Christ First Forum

Komen exec quits after funding flap
By RAY HENRY | Associated Press – 21 mins ago


ATLANTA (AP) — A high-ranking official resigned Tuesday from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity after a dispute over whether the group should give funding to Planned Parenthood, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.
Karen Handel, the charity's vice president for public policy, told Komen officials that she supported the move to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. She said the discussion started before she arrived at the organization and was approved at the highest levels of the charity.
"I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it," Handel said in her letter. "I openly acknowledge my role in the matter and continue to believe our decision was the best one for Komen's future and the women we serve."
Handel said in the letter that the now-abandoned policy was fully vetted by the Komen organization. Its board did not raise any objections when it was presented with the proposed policy in November, Handel said.
Komen Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker said she accepted Handel's resignation and wished her well.
"We have made mistakes in how we have handled recent decisions and take full accountability for what has resulted, but we cannot take our eye off the ball when it comes to our mission," Brinker said in a statement. "To do this effectively, we must learn from what we've done right, what we've done wrong and achieve our goal for the millions of women who rely on us."
Officials with Planned Parenthood did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Handel had supported a decision that Komen announced last week to exclude Planned Parenthood, which provides a range of women's health care services including abortions, from future grants for breast-cancer screenings because it was under congressional investigation.
The charity cited a probe backed by anti-abortion groups and launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., to determine if Planned Parenthood improperly spent public money on abortions. Planned Parenthood says taxpayer money is strictly separated.
The breast cancer charity reversed course after its decision created a three-day firestorm of criticism. Members of Congress and Komen affiliates accused the group's national leadership of bending to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Brinker, denied the decision was driven by pressure from anti-abortion groups.
Until Tuesday, Handel had publicly kept silent about her role in the dispute.
In her letter, she said the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood was long a concern to Komen officials.
"Neither the decision nor the changes themselves were based on anyone's political beliefs or ideology," Handel said in the letter. Rather, both were based on Komen's mission and how to better serve women, as well as a realization of the need to distance Komen from controversy.

A person with direct knowledge of decision-making at Komen's headquarters in Dallas said the grant-making criteria were adopted with the deliberate intention of targeting Planned Parenthood. The criteria's impact on Planned Parenthood and its status as the focus of government investigations were highlighted in a memo distributed to Komen affiliates in December.
According to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, a driving force behind the move was Handel, who was hired by Komen last year as vice president for public policy after losing a campaign for governor in Georgia in which she stressed her anti-abortion views and frequently denounced Planned Parenthood.
Brinker, in an interview with MSNBC last week, said Handel didn't have a significant role in the policy change.
Handel, a Republican, ran for Georgia governor in 2010, winning an endorsement from former vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Handel then lost a primary runoff to former Georgia Rep. Nathan Deal, who won the general election.
Throughout the campaign, Deal accused Handel of being soft on abortion.
Deal repeatedly attacked Handel over a 2005 vote she took while serving on a metro Atlanta county commission to give more than $400,000 to Planned Parenthood, though not for abortion services. The Georgia affiliate of Planned Parenthood said the money went to a downtown clinic for services such as cervical cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted diseases and birth controls.
A longstanding law bans using federal money to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the health of the mother.

http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-komen ... 21251.html

I don't believe anything PP says anyone who supports in anyway the murder of babies is not trust worthy... I would believe a drug addict that may tell me the money that he had to pockets of money one he bought drugs with and a separate pocket of money for food...

There would have been blessings ahead for Komen if they had been able to stand but taking a stand against evil is not for the faint of heart.

We are witnesses to the most massive holocaust of all time, the genocide of babies, right in our own country. Why God continues to extend his loving grace and mercy to the USA is a mystery. "Long suffering" describes our Lord well.

Amen Janlyn...

Christ is ...longsuffering...

I just wonder how many other organizations are giving money to 'planned parenthood',and WHY?

That's why I only have a desire to give to my church,and I try to be very careful, with this today...

Yes, I'm Southern Baptist,but their decisions on homosexuality and illegal immigration, has made me not to want to give to the convention anymore,but we do support the church/missionaries...who are not tied into the convention...that's one reason why we move out of our last church...

Also, they watch the 'football game' at church on Sunday night,and no one has a problem with this...

Replaced evening church service...

Jeani, Is this what you are talking about?

Hoax claims SBC backs 'gay marriage'
Posted on Jun 28, 2011 | by Staff


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--An elaborate hoax Tuesday claimed that the Southern Baptist Convention was on the verge of formally supporting "gay marriage" and repenting of its stance on homosexuality, and the hoax backed up the false claim with a press release, phone number and website.

The stunt was pulled off by a group calling itself the Center for Responsible Christian Living, but the group didn't identity itself until later in the day and only after one major Catholic blog had posted the release as legitimate. The blog soon pulled it. No major media outlet reported the news as real. Several media members, in fact, called the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee to make sure officials knew of the hoax.

The Center for Responsible Living -- which does not have a website -- said the hoax was to "highlight the Southern Baptists' anti-gay stance as both irresponsible and unchristian." The Center for Responsible Living's press release did not list a phone number or a spokesperson. All the quotes were of "anonymous" spokespersons.

Roger S. ("Sing") Oldham, vice president for convention communications and relations for the SBC Executive Committee, said the SBC's approach to homosexuality is not only biblical but loving.

"Southern Baptists do not think it irresponsible or unchristian to uphold clear biblical teachings on human sexuality and marriage," Oldham said. "God’s expectation of sexual purity is woven throughout every part of Scripture, across generational and cultural lines. The Bible is equally clear that all who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone, will be forgiven and delivered from the bondage of sin. To deny such a fundamental biblical teaching as God’s redemptive purpose is the height of irresponsibility and would clearly be un-Christian."

The fake press release -- sent out early in the morning -- and fake website falsely claimed that the Executive Committee, "meeting in extraordinary emergency session," had asked that the SBC adopt a statement defining marriage as "two partners" because "loving and committed homosexual relationships must have the right to acknowledgment in the eyes of God." The hoax further said the Executive Committee had proposed a resolution urging "our agencies and institutions seek diligently to bring about greater diversity from the LGBT community." The fake resolution also said Southern Baptists were repenting of their past stance.

The hoax came complete with a website that didn't look anything like the convention's real website but did have enough faith-themed icons that it likely could trick some people. Curiously, the website claimed to be the "Southern Baptist Convention of America." The real SBC does not have "of America" in its title.

A call to the number on the press release led to a recording with a male voice stating, "You've reached the headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please enter the extension of the person you are trying to reach or leave us a message in our general mailbox after the tone. For more information on the Southern Baptist Convention or to find contact information on a specific church in your area, please check at our website, at www.sbcaa.net.

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=35657