Episcopal Bishop Tells Planned Parenthood Leaders To Involve Religious People in Abortion Rights, Sex Education Fight

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 19 Apr 2005 - 10:00 PDT

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New Hampshire Bishop V Gene Robinson, the... Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, on Friday said that the Planned Parenthood Federation of America should promote abortion rights and comprehensive sex education to "people of faith," the Washington Times reports. Speaking at Planned Parenthood's fifth annual prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C., Robinson said that abortion is "not just a matter between a woman and her body," adding, "This is not like removing a mole. On the other hand, no one should interfere with a woman's right to choose." He added, "This current administration notwithstanding, the world is not black and white. We need to teach people about nuance -- about holding things in tension -- that this can be true and that can be true, and somewhere between is the right answer." Rev. Ignacio Castuera, a Methodist pastor and Planned Parenthood's national chaplain, said he is trying to increase the group's 1,400-member clergy network, according to the Times. David Beriet, national director of the antiabortion group Stopp International, at a news conference across the street from the Planned Parenthood meeting said that his organization is "not going to allow Planned Parenthood to hijack Christianity." Planned Parenthood operated 849 clinics in 2004, down from 866 in 2003, and its donations dropped from $230 million in fiscal year 2002 to $191 million in fiscal year 2003, the Times reports (Ward, Washington Times, 4/16).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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