When Does Life Begin, Senator Obama?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was being interviewed by Tom Brokaw on 24 August 2008.

As part of the interview, Mr. Brokaw played a portion of a videotape of a conversation between Pastor Rick Warren and Senator Barack Obama.  This conversation took place on 16 August 2008.

Please read the following:

MR. BROKAW (addressing Speaker Pelosi):  There was a very well publicized and very effective interview by Pastor Rick Warren at the Saddleback Church in California of the two candidates recently.  And on the right — especially — response from Senator Obama to the question of when life begins has been getting a lot of attention.  We want to just share with you how that went, and then you can take a look at it and, and respond to it for us.

(Plays videotape from 16 Aug)

PASTOR WARREN:  At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?

SEN. OBAMA:  Well, you know, I think that whether you're looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is, is above my pay grade.

MR. BROKAW:  Senator Obama saying the question of when life begins is above his pay grade, whether you're looking at it scientifically or theologically. If he were to come to you and say, "Help me out here, Madame Speaker.  When does life begin?" what would you tell him?

SPEAKER PELOSI:  I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time.  And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition.  And Senator--St. Augustine said at three months.  We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose.  Roe v. Wade talks about very clear definitions of when the child--first trimester, certain considerations; second trimester; not so third trimester.  There's very clear distinctions.  This isn't about abortion on demand, it's about a careful, careful consideration of all factors and--to--that a woman has to make with her doctor and her god.  And so I don't think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins.  As I say, the Catholic Church for centuries has been discussing this, and there are those who've decided...

MR. BROKAW:  The Catholic Church at the moment feels very strongly that it...

SPEAKER PELOSI:  I understand that.

MR. BROKAW:  ...begins at the point of conception.

SPEAKER PELOSI:  I understand.  And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that.  So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy.  But it is, it is also true that God has given us, each of us, a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions.  And we want abortions to be safe, rare, and reduce the number of abortions.  That's why we have this fight in Congress over contraception.  My Republican colleagues do not support contraception.  If you want to reduce the number of abortions, and we all do, we must--it would behoove you to support family planning and, and contraception, you would think.  But that is not the case.  So we have to take--you know, we have to handle this as respectfully--this is sacred ground. We have to handle it very respectfully and not politicize it, as it has been--and I'm not saying Rick Warren did, because I don't think he did, but others will try to.

MR. BROKAW:  Madame Speaker, thanks very much for being with us.

SPEAKER PELOSI:  It's my pleasure.  Thank you.

In regard to this, please note the following memos:

To:  The Honorable Barack Obama
From:  Fr. E. B. Connolly

Dear Senator:

The question Pastor Warren asked you was as follows:  “At what point does a baby get human rights?”  You responded by saying that the answer to such a question is “above my pay grade”.  That is mildly humorous, Senator, but I’m afraid we can’t let you off the hook.  A man of your intelligence, attainments and aspirations needs to do better than that.

The answer to the question is this:  A human being gets human rights as soon as he or she is human, which means as soon as he or she comes into existence.  A human being comes into existence in the fallopian tube of his or her mother.  A spermatozoon from the father human enters an ovum from the mother human and — bam! — you’ve got yourself a brand new human being.  But why am I explaining this to a United States Senator?  Maybe your Dad never took you aside for “the talk”?  Or maybe you fell asleep in Health class in 9th grade?  If so, please feel free to give me a call.  We’ll make an appointment and I’ll explain it all to you in greater detail.

Respectfully, etc.
EBC


To:  The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
From:  Fr. E. B. Connolly

Dear Madame Speaker:

I am disappointed in you.  You come from a nice Italian Catholic family in Baltimore.  I think you even went to parochial school for a while, didn’t you?  How could you possibly say what you said?  You said — and with a straight face — that the Catholic Church was confused about when life begins and that we only started to take a position on the matter “like maybe 50 years (ago) or something like that”.  That is the most incredible and outrageous twisting of the truth I have come across since the last time you opened your mouth.  Please repent, go to confession and make a public retraction.

I wish you a long life and a healthy one, but we all have to die sometime.  Even Speakers of the House have to die.  When you do, I would like you to wind up in Heaven.  I warn you that it is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to spread lies about what the Church has and has not taught.

Respectfully, etc.
EBC