One of the participants in this recent Pew Forum interview is Jennifer Butler - the Executive Director for Faith in Public Life. You may remember that this group organized the Compassion Forum early last month. Faith in Public Life said they would discuss the abortion issue at the forum and issued this statement: "We hope to get to the heart of the issue and why it's so divisive. We hope to try to pry the door open to potential common ground and ask if the political labels we use when it come to abortion really capture where Americans are on the issue."
However, in this Pew Forum interview, Ms. Butler proudly points to her strong connections with Planned Parenthood and her speaking engagement at the "Planned Parenthood prayer breakfast":
BUTLER: Yeah, well, it is interesting you asked that. I am speaking at the Planned Parenthood prayer breakfast tomorrow. And we have worked very closely with some think-tanks in town with Third Way and with Center for American Progress. Many of these groups are also very interested in connecting more strongly with faith communities. And I'd say there has been a resurgence in their interest, an intensification since 2004. So I think it is extremely important to build those bridges there...
...There has been some recent progress in that arena because it has been a point of tension. I mentioned earlier our work with Third Way. And they worked with leading evangelicals and progressives to outline a strategy for approaching the abortion issue which, interestingly enough, did not involve compromise. And they were very clear that they didn't want a watered-down solution to the problem, nor did they want people having to compromise on their ideals...
Butler should explain how working "closely" with Planned Parenthood helps achieve "common ground" to solve the "problem" of abortion.
Comments (3)
The "Faith in Public Life" crowd appear to be clueless to the hilt. A Christian does not find "common ground" with evil, and the Christian had better pray for divisivness when abortion is accepted by a large percentage of the populace. Can you imagine Martin Luther King trying to find "common ground" with the KKK? We do not have "common ground" with baby-murder! When will this "but we want them to like us and think we're nice people" crowd of wimpy "Christians" wake up and stiffen up their spines?
May 5, 2008 9:58 PM | Comment Permalink
Janet
I agree there is no compromise with God's word. I have met a lot of watered down Christians who believe they should do their will and not God's will. He will not be mocked. They have an ala carte Bible.
May 14, 2008 1:01 PM | Comment Permalink
I agree Janet. I've heard of the viability of the fetus excuse. Life begins at conception Christians and there is no "common ground" When God says NO, he means NO.
May 23, 2008 2:31 PM | Comment Permalink