A Beaufort County Councilwomen spoke out against a rezoning proposal by a Bluffton Catholic Church because of Chuch policies against women. Council Women Laura von Harten said she could not support the rezoning because "I don’t want to support anything that will perpetuate that kind of ideology that would prevent me from being an active leader in an organization, and I don’t like the way they want to control women’s uteruses…." The statements were made in a Beaufort County Land Management Committee Meeting, a group Von Harten is not a member of, this past Monday. Von Harten’s statements sent calls for her to step down from her position by local Catholics angered by her statements. A statement was also made by Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League of Religious and Civil Rights calling for Von Harten to step down.
von Harten later issued an apology claiming, "I truly intended my remarks on human rights to pertain to the Catholic Church as a political entity, with a seat at the United Nations…." She further said she did not mean to upset any individuals and people do have the right to worship as they please.
Thanks to the Island Packet. Click here to read more.
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