Obama needs to address his ‘abortion problem,’ Jesuit professor says Fr. John Kavanaugh, S.J..-
St. Louis University philosophy professor Father John F. Kavanaugh, S.J., writing in an open letter in the August 18 edition of the Jesuit weekly “America”, has called on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama to address his “abortion problem” among Catholic voters.
Decrying what he called “a vociferous cadre in the Democratic Party” which has “for too long wielded a dogmatic veto over any discussion of limiting abortions,” Father Kavanaugh argued Obama can appeal to undecided Catholic voters by supporting programs that will reduce the numbers of abortions, giving a place to pro-life Democrats at the Democratic National Convention, and engaging the “arguments and evidence” offered by abortion opponents.
While asserting that Catholic voters do not “think monolithically,” Father Kavanaugh noted that there has been up to a 15 percent rise in Catholics voting Republican in recent U.S. elections. The Jesuit priest wrote to Obama that while some Catholics will vote for him because of anti-Republican sentiment or because Obama’s political agenda appeals to them, some will vote for him “not because of your position on abortion, but despite it.” In Father Kavanaugh’s view, many Catholics realize that Obama’s approach to “wars of choice, capital punishment, hunger, homelessness, health care and refugees” might better serve “‘the least’ of our brothers and sisters.”
Father Kavanaugh acknowledged that some Catholics will never vote for a Democrat, but emphasized that there is another group trending away from Obama “because they think you not only defend partial-birth abortion but also are against lifesaving therapy for newborns surviving an abortion attempt.” Saying Obama’s attempts to explain his stand on partial birth abortion and treatments for abortion survivors “seemed evasive,” Father Kavanaugh asked: “Can you just simply affirm your conviction that any newborn, even after an abortion attempt, should be given effective life-sustaining treatment?”
Father Kavanaugh recommended Obama engage in outreach to Democrats for Life of America and Feminists for Life, support Rev. Jim Wallis’ “abortion-reducing agenda,” and engage pro-life arguments. “You may find that the position of most American men and women is quite different from Naral’s,” he said, advising Obama to press Sen. John McCain and his supporters on the apparent inconsistency of the Republican presidential candidate’s support for embryonic stem cell research. He concluded his essay in “America” with a rhetorical question: “With your commitment to reasoned, evidence-based and respectful discourse, are you able to challenge your party to welcome pro-life Catholics into its supposed big tent?”
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