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Obama: My Answer on Abortion at Saddleback Church was Too Flip
ABC News ^ | September 07, 2008 | Jake Tapper

Posted on 09/08/2008 7:54:53 AM PDT by Gamecock

On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., expressed regret at his answer on abortion at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church a couple weekends ago.

"At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?" Warren asked.

"I think that, whether you’re looking at it from the theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade," Obama said -- an answer that offended some people.

"Was that phrase too flip?" Stephanopoulos asked Obama today.

"Probably," Obama said. "Yes. I mean, what I intended to say is that, as a Christian, I have a lot of humility about understanding when does the soul enter into…"

"It goes back to Augustine," Stephanopoulos interjected.

"It does," Obama said. "It's a pretty tough question. And so, all I meant to communicate was that I don't presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions. What I do know is that abortion is a moral issue, that it's one that families struggle with all the time, and that in wrestling with those issues, I don't think that the government criminalizing the choices that families make is the best answer for reducing abortions."

**

Speaking of this debate, on Meet the Press last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was asked about Obama's answer, and she ignited a firestorm of criticism among Catholic officials with her response.

"As an ardent practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time," Pelosi said. "And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition. And St. Augustine said at three months. We don’t know. The point is, is that it shouldn’t have impact on a woman’s right to choose. Roe v. Wade talks about very clear definitions of when the child, first trimester, certain considerations second trimester, not so third trimester, there’s very clear distinct, this isn’t about abortion on demand, it’s about a careful, careful consideration of all factors that a woman has to make with her doctor and her God. And so I don’t think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins."

Pelosi said the "Catholic Church, for centuries, has been discussing this."

Cardinal Francis George, the archbishop of Chicago, begged to differ.

"The Catholic Church, from its first days, condemned the aborting of unborn children as gravely sinful," George wrote in a statement. "Not only Scripture's teaching about God's protection of life in the womb (consider the prophets and the psalms and the Gospel stories about John the Baptist and Jesus himself in Mary's womb) but also the first century catechism (the Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) said: 'You shall not slay the child by abortions. You shall not kill what is generated.' The teaching of the Church was clear in a Roman Empire that permitted abortion. This same teaching has been constantly reiterated in every place and time up to Vatican II, which condemned abortion as a 'heinous crime.' This is true today and will be so tomorrow. Any other comments, by politicians, professors, pundits or the occasional priest, are erroneous and cannot be proposed in good faith."


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; obama; obamabiden; prolife
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To: Gamecock
And who are his friends?

Still waiting....

41 posted on 09/08/2008 8:12:42 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: Gamecock

“That’s not the me that I know” - Barack H. Obama


42 posted on 09/08/2008 8:13:05 AM PDT by NeoCaveman (Annoy the media, end the Obamanation, vote maverick, McCain/Palin '08)
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To: Gamecock

You’re NO “Christian”.

You slipped :

“my MUSLIM faith”....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGdkqfBICw&feature=related


43 posted on 09/08/2008 8:13:23 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Gamecock
"At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?" Warren asked.

BHO still didnt answer that question, he just talked about being asked the question. Still no answer. Say at birth, say 1 year old, say 15 years old, say at conception..... but answer the question Hussein Obama!

44 posted on 09/08/2008 8:13:37 AM PDT by GregoTX (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: Names Ash Housewares
The guy demonstrates bad judgment over and over again.

IMO, the Biden pick was by far the most obvious example of bad judgment by the part of Barack Obama.
45 posted on 09/08/2008 8:14:13 AM PDT by Question Liberal Authority (Jesse Jackson talks about neutering Obama, but Sarah Palin actually delivers.)
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To: Chuzzlewit

It’s like “tee-ball” baseball.

Only most kids grow out of it and move on to “coach-pitch” and then, God foprbid, FAST pitch!!!

B. Hussein? He STILL can’t face a “pitcher” with ANY kind of curve at ALL.


46 posted on 09/08/2008 8:14:47 AM PDT by WayneS (Vote Obama bin Biden 2008 - "Because the world doesn't suck enough yet".)
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To: Gamecock

Sounds like Obama got the mother of all softball interviews with Mr. Good-Hair ex-clintonista. I will have to watch the whole thing online someplace.


47 posted on 09/08/2008 8:15:16 AM PDT by Puddleglum
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To: Gamecock
Do-overs may work in a pickup basketball game on the streets of Chicago, but not for the leader of the free world. Moron...
48 posted on 09/08/2008 8:18:14 AM PDT by Niteranger68 (Sarah Palin - All American Girl!)
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To: Gamecock

How is that a better answer than his original?

It amounts to, “I have no idea if that’s a deer in that bush, or your wife. So feel free to blaze away, I won’t intrude.”


49 posted on 09/08/2008 8:18:37 AM PDT by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: MrB
A hunter who fires at movement in the brush when he “doesn’t know” whether it’s his hunting buddy or a deer, is making an immoral and irresponsible decision.

Great analogy.

50 posted on 09/08/2008 8:18:37 AM PDT by torchthemummy (The Democrat Media Wears No Clothes)
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To: Gamecock

You know, we should pull all Obamalamadingdong’s gaffes together and print them into a daily calendar, like the lefties did with all the Bushisms. By now, we should have enough “Daily Obamanations” to last until after the 2012 election.


51 posted on 09/08/2008 8:18:52 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS
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To: Gamecock

It was a flip answer because the question is of so little importance to him. He supports abortion at every stage of pregnancy and has no problem with a death sentence for babies who somehow manage to survive the procedure.

Hard line dimrats like Obama and Pelosi who favor abortion at any time for any reason do not give much thought to life’s beginnings at all. The whole question is simply irrelevant to them. The most important thing for them is to maintain the flow of money and volunteers from the abortion industry and “feminists” for whom abortion is the ultimate expression of “liberation”.

They worship Mammon. The abortion fanatics worship Moloch. Idolatry is alive, well and thriving in post-modern America.


52 posted on 09/08/2008 8:19:06 AM PDT by scory
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To: Gamecock; xsmommy
I heard a call in show where a Dem woman said Choice was the key issue for her. It made me wonder how that could be possible.

On a daily basis we all deal with the economy, or with health care, or even our security, but on a DAILY basis, who deals with abortion? I mean, does this woman think she will need an abortion daily? Weekly, even once a month?

Is her desire to have abortion readily available at a moments notice more important than the safety and security of her home, her job, her constitutional rights? Is she willing to pay much higher taxes and possibly have terrorists invade her country as long as she can get that quick abortion if she decides to have unprotected sex and gets pregnant?

I can understand there are single issue voters - I can even understand Prolife voters believing that abortion is murder that could be prevented with a little responsibility or contraception. But to put the option of abortion, if needed, above all other concerns has to be the most selfish and pathetic reason to vote I've ever heard of.

53 posted on 09/08/2008 8:19:21 AM PDT by WhyisaTexasgirlinPA (Sarahcuda!!!)
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To: Gamecock
The Saddleback forum was held several weeks ago and he JUST NOW figured out that his answer was stupid? This guy isn't very swift, is he? Imagine this legal mind representing you in court (may as well do the time or pay the fine, because it would be cheaper than paying this clueless putz to manage your defense).
54 posted on 09/08/2008 8:20:36 AM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: colorcountry; Pan_Yans Wife; MHGinTN; Colofornian; Elsie; FastCoyote; Osage Orange; svcw; Enosh; ...

Ping


55 posted on 09/08/2008 8:23:27 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 ("I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve. ( DBM)
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To: Wiseghy

Just the parts that suit their already held beliefs.


56 posted on 09/08/2008 8:23:40 AM PDT by tiki (True Christians will not deliberately slander or misrepresent others or their beliefs)
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To: Gamecock
The Zero keeps stepping in it further and further....
57 posted on 09/08/2008 8:23:47 AM PDT by RayChuang88
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To: Gamecock

If you don’t know, why take a chance?


58 posted on 09/08/2008 8:23:51 AM PDT by steve8714 (Sarah was picked for the base. Period.)
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To: coffee260
Whadda moron for even discussing the issue again. What do you suppose Hillary would have done to that little weasel Stephanopolous? First she would kick him off the phone book he was sitting on and then, after touching his knee ala Bill, she would tell him in an icy tone that she had said all she was going to say and let's move on.

Pelosi really made a bigger mess out of an issue that Obama wanted to avoid. Thank you, Nancy. Way to help McCain, we need you more than you could ever know.

59 posted on 09/08/2008 8:24:14 AM PDT by Thebaddog (Dog breath? I don't think so.)
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To: WayneS

If anyone can figure out how to do that, it’s BO.


60 posted on 09/08/2008 8:26:03 AM PDT by rattrap
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