Soaries presents stance on abortion as congressional primary nears

Buster Soaries, the Republican challenging incumbent Rush Holt for the chance to represent Princeton's district in Congress, provided insight into his views on abortion and other key issues during a campus appearance Friday.

The Baptist minister and former N.J. Secretary of State was at the University for a conference on the Declaration of Independence. He said in an interview after his speech that he believes in an inalienable right to life.

"Reasonable people can disagree about when life begins," Soaries said. "I believe life begins at viability" — the point at which a fetus can live outside its mother's womb. He said he opposes abortion during the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

His view lies between those of hard-line abortion foes who favor outlawing all abortions, and of pro-choice activists who favor permitting abortion in all forms.

Soaries participated in a panel discussing "Equality in the 21st Century." Calling for a "radical shift" in the understanding of equality, he said the government should focus on providing equal access and opportunity for individuals rather than emphasizing membership in a particular group.

He explained that existing racial programs "assume Oprah has the same needs as a single mother."

Soaries said he would also vote against group quotas if elected to Congress.

During his speech, Soaries railed against the idea that the First Amendment precludes faith-based groups from receiving government support for their social services. He described the bureaucratic hurdles faced by a group of churches that recently came together to assist abandoned children.

The lack of government support for such projects is "vulgar," Soaries said. The framers of the First Amendment wanted to prevent the establishment of official state-wide religions, he said, not to prevent the government from involving itself with religion.