President Bush Defends Pro-Life Record on Abortion, Abstinence in Baptist Speech

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 14, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

President Bush Defends Pro-Life Record on Abortion, Abstinence in Baptist Speech

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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 14
, 2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Bush is defending his pro-life record on abortion, abstinence and other issues in two key speeches this week. He touted his record on Wednesday at a speech before leaders of the Southern Baptist Church and will appear in a video presentation at the annual National Right to Life convention later this week.

Bush told the Baptists that he understood the “of fair-minded and impartial judges to our democracy” and received significant applause from those in attendance when he mentioned his nominations of John Roberts and Sam Alito to the Supreme Court.

The two justices recently joined with three other members of the high court in upholding the ban on partial-birth abortions.

Bush touted his signing of that law as well as the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which protects pregnant women and their unborn children from acts of violence.

The president also talked about the actions he’s taken to protect American taxpayers from funding abortion or embryonic stem cell research.

“I’ve refused to fund programs overseas that promote or perform abortions,” he said. “I used my first veto on a bill that would have compelled American taxpayers to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. And I will veto any bill Congress sends me that violates the sanctity of human life.”

Bush told the Baptists that they have done considerable work to not only help pass pro-life laws that save lives but to advance the cause in other practical ways such as promoting adoption or helping pregnant women.

“believe building a culture of life in our country also means promoting adoption and teaching teen abstinence, funding crisis pregnancy programs, and supporting the work of faith-based groups,” he said.

“In defending the lives of the weakest and the most vulnerable members of our society we reflect the compassion and humanity of America. And we will continue to work toward the day when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law,” he said.

The president said that the commitment of the Southern Baptist Church in “working to promote a culture of life abroad by helping lead the fight against malaria and HIV/AIDS” has been paying dividends. The programs are abstinence based rather than focused on promoting contraception.

“In Uganda, Southern Baptists sponsor an abstinence program called True Love Waits,” the president said. “And thanks to efforts like yours, Uganda has made progress against HIV/AIDS.”

The SBC is currently working to fund the program in six more African nations.