Abortion takes center stage at DNC interfaith gathering

[The Sushi Bandit]

Source: Rocky Mountain News

COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER — Abortion has stormed onto the stage of the Democratic National Convention's opening event.

Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, called on presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama to "follow through on his promise ... to reduce the number of abortions" while stopping just short of criticizing the Democratic Party for its support of the practice.

"Surely we cannot be pleased with ... millions of terminated pregnancies," Blake said to applause from the nearly full Wells Fargo Theater. "Something within us must be calling for a better way. If we do not resist at this point, at what point will we resist?"

Democrats must know about the "moral and spirtual pain so many of us feel because of this disregard for the lives of the unborn," Blake said.



Read more: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/24/abort... /

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Here we Go!

[Old and In the Way]

1. Charlie is Republican...what's his payoff?

Fuck his holier than thou attitude.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. With all due respect to the Bishop...

I'd like to see us take care of the folks already here...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Thank you.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. The best way to stop abortions is to provide easy access to birth control and sex education.

I believe that was demonstrated by the declining abortion rates during the Clinton years and the increase of them during BushCo's illegal reign.

[Hobarticus]

15. B-I-N-G-O...

...and a winning platform was it's name-o!

[JerseygirlCT]

26. Exactly. Education, availability of good birth control

(physical availability and financial as well) will go a very long way.

And I think we ought to happily get on that bus.

But we never, ever, should stand for interfering with a woman's right to make her own personal medical decisions.

[varkam]

4. I want a world with no abortions.

Rather, I want a world where the conditions that compel many women to seek them are non-existent.

Abortions break my heart. I have known several people who have had them, and they had their reasons. The fact is, though, is that the procedure is not the problem - the problem is in the factors that create the situation where women opt for it (such as poverty, for example).

Just my .02.

[pennylane100]

14. There are other reasons why abortion must remain available,

Rape, incest(also called rape), and the sex trade (another form of rape, usually paid for on a credit card).

[semillama]

18. I believe Varkam's point

was that he's like to see a world where none of what you mentioned happened, either.

But I see your point. Of course, in a world where violence against women can have the result of an unintended pregnancy, abortion must remain safe and legal.

[JerseygirlCT]

28. That's another part of what Varkam was saying, I think

we have to look at these things, and attack the problem from that side - if violence against women wasn't an issue, right there you'd eliminate the need for many abortions.

If we can take this issue back, and quit having to play defense, we can correctly frame this as an issue of how women are treated by our society. It's so much broader than one medical procedure!

[JerseygirlCT]

27. I agree with you

And the problems are pretty deep and wide - but instead of fighting this battle on the front of defending our rights to make the tough decision for ourselves we do better to point out what you've said - and take the fight to making abortions less necessary.

If other choices (especially the choice to have and use effective birth control) are available, the number of abortions would lower significantly.

That means we have to take care of women, and their health - reproductive and beyond. We have to take a hard look at poverty and its unequal impact on women - especially women with children.

So I'll add my .02 to yours - FWIW

[varkam]

30. Worth more than .02. IMO

[LeftyMom]

5. I'd like to see a reduction in unplanned pregnancies.

Not because that would reduce abortion- abortion being no more morally questionable than any other routine gynecological procedure I don't think that's a terribly important goal in itself- but because anything we can do to improve women's control over their health and lives is a good thing.

[depakid]

6. This in't a fight about abortion- never has been. It's about birth control and reproductive freedom

As Bush and his Republican supporters have now made CRYSTAL CLEAR in the proposed HHS rules:

Birth control at center of Bush HHS proposal

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...

The only question is: will the Democrats have the courage and political fortitude to run with this-

or will they pander to the fundies?

[frebrd]

8. They'll pander to the fundies....

and sell us down the river. Oh well, we should be getting used to it.

[dropkickpa]

9. Yep.

[terisan]

7. I am in agreement with Jesus on abortion. He never mentioned it. nt

[defendandprotect]

10. I'd like to see Separation of Church & State take center stage . . . .

without it there is no democracy ---

It's what gives us our highest privilege ---

freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, free will.

Nature provides you with this ability and, therefore, if there is a "Creator" that

Creator is not a fascist!

[dflprincess]

21. For sure (eom)

[happygoluckytoyou]

11. Try EDUCATION and ACCESS TO CONDOMS.... prevent NEEDING abortions...

[defendandprotect]

12. Another male Bishop trying to control female bodies --- we need to laugh more at this stuff ---

and put organized patriarchal religions out of business ---

what F-U'd crap -- from the Church that has provided cover for pedophiles for decades --- !!!

Morality? Organized Male Christianity has too often been a moral step back from morality!

[dflprincess]

22. Read it again, this time it's not a Catholic bishop

"Charles E. Blake, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ"

not that that makes what you said about the Catholic Church covering for pedophiles or male domineated Christianity any less true.

[defendandprotect]

24. Right . . . it's usually the Vatican . . . and it looks like they'll be after Biden re abortion . .

Thanks for the correction ---

any organized patriarchal religion is perversion . . .

[Kceres]

13. It's not about abortions.

It's really about controlling women. If it WERE about abortion the religious RW would be handing out condoms, sponsoring Planned Parenthood, etc. Simple as that.

[qwlauren35]

16. But we can MAKE it about Abortion...

By FIGHTING FOR distribution of condoms, federal funding/Medicaid for birth control, and the kind of Sex Education that got Dr. Elders in trouble!

It is possible to be pro-choice and anti-abortion. It just means that you want to help more women have the opportunity to choose better birth control, and have the option of bringing a child to term without scorn or shame.

Many, many people hate abortion. Knocking more sense into them about the practical solutions, in my mind, is the key.

"If you don't like abortion, help sexually active women reduce the number of unexpected pregnancies, by making birth control more accessible and convincing MEN to share responsibility for it."

[JerseygirlCT]

29. Absolutely! nt

[BrklynLiberal]

20. Have you ever heard the adage.."If men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament"?

[uppityperson]

17. I love the headline and first line in story.

Reads like someone had an abortion on stage. I hate poor writing but am kicking for the content.

[paparush]

23. For fuk's sake, this is a POLITICAL event, not a tent revival meeting.

Enough with the praying, and the preachers, and the god-ometer.

[PassingFair]

25. It's all the same thing now.

[paparush]

31. PF - I am slowly, painfully, coming to accept that premise.

* sigh *

[PassingFair]

32. It's getting worse.

Now that the democrats have decided they
need to court the "faith" vote.

The whole "Saddleback" thing was horrifying.

Hopefully, the pandering will stop after
the election.

The LAST thing we need is another president
who thinks god wants him to kill people.