Buttigieg: ‘Life Begins with Breath,’ Bible Backs Late-Term Abortion

Michael Foust | CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor | Updated: Sep 09, 2019

Buttigieg: ‘Life Begins with Breath,’ Bible Backs Late-Term Abortion

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is being criticized for comments suggesting life begins at a baby’s first breath and the Bible supports abortion up until the moment of birth.

The remarks by the mayor of South Bend, Ind., occurred during an appearance on a New York radio station’s morning show last week when the discussion turned to the issue of abortion.

Abortion, Buttigieg said, is “obviously a tough issue for a lot of people to think through morally.”

“Then again, you know, there's a lot of parts of the Bible that talk about how life begins with breath,” Buttigieg told the hosts of Power 105.1 FM’s Breakfast Club show. “And so even that is something that we can interpret differently.

“But I think no matter where you think about the kind of cosmic question of how life begins,” he said, “most Americans can get on board with the idea of – all right – I might draw the line here, you might draw the line there, but the most important thing is the person who should be drawing line is the woman making the decision.”

Buttigieg’s comments sparked plenty of reaction from pro-lifers, including from his brother-in-law, Rhyan Glezman, who is the pastor of a church in Michigan.

“If we're going to say we're for all people and we love all people, but we don't value human life in the womb, that's being a hypocrite,” Glezman told the Washington Examiner. “You're hypocritical if you don't stand up for all life. So that's why I'm speaking out.”

Glezman added, “I feel a sense of responsibility and stewardship of my faith to stand up and say something, to say, ‘No, that’s not true.’ God places a very high value on all human life. Everyone is created fearfully and wonderfully in the image of God with intrinsic value. That doesn't start at the first breath, it starts when we enter our mother’s womb.”

Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, also spoke out against Buttigieg’s comments.

“Pete Buttigeig says we don’t know when life begins (we do), & then falsely claims the Bible suggests life begins with ‘breath’ so therefore it must be ok with killing preborn children,” Rose tweeted. “Pretty sick. @PeteButtigieg has either never read the Bible or he’s lying.”

Pete Buttigeig says we don’t know when life begins (we do), & then falsely claims the Bible suggests life begins with “breath” so therefore it must be ok with killing preborn children.

Pretty sick.@PeteButtigieg has either never read the Bible or he’s lying. pic.twitter.com/DQESunhTzV
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) September 6, 2019