Obama's Catholic Advisors Respond

"It is more than embarrassing--it is shocking--to read how these Catholics view abortion. The Catholic Church regards abortion, as well as embryonic stem cell research, as 'intrinsically evil.' But not these folks. For them, abortion is merely 'a profound moral issue.'

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Catholic League) - On May 2, Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued a news release urging Sen. Barack Obama to dissolve his Catholic National Advisory Council.

Donohue did so because not one of the 26 former and current public policy holders who constitute the group stand with the Catholic Church on all three major issues: abortion, embryonic stem cell research and school vouchers.

He provided evidence that the overwhelming majority of these advisors agreed with NARAL, the most pro-abortion group in the nation, 100 percent of the time. Now the group has written to Donohue protesting his remarks.

Donohue answered them today:

"The reason I mentioned only public officials who are part of Sen. Obama's Catholic National Advisory Council is the same reason I chose just three public policy issues: voting tallies are available on these advisors (but not on the others) and on these three issues. If I knew more about the others, no doubt some would have made the cut.

"It is more than embarrassing--it is shocking--to read how these Catholics view abortion. The Catholic Church regards abortion, as well as embryonic stem cell research, as 'intrinsically evil.' But not these folks. For them, abortion is merely 'a profound moral issue.'

"Sadly, it has been apparent for years that many who fancy themselves 'progressive' Catholics do not treat abortion the way they do racial discrimination. No one in his right mind says that the best way to combat racial discrimination is by changing people's hearts and minds, not the law. Which is why we do both. But when it comes to abortion--including partial-birth abortion--the progressives settle for dialogue.

"It is so nice to know that Obama thinks abortion 'presents a profound moral challenge.' Is infanticide another 'profound moral challenge'?

To wit: When he was in the Illinois state senate he led the fight to deny health care to babies born alive who survived an abortion. That, my friends, is not a moral challenge--it's a Hitlerian decision."

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The Catholic League is the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization. Founded in 1973 by the late Father Virgil C. Blum, S.J., the Catholic League defends the right of Catholics – lay and clergy alike – to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination. It is led by its' President, William A. Donohue, Ph.D.