The keynote for the interfaith gathering is a pro-life pastor who did not shy away from the abortion issue in his address. Maybe it was just me, but I felt the room tense up as soon as he called himself a pro-life Democrat.
Here are some of the remarks from Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding prelate of the Church of God In Christ, Inc. and pastor of West Angeles Church of God In Christ.
“Surely we cannot be pleased with the routine administration of millions of surgically terminated pregnancies. Something in us must be calling for a better way. We know that our party will acknowledge the moral and spiritual pain because of this disregard for the unborn. Those of us who support the Democratic Party support it because the Democratic Party supports more of the positions that are relevant to the lives of our people, the people of America in general, and the people in the world. Others loudly proclaim their advocacy for the unborn, but they refuse to recognize their responsibility and the responsibility of our nation, to those who are born. (standing ovation) Senator Obama and all of us should follow up and elaborate on his stated intention to reduce the number of abortions (interrupted by clapping) … We should support him in this endeavor.”