases/1100-clergy-affirm-access-to-abortion-as-senators-consider-new-restrictions-in-health-reform.pdf
The letter calls abortion a “morally justifiable decision” and opposed any amendments to the House and Senate bills, which current contain massive abortion funding, to strike that taxpayer-financing.
“Already, federal policy unfairly prevents low-income women and federal employees from receiving subsidized [abortions],” Rev. Debra W. Haffner, executive director of the Religious Institute complained.
The letter added that she doesn’t want more abortion funding bans in place and complained that additional “restrictions” on abortion funding constitute a “serious moral injustice.”
The denominations endorsing the letter include the American Baptist Churches, Church of the Brethren, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church, and others.
“We affirm women as moral agents who have the capacity, right and responsibility to make the decision as to whether or not abortion is justified in their specific circumstances,” the letter says.
The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, Unitarian Universalist Association, and United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism also endorsed the pro-abortion letter.
The Religious Institute claims to represent 4,800 clergy and 40 Christian denominations.
Some of the signers to the letter include: Fr. Dr. Luis Barrios, Chair of Latin American and Latina/o Studies, John Jay College of Criminal Justice – CUNY; Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder, Bishop, The Fellowship; The Rev. Dr. Paula Gravelle, Chair, Clergy Action Board; and Rev. Dr. Larry Greenfield, Executive Minister, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago.
They also include Rabbi Peter Knobel, Former President, Central Conference of American Rabbis; Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, Dean, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary; Rev. Michael Livingston, Executive Director, International Council of Community Churches; Rev. Dr. Deborah Mullen, Director, Center for African American Ministry and Black Church Studies, McCormick Theological Seminary; Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Interim Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition; and Rev. Dr. William Stayton, Professor of Sexuality and Religion, Morehouse School of Medicine
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This is amazing. In fact, most self-identified Christians are not pro-life. At some point the media is going to have to stop using the term “religious right” and start using the term “Christian Liberals”. Where I work, the Christians are usually more liberal than the atheists and agnostics.
This my personal opinion. I believe eveyone who sent a letter like this. Are probably supportive homosexual men and women in the Clergy. The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob already condemns such as abomanations to Him. In Proverbs it lists the shedding of innocent blood something He hates and loathes. The cry of all the innocent blood cries out from the ground for His vengance and justice. These people need to Repent and get right with God. These people are wolves in sheep's clothing. The sixth commandment say's ” You shall not kill”. The actual translation is don't committ murder. That is what goes on in these abortion clinic's daily. We must become as ardent against the murders of babies. As William Wilberforce was about ending slave trading in the British Empire. He was blessed by the Lord and persevered and it was abolished. May the Lord strenghthed to do His will in this. People will ask what is His will. I have already quoted it. May His will be done.
I think Jesus referred to these as “the Synagogue of satan”.
It is becoming increasingly clear that perhaps the greatest mission field for the gospel today is within the church system itself.These religious leaders are not only spiritually bankrupt them selves but are leading multitudes of others astray with their Christ denying ,Bible ignoring gospel of religiosity.
I think the term “apostate” is most fitting for them, since that's really what they are.
I'm convinced that this represents the large majority of self-titled “Christian” church members in this country-false converts…but I guess I'm just “judging” (sick of hearing that assessment of rotten fruit observation). I argue constantly with local churchies that make ignorant statements like: “The church just needs to stay out of the abortion issue”. If I'm just being mean, someone show me in Gods word where a person can have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus (a possible requirement to be a Christian) and be so demonic as to fight to murder their own babies and grand babies. Their names may be written on some “church” roll but they are NOT written in the Lambs Book of Life. The denominations that are mentioned here are out-of-the closet God, Christ and Israel-hating devils that most of us are familiar with but when you have those like the sweety-pie, “smiling preacher” (little boy Osteen) telling the “largest, sweetest congregation in America” that abortion and same-sex marriage are “political issues and daddy taught me to not get involved in them”, that's the demonic spirit that's more likely to live next door to you…and send their surviving babies to school with yours. How long before these “churches” incorporate pentagrams onto their steeples and crosses? Talk about an effective church growth program! There I go being mean again. Sorry.
“”The letter calls abortion a “morally justifiable decision” “”
They call evil, good. This wicked conditioning floods out of liberal interests and big universities, along with media propaganda, and the apostates eat it up. In reality it is the delusion God has sent on the wicked.
Praise God for calling me out of the darkness, first from Roman Catholosism, and then the United Methodist Church. Just how is abortion a moral decision?
Praise God for calling me out of the darkness, first from Roman Catholosism, and then the United Methodist Church. Just how is abortion a moral decision?