White House: New Catholic Surgeon General Supports Obama Abortion Agenda

LifeSiteNews.com -- Your Life, Family and Culture Outpost ^ | Wednesday July 15, 2009 | By Kathleen Gilbert

[topher]

Wednesday July 15, 2009

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White House: New Catholic Surgeon General Supports Obama Abortion Agenda

By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A White House spokesman appears to have settled confusion on the position of Surgeon General nominee Dr. Regina Benjamin by saying that the doctor, though widely considered a devout Roman Catholic, supports President Obama's agenda on abortion.

White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said in a Miami Herald report yesterday that Benjamin "supports the president's position on reproductive health issues." Earlier this year Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explicitly confirmed that for the Obama administration the term "reproductive health" includes abortion.

Cherlin added that Benjamin also aligns with Obama's position on seeking "common ground" on abortion "to try and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies."

The New York Times also recently reported that an associate of Benjamin's said the Catholic doctor regularly distributes contraception, despite the Catholic Church's teaching against contraception.

Benjamin's reputation for being a devout Catholic stems in part from the fact that she is a past recipient of the "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" award from Pope Benedict XVI for her humanitarian work. She has also received the National Caring Award, an honor which was inspired by Mother Teresa. When Benjamin's nomination was announced, Catholic League president Bill Donohue welcomed the doctor as an "excellent choice" for surgeon general. Donohue has not yet commented since the White House commented on Benjamin's position on abortion.

However, not everyone is convinced by the White House's statement. Sister Carol Keehan, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, on the board of which Benjamin has served, stated in response, "We have an outstanding woman with a great heart for the dignity of people at all stages of life who has been active in her church and recognized by her local archbishop.

"Her public and private statements on the dignity of life have always been consistent with church teaching."

Benjamin herself will not be available to comment on her own position until after the confirmation proceedings have concluded, according to one Health and Human Services spokeswoman.

President Obama prefaced his introduction of Dr. Regina Benjamin yesterday with a lengthy endorsement of the healthcare reform package, and described Dr. Benjamin as someone "who understands the urgency" of nationalized healthcare.

As Surgeon General, Benjamin will head up the Health Benefits Advisory Committee, which is designated to decide which services will be covered in the nationalized healthcare plan.  This evidently would give Benjamin the final say on whether the basic coverage in the new plan will include abortion. 

Pro-lifers fear the bill's implicit inclusion of abortion coverage is bound to trigger a landslide of abortion funding de-regulation across the United States.  The National Right to Life Committee, as well as leading pro-life Congressman Chris Smith, have warned private and public insurers would be forced to match the federal plan in abortion coverage, and healthcare providers would be required to provide more access to the procedure.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Catholic League Praises Obama's Choice for Surgeon General, but Details on Abortion Position Murky

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09071411.html

The Silent FOCA: Vast Abortion Expansion Slowly Coming to Light in Healthcare Package
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09071409.html

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09071509.html

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[LearsFool]

Legislative powers being usurped by the executive branch. So much for the separation of powers.

This is treason.

[Marty62]

BS, they all may have already been ex, they know the Church rules about publication of these decrees. They can use it as propaganda. See, I’m Cath and I believe in abortion, knowing full well, the Church is forbidden from making it public.

[Uri’el-2012]

Surgeon General nominee Dr. Regina Benjamin by saying that the doctor, though widely considered a devout Roman Catholic, supports President Obama's agenda on abortion.

YHvH commanded us :

Exd 20:13 "You shall not murder.

Deu 5:17 'You shall not murder.

She is not a follower of the Jewish Messiah.

Who said:

Mat 19:18 {Then} he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS;

Mar 10:19 "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'

Luk 18:20 "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.' "

Rom 13:9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

Jam 2:11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

She is a worshipper of Molech

She loves to torture, burn and murder innocent children.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[newfreep]

I heard a newscast that reported she favors doctors NOT making profit from their skills. Another socialist/communist.

[newfreep]

It’s getting bleak for the home American team & I’m just about all out of hope we can stop the coming communism & (my) homeless poverty. Any suggestions?

[Neverforget01]

Heck, Notre Dame needs a new candidates for honorary degrees next year. She sounds perfect!

[jmaroneps37]

http://www.collinsreport.net/2009/05/19/obama%e2%80%99s-jenkinsist-catholics-scheme/

[Frank_2001]

I heard a newscast that reported she favors doctors NOT making profit from their skills. Another socialist/communist.

But medical school will still cost $250,000+. Under these conditions, who in their right mind would even consider becoming a physician? Those who wanted “change” are gonna get it, right up the wazoo!!!

[Buckeye McFrog]

I fully expected Obama to appoint a pro-abort as his Surgeon General. But the fact that he went out of his way to choose an erstwhile Catholic is flipping us the bird, exactly as he did to Hillary in that speech of his.

[Frank_2001]

YES OBAMA IS EVIL, ANTI-AMERICAN, PROBABLY MUSLIM, A JEW HATER AND BENT ON DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY!!!

You can say THAT again!!!!

[bgill]

The Vatican is not pleased.

[Prokopton]

She and Ruth Bader Ginsberg should get together to get rid of the unwanted and undesirable babies in this country.

Can you imagine the reception the likes of these two will have when the are confronted by The Blessed Mother?

[Salvation]

Not Catholic if she supports abortion.

1:

CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2271  (618 bytes )  preview document matches 1 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2271.htm

97%

2:

CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2272  (580 bytes )  preview document matches 2 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2272.htm

96%

3:

CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2322  (290 bytes )  preview document matches 2 From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2322.htm

96%

4:	CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2274  (554 bytes )  preview document matches gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2274.htm

[Salvation]

Anyone who supports abortion or has an abortion basically excommunicates themselves. They cannot receive Communion in the Catholic Church.

[chris_bdba]

Exactly. Just for once I would love it if the media reported truthfully that to embrace abortion and approve of it excommunicates you.

[Alex Murphy]

White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said in a Miami Herald report yesterday that Benjamin "supports the president's position on reproductive health issues." Earlier this year Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explicitly confirmed that for the Obama administration the term "reproductive health" includes abortion.

Cherlin added that Benjamin also aligns with Obama's position on seeking "common ground" on abortion "to try and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies."

The New York Times also recently reported that an associate of Benjamin's said the Catholic doctor regularly distributes contraception, despite the Catholic Church's teaching against contraception.

Related thread:
Catholic League Praises Obama's Choice for Surgeon General [Catholic Caucus]

[Boiling Pots]

But she is a Katrina Survivor, so, she can.

[EyeGuy]

I’m a bit confused.

Who did the public come down upon and why?

I think the Church should be, and in these times of epidemic wayward Catholicism, NEEDS to be overtly PUBLIC with its excommunications, and the clear and specific rationale behind them

[Marty62]

Well ging public probably will not happen. A little issue of the Inquisition.
This happened in the 90’s. The Abortionists.

[Lancey Howard]

...widely considered a devout Roman Catholic

LOL, no, that grinning turd is no Catholic, let alone a "devout" one.