VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (EP) - After comments on CNN that unleashed a firestorm of criticism, Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson issued a clarification of his views on China's population control policies.
In an April 16 interview on CNN's "Wolf Blitzer Reports," Robertson said Chinese officials who force women to have abortions are "doing what they have to do" and said the United States should not interfere with China's policy. Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, said, "Well, you know, I don't agree with it, but at the same time, they've got 1.2 billion people and they don't know what to do. If every family over there was allowed to have three or four children, the population would be completely unsustainable.
"So I think that, right now, they're doing what they have to do. I don't agree with the forced abortion, but I don't think the United States needs to interfere with what they're doing internally in this regard."
The following day, Robertson responded to criticism from pro-lifers, saying he had not expressed his "full conviction" on China's policy. "I have been and will always be strongly pro-life, and my teachings over the past 40 years in private and in public reflect my deeply held convictions," he said.
"In the CNN interview, I did not preface my remarks with my long-held view, but I merely expressed what, to me, seemed obvious Ð that the Chinese people, with a population of 1.2 billion, will face a tragic dilemma of massive proportions if they permit their population to explode upwards of 2 billion people," Robertson said. "The Chinese government has, by law, restricted the birth rate to one child per family. Given the situation, intelligent family planning reflects an obvious necessity; however, I am unalterably opposed to the policy that would result in forced abortions or sex selection.
"I regret that my unrehearsed comments on 'Wolf Blitzer' were not spoken with sufficient clarity to communicate my lifelong opposition to voluntary and forced abortion as a means of population control."
Robertson's remarks were soundly condemned by pro-life leaders. Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, said, "Of all people, Pat Robertson should have faith that God will find a way to provide for the Chinese people that doesn't require slaughtering millions of babies in the womb.
"It's a serious concern when national spokespersons get confused before the TV cameras. China's abortion campaign Ð the forced killing of preborn children Ð may well be the greatest crime against humanity in the history of the world."
Brown was only partially mollified by Robertson's clarification. "The population of New Jersey is almost 10 times as dense as China's," she said. "The problem in China is not that there are too many children. The problem is that the Communist regime will not extend resources and economic freedom to the people. If the Chinese government were to do so, there would be more than enough resources to go around. Babies are a blessing, not a curse."