Catholics United Bombards Voters With Flier Reducing Importance of Abortion
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 6, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Catholics United is hoping to confuse pro-life Catholic voters into thinking that it’s alright for them to consider abortion just as or less important than other political issues — despite clear teaching from the Catholic Church saying nothing is more important than the destruction of 50 million unborn children.
The left-wing political group, which has been working throughout the election to provide cover for Catholics to support pro-abortion candidate Barack Obama, chose Pro-Life Sunday to sent out an email blast with a new flier.
Entitled, "Pro-Life Means Action on Behalf of All Human Life," the flier only barely hides its intention to call Obama’s policies on unrelated issues "pro-life" while blasting pro-life groups that support John McCain or say pro-life issues should take priority.
"Some groups on the far right are bombarding Catholics and other people of faith with the message that all that matters in this election is a candidate’s stated position on the legality of abortion," Catholics United said in an email accompanying the flier.
"Although some of the groups that push this message are operating under a heartfelt desire to help the unborn, all-too-often this single-issue approach to values voting is designed to strong-arm people of faith into voting for candidates who do not share our values," the group claims.
Catholics United says the flier "helps paint a vision of a true pro-life agenda, and provides valuable talking points for activists who want to counter the far right’s attempts to water down the social teachings of our church."
LifeNews.com spoke with Father Frank Pavone, the director of Priests for Life, who says the flier and email misrepresent not only the teachings of the Catholic Church and its top leaders, but much more.
"I don’t know of any group that says, as this letter claims, that ‘all that matters in this election is a candidate’s stated position on the legality of abortion," Pavone says. "And if anyone should know about the existence of such an alleged group, it would be me."
Pavone says Catholics United is right that every political issue can be considered a "pro-life" issue — but he insists the group fails to understand that people who are victims of abortion can never enjoy things like better health care or a better economy.
"The assertion cuts both ways, because it also means that to actually deny the right to life of any one group undermines all our efforts for justice and peace," he explained.
"And there’s only one group in our society whose right to life has been directly and formally denied, and that is the children in the womb," Pavone continues. "Deny their right to life, and you undermine the entire moral order. No public official who permits such a denial can possibly be right on other issues, because he or she has destroyed the heart and soul of those other issues."
Pavone also says Catholics United misconstrues Catholic teaching when it comes to war or the conflict in Iraq.
"One of the points this letter brings up is war, but the evaluation of it is not precise," he told LifeNews.com. "The fundamental pro-life principle is that we never target the innocent. War is never justified if it does, whereas abortion is never successful if it doesn’t."
Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.
