As Presidential Race Tightens, New Evangelicals Defend Family Planning
Scholars, journalists, pollsters, and activists will meet to discuss the broad New Evangelical agenda and the 2012 election

With a recent analysis by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life showing 1 in 5 Americans now claim no religious affiliation, the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good is sponsoring this discussion to explore whether the Religious Right is responsible in part for driving away the faithful with fear-mongering and divisive rhetoric on social issues, including issues such as contraception and family planning.

Location:     National Press Club, First Amendment Room
Date:            October 15, 2012
Time:            9:30-11:00AM

As the Presidential race tightens and pro-life groups ramp up their rhetoric, a new document to be released by the New Evangelical Partnership entitled "A Call to Common Ground on Family Planning, Maternal and Children's Health" makes the case that domestic and international access to family planning is the most important way to reduce abortions.

A panel of distinguished scholars, pollsters, and activists, moderated by Richard Cizik, New Evangelical Partnership President, and Steven D. Martin, New Evangelical Partnership Executive Director, will explore how this new movement is promoting justice, compassion, peace, interfaith understanding, and creation care. The impact of this dynamic movement of "New Evangelicals" will have on the 2012 elections will also be discussed.

Speakers Include:

• E.J. Dionne, Author, America's Political Divide, Columnist and MSNBC analyst.
• Marcia Pally, NYU Sociologist, and author, America's New Evangelicals: Expanding the Vision of the Common Good.
• Robert P. Jones, CEO, Public Religion Research Institute.
• Mark Hathaway, MD, MPH, Medical Director for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unity Health Care, Inc., Washington, DC.
• Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs.
• John L. Esposito, Professor and Founding Director, Prince Alwawaleed Center, Georgetown University.
• Rev. Jennifer Crumpton, Author, FemmeEvangelical, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Int. Center for Religion & Diplomacy.
• Heather Rice, Director of U.S. Prisons Policy & Program, National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
• Rev. Fletcher Harper, President, Green Faith.

Chalice Press and Wm. B. Eerdman's will provide copies of A New Evangelical Manifesto (Chalice Press, September, 2012) and America's New Evangelicals: Expanding the Vision of the Common Good (Wm.B. Eerdmans, January, 2012). Copies of Islam In America:The Christian Truth, a powerful documentary by NEP Executive Director Steven. D. Martin, will also be available.

Please RSVP to Jessica Magers-Rankin at jmr@newevangelicalpartnership.org or 865.483.6823 (o) or 865.406.7842 (c).

Contact

Jessica Magers-Rankin
865-483-6823

Steven D. Martin
865-300-6848