Thursday, February 17, 2011

Duluth church to raise funds for abortion

The following MCCL news release was issued today, Feb. 17, 2011.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) is calling on the Rev. Kathryn Nelson of Peace United Church of Christ in Duluth, Minn., to cancel a fundraiser scheduled at her church for HOTDISH Militia, an abortion funding group.

The fundraising event, to be held on March 19, is a hotdish bake-off with several different categories: vegetarian, dessert, ethnic and Lutheran Ladies. All profits from the event are to go to the Militia, based in northern Minnesota, an affiliate of the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) that directly pays for abortions. The Militia works directly with Women's Health Center of Duluth, the region's abortion center.

In a letter to Rev. Nelson, MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach appealed to the minister to cancel the event so as to remain true to the church's vision statement. According to its website, Peach Church is guided by the following statement: "Our vision is to be an accessible, open and affirming community growing in Christian faith, committed to peace and justice, and reaching out in healing love to all people, respecting the diversity of people's sexual orientation, race, culture, gender, age, opinions, and physical and mental abilities."

Fischbach asked, "How does raising money to kill innocent, defenseless members of the human family fit with this vision?"

The Women's Health Center of Duluth received $37,043 in state taxpayer dollars in 2008 to kill 155 unborn babies; the center aborted 609 unborn children that year. And although this abortion center receives state monies for abortions, it is not regulated or inspected by state health officials.

MCCL's Fischbach stated in his letter to Rev. Nelson, "Regardless of one's political stance on the legality of abortion, it is a scientific fact that abortion kills unborn human beings, usually by brutal dismemberment, and also hurts many women. Abortion is an act of violence, not of peace."

MCCL is Minnesota's oldest and largest pro-life organization with more than 70,000 member families and 240 chapters across the state. For more information about MCCL, visit www.mccl.org.