GOP candidates to address pro-life issues tomorrow night
Via a Students for Life of America email:
We are excited to announce the first ever Presidential Pro-Life Forum, a national tele-town hall and radio simulcast presented by Personhood USA in partnership with Champion The Vote and other national pro-life organizations tomorrow, December 27 at 8:00 – 9:30 pm CST.
All current Presidential candidates have been invited to participate, and as of now, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum are confirmed.
We hope you’ll attend this 90-minute town hall conference call to hear the candidates discuss their views on right to lifeissues. On the tele-conference, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and to give instant feedback to thoughts and ideas shared. The programwill also be heard live on Steve Deace’s nationally-syndicated radio show on the Salem Network. Please visit www.ChampionTheVote.com to register!
While it’s good to see that life issues are getting attention, I have some concerns about the Presidential Pro-Life Forum. Champion the Vote describes itself as a group of voters who “are passionate about America and God’s word” and “long to see our nation return to the timeless truth of a Biblical worldview.” Many of the co-sponsoring organizations have similar missions. It appears likely that the Forum will frame the right to life in religious terms, potentially alienating non-Christian voters.
On the plus side, the Forum will provide opportunities for live questions and answers. It is entirely appropriate for pro-life voters to ask the candidates how they would advance science, promote pro-life cooperation, and represent citizens of all faith backgrounds as president. Secular Pro-Life encourages you to ask those questions of Gingrich, Perry, Bachmann, and Santorum tomorrow night. All four are pro-life: but which would best guide us into a pro-life future?
I visited championthevote.com and I understand your concern. They want to bring the country "back to God" (and their perception of what that "God" is). I am not sure if it will do any good to have input from non-theist sources – it is a bunch of Christians talking to Christians – but I will register and try. I hope others will also.
Now that I said I would register and try, I am immediately getting "cold feet". Spend an hour and a half on the phone listening to a bunch of Christians talking to each other. Ugghh! I imagine there will be a lot of people on this one phone call – will there much chance to ask any questions or make any comments if you want to? I also feel a little dishonest. If I register at the ChampionTheVote website, then am I not saying that I am one of them? If I question their religious viewpoint they will say I have not right to be there because I am not a ChampionTheVote'er. (Although you don't have to actually join them to register.) Are any of the rest of you going to do this? Any suggestions?
I'll try to be on the call too, if only to report on what happens.
Ooops! The time got away from me and I never did get registered for the tele-forum. Sorry if I let you down. I will be anxious to hear what you have to report.
By the way, I have referenced Aimee Bedoy's article (and more generally your journal) at my website: http://www.abortionreason.com/blog.php.
Oops! That comment ended up on the wrong page. (D***ed browser!) I will repost it on the right page.