Veazey: Fetal Rights Bill Has Radical Implications for Freedom of Religion; Bush Should Not Sign

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

Veazey: Fetal Rights Bill Has Radical Implications for Freedom of Religion; President Bush, as a Person of Faith, Should Not Sign Bill

3/26/2004 2:53:00 PM

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To: National Deks

Contact: Marjorie Signer of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, 202-628-7700 ext. 12, msigner@rcrc.org

WASHINGTON, March 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by Reverend Carlton W. Veazey, president, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice:

"The U.S. Senate's passage March 25 of the so-called 'Unborn Victims of Violence Act' has radical implications for freedom of religion and conscience in America. This bill would enact into law a narrow religious belief about human personhood that is not shared by many millions of Americans. The bill explicitly states that a fertilized egg or fetus at any stage of development is a 'child.' Once established in law, this belief will impact Americans of all faiths. No longer will a woman be able to make reproductive decisions according to the dictates of her faith and conscience. The law -- that a fertilized egg is a person, equal to a woman -- will dictate her decision.

"This deceptively named bill is part of the Religious Right's effort to lay a foundation to overturn the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. Some legislators who voted for UVVA may have acted out of deep concern for women, and we thank them. Our efforts now must be directed toward educating President Bush about why he should not to sign this shameless and cynical bill. As a person of faith, the President should understand that imposing religious views is the wrong thing to do, especially in a nation admired throughout the world for its respect of religious diversity and tolerance.

"From the start, the bill has been cloaked in moralistic platitudes. The Senate and the House -- which passed the bill in February -- shamelessly took advantage of the sincere grief over the tragic murder of Laci Peterson, who was in the late stage of pregnancy, to push hard for passage. If the Senate and House had truly been concerned about pregnant women, they would not have rejected substitute bills that would have severely punished attacks on pregnant women without identifying every fertilized egg and embryo as a person."

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, founded in 1973, is the national alliance of organizations from 15 denominations and traditions with official statements in support of reproductive choice, including the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Reform and Conservative Judaism, and Unitarian Universalism.

[Jim Robinson]

Signer of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice?? And God said go forth and subtract?

[So Cal Rocket]

So, by this logic, since Satanism recognizes the ritual murder of a virgin, we should not criminalize murder since it's an infringement on their freedom of religion.

What a bunch of Bravo Sierra!

[thoughtomator]

In Judaism there is no allowance for the abortion of a child that does not threaten grave injury to the mother - it is considered the moral equivalent of murder. And I know the Christian point of view is even more strict.

Just what religion is this group representing? Molech's?

[ServesURight]

Another left-wing group disguised as conservatives.

Sign the bill, Dubya, and flip the bird at the Rats.

[jwalsh07]

Following is a statement by Reverend Carlton W. Veazey, president, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice:

A euphemism for Baby Killers for Chirst?

[dts32041]

"The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, founded in 1973, is the national alliance of organizations from 15 denominations and traditions with official statements in support of reproductive choice, including the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Reform and Conservative Judaism, and Unitarian Universalism."

Guess the current occupant of the white house will have to listen to this group as his cult is a member organization.

Wonder how he feels about the lesbian preacher living in sin with her whatever.

The UMC has become such a joke, of course, it started many years ago when they started radicalizing the young'uns with the teachings of edgar cayce.

[Bikers4Bush]

"The bill explicitly states that a fertilized egg or fetus at any stage of development is a 'child.'"

Do we not say that a woman who is pregnant is "with child" regardless of the stage?

[tractorman]

So tell me Reverend Carlton W. Sleazy Veazey, a what stage of development is it a child?

[packing heat]

These people obviously don't know their biology.
When an egg is fertilized, it receives 23 more chromosomes from the male sperm. This completes the genetic code for a living being (46 chromosomes). In essence, the genetic code of the new form of life is that of a human being and different from that of the mother.
There is no religion there. This is plain and simple and should be recognized by atheists and theists alike.
Now, those who claim that, "It's my body and I can do what I want." are being a little selfish and illogical. The issue of abortion is not one of religious beliefs, but one of biological standards.
Any biologist, doctor, or medical student can tell you these facts without even thinking twice about God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, or Satan.

[mtnwmn]

If these women didn't want to get pregnant they could/should have done something about it before they got pregnant! And by the way...it's not a "narrow" religious belief. There is nothing religious about abortion!

[Bikers4Bush]

"In essence, the genetic code of the new form of life is that of a human being and different from that of the mother."

And this is proven when in some cases a mothers body attacks a child as though it were an infection. The body recognizes that the child is not a part of it but a resident.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Reform and Conservative Judaism, and Unitarian Universalism

Every on eof them are liberal churches that promote non-biblical principles.

[chance33_98]

Personally I see leftists trying to define the debate as a religious one versus a societal one. They do this so they can throw around the term fundamentalists in negative ways. Outside of religion, using their own secular values, using a superior force to kill is wrong (in this case the mother and doctor being superior to the child).

They shift it to a woman's right dialouge and shift the fetus from such as it is to a blob of nothingness to balance out their own logical shortcomings.

Those who have power generally define the terms, hence hitler and other such leaders referred to their enemies as rats, et al, to make them less human - so killing them was ok. The left says such things are abuse of power, and that someone has to stand up for the 'little guy' - and they are now doing the exact same thing to eliminate their undesirables.

[brothers4thID]

Actually their argument is based on a fallacy. The bill does not claim that a fertilized egg is a human being. The language of the bill is:

`(d) As used in this section, the term `unborn child' means a child in utero, and the term `child in utero' or `child, who is in utero' means a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.'.

A simple fertilized egg is not in fact in the womb yet but traveling down the falopian tubes and is not implanted. Geography, but important geography.

What makes people mad is that this law qualifies as worthy of protection an embryo or fetus at any stage of pregnancy- viable or not. Personally I think anyone who argues this as a pro-choice issue should ask Laci Peterson if she had a "choice".

[packing heat]

Very good, you know your bio and how not to screw up into some kind of lie.
I give you a gold star!

[packing heat]

When all else fails, go to the Catholics. They are the most conservative denomination of all.
What does the Papa have to say?

[Blood of Tyrants]

You are forgetting us Southern Baptists. You won't find a homo on the church staff there.

[No_Outcome_But_Victory]

So the Unitarians and the other donominations trying to be as foolish as them are trying to argue a fact of biology as a question of religion?

These guys are splitting apart and fading into nothingness and this is what they waste time thinking about? Dopes....

[contessa machiaveli]

with child? that's an anachronism. we say a woman is pregnant.
i wasn't aware that this bill defines "child" as a just- fertilized egg.