LUNGREN: Uses Catholic Faith To Back Abortion Stance
The San Francisco Examiner reported that Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Lungren "is using his Catholic faith to justify his staunch opposition to abortion." As his wife Bobbi explains in a 60-second radio spot now running: "Gray Davis is using the emotional issue of abortion as a divisive wedge issue of abortion. He should have more respect for the deeply held personal beliefs of others. As life-long Catholics, Dan and I have deeply held religious and moral convictions, and we have always been pro-life." Some criticize Lungren's Catholic defense for his abortion position, since his view on capital punishment differs from that of the Catholic Church. In response, Lungren said earlier this year, "If you don't understand the difference between innocent life and non-innocent life, then you have missed a fundamental proposition of not only the teaching of the Catholic Church, but the fundamentals of American democracy."
Gubernatorial Jurisdiction
In addition, Lungren continues to emphasize his contention that the governor has little control over the issue. Bobbi Lungren says in the ad: "The fact is no governor can change the law with respect to a woman's right to an abortion because that is federal law. But the governor can restore our parental consent law. ... Dan and I have three children, including two daughters. We think parents have the right to know if someone intends to perform an abortion on their 14-year-old daughter." The Examiner reports that Lungren's opponent, Gray Davis, is also a Catholic, but that he emphasizes the separation of church and state (Salladay, 10/20).