Democrats and Abortion
Window Dressing for the Election
 

Yesterday, CBN’s David Brody reported that members of the Democrat Platform Committee have sought input from evangelical leaders to moderate their party platform on abortion with the intent of making the Democrat Party more attractive to people of faith. According to Brody, Pastors Joel Hunter, Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo were involved in the effort. So, what did they come up with? Here’s the proposed new language: “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to affordable family planning services and comprehensive age-appropriate sex education which empower people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions. The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman’s decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre and post natal health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs.” How “moderate” did that sound to you? I’m curious to know exactly what scriptures guided Pastors Hunter, Wallis and Campolo in their efforts. I certainly doubt that strong and unequivocal support for the abortion-on-demand regime of Roe v. Wade will in any way entice pro-life voters. The promise of taxpayer-funding for abortions will turn off many moderates who may not want to ban it but surely don’t want their hard-earned dollars paying for it. Will Christians be drawn to vote Democrat by the idea that little Susie and Johnny will be taught to use condoms in the first grade? I don’t think so. The sad fact is that the DNC could adopt the strongest pro-life language that Jim Dobson and I could come up with and it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter because Barack Obama is the most extreme, pro-abortion candidate ever nominated for president. He promised Planned Parenthood that the first piece of legislation that he would sign as president is the Freedom of Choice Act. That bill would repeal the federal ban on partial-birth abortions and every pro-life state law, from parental notifications to waiting periods. Obama has also promised to appoint ACLU radicals to our courts, liberal judicial activists like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer. I know Joel Hunter, Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo have their hearts fixed on God. They are well-meaning men. But I fear their faith is being taken advantage of, and their efforts to moderate the party of Clinton, Kerry and Kennedy on values issues will amount to little more than window dressing.