Princeton University’s Office of Religious Life recently helped to organize a rally to raise funds for Planned Parenthood.
Several student organizations at Princeton are pushing back after the Ivy League institution’s Office of Religious Life co-sponsored an event in support of Planned Parenthood. “It is ludicrous for a ‘religious life’ office to celebrate or fundraise for Planned Parenthood,” argues Kristan Hawkins, the national presidents of Students for Life of America.
The Princeton Pro-Life club told Campus Reform in a statement that they are “deeply hurt” by the Office of Religious Life’s decision to co-sponsor the Run4AllWomen event that raised money for Planned Parenthood.
“Princeton Pro-Life is deeply hurt and saddened by the Office of Religious Life’s decision to cosponsor the Run4AllWomen in an effort to raise money for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider,” the group said. “We affirm the essential dignity of the human person as well as an unborn child’s right to life, and we continue to work toward a future in which the right to life and freedom of religion (implicitly endorsed by ORL) are both understood to be indispensable to a larger, coherent philosophy of human rights.”
“When personhood is denied, so too are religious freedoms, so by demonstrating support for an abortion provider, ORL is rather demonstrating a lack of commitment to religious freedom,” the group added. “This is, of course, antithetical to its professed mission to ‘promote the care and support for the many religious and secular communities’ on campus.”
Father Gabe Zeis, T.O.R., chaplain of the Catholic Aquinas Institute argued that although there are good services that Planned Parenthood provides to women, the Office of Religious life should look to other charities that “support life fully.” “There are many good things organizations such as Planned Parenthood do, but there are things that we as Catholics know to be wrong,” Zeis argued. “The question I raise is, do we know the whole truth. If we do we would seek other organizations to support, such as Catholic Charities or our solid organizations that support life fully and give women the care they need as well.”
Rev. Bill Neely, the Unitarian Universalist Chaplain in Princeton, New Jersey, applauded the Office of Religious Life for participating in the fundraising. “Congrats to the ORL for participating in the Run 4 All Women in New Jersey,” Neely told Campus Reform. “What a fun and healthy and to support the essential work of Planned Parenthood, which provides excellent health care to people who may not have any other source of assistance. I’m grateful for and inspired by ORL’s involvement.”