These Black Pastors Have a Message for Abortion Advocate Raphael Warnock

Raphael Warnock, a pastor, is in a run-off election for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. This man, who leads a congregation, believes women have a right to kill their unborn babies. Abortion advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL support him.

BCN contributor and radio show host Carl Jackson said Warnock shouldn’t be a pastor or a Senator.

In at least one interview, Warnock said he supports ‘reproductive rights,’ aka abortion. First off, common sense says you’re not reproducing anything if you’re killing it. Secondly, and more importantly, the Bible teaches us that God knew us and purposed our lives before we were ever born. He loves us so much, according to the Word of God, that he counts the hairs on our heads. Wow! Someone should tell Raphael Warnock about this.

That’s why over a dozen black pastors released an open letter (PDF) to Warnock. The group commended him for sharing “Christ while pursuing political solutions to our most pressing problems today” but take issue with his comments that he’s a pro-choice pastor who will always fight for “reproductive justice.”

“You have publicly expressed your views that abortion is an exercise of ‘human agency and freedom’ that is fully consistent with your role as a shepherd of God’s people.” They believe Warnock has made an error in judgment and a lapse in his pastoral responsibility.

Abortion’s impact on black Americans can’t be overstated.

“As a Christian pastor and as a Black leader, you have a duty to denounce the evil of abortion, which kills a disproportionate number of Black children. Your open advocacy of abortion is a scandal to the faith and to the Black community.”

Black women account for 36 percent of all abortions. The group noted that more black children are killed in the womb than born alive in some cities. They asked Warnock whether he can, “in good conscience defend abortion, knowing that abortion kills 474 Black babies for every 1000 live births? Abortion decimates Black communities, disrupts Black families and inflicts untold harm on Black women. Black women and Black families need your advocacy; they need your protection, and they need your support. But they do not need Black pastors making excuses for the racism in the abortion industry.”

Among the letter’s signers are Bishop Aubrey Shines of Conservative Clergy of Color; Alveda King of Alveda King Ministries; Catherine Davis of the Restoration Project; Dean Nelson of Human Coalition Action; Joseph Parker of Bethlehem AME Church; Marc Little of CURE America Action; and Walter Hoye of Issues for Life.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a statement from Warnock’s campaign spokesman:

“Reverend Warnock believes a patient’s room is too small a place for a woman, her doctor, and the U.S. government and that these are deeply personal health care decisions — not political ones,” according to a statement from Warnock campaign spokesman Michael J. Brewer. “He also believes those who are concerned about life ought to be focused on the incredibly high rates of infant mortality and maternal mortality, and working to make sure we are expanding access to health care, not taking it away.”

Paris Denard, the GOP’s Senior Communications Advisor for Black Media Affairs, said Warnock “is too radical to represent the people of Georgia in the United States Senate. He continues to take political positions that will have a negative impact on Black families in Georgia making him the wrong choice in this upcoming election. The best choice for all Georgia voters continues to be U.S. Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.”