National "Religious" Leaders Stand With Planned Parenthood
September 28, 2015
by Drew Konow
In September of 2015, 44 nationally recognized religious leaders released this joint statement supporting Planned Parenthood and urging Congress to resist efforts to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood’s health centers – which serve 2.7 million people each year. Together, these Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Unitarian Universalist, and Muslim leaders agreed:
“As religious leaders, we urge Congress to resist efforts to deny federal funds to Planned Parenthood’s non-profit health centers, and other organizations that provide crucial reproductive health care. We ask for an end to politically motivated attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive health. We know that Planned Parenthood provides essential lifesaving services to almost three million people each year, including the most vulnerable families in the U.S. As religious leaders, we support family planning as a means of saving lives, improving reproductive and public health, enhancing sexuality, and encouraging intentional parenthood. We stand with people of faith who have supported Planned Parenthood for nearly one hundred years.”
Imam Daayiee Abdullah
Executive Director
MECCA Institute and Light of Reform Mosque
Rabbi Jon Adland
Chair
Clergy Advocacy Board, PPFA
Rev. Steven Baines
Assistant Field Director of Religion Outreach
American United for Separation of Church and State
Rev. Dr. Lee Barker
President
Meadville Lombard Theological School
Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner
Executive Director
Global Justice Institute, Metropolitan Community Churches
Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre
Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies
Iliff School of Theology
Rev. Ronald J Degges
President
Disciples Home Missions, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
Rabbi Denise Eger
President
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Mr. Jim FitzGerald
Executive Director
Call To Action
Rev Dr. Yvette Flunder
Presiding Bishop
The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune
Founder and Senior Analyst
FaithTrust Institute
Dr. William A. Graham
Former Dean; Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Harvard University
Rabbi Rick Jacobs
President
Union for Reform Judaism
Sister Jeannine Gramick, SL
National Coalition of American Nuns
National Coordinator
Rev. Dr. Larry Greenfield
Executive Minister
American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago
Rev. Debra W. Haffner
President and CEO
Religious Institute
Rev. Cedric A. Harmon
Co-Director
Many Voices: A Black Church Movement for Gay and Transgender Justice
Dr. Mary E. Hunt
Co-Director
Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER)
Rev. Mark C. Johnston, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Open & Affirming Ministry Program
Gay Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance
Rev. Dr. Serene Jones
President
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Rev. Pamela RW Kandt
Co-Convener
Episcopal Women’s Caucus
Ms. Nancy K. Kauffman
CEO
National Council of Jewish Women
Rev. Marti Keller
Affiliated Minister
Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation
Rev. Harry Knox
President and CEO
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Rabbi Debra Kolodny
Executive Director
Nehirim
Rabbi Michael Lerner
Chair
The Network of Spiritual Progressives
Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD.
Scholar in Residence
Washington Hebrew Congregation
Rev. Barry Lynn
Executive Director
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Rev. Rodney McKenzie, Jr.
Director, Faith Work
National LGBTQ Task Force
Mr. Alex Patchin McNeill
Executive Director
More Light Presbyterians
Ms. Ruth W. Messinger
President
American Jewish World Service
Rev. Peter Morales
President
Unitarian Universalist Association
Rev. Dr. Timothy Murphy
Executive Director
Progressive Christians Uniting
Rabbi Jonah Pesner
Director, Religious Action Center
Union for Reform Judaism
Mr. Chett Pritchett
Executive Director
Methodist Federation for Social Action
Mr. Jon O’Brien
President
Catholics for Choice
Rabbi Dennis S. Ross
Director
Concerned Clergy for Choice
Rev. Michael Schuenemeyer
Executive and Minister for Health and Wholeness Advocacy
United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. Emilie M. Townes
Dean, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society
Vanderbilt University Divinity School
David Vásquez-Levy
President
Pacific School of Religion
Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson
Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches
Imam Ani Zonneveld
President
Muslims for Progressive Values
www.religiousinstitute.org/faithleaders4pp/
by Drew Konow
In September of 2015, 44 nationally recognized religious leaders released this joint statement supporting Planned Parenthood and urging Congress to resist efforts to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood’s health centers – which serve 2.7 million people each year. Together, these Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Unitarian Universalist, and Muslim leaders agreed:
“As religious leaders, we urge Congress to resist efforts to deny federal funds to Planned Parenthood’s non-profit health centers, and other organizations that provide crucial reproductive health care. We ask for an end to politically motivated attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive health. We know that Planned Parenthood provides essential lifesaving services to almost three million people each year, including the most vulnerable families in the U.S. As religious leaders, we support family planning as a means of saving lives, improving reproductive and public health, enhancing sexuality, and encouraging intentional parenthood. We stand with people of faith who have supported Planned Parenthood for nearly one hundred years.”
Imam Daayiee Abdullah
Executive Director
MECCA Institute and Light of Reform Mosque
Rabbi Jon Adland
Chair
Clergy Advocacy Board, PPFA
Rev. Steven Baines
Assistant Field Director of Religion Outreach
American United for Separation of Church and State
Rev. Dr. Lee Barker
President
Meadville Lombard Theological School
Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner
Executive Director
Global Justice Institute, Metropolitan Community Churches
Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre
Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies
Iliff School of Theology
Rev. Ronald J Degges
President
Disciples Home Missions, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
Rabbi Denise Eger
President
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Mr. Jim FitzGerald
Executive Director
Call To Action
Rev Dr. Yvette Flunder
Presiding Bishop
The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune
Founder and Senior Analyst
FaithTrust Institute
Dr. William A. Graham
Former Dean; Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Harvard University
Rabbi Rick Jacobs
President
Union for Reform Judaism
Sister Jeannine Gramick, SL
National Coalition of American Nuns
National Coordinator
Rev. Dr. Larry Greenfield
Executive Minister
American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago
Rev. Debra W. Haffner
President and CEO
Religious Institute
Rev. Cedric A. Harmon
Co-Director
Many Voices: A Black Church Movement for Gay and Transgender Justice
Dr. Mary E. Hunt
Co-Director
Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER)
Rev. Mark C. Johnston, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Open & Affirming Ministry Program
Gay Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance
Rev. Dr. Serene Jones
President
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Rev. Pamela RW Kandt
Co-Convener
Episcopal Women’s Caucus
Ms. Nancy K. Kauffman
CEO
National Council of Jewish Women
Rev. Marti Keller
Affiliated Minister
Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation
Rev. Harry Knox
President and CEO
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Rabbi Debra Kolodny
Executive Director
Nehirim
Rabbi Michael Lerner
Chair
The Network of Spiritual Progressives
Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD.
Scholar in Residence
Washington Hebrew Congregation
Rev. Barry Lynn
Executive Director
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Rev. Rodney McKenzie, Jr.
Director, Faith Work
National LGBTQ Task Force
Mr. Alex Patchin McNeill
Executive Director
More Light Presbyterians
Ms. Ruth W. Messinger
President
American Jewish World Service
Rev. Peter Morales
President
Unitarian Universalist Association
Rev. Dr. Timothy Murphy
Executive Director
Progressive Christians Uniting
Rabbi Jonah Pesner
Director, Religious Action Center
Union for Reform Judaism
Mr. Chett Pritchett
Executive Director
Methodist Federation for Social Action
Mr. Jon O’Brien
President
Catholics for Choice
Rabbi Dennis S. Ross
Director
Concerned Clergy for Choice
Rev. Michael Schuenemeyer
Executive and Minister for Health and Wholeness Advocacy
United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. Emilie M. Townes
Dean, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society
Vanderbilt University Divinity School
David Vásquez-Levy
President
Pacific School of Religion
Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson
Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches
Imam Ani Zonneveld
President
Muslims for Progressive Values
www.religiousinstitute.org/faithleaders4pp/
