Evangelicals, Catholics applaud DNC Platform abortion language change

By Tim Murphy - Religion News Service
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 - Web Link
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August 12, 2008

Progressive evangelical and Catholic leaders voiced their support for the Democratic Party's platform on abortion, citing new provisions that emphasize measures intended to reduce the number of abortions in the U.S. such as women's health care, adoption services and income support programs.

In a conference call sponsored by his progressive evangelical group Sojourners, the Rev. Jim Wallis called the platform a "historic step forward" in reconciling the party's support of abortion rights with the concerns of Christians who oppose the practice.

"We're moving from symbolism to substance here, (offering) practical solutions toward in fact making abortion more rare," Wallis said Tuesday (Aug. 12).

Wallis was joined by five other evangelical and Catholic voices, including Orlando megachurch pastor Joel Hunter, a registered Republican who has advocated expanding conservatism beyond traditional "values" issues.

A draft of the 51-page platform was approved Saturday in Pittsburgh. It will be voted on at the convention in Denver, Aug. 25-28.

While the platform again affirms a woman's right to choose, it differs from previous years by offering more tangible support for addressing the issue of abortion. The platform calls for programs to "reduce the number of unintended pregnancies" and stresses the need for income support and adoption programs.

"We worked hard to give language that gives evangelicals and Roman Catholics the sense that they can participate in the Democratic Party without compromising their convictions," said the Rev. Tony Campolo, who served on the party's platform committee.

The 2004 platform stated that "Abortion should be safe, legal and rare," and supported family planning and adoption incentives. It did not, however, provide specific language on how to reduce the number of abortions.