President Barack Obama’s Faith Speech Chided for Not Criticizing Abortion
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 5, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Barack Obama gave a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday to announced his new office of faith-based advisors that includes abortion advocates. Obama was condemned for not criticizing abortion in the speech despite using language pro-life advocates normally employ.
"We have seen faith wielded as a tool to divide us from one another – as an excuse for prejudice and intolerance," the president said.
"Wars have been waged. Innocents have been slaughtered," Obama added, saying nothing of the more than 50 million unborn children who had died in abortions or the women injured in the process.
"There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know," Obama added, again making no reference to abortions.
The president spent most of his speech touting the Golden Rule — "the call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect" — but one pro-life group said he should have made the connection between that and how society treats women and unborn children.
Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com afterwards that the talk left something to be desired.
“My deepest prayer is that President Obama will move forward in the spirit of the Golden Rule, and embrace policies that affirm the dignity of every human being, especially the most vulnerable of all, the unborn,” she said.
“This approach is in sync with Susan B. Anthony’s philosophy – one that protects the dignity of all human beings. She protected human rights wherever she found them abused, whether that was through advocating women’s suffrage, the abolition of slavery, or protecting the right to life," Dannenfelser added.
Dannenfelser highlighted the remarks where Obama used pro-life language without making the connection with stopping or even reducing abortions.
The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event, held on the first Thursday in February since 1953. Over 3,000 people from 182 countries attended today’s event.
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.
