Falwell Confidential
Date: November 6, 2003
From: Jerry Falwell
OUR PRO-LIFE PRESIDENT
On Wednesday, President Bush signed into law a ban on partial-birth
abortion, the ghastly procedure wherein abortionists partially deliver
an unborn baby so that its tiny head can be punctured. It is a murderous
procedure, any way you look at it.
I thank God that, after the ban passed in the House and Senate, President
Bush proudly signed onto the legislation - something his predecessor
was unwilling to do.
However, almost before the ink had dried on the president's signature,
four doctors convinced a federal judge in Nebraska to block the law
through a temporary restraining order. The judge's ruling applies only
to the four doctors (and their staffs). But federal judges in New York
and San Francisco will soon hear similar arguments in challenges brought
by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union.
These
groups are fighting to defend a procedure that U.S. Justice Department
attorney Anthony Coppolino called "abhorrent and useless."
It is readily apparent that the unfeeling adversaries of life in our
nation will fight to the end to protect their sacred right to kill
innocent, unborn lives. They have escorted in the culture of death
in our society and they will bitterly brawl to preserve it.
However, I can report to you that President Bush is just as adamant
about fighting to defend the rights of unborn children who cannot defend
themselves against this horrifying procedure.
In a private meeting with President Bush following the signing ceremony
in the Ronald Reagan Building on Wednesday, seven pro-life leaders
and I had the privilege of meeting with President Bush in an Oval Office
gathering.
In this meeting, President Bush gallantly declared that his administration
would put all of its resources behind the partial-birth abortion ban
in the courtroom.
Attending
the meeting were Janet Parshall, author and host of the nationally
syndicated radio broadcast "Janet Parshall's America," Southern
Baptist Convention (SBC) President Dr. Jack Graham, former SBC President
Dr. Adrian Rogers, American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) Chief
Counsel Jay Sekulow, National Religious Broadcasters President Frank
Wright, National Association of Evangelicals President Ted Haggard,
and President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Dr.
Richard Land.
After having a wonderful time of fellowship with President Bush, the
president asked if we could all join hands and pray that God will bless
our efforts to preserve life in our land.
What an astounding moment this was for me personally. Standing there
in the Oval Office I felt suddenly humbled to be in the presence of
a man - our president - who takes his faith very seriously and who
seeks the prayers of his friends as he leads our nation.
Following the prayer, I told President Bush the people in the room
represent about 200,000 pastors and 80 million believers nationwide
who consider him not only to be our president but also a man of God.
He
humbly turned to me and replied, "I'll try to live up to it."
One of the men in the meeting, Jay Sekulow, will be on the cutting
edge of defending the constitutionality of the partial-birth abortion
ban.
He
said, "The law is constitutionally sound and we're hopeful
it will survive the legal challenges which are already underway. We
will work aggressively to assist the U.S. Department of Justice in
defending this law as it makes its way through the courts and ultimately
to the Supreme Court."
Please join me in praying for Jay and his team, the Justice Department
attorneys and the many other attorneys who will be defending the partial-birth
abortion ban. Let us also continue to keep President Bush at the forefront
of our prayers as he leads this important battle. This is an issue
that certainly deserves our vigilant prayers.
