Moral Values Debate on ‘Meet the Press’

Jerry Falwell, Al Sharpton, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention and Jim Wallis all debated moral values on Meet the Press this weekend. A few primo quotes from Jerry Falwell courtesy of Signal vs. Noise: "I wouldn't vote for my mother if she were pro-choice." "I'm just trying -- I'm trying to do what Martin Luther King did." "Give the little babies the right to vote." [on abortion] The Southern Baptist guy went on to say this: "We're not against women working outside the home unless the husband believes that it's not the right choice." Thank god for Jim Wallis. He tried to rise above the typical abortion debate hyperbole: "Pro-life and pro-choice people could unite together around working on teenage pregnancy, adoption reform, supporting low-income women.?? When you support them economically, the abortion rate falls.?? The abortion rate is way too high in America." The moral values debate frequently degenerates into either abortion or gay marriage. And on abortion it's the baby killers vs. the women haters. It's refreshing to hear someone approach the issue with rhetoric that isn't just appealing to the extremes. Rev. Wallis's quote appeals to far more people looking for genuine moral leadership instead of the typical hyperbole.