Kerry talks about faith, abortion

Senator John F. Kerry today called for a new national commitment to reduce the number of abortions, saying that pro-life activists and abortion rights supporters can reach ``common ground" on one of the nation's most divisive cultural issues.

In an intimate speech laced with references to his own Roman Catholic faith and upbringing, Kerry chastised both sides in the abortion debate for ``excessive language" that has divided the nation.

``Even as a supporter of Roe v. Wade, I am compelled to acknowledge that the language both sides use on this subject can be, unfortunately, misleading and unconstructive," Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, told an audience at Pepperdine University in California, according to an advance copy of the speech provided by his aides. ``Instead of making enemies, we need to make progress."

The speech marks Kerry's most extensive attempt to describe his religious views and define his stance on so-called ``values issues" since President Bush narrowly defeated him in the race for the presidency in 2004. In that campaign, Bush and the Republican Party used Kerry's positions on abortion and gay marriage to help push conservative voters to the polls.

Kerry has maintained throughout his political career that he doesn't like abortion personally but would not impose his views on others or try to change the law. During his presidential campaign, he said he believes that human life begins at conception but asserted that, if elected, he wouldn't appoint a Supreme Court justice who would ``undo a constitutional right" by overturning Roe.

In the Pepperdine speech, Kerry traced his religious indoctrination from his childhood as an altar boy to a young man who later found himself in ``a period of alienation" from his faith, in part because of what he witnessed as a Navy officer who saw combat during the Vietnam War.

``For 12 years I wandered in the wilderness, went through a divorce, and struggled with questions about my direction," Kerry said. ``Then, suddenly and movingly, I had a revelation about the connection between the work I was doing as a public servant and my formative teachings."

Aside from using his office to help reduce the number of abortions, Kerry said his religious faith motivates him in other ``godly tasks," including fighting poverty and disease, protecting the environment, and opposing a war in Iraq that he views as morally wrong.

``We need a revival of the debate over what constitutes `Just Wars' and how they must be conducted, and all people of faith, whatever their political allegiances, should participate in the debate," Kerry said.

For a more in-depth report on Kerry's speech, see tomorrow's Globe.

Rick Klein, a staff reporter in the Globe's Washington Bureau, can be reached at rklein@globe.com.