Coalition to Pressure Hospitals : Ministers Launch Low-Key War on Abortion

A coalition claiming more than 50 San Diego County ministers among its membership today begins what it describes as behind-the-scenes pressure to convince local hospitals to stop performing abortions.

Formed within the last month, the “Pastors’ Coalition Against Abortion” launches its campaign as part of a network of demonstrations by ministers in Philadelphia, Washington and other major U.S. cities, said the Rev. Ken Hines of the University City Presbyterian Church, a spokesman for the group.

Hines said he was not aware of any demonstrations or pickets planned at hospitals in West Coast cities. The decision to forgo picketing today at San Diego hospitals that perform abortions was made in part to separate the coalition from past acts of violence by anti-abortion forces here, Hines said.

“There will be no acts of violence by our group,” Hines said. “We don’t condone that type of activity. We decided rather than beginning with a large public protest, we’d try to get our message across initially quietly, behind doors. Our plans are much longer range than just a one-day protest.”

Those hospitals that “give our group a negative response,” Hines said, “will be subjected to harsher measures in the future, including large demonstrations and economic boycotts.”

The group was formed by the national Christian Action Council, which Hines said has 25 members in the county. Hines said national leaders of the council met with the Rev. Billy Graham but failed to enlist his support. “Since that meeting, he has not been a part of our group,” Hines said. “We were more radical than he was.”

Hines said the group’s “main objective will be to mobilize pastors in the county to meet face-to-face with the evil, sinful hospital administrators who are allowing abortions and convince them to change their policies.”

Hines said greed was the primary deterrent to curtailing abortions. “The hospitals are making money off of abortions; so that’s why we think the administrators should be held responsible, even more so than the doctors,” he said. “It is the administrators who ultimately decide this issue.”

The group claims that 30,000 abortions are performed in the county each year, but officials with Planned Parenthood and the county Health Services Department said they could not quote an accurate figure.

The Rev. John Thill, pastor of Calvary Covenant Church in Poway, said the group would attempt to meet first with the administration of Sharp Memorial Hospital, which performs therapeutic abortions, because the hospital was founded by the San Diego Council of Churches.

“Religious convictions played a role in their foundations,” Thill said of Sharp Memorial. “In addition, they are noted for their care of children. But they also do abortions at Sharp, and that is totally inconsistent with both its foundations and its reputation.”

Cindy Cohagen, a spokeswoman for Sharp Memorial, said Friday that she could “not speculate on whether there will be any dialogue between this group and the hospital until we receive official contact from them. To my knowledge, that has not yet taken place.”

Other hospitals refused to comment on the coalition’s plans, as did the local Catholic Diocese, Episcopal Diocese and San Diego Ecumenical Council.