Anti-abortion protestors rocked the first few minutes of the Democratic National Convention’s first-ever interfaith prayer gathering Sunday afternoon, but the party faithful rebounded to touch on topics from warfare to forgiveness.
With gospel singers’ swelling voices in the background, three unidentified men screamed accusations against the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama: “Obama supports the murder of children.”
A second man shouted: “Obama is a baby killer.”
The crowd, which filled roughly half of the 5,000-seat Wells Fargo Theater, booed and shouted back, drowning out the men even before law officers forced them outside.
Ignoring the disruptions, Democratic National Convention Committee chief executive Leah Daughtry, a Pentecostal pastor, told an audience roaring in agreement that “we didn’t need to bring faith to the party, faith was already here.”
“Today is a celebration of our faith and values,” Daughtry said. “Today we honor and respect our differences while striving to find our commonality.”
Gov. Bill Ritter, House Majority Whip James Clyburn and DNC Committee Chairman Howard Dean attended.
Speakers were free to address whatever topic they chose:
Blake said that, as “a pro-life Democrat,” he doesn’t believe anyone could be pleased with those who use it routinely as birth control.
“Something within us must be calling for a better way,” Blake said. “If we do not resist at this point, at what point can we resist.”
Capital punishment, Prejean said, leads to the mindset that legitimized the torture of terrorist suspects and allowed the atrocities at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
“Before we hope to impact the rest of the world, we need to expand our knowledge of the world,” Mattson said.
Many of those attending said the protestors were just a minor distraction from a service that set the right tone for the convention.
“There’s no monopoly on God,” said Bishop Dennis V. Proctor, of the A.M.E Zion Church’s western district. “So often others have held up the flag before the cross. They’ve used religion to divide so often rather than unite.”
But not everyone thought the service was inclusive enough.
Three Latino Catholic women from Denver said the speeches were moving but the lineup was symptomatic of what they perceive as a hole in the Obama campaign. Hispanics, they said, were not well represented.
Cecilia Flores said she heard speakers use Hebrew, but no one spoke in Spanish.
The interfaith event, said Flor Lovato, was aimed at blacks and whites.
“Historically this country has said black people are minorities but there are so many others,” Lovato said.
More work, she said, needs to be done to encourage understanding and acceptance among people of differing faiths and backgrounds.
“We’re more similar than different,” she said.
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson and Brandi Grissom of Media News Group contributed to this report.
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com
