Politics
Thursday June 1, 2006
Bishop, Author of Amnesty International Prayer, to Resign over Abortion Stance
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Gudrun Schultz
EAST ANGLIA, England, June 1, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Roman Catholic Bishop Michael Evans, a 30-year member of Amnesty International (AI) and author of last year’s Amnesty Prayer, has condemned the organization’s move to promote abortion as a fundamental human right, saying he will be forced to withdraw his membership if the agency continues with the proposal.
In a statement published on Bishop Evans’ website, he stated, “[I]t would be very difficult for Catholics and many others to continue as formal members of an organisation which explicitly excluded some of the most vulnerable of all—the ‘unborn human’—from its current campaign to ‘Protect the Human.’”
“Whatever the range of views of Amnesty members on abortion," he continued, "moving from its neutral stance may well serve to undermine its effectiveness in its key areas of expertise and influence. Its ability to work with the Catholic Church and other Christian bodies would be badly impaired. It would become a partisan body, particularly in places like the United States, and thus lose its ability to build consensus around issues like the death penalty…Those involved in decision-making at international level need to ponder this very carefully indeed.”
The UK branch of Amnesty International voted in April to embark on abortion advocacy. The Spectator reported that Bishop Evans expressed his dismay over the decision in a letter to Kate Allen, Amnesty’s UK director.
“[M]any Roman Catholics, including myself, would feel obliged—very reluctantly—to withdraw our membership of an organisation which has done great work since Peter Benenson, a Roman Catholic, founded it in 1961,” Bishop Evans wrote.
“I will continue my commitment to bringing the candle of justice to those in the darkness of oppression, but I would not feel able to continue as a member of a body which amidst its great work for humanity, excluded the most vulnerable of all—the unborn human—from its protection.”
He also warned AI that “any move towards supporting abortion will radically undermine in the eyes of many people, not only Roman Catholics, the perception of Amnesty as an organisation which ‘protects the human’ at every stage of life.”
See previous LifeSiteNews coverage:
Amnesty International Considers Pushing Enforcement of Abortion as Human Right
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/apr/06042511.html
Amnesty International: We're Supporting Abortion because of Gay Rights
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06052607.html
Amnesty International UK Branch Approves Abortion Advocacy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06050504.html
To contact amnesty see:
(Click on Send a message to this section/office)
http://web.amnesty.org/contacts/engindex
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- BREAKING: US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 to 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Today
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Canadian MP Launches Petition to Stop Federal Funding of Planned Parenthood
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.