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Condolences to the Tiller Family
A Letter from Religious Leaders

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June 4, 2009

Dear Tiller Family Members,

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We offer you our deep condolences on the murder of George Tiller-- husband, father, grandfather -- who was a caring and courageous physician to the women of our country.  We cannot assuage the personal loss and sadness you now face.  However, we hope that by honoring and celebrating his life and his many contributions to women’s well being, we can in some small way overcome the hatred and ignorance that led to his death.  Hopefully, we can even encourage others to emulate his service.

Few of us have lived our lives with the courage Dr. Tiller showed over the last decades as he continued to do what he felt was right in spite of constant harassment, physical harm and demonization. Many doctors who once performed abortions have simply given up. Too few new doctors respond to the needs of their patients who face pregnancies that have became insupportable. How proud you must be that your husband, father, grandfather never turned his back on women in need.

We hope you take comfort in the words of respect and appreciation that come from the women he helped. One couple who faced a seriously compromised pregnancy of conjoined twins and turned to him for help have written: “the nightmare of our decision and the aftermath was only made bearable by the warmth of Dr. Tiller and his remarkable staff. Our pain and suffering were only mitigated by the compassion and competence of Dr. Tiller. We are all diminished today for a host of reasons but most of all because a man of great compassion and courage has been lost to the world.” 

As religious leaders we are informed by this couple’s experience and insight. We are saddened that some in the religious community have not trusted women to make the best moral decisions about pregnancy. Instead they have castigated both women and the doctors who have stood with them. That Dr. Tiller found strength and purpose through his religious faith makes his death especially poignant for us. His life’s work will continue to bolster our resolve and faith filled commitment to uphold conscience and religious liberty.

Dr. Tiller did not “go gently into that good night.” With every breath he “raged, raged against the dying of the light.” He stood with unflinching resolve against all who tried to stop his life saving work.  He now rests in the gentle hands of God, but the light of compassion, wisdom and courage that his life illuminated will be carried forward by those of us who honor him today. We bless him and his work. We bless you, his family, who stood with him, with our prayers and our resolve to ensure that abortion is not only safe and legal but offered with the compassion and respect that was part of his practice.
Our sympathy and support surround you.

Sincerely,

Rev. Carlton W. Veazey
President and CEO
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

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Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Board Members
Barbara Avery
Carol Blowers, Chair
Colleen Bowers, RN
Joan Brannick
LeRoy, Mary, LeRoy, Jody, and Janine E. Carhart; Eric Weatherby
Rev. Consuelo Donahue
Joan LaMunyon-Sanford
Rev. Timothy McDonald, III
Jill C. Morrison
Berit Muh
Polly Runyon
Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks
Richard Simms
Linda Taggart, R.N.

Dr. Mona Gustafson Affinito
Chaska, Minnesota

Dr. Rebecca Alpert
Associate Professor of Religion and Women's Studies
Temple University

Rachel Altmann
Corbett, Oregon

Reverend Eric Don Anderson
United (UCC-Disciples) Christian Church of Yakima
Yakima, WA

Rev. Darline Balm-Demmel
United Methodist Church
Cedar Falls, Iowa

Rev. J. Edwin Bacon
All Saints Episcopal Church
Pasadena, CA

Darcy C. Baxter
Seminarian, Starr King School for the Ministry
Berkeley, CA

Rev. Dr. Nadean Bishop
Retired American Baptist Pastor
Former Executive Director of the MN Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

Mr. Tom Boughan
Cowan, Tennessee

Kathlyn A. Breazeale, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religion, Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA

Rev. Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock
Director
Faith Voices for the Common Good
Oakland CA

Bernadette J. Brooten, Ph.D.
Robert and Myra Kraft and Jacob Hiatt Professor of Christian Studies Director, Feminist Sexual Ethics Project Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

Rev. Cheryl L. Burke
Michigan Conference United Church of Christ
East Lansing, Michigan

Rev. Jim Burklo
author: BIRDLIKE AND BARNLESS and OPEN CHRISTIANITY

Dr. Claudia Camp
John F. Weatherly Professor of Religion
Texas Christian University

Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
Ecumenical Leader

Rev. J. Gary Campbell
retired Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and international worker (pastoral-journalist) in Latin America. 

Margaret C. Campbell
retired Presbyterian Church (USA) international worker (educational) in Latin America

Rev. Susan Chamberlin Smith
Trinity United Church of Christ
Deerfield, Illinois

Rev. Teresa Chavez Sauceda,PhD.
Minister Member-at-Large
San Francisco Presbytery

Rev. Dr. Diane Christopherson
United Church of Christ
Port Orchard, Washington

Rev. Steve Clapp
President
Christian Community, Inc.

Ms. Pat Clark
American Friends Service Committee

Rev. Rita Cochrane
Presbyterian Church (USA)
West Point, Mississippi

Rev. Nan Conser
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice of Illinois

Rev. Monica Corsaro
Church Council of Greater Seattle
Seattle, Washington

Rev. Susan H. Craig
Pilgrim Place, Claremont, CA     
Presbyterian Church (USA)

Rev. Barbara A. Cullom

Stephanie Day Powell, M.Div

Melissa Lynn DeRosia
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Caro, MI

C. Julianna Donofrio MTS. MA

Rev. Dr. David C. Downing
Retired Minister
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
San Diego, CA

Rev. Paige Eaves
United Methodist Church

Rev. Marvin K Eckfeldt
Retired Minister
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Kent, Washington

Dr. Anne Eggebroten
Evangelical & Ecumenical Women's Caucus
Santa Monica, California

Valerie "Terry" Ellis
SGI-USA
Boca Raton, Florida

Rev. Marvin M. Ellison, Ph.D.
Willard S. Bass Professor of Christian Ethics
Bangor Theological Seminary

Seminarian Leslie Eppler
United Church of Christ
Toledo, Ohio

Brenda Fletchall
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Ooklahoma City, Oklahoma

Rev. Ann Fontaine
Lander, Wyoming

Rev. Dr. John C. Forney
Progressive Christians Uniting

Rosemary Ganley
Catholics for Choice Canada
Peterborough, Ontario

Chris Gates
First Unitarian Church
Portland, Oregon

Rev. Stephanie Toon Glassman
United Methodist Church

Karen Gilman
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Board of Southern California

The Rev. J. Bennett Guess
United Church of Christ
Cleveland, Ohio

Rev. Barbara Haddon

Rev. Debra W. Haffner
Director
Religious Institute

Rev. Sarah Halverson
Fairview Community Church
Costa Mesa, CA

Ms. Ann L. Hanson
Minister for Sexuality Education & Justice
Justice and Witness Ministries

Martha M. Hardwick
Past President, Okla. Religious Coalition For Reproductive Rights
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Amy Harlib
New York, New York

Elfriede Harth
European Representative
Catholics for Choice

Martha Hatt
Disciples for Choice
Enid, Oklahoma

Rev. Phil Hausknecht, Ph.D.
St. Paul International Lutheran Church

Rev. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor Biblical Interpretation
New York Theological Seminary

Rabbi Joui Hessel
Central Conference of American Rabbis

Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D.
Co-director, WATER
Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual

Dr. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz
Professor of Christian Ethics
Drew University

Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs
Founder
Progressive Faith Foundation

Ms. Lynn C. Jaeger
Diaconal Candidate, The United Methodist Church
Roslyn, Pennsylvania

Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo
Executive Minister
Justice and Witness Ministries
United Church of Christ

Rev. Grace Jones Moore
United Church of Christ
Claremont, California

Sister Sue Kilduski
Benedictine Sister
Chicago, Illinois

Rev. Dr. Mary Ellen Kilsby
Minister Emerita 
First Congregational Church
Long Beach, CA

Frances Kissling
Visiting scholar Center for Bioethics
University of Pennsylvania

Harold A. Knight
St. Paul Lutheran Church (ELCA) and Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas

Rabbi Douglas E. Krantz
Congregation B'nai Yisrael
Armonk, New York

Laura Kumin
Temple Sinai
Washington DC

Rev. Peter Laarman
Executive Director
Progressive Christians Uniting

Mary T. Larson
President
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice of Southern California

Rev. Dr. Gabriella Lettini
Associate Professor of Theological Ethics
Starr King School for the Ministry  
Berkeley, CA

Rabbi David Levy
Temple Shalom
Succasunna, NJ

Shelley Lindauer
Executive Director
Women of Reform Judaism

Mrs. Karen Linn
First Presbyterian Church
Westerville, Ohio

Robert A. Long
Board Member
Progressive Christians Uniting

Jo Ann Lucas
Presbyterian Church USA
Columbus, Indiana

Sheila Luecht
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice of Illinois

Dr. Mary C. Maher
Cotati, California

Joanna Manning
Feminist Theologian and Author
Toronto, Canada

Rev. Marta
Bremerton United Methodist Church
Bremerton, WA

Rev. Stephen J. Mather
Coronado Community Church
Coronado, California

Elizabeth Maupin, M.Div.
Issaquah, Washington

Rev. Melinda V. McLain
San Francisco, CA

Valerie A. Metzler
Altoona, Pennsylvania

Dr. Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore
E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Pastoral Theology
Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion

Carolyn Modeen
United Church of Christ
Sun City, AZ

Rev. Kirk Moore
Union Congregational United Church of Christ
Somonauk, IL

Professor Julie Neraas
Hamline University
Minneapolis, Minneapolis

Dr. Diann L. Neu
Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual
Silver Spring, Maryland

Rev. Dr. Rita Newton
Disciples of Christ
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Rabbi Shoshana Nyer
Women’s Rabbinic Network

Jon O’Brien
President
Catholics for Choice

Rev. Robert C. Patton
Claremont United Church of Christ

Rev. Dr. Stephanie Paulsell
Houghton Professor of the Practice of Ministry Studies
Harvard Divinity School

Rev. Aaron R. Payson
Pastor
The Unitarian Universalist Church
Worcester, MA

The Rev. R. Don Prange
St. James United Church of Christ
Lovettsville, Virginia

Rabbi Mindy A. Portnoy
Temple Sinai
Washington, DC

Rev. Loey (Lois) M. Powell
Co-Team Leader, Cleveland Based Program Team
Justice & Witness Ministries
United Church of Christ

Donna Quinn, O.P. 
National Coalition of American Nuns

Nancy Ratzan
President
National Council of Jewish Women

Rev. Meg A. Riley
Unitarian Universalist Association

Anna B. Roeschley
Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual

Daniel Roihl
Minister of Music
St. James' Episcopal Church
South Pasadena, CA

Janis Roihl
former nun

Maria José  Rosado-Nunes
Coordenadora Geral
Católicas pelo Direito de Decidir – Brasil

John Rollefson
Pastor
Lutheran Church of the Master
Los Angeles, CA

Victoria Rue, Ph.D.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests

Rev. Susan Russell
All Saints Episcopal Church
Pasadena, CA

Christine Sacino, Esq.
San Francisco, California

Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper
Senior Minister
Judson Memorial Church
New York

Rabbi Marion Shulevitz
New York

Rev. William G. Sinkford
President
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

Jeanne St. John
Newport, Oregon

Rev. Dr. Lloyd Steffen
Director
Center for Dialogue Ethics and Spirituality
Lehigh University

Rev. Marti J. Steussy
MacAllister-Petticrew Professor of Biblical Interpretation
Christian Theological Seminary
Indianapolis

Rev. Jerald M. Stinson
Senior Minister
First Congregational Church of Long Beach

The Rev. Jeanette Stokes
Presbyterian
Durham, North Carolina

Rev. Julie Stoneberg
Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario

Bishop Mary Ann Swenson
The United Methodist Church

Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ

Reverend Pamala Thomas
Gateway to Light
Santa Monica, CA

Dr. Emilie M. Townes
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Andrew W. Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology
Yale Divinity School

Lieve Troch
Professor of religious studies at Methodist University in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands

Rev. Nancy K. Troy
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville, Kentucky

Nancy Valencia
Board Member
Progressive Christians Uniting

Pastor Robert Walters
Retired
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Dr. Nancy Whitt
Religious Society of Friends (Quaker)
Birmingham, Alabama

The Reverend Margot L Willis
United Church of Christ
Woodbridge, Virginia

Nancy Hunt Wirth,
Disciples for Choice
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Council of Governors

Rev. Frank D. Wulf
United University Church
Los Angeles, CA

Rev. Claudia Genung Yamamoto
West Tokyo Union Church
Tokyo, Japan

Diane Younkins, MS, LGPC, NCC
Pastoral Counselor
WisdomWorks

A Critical Mass: Women Celebrating Eucharist
Oakland, CA

Catholics for Choice

Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Board

Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options

San Francisco Women-Church