Prominent Pro-Life Catholic Democrat Switches Sides

[cbayer]

Last edited Thu Jan 29, 2015, 12:26 PM - Edit history (1)

http://religiondispatches.org/prominent-pro-life-catholic-democrat-switches-sides/

BY PATRICIA MILLER JANUARY 28, 2015

Rep. Tim Ryan, one of the most principled and prominent pro-life Democrats, announced that he has “changed his thinking on abortion” to support a pro-choice position. In an op-ed in the Akron Beacon Journal, the Ohio Democratic wrote:

Over the past 14 years in political office, I have gained a deeper understanding of the complexities and emotions that accompany the difficult decisions that women and families make when confronted with these situations.

He traced his evolution on the issue from that of a young, single man “raised in a Catholic household,” to an elected official and father and husband who:

Heard firsthand from women of all ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds about the circumstances and hardships that accompany this personal choice, which we should not judge.

…These women gave me a better understanding of how complex and difficult certain situations can become. And while there are people of good conscience on both sides of this argument, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: the heavy hand of government must not make this decision for women and families.

Ryan’s defection from the pro-life camp is particularly significant because he was prominent in the group Democrats for Life. But he increasingly diverged from the organization’s anti-contraception views to the point that he was removed from its board in 2009.

“The new fault line is not between pro-life and pro-choice people,” he wrote at the time. “It’s within the pro-life community. The question now is: ‘are you pro-life and pro-contraception, therefore trying to reduce the need for abortions, or are you pro-life and against contraception’.”

more at link

[rug]

1. The divide will continue until two things are recognized.

First, pro-choice does not automatically equate to pro-abortion.

Second, no religion can require any government to enforce its doctrine.

[cbayer]

2. It looks like he got it. I hope more follow his lead.