A vicious war of words is tearing Texas’ anti-abortion movement in half | ThinkProgress

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By: E.A. Crunden

A written directive published last Thursday by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) singled out Texas Right to Life, advising parishes and other Catholics to avoid any volunteer work with the organization.
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Texas Alliance for Life and Texans for Life Coalition, two of the groups recommended as Texas Right to Life alternatives by TCCB, have come under fire from Texas Right to Life’s executive director, Jim Graham, who has labeled both “fake pro-life organizations.” Graham has also nicknamed Texas Alliance for Life Executive Director Joe Pojman “Joe Poison.”

That nickname has less to do with Pojman’s politics — which are staunchly anti-choice — and more to do with calculated decisions, like testifying against unconstitutional anti-abortion legislation likely to be defeated in court. Pojman told the San Antonio Express-News that when pro-choice plaintiffs win in court, “We view that as financing the abortion providers.”

On Humane Disposition | Sebastian’s Point (Society of St. Sebastian)

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By: Deirdre Cooper

If abortion supporters truly don’t believe aborted unborn babies are human beings, why are they so opposed to pro-lifers transporting and burying those clumps of cells? What harm does it do to them, if they are not involved in the transport or burial of the remains anyway?

Texas has the right, and the duty, to respect the human dignity of all people, including the unborn. This right was recognized in Gonzales v. Carhart, the case that upheld the partial-birth abortion ban, where the Court insisted that states may express their “profound” respect for the dignity of the life of the unborn. That right does not allow them to take the abortion decision away from women, but it does allow states to require the bodies of aborted unborn babies to be treated humanely.

Texas Catholics Split From Prominent Pro-Life Group | Dallas Observer

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Joe Pojman, the executive director of the Texas Alliance for Life, a group the bishops were careful to point out they still support, told legislators that they should pass on the bill — not because it wasn’t the right thing to do, but because it would inevitably be struck down by the courts because of the limits it places on women in their second trimester who might seek an abortion.

“With due respect for the author [of SB 415], we just don’t think the bill will survive a federal court challenge,” Pojman said. “We cannot recommend it to you. We’d love to believe that Kennedy would support this. We told you he would support [the Texas anti-abortion law struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016]. We were wrong.”

Bishops’ letter exposes rift in anti-abortion movement | San Antonio Express News

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By: Peggy Fikac

But Abbott and Pojman interacted warmly at the event, and Abbott’s appearance seems enough to show his support of the group’s work. The governor’s spokespeople didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Pojman says he would like to work with Texas Right to Life, but that the last email he got from the group was one asking to be removed from his email list 18 months ago.

“We regret that there is a split in the pro-life movement,” Pojman said. He said it weakens the movement’s credibility and keeps them from pooling resources. “It is not our preference, and we seek to have all the groups working together, but a marriage takes two willing partners,” he said.

Texas bishops tell parishes to cut ties with pro-life group | Crux

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By: Charles Collins, Managing Editor

The bishops said the other two organizations are “consistent with the bishops’ positions” on life issues.

“Texas Alliance for Life and Texans for Life Coalition work very well together with the Catholic bishops, and it is our goal to have all the groups working together,” said Joe Pojman, the Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life.

“Texas Right to Life do not have the same vision and they tend to not work with the Texas bishops on pro-life issues and with Texas Alliance for Life and Texans for Life Coalition, and that’s very unfortunate,” he told Crux. “We have an obligation to pool all our resources, because the abortion industry, which is very powerful in Texas and across the country including Planned Parenthood have vast resources and I think we have an obligation to pool ours to counter that, but unfortunately it’s not worked out very well.”

Pojman said his organization is non-sectarian but is happy to work with the Texas Catholic Conference because it is “the most effective pro-life organization in the Texas legislature.”

“Texas has done so much to protect unborn babies and their mothers from abortion, provide compassionate alternatives to abortion, and especially to protect patients at the end of life from euthanasia. That would not have been possible without the leadership and the resources that the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops,” Pojman said.