May 18, 2009
Personal note:
I read several accounts regarding President Barack Obama's visit to Notre
Dame University yesterday (Sunday) to give the commencement address to the
2009 graduates and to receive an Honorary Law Degree.
The Associated Press was the first mainstream media account I encountered
covering Mr. Obama's message.
http://onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=533386
I also looked for another point of view and received the following email
report from LifeNews.com
One of the recurring themes of this report is that the President has a penchant
for saying one thing (very convincingly) while doing another.
With sadness and concern, I echo that observation. He has an incredible ability
to persuade the masses. How else can we explain even Christians (at least
in name) voting for Mr. Obama while he was a candidate though he was clearly
and staunchly pro-abortion.
Pray for Christians to wake up. Also, pray for President Obama as we are
directed by God in the Bible to pray for our leaders.
========
South Bend, IN (LifeNews.com) --
After weeks of intense opposition and controversy surrounding President Barack
Obama's commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame, Obama did what
many observers expected him to do. He attempted to seek middle ground in the
abortion debate and covered up his extensive pro-abortion record. Obama's
speech began with another expected turn of events -- hecklers. As Obama began
his graduation speech by thanking Notre Dame officials, a handful of pro-life
advocates in the crowd stood up one by one and urged the president to reform
his pro-abortion views. Four people, including Joseph Landry and Andrew Beacham,
shouted "abortion is murder" and "stop killing babies"
before being escorted from the auditorium by security officials. Once the
president waded into the section of his speech reserved for abortion, Obama
retreated to his pre-election rhetoric and sophistry by expressing a yen for
a middle ground on abortion.
Obama related a story about how a Christian, pro-life doctor emailed him
about a comment on his web site saying Obama should "speak about this
issue in fair-minded words." Obama said "fair-minded words"
were missing from the abortion debate and that, while he "didn't change
my position" on abortion after hearing from the physician, he rededicated
himself to finding "common ground" on abortion. But Benjamin Clapper,
the director of Louisiana Right to Life, told LifeNews.com after the speech
that Obama has not been dedicating to finding common ground or using "fair-minded
words" since becoming president. He said, "President Obama is saying
one thing and doing another. By requiring the taxpayer funding of abortion
overseas and embryonic stem cell research, President Obama's actions are anything
but 'fair-minded.'
"In addition, it is expected that President Obama will include taxpayer
funded abortions in his upcoming health care reform legislation. By forcing
every American to fund abortion in health care, President Obama undermines
any attempt to find common ground on the issue of abortion," Clapper
added.
Clapper also pointed out that President Obama's new federal budget calls
for forcing Americans to pay for abortions using taxpayer dollars.
"We implore President Obama to find some common ground by not expanding
abortion through our tax dollars," he said.
http://www.lifenews.com/state4151.html
Editor's note:
This report was also filed by LifeNews.com yesterday. Again, the continued
concern of eloquently saying one thing and doing another.
========
Obama Seeks Abortion Conscience Rights at Notre Dame, But He's Repealing
Law South Bend, IN (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama used his commencement
speech at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday to call for conscience rights
for physicians on abortion. However, his administration has already proposed
overturning a measure President Bush put in place to uphold three conscience
laws. After relating to the audience a story about how a pro-life, Christian
doctor emailed him about rhetoric Obama used on his campaign web site, Obama
expressed a desire [for] common ground on abortion. "I said a prayer
that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others
that the doctor had extended to me," Obama said. One of the ways Obama
told the Notre Dame graduates that common ground could be put in place is
by putting forward conscience laws on abortion. "Let’s honor the
conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience
clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in
clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women,"
Obama said. But, in listening to Obama's speech, bioethics attorney Wesley
J. Smith was struck by Obama's esurient desire to be seen as moderate on abortion
yet taking hypocritical actions. "I was reminded of how adept Obama is
in saying one thing while doing just the opposite; such as claiming in his
speech to support a conscience clause for health professionals on the issue
of abortion," he said. "Obama--or at least his administration (is
there a difference?) plans to revoke the Bush conscience clause, not revise
it. That is hardly honoring heterodox thinkers' consciences," Smith added.
Full story at http://www.lifenews.com/nat5057.html
==========================
American Decency Association
Bill Johnson, President
P.O. Box 202
Fremont, MI 49412
ph: 231-924-4050
http://www.americandecency.org
