Church Mothers and Children Gather to Honor the Life and Vision of George Tiller

"Together, we will create a society and a paradigm shift so that every pregnancy is an invited guest in the woman's body and a welcome addition to her family."
George Tiller, M.D.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. June 3, 2009. On Thursday, June 4th at 5 pm mothers and children of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester and their guests will gather outside of the Church at 220 South Winton Road to honor the life of Dr. George Tiller. The gathering will underscore Dr. Tiller’s vision: reproductive choice is fundamentally about our ability to freely bear, nurture and love every child.

Until Sunday, May 31st, Dr. Tiller was medical director of Women’s Health Care Services in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Tiller was a board certified family practitioner. His clinic was one of only three in the country to provide late term abortions. On Sunday, Dr. Tiller was shot and killed as he served as an usher in his church; his alleged murderer is a self-proclaimed anti-abortion activist.

The Reverend Kaaren Anderson, co-pastor of the First Unitarian Church, explained the inspiration for the June 4th gathering of church mothers and children:
“George Tiller was called a ‘baby killer’ on national television. We stand together to repudiate that dangerously false characterization. The truth is that George Tiller worked to protect women’s health and fertility. He believed as we believe: we must give every child, every mother, every father, every family the best chance for fully, richly lived lives. George Tiller’s work affirmed living, not killing.

“Dr. Tiller was shot in the head and died in his church lobby. We feel it’s especially fitting, then, to gather at our church to honor his work, his vision and his life. “

The gathering will be photographed and a “Children of Choice” page will be posted on First Unitarian’s website in honor of Dr. Tiller. Those at the gathering will work with religious organizations throughout the region and country to urge other congregations to gather their mothers and children in similar “Children of Choice” tributes to Dr. Tiller. Those who attend will also be invited into the church to light candles of remembrance and to write letters of condolence to Dr. Tiller’s family and clinic.

As Reverend Anderson affirmed, “We honor Dr. Tiller’s uncommon courage. We agree with bioethicist Jacob Appel who said of Dr. Tiller, ‘he is a genuine hero who ranks alongside Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King Jr. in the pantheon of defenders of human liberty.’”