Consistent Life News
Issue #6
Summer 2006
Online Edition

Print Edition
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Our Members in Action

Sr Helen Prejean Withdraws from Anti-Bush Ad
Due to Inclusion of Abortion

Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ, author of Dead Man Walking and endorser of the Consistent Life mission statement, withdrew her name from the endorsement of a New York Times ad urging the removal of George W. Bush from the Presidency. She had signed the ad based on a draft, and was not shown the final version before publication.

Sister Helen’s endorsement of the draft ad was based on opposition to President Bush’s pursuit of war in Iraq, approval of torture, zealous promotion of imprisonment and executions, and fiscal policies causing an increase in poverty. Her statement withdrawing her endorsement said in part (emphasis in original):

There is, however, one issue addressed in the ad that I cannot endorse, which if I had seen the final version of the ad would have led me to withhold my signature. The statement reads: “Your government is moving to deny women here and all over the world the right to birth control and abortion.” The life issues involved in the beginning of life are exceedingly complex. My stance on abortion is a matter of public record. I stand morally opposed to killing: war, executions, killing of the old and demented, the killing of children, unborn and born. As I have stated publicly many times, I stand squarely within the framework of “the seamless garment” ethic of life. I believe that all of life is sacred and must be protected, especially in the vulnerable stages at the beginning of life and its end.

The full statement can be read at Sr. Helen Prejean’s website.

Consistent Life thanks Sr. Helen for her clear statement on the consistent ethic of life.

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace
Acquired by Pro-Life Feminist

Feminists For Life, a Consistent Life member organization,announced in August that the Adams MA birthplace of suffragist organizer Susan B. Anthony was sold at auction.

Carol Crossed, a Director of Feminists for Life of New York, and also a Director of Consistent Life purchased the historic house, which will be managed and cared for by Feminists for Life of America. Others who care about Susan B. Anthony will be provided a means to contribute ideas. Femists for Life continues the tradition of Susan B. Anthony and and other early American suffragists who fought for women and children — born and unborn.

“Susan B. Anthony challenged us to address the root causes that drive women to abortion - the same problems that face women who parent today,” said FFL President Serrin M. Foster.

“We are thrilled and grateful that Carol Crossed stepped forward to buy Susan B. Anthony’s birthplace,” said Foster. Feminists for Life recognized Crossed in 2003 year as a “Remarkable Pro-Life Woman.” Crossed lives in Rochester NY, home of Anthony in her later years of activism.

Susan B. Anthony died 100 years ago. Foster thanked the new owner of Anthony’s birthplace for all she is doing to “keep the memory of Susan B. Anthony alive, and giving birth to a new legacy. We hope that this purchase will renew interest in the early American feminists.”

FFL’s work to advance holistic solutions for women can be found at www.feministsforlife.org.

Sojourners Announces “Significant Changes”

Sojourners, a progressive evangelical Christian periodical, and its sister organization, Call To Renewal, announced this summer the formal merger of the two organizations to strengthen its growing movement to overcome poverty and “put faith to work for justice.”

Sojourners, a Consistent Life member organization, in which we published our ad calling people of conscience to our mission a few years ago, explained the “significant changes” in its recent issue of the magazine. Editor Jim Wallis wrote:

. . . in June it became official, with the boards of Sojourners and Call to Renewal joining forces to create a new and much stronger organization. For the moment, we are simply calling it ‘Sojourners/Call to Renewal . . . ‘The creation of this new organization . . . has the particular vocation of seeking to build a movement that puts faith to work for justice. The particular mission of Call to Renewal in overcoming poverty will continue, and now even more strongly with the Covenant for a New America and a commitment to put poverty on the forefront of the political agenda by the 2008 elections. But we will also serve larger and broader purposes that Sojourners has stood for over the last three decades.