Voice for Obama: Pastor and author Brian McLaren, a leader in the ‘emerging church’ movement, is a voice for the Matthew 25 Network. (Blair Anderson/AP)
New Christian group airs ads – for Obama
The group counters attacks on the Democrat while broadening issues important to Evangelicals and others.
By Jane Lampman | August 21, 2008 edition
Reporter Jane Lampman talks about a new Christian political action committee trying to help Sen. Barack Obama.
Reporter Jane Lampman
His face fills the screen as the man looks earnestly into the camera and speaks directly to the viewer.
“As a pastor, I know you can learn a lot about a man’s character by the way he treats his family,” he says. It’s prominent evangelical leader Brian McLaren, and so begins the new TV ad for Sen. Barack Obama, which ran last weekend during Pastor Rick Warren’s presidential forum at Saddleback Church in California.
The ad on “standing up for families” doesn’t come from the Obama campaign, but from an independent political action committee (PAC) that has recently joined the battle for the Christian vote.
The Matthew 25 Network, as it’s called, is a group of Evangelical, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Pentecostal Christians. Its purpose, organizers say, is to broaden the issues Christians pay attention to and also to counter falsehoods or smears targeting Senator Obama. The PAC is sponsoring radio and television advertisements aimed specifically at Christians, mostly on Christian radio in key swing states. There are ads in religious publications as well.
Organizers say the TV ad is the first by active clergy for a Democratic presidential candidate. It includes the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, who’s been close to President Bush and who recently officiated at Jenna Bush’s wedding in Crawford, Texas.
“We’ve seen the domination of just a couple of issues surround the Christian voice in politics,” says Mara Vanderslice, the evangelical founder of the group who worked for John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004. “We wanted a Christian voice that better reflected the gospel values missing from the landscape.” For this reason, the organization named its effort after the gospel story in which Jesus calls on his followers to “care for the least of these.”
The new PAC is gaining support from a variety of Christians, some of whom are new to political action.
The Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus, a leader in the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference says it was time for him to join other believers in addressing concerns of marginalized people. “For Hispanic Evangelicals, this is something deep in the heart,” he says.
Some Catholics see the network and Obama as addressing the justice concerns that are part of Catholic social teaching.
“People like myself get a lot of attention when we talk about issues like abortion and family life, but not when we talk about helping low-income people,” says Sharon Daly, former vice president of Catholic Charities. “Matthew 25 gives us the opportunity to try to get candidates to focus on these concerns.”
While the network is only endorsing Obama this year, it aims to become a permanent group that eventually supports candidates at various levels of government.
“The issues people pray about before they go to bed at night aren’t those divisive issues Republicans have raised,” Ms. Vanderslice says. “They pray about their son or daughter being overseas, or how they’ll take care of their mother-in-law’s nursing bills, or whether their son can go to college.”
Yet the PAC, which includes people who are both against abortion and for abortion rights, won’t shy away from the issue. “Everyone in the network is focused on reducing the number of abortions - and that’s where Senator Obama’s focus is, along with emphasizing personal responsibility, fatherhood, and having the courage to raise a child,” she says.
A section of the website called “Put Away Falsehood” (Eph. 4:25) addresses specific claims made about the Illinois senator, from his being a Muslim to supporting infanticide. The group also has called on Sen. John McCain’s campaign to remove an ad titled “The One,” in which Obama is mocked as a Messiah figure. It’s stirred considerable controversy for what some see as an attempt to portray him as the Antichrist through use of evangelical symbolism connected to the bestselling “Left Behind” series of novels.
The Network ad running on Christian radio, in which Obama talks about his faith, has brought strong reaction from the religious right. James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family, warns his listeners against the “highly seductive” Matthew 25 ads.
Some future Network ads will target Catholics directly. Obama says he found his Christian faith while working as a community organizer among low-income people in a Catholic-sponsored program, Ms. Daly emphasizes.
She believes that as “Catholics reflect on this and get to know more about him,” their support will grow.
Radio ads will run in English and Spanish, targeting such key states as Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Virginia.
Comments
2. Johnnie Davidson | 08.21.08
Only a so called or fallen away Catholic will fall for the lies the devil tries to seduce a person with. Praise be to Jesus for the faithful and devout Catholics. And anyone who will support a politican who votes to kill the unborn baby in the womb, whom God created will have blood on their hands and will have to give a account to God, for we are our brothers keeper. A unwanted pregnacy is not a punishment from God it is a consequence of ones action. Put the baby up for adoption. Wake up and quit following the lies of the devil and making laws based upon those lies we have the truth God’s truth and His commandments. If you don’t believe in God you will when you face Him when you die. I pray for the unbelievers they will see truth. How Our God must be so offended by his disobedient children.
3. Patricia McLean | 08.21.08
As a Roman Catholic, no WOLF in Sheeps clothing will change my mind on OBAMA.
Look at his record and see the fruit he has born. He supports the shedding of innocent blood through ABORTION (even if born alive outside the womb)!!! He can talk all he wants about how Christian he is(That was a really loving Church he belonged to with Rev. Wright as his Pastor), and he can send his wolves out to decieve the masses, tickling peoples ears with what they want to hear but one really only need to look at his record in the State Senate and as a Senator from Illinois. LIFE is the most basic FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT (Our founding Father’s understood this, why can’t we!). It is above every other right from helping the poor etc… If the mainline christians think that they can lump abortion in with the many other social justice causes as being no greater than say feeding the poor (like for instance former Amb RAY FLYNN), they are only fooling themselves. If Abel’s blood cried out from the grave and God heard it, do you not think he hears the cry of 40 million babies whose lives have been snuffed out, in the name of choice? They as well as the rest of us will be held accountable for what we did to the least of our brothers. We are our brother’s keeper. We cannot run away from that fact even if we are a minister, catholic priest,fundamentalist etc…. as Pope John Paul II so aptly put it ” a nation that kills its own children, is a nation without HOPE.”
4. mike | 08.21.08
Taad-
I came across this on a some blog the other day. For your consideration, please imagine a building that is on fire with two rooms. In one room is a 3 month old baby and in the other room is a thermos with 1000 fertilized eggs (zygotes). You only have time to save one or the other. which do you save?
On another note, pretty typical of James Dobson to come out critical of Matthew 25. Am I wrong to think he is nothing but a hate-monger using christianity to propogate his views? Maybe thats being to hostile…
Conservative Republicans need to realize they don’t have a monopoly on Faith-based Voters anymore. Attempting to galvanize this group by highlighting Obama’s comment at Saddleback (”above my paygrade”), will muster only minimal support especially if McCain nominates a pro-choice guy for his Veep. Matthew 25 I think will have a very broad appeal and chip away at the typically republican voting block.
If I had to guess, McCain has made all the gains he will make and Obama will continue to make gains from here until November.
5. Antoinette Arden | 08.21.08
I agree with the comment above.I will vote for the one that is Pro- Life regardless of race or creed. If you put HIM first all will follow with alot of blessings and good fortune for the United States. Don’t forget we owe Him our exitence.
6. slapshot | 08.21.08
That’s a getting a taad carried away….
Its about time a group of christians with the ability think beyond what they’re told decided to support a candidate that isn’t using fear as a weapon of control. I know a LOT of christians that voted for Bush ONLY because he was against abortion, even though he never promised to really do a thing about it, which is exactly what he did.
Obama is being far more realistic and if he’s slipping in the polls, its because the polls are designed to make news.
7. Liz Hiden | 08.21.08
Amen taad! The Christian groups that throw more attention to the issues that revolve around themselves will have a very rude awakening. I can’t wrap my head around those who cry over an abused animal or flip out over “climate crisis”, when all we need to do is serve OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, and protect OUR HEAVELY FATHERS creation which was created in HIS image for HIS PURPOSE!!!!!!
The unmoved reactions to protecting our life, the unborn, are painful to see!
8. LA Williams | 08.21.08
Without the right to life, what matters? If a mother can kill her own child, what’s there to keep you from killing me or me you? Abortion is war on the unborn who are discriminated against because of their dependency on their own mothers. Obama’s slogans are foolish nonsense. He is such a false prophet. What kind of hope is it that allows the barbarism of abortion on demand?
9. R. Hamric | 08.21.08
It seems the “emerging church” is willing to sacrifice the unborn on the altar of social compromise. Mr. McLaren and those who follow that “wolf amoung the sheep” need to refer to galatians where the Apostle Paul warned of such. As has been said, who will represent/speak for “the least amoungst us”? Surely not Mr. Obama or the Democratic Party.
10. natas | 08.21.08
I honestly hope that these comments are all jokes. Are people seriously going to vote for the next president based on these types of issues?? No offense but I have not exactly seen the population dramatically drop because of abortion.
11. cemoor | 08.21.08
I applaud the Matthew 25 group; unfortunately, sometimes my fellow Christians forget that we have a Biblical calling to trust in God, love - and not be controlled by fear.
When I see posts in capital letters, blanket generalizations, and expressions of contempt made in the supposed defense of Christian values, I have to ask: which is more important, Christ’s mandate to love, or our own comfort zone? If we allow only one issue to guide our vote, and that one issue is not something the President of the nation has control over, then for what have we traded in our common sense? Fear?
Christian, Republican, and voting for Barack Obama.
12. Catholic Girl | 08.21.08
I am frightened that people are being led astray by Mr. Obama — remember Matthew 16 - verses 11 - 12 “How do you not comprehend that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Matthew 25 - refers to each and everyone of us — we are the Government — as individuals, it is our responsibility to feed and nurture our brothers and sisters.
Read below from a Catholic Refresher Course
“Many people today misunderstand the ownership of human life; and this is their big mistake about the Fifth Commandment. They think that life belongs to man. Therefore, they do not realize that anger, drunkenness, abortion, mercy killing (euthanasia), and neglect of health are sins.
You cannot understand this lesson unless you accept the basic Christian principle about life; namely, that life belongs to God, the Author of life. Human beings do not have absolute mastery over life.”
GOD Bless
13. Jen | 08.21.08
I am so tired of seeing Christians vote on one issue only. The Republicans only give lip service to the issue of abortion, then they betray the trust of the Christians that voted for them by using their power to do all sorts of evil things like starting a war on false pretenses and throwing our Constitutional rights in the garbage. Meanwhile, the laws on abortion are substantially no different than when Clinton was in office. Do any of you honestly think abortion laws will change either way with either current candidate? But, if we elect Obama, maybe our constitutional rights will be restored, and maybe we can get out of a war, and maybe fewer innocent Iraqi children will be killed. If we elect McCain, I think we will see a new draft, and even more foreign wars, and more American jobs will go overseas, and more tax money will go to prop up already wealthy corporations, and more poor American families will be desperate and choose abortion. If you really want to see abortion go down, go volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, or take an active role in the lives of teenagers who are not pregnant, and encourage them to seek Christ and to make good choices in their lives. And, of course, pray for changes in the hearts of the people of this nation, that there would be a revival.
14. Jacki | 08.21.08
It’s a sad day indeed to see the blindness to the deeds and votes that have not helped the unborn, who need protection. He is unworthy and inexperienced to be president, and there is a lack of a track record. Apparently speeches are enough, and the unsavory characters he had surrounded himself with, the support by terrorist and radical groups, his votes to not protect those without a voice - the unborn, and others are overlooked. These same folks who support Obama are probably the harshest critics of the Catholic church and the willingness to overlook some faults in the past. The church now has increased awareness to look for obvious clues, while here we see evidence tht people continue to want to be fooled and overlook the obvious that he is a senator who is not qualified to even be Vice President. For all the years in community service, he has little to show for it, in fact many of his cronies benefiting from the government dollars for community work are now getting charged for incompetence and worse.
I pray people will be enlightened about the issues and true values and will discover that McCain is the best senator for President.
15. pam j | 08.22.08
I KNOW abortion will change if Obama becomes President. It is a matter of record that in July of 2007, Obama promised Planned Parenthood and NARAL at a rally that his first act as President would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act.
He continues to remind his audiences of that commitment. The Freedom of Choice Act would make abortion a right and prevent Roe v. Wade from ever being repealed. Even worse, all the inroads that have been made with partial birth abortion bans, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, parental consent laws, etc. will be reversed with one stroke of the pen if he signs that Act.
Faith-based institutions like churches, hospitals, and counseling centers would be forced to perform and participate in abortions, and/or counsel women (as well as underage girls) about abortion. Counseling women about other options such as adoption will be prohibited.
Non-compliance would lead to fines and/or jail time. For all of you who ask why the President matters when it comes to abortion, President Bush appointed two very strong pro-life judges to the Supreme Court. Right now the majority of judges are pro-life, but only by one, and we can expect to see at least one judge appointed during the next four years.
Yes Barack would certainly change the Constitution (into something unrecognizable), starting with his Freedom of Choice Act. I vote on every issue, but abortion trumps them all -if for no other reason the gravity of such an act.
The U.S. has killed more infants than all U.S. casualties of war from all the wars COMBINED. And from Ken Mccullough -”In order to get an idea of how many deaths [Planned Parenthood] has been responsible for - just pretend that nuclear weapons detonated in and wiped out the entire populations of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Washington DC combined. (Though you’d still come up on the short side.)”
Obama has the audacity to reference Matthew when Jesus told us “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” IS HE SERIOUS…babies are being killed…in the womb! The womb should be the safest place in the world. Who is more helpless, needy, innocent, young, than babies still in the womb? They are the “least brothers of mine.”
If we continue to kill cute lovable, innocent babies, how much quicker will we be to kill old, dependent sick people? In terms of issues like war, poverty, lack of or poor-quality education, the economy and the price of gas: all of these are moot when life is not respected and everyone is dispensable.
If Roe v. Wade is repealed, God will shower us with blessings. But if we continue to kill innocent babies in the womb, may God have mercy on our souls.
Our Lady of America, pray for us. I pray for a change of heart in this country and I pray that everyone will understand the potential for danger if Obama becomes our next President and recognize the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
16. BobD | 08.22.08
Mr Obama,
Since life apparently has no meaning for you, please take some medical insterments and dismember your daughters. What’s the difference between a newborn baby and a 10 year old baby - hey, maybe even a 47 year old whiner who is a wantabe president.
If Christians vote for this man, they will get exactly what they deserve.
May God have mercy on America.
17. susan d | 08.22.08
WOW! I hope some of you realize that McCain is only pro life because he wants your votes. He is pandering to the christian right because he thinks its his only way into the Whitehouse.
Its all just politics. Both of the candidates will do and say whatever they think will get them the presidency. Abortion is a non issue. They dont take it seriously. It is a great diversion from other issues though. Say, any of you loosing your home due to foreclosure, medical bills, etc?
18. Kathy Hagle | 08.22.08
I am deeply offended by this ad and the reason behind it. As this is an attack on James Dobson and Focus on the Family.
Obama will not have my vote, even though he is wanting it. As I am not happy with his voting record and his choice for churchs lacks as well. You can not tell me you didn’t know the stance of your Pastor after you had gone to that church for years.
McCain isn’t the ideal one to vote for given his stance on things. But at least he is honest, and does say what he means. He isn’t like Obama who is hiding behind words and fancy ads. As well as being a great speach giver. He is on record for being the MOST liberal Senetor on record. And this record was given to him for a reason.
19. Titus77 | 08.22.08
I’m very glad to see the Republican/conservative lock on Christian votes being broken during this election cycle. It’s about time!!
For me, the abortion issue boils down to this: giving women access to legal and safe medical procedures to end a pregnancy is a far less evil than women dying from botched illegal abortions. You can’t stop abortions from being performed. Law or no law, there will ALWAYS be women wanting to end unwanted pregnancies and there will always be doctors, quacks or greedy sadists willing to help them. Legalized abortion at least protects the lives of those women. There are lots of ways to reduce the number of abortions performed, but banning the procedure should not be among them. That will just cause more problems and solve none.
20. Bill Samuel | 08.22.08
This is not really a Christian group, but a partisan political group attempting to use religion just like the religious right did for years. The organizer is a professional campaign person. I consider this effort blasphemy. Why didn’t these people learn from the failure of the religious right? It wasn’t just that they were wrong on some of their positions, but they equated Christianity with a political party. To do it for a different establishment political party is also wrong.
I’m a friend of Brian McLaren, but he is really ill-advised on this. He should compare what he says in his book Everything Must Change (which looks at world issues from a Gospel point of view) with Obama’s positions. He will find very little congruence. Obama supports the framing stories that McLaren so properly criticizes in his book. I wish Brian would follow through on his own work, rather than become a stooge for a political party that doesn’t get it (in large part probably, because the major parties are primarily funded by those who benefit from the current system).
21. Matthew | 08.22.08
The last two election cycles demonstrate why our founding fathers were so adamant about the separation of church and state.
The examples of “wacked” Christian viewpoints among some of those commenting in this thread is down right scary.
“God, please protect me from your followers”.
22. CJ | 08.22.08
The republicans are doing it again. Suckering you in using the right to life issue.
The republicans have no qualms about shedding the blood of our young men and women of the military, and borrowing heavily from China, to keep our faltering grip on the world’s oil. And they have no concern for the common man.
Americans are oil addicts; terrorism sponsors are the dealers; and China is the sugar daddy.
McCain can say “life begins at conception” all he wants. I believe that it does, too. So did Bush and nothing has changed. Except we are now deeply indebted to China (the biggest baby killer in the world - do your research), our public infrastructure is crumbling, our military is being stretched to the breaking point and augmented by blackwater corporate assassins and mercenaries… the list continues…
At least Obama is focused on practical ways to reduce the number of abortions, wants to work together with world leaders to reduce the death and destruction of war as well as our addiction to oil. He’s more pro-life than McCain in the grand scheme of things.
23. Tone | 08.22.08
I can tell you as someone married to a repulican strategist the biggest worry they have for the future of the party is that Roe will be overturned. They actually do not want it to be. It’s all lip service.
I mean really do Republicans not have abortions too? Right. It’s the biggest sham in the history of politics.
This issue is the biggest GOP country club joke on conservatives. When they actually had a chance (it’s pretty simple math) Bush I appointed Souter. That kept it alive until today.
Adultery is a commandment but the govenment is not going to make it criminal. The crime of abortion is between God and the practioner and the decision maker. Just like adultery. Just like sodomy. Just like bearing false witness. Just like idol worship. None of these sins is a crime except in very specific circumstances. Like rape, incest, and lying to a grand jury. Carrying out the dealth penalty is even a sin. Oh I forgot that’s not really applicable to #5 because society said so an we agree. How exactly do we agree?
You can’t be a little pregnant. But that’s a pun I guess.
24. nicole | 08.24.08
I am truly embarrassed that fellow christians make political decisions based on one issue. Jesus spoke of not following the letter of the law or you would be just like pharisees yet now christian churches demand that you vote based on one issue. Nevermind the greed of the current administration and john mccain. Nevermind that John Mccain cheated on his wife to marry a wealthy, younger less disabled woman. How Christian is that? I am appalled that I am living in a time when being prowar, pro greed and pro dishonest is equivalent to being a Christian. I guess things haven’t changed that much. I hope when the current Christians push us to sell us entirely to China a godless nation they will be happy. small thinking. sad.
25. Maryann Zimmermann | 08.24.08
It delights me that the New Christian Group embraces the high values of Barack Obama, our next president of the United Stes and for 8 years hense. The time is now for change …CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN. God Bless America
26. Linda Lawrence | 08.24.08
The Bible says that there are people who say they are Christian and when they meet Christ he will say He never knew them…and they will be surprised!! So even the people calling themselves ‘Christians’ may be a bit shocked finally! My gut tells me neither of the candidates is a Christian, but I may very well be wrong…or right. But I do know that I can take a look at their records so far…and listen to what they say. I know that the Bible says that God created each of us, and that He knows us in the womb. I believe that abortion is plain old murder, so I cannot support a candiate who supports it. Though Obama’s record is very very short, and he apparently hasn’t authored a single piece of legislation during his 3 years as Senator, he has gone on record as being in favor of abortion, and did NOT support the partial-birth abortion ban in Illinois (an especially barbaric procedure that really reminds one more of Hitler’s hey-day in Germany, not the US in the 21st century!) That is just ONE of many issues that to me, preclude any support for an Obama Presidency. Seeing a group of people declare they follow Jesus, yet have NO problem supporting a man who has NO problem with abortion, partial-birth abortion, makes me wonder if they might just be surprised when their time comes to face Jesus too…and might just hear, “Go away from Me, I never knew you.” They obviously don’t think abortion is murder, or wrong, or anything to consider as a real ‘issue’ in supporting their candidate. They want to ‘poo poo’ us who DO believe that it is a very, very crucial issue, and make us feel uninformed and ignorant. It won’t. Many people are passionate about the issue of abortion, and calling people names won’t squelch that. And Obama will lose the vote of every American who believes that abortion is murder. Period.
27. Chris | 08.25.08
Single-issue voters are so blind. During the first Bush term you had a Republican executive branch, a Republican senate, a Republican house and 7 of the Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican presidents. Yet nothing, NOTHING was done to end abortion.
Do you know why? Because they would lose your vote if they put the issue to rest. You vote blindly and unwaveringly on a single issue and they rely upon it like the sun rising. Because once abortion is off the list, elimination of poverty and social equality issues (the least of these, feed my sheep, do unto others issues that Jesus was talking about) belong on the other side of the aisle - and they can’t have that.
I respect your concern for wanting to save the lives of the unborn but how many lives have been lost by your “pro-life” President and his foolish wars? Tens of thousands. How many lives have been saved by his non-existent pro-life legislation? Zero.
Am I pro life? Yes. Do I take a “total evil” assessment when voting for a candidate? Yes, and so should you. All these “pro-life” candidates are feeding you lies about how they will do everything in their power to “end the holocaust” all while sending thousands off to their death and stealing food out of the mouths of the starving and putting it into the coffers of the rich.
I’m not arguing that you should not be passionate about abortion. I hate it too. I am pointing out that your blind faith has been put into men (politicians no less!) and it is being used to further other evils. These men, these politicians are manipulating you and you don’t even see it.
28. Donald King | 08.26.08
As a Christian who has spent my career teaching at a conservative biblically- based liberal arts college, I support what Ron Sider has described as a comprehensive Pro-Life agenda. Being “pro-life” is more than being in favor of reducing the number of abortions in America. It also includes standing up for what the Bible refers to as “the least of these” which include the homeless, the unemployed, the sick,widows, orphans, prisoners, the oppressed and poor. It also is being opposed to the senseless war against Iraq that has killed over 4,000 Americans in uniform and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians–many of whom were women and children caught up in the fighting and dismissed as collateral damage. Being pro-life is also speaking out against the degradation of the environment that sustains our lives and provides a healthy place for all of God’s creatures. Being pro-life means reexamining our criminal justice system, its ineffective warehousing of addicts, the mentally ill, and non-violent offenders who need to be better prepared to reenter society.
I hope I’ve made my point, and don’t need to go on.
Christ calls us to be his servants and agents for justice, to demonstrate love to our neighbors, and bring redemption to all areas of life under his authority.
Abortion is only one issue that demands our attention, but our choice of leaders also should include a close examination of their views and intentions on a wide range of issues from capital punishment (often unjustly dispensed to those who cannot afford a decent attorney), to making health care available to the poor, to our returning veterans, to those who earn low wages and lack health care insurance.
Look at the corruption that runs through the current administration—from government contracts worth millions of dollars to rebuild Iraq that have been squandered, the support for private mercenaries working for organizations like Blackwell that have been allowed to use their services without accountability. The skyrocketing gas prices are not unrelated to a President who is in bed with the oil industry that is making record profits while government fails to adopt an energy policy that shifts our subsidies to renewable forms of energy.
I don’t know if Obama is the answer, but I do know we need a change of leadership to have any effect at all in redirecting our political authority toward a more fair and just society.
29. JTC | 09.14.08
“Jesus calls on his followers to ‘care for the least of these.’”
Christ here is speaking to his followers, which would be the church, NOT the government. What don’t these people understand? The government knows nothing of charity because to financially help one, they have to financially penalize (taxes) others. These others may have contributed more to charities if the government didn’t take such a stiff bite. Another point is that charities are much better at weeding out the frauds and can do the same thing for a fraction of the cost.
30. Kiki Faye | 10.09.08
Please, please, PLEASE, brothers and sisters, take a moment to LISTEN and THINK before just shouting the same old slogans. It would be lovely if one simple vote could end all abortions, but that is NOT how it will happen. Even if Roe v. Wade were overturned, it would be up to the states, and most states don’t have the votes to outlaw abortion. Even if a few did, women could still travel across state lines or - God forbid - seek a dangerous illegal abortion. We need to treat the disease, not the symptoms - most women who make the difficult choice of abortion do so for economic reasons. If there were more support for young, poor, and unwed mothers, if they had health care and maternity leave to fall back on, then they would be more likely to choose LIFE. This is what Senator Obama is fighting for!
…and shame on you for saying that this is the only issue that matters. What am I to think of a politician who talks a lot about pro-life issues, but disregards the “least of these” in our midst, or God’s creation? What am I to conclude about his or her faith? LIFE - in all forms, at all stages - is to be valued above all.
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1. taad | 08.21.08
Good Lord, you people are living in fear and letting this control your decisions. We need to take care of the least amoung us. Those who have no voice or say, those who have no where to live and did nothing wrong to anyone. Those who don’t have any clothes or food. Those who are being targeted for their race, or because they might cause us to give up what we have. The only ones who fit this completely are the Unborn. They are the least. They have been convicted by you christians as being non-human just as was done by the Nazi’s in WWII. Shame on you for being so selfish you worry more about your health care and pay check than someone who has nothing, not even a mother.