***NEWS RELEASE***
Mississippi State Sponsoring Abortionist Who Touts the ‘Christian Case for Choice’
American Family Association: Tell MSU President Mark Keenum to Also Invite a Christian Pro-Life Speaker to March 1 Event
TUPELO, Miss.—As a pro-family organization based in Mississippi, the American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) is alerting its friends and supporters about an on-campus presentation from Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Gender Studies program by abortionist Dr. Willie Parker on March 1.
According to AFA, Parker prides himself in traveling around the country, particularly the South, performing abortions. The event, titled “Abortion and the Christian Case for Choice,” is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, College of Arts and Sciences, President’s Commission on the Status of Minorities and other academic-based programs under the authority of President Mark Keenum and Provost Dr. Judy Bonner.
AFA contacted the office of President Keenum on Feb. 19, requesting a disclosure of the school’s expenses associated with hosting Dr. Parker, asking the school to remit this information by close of business the following day. MSU did not respond by that time.
AFA then contacted the president’s office again, when a representative said Sid Salter with the Office of Public Affairs had been given that financial information and would be sending it to AFA by the end of the day Feb. 21. On behalf of President Keenum, Salter contacted AFA on Feb. 22 and acknowledged that taxpayer funds are used to pay for the program featuring Dr. Parker, but did not provide a specific dollar amount.
“It is one thing for Mississippi State University to have the liberty to invite and pay for academic guest speakers of their choosing, but it is troubling to see that such a controversial speaker as Dr. Parker would garner the endorsement of the president and provost,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “At a minimum, the university should also provide equal time and funding for a pro-life Christian speaker at the program.
“To be clear, abortion is murder,” Wildmon continued. “There is no biblical argument that supports the taking of innocent life from the womb. In fact, there is a strong biblical argument against abortion. As part of the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:13 says, ‘You shall not murder.’ Is it right that only one viewpoint will be represented by this university-sanctioned event paid for by taxpayers?
“Again,” Wildmon added, “it’s one thing for a student-sponsored, student-led group to invite someone like Dr. Parker, but it’s entirely another for academic departments at Mississippi State University to allocate taxpayer funds to sponsor a program featuring an abortionist who twists the biblical view of the sanctity of human life to support killing babies. It is time universities, specifically Mississippi State University, grant equal time and funding to opposing viewpoints at academic programs.”
AFA is asking that concerned residents of Mississippi take action in several ways to demand that President Keenum provide equal presentation of viewpoints at this MSU-sanctioned university event—and pay for it with the same amount of university funds.
- Email President Keenum. AFA provides a sample message at the link.
- Call and leave a message with the president’s office at (662) 325-3221. Tell the receptionist: “I insist that the university provide equal time and funding for a pro-life Christian to speak against abortion at the MSU Gender Studies program featuring Dr. Willie Parker on March 1.”
View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or on Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.
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