CLEVELAND — The National Right to Life Committee has cut ties with an affiliate chapter of the organization over its desire to expand its mission efforts to defend both life and the family.

This past June, the Cleveland, Ohio chapter of the National Right to Life Committee announced that it was enlarging its borders to fight for the institution of marriage, as well as the lives of unborn children.

“So as to foster a culture of life, we promote and defend the right to life of all innocent human beings and reject such practices as abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, and same-sex marriage that are contrary to ‘the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,'” the group’s updated mission statement reads.

Additionally, according to reports, Cleveland Right to Life announced that it would oppose the re-election of Senator Rob Portman, a Republican who announced earlier this year that he now supports same-sex “marriage” following his son’s coming out as a homosexual.

However, the National Right to Life headquarters in Washington, D.C. told the affiliate that the new addition to the group’s mission violates the organization’s policy, since it moves outside of issues relating solely to the sanctity of human life. President Carol Tobias wrote a letter to local chapter president Molly Smith advising her that the two groups must now part ways.

“Recently, Cleveland Right to Life announced that it has embraced an advocacy agenda that includes issues beyond the right to life,” Tobias wrote. “Moreover, it promptly issued public criticisms of and implicit political threats against a U.S. Senator who has supported the right-to-life position on every vote that has come before the Senate, and who is a sponsor of major NRLC-backed bills – because the chapter disagrees with his position on a non-right-to-life issue.”

“By these actions, Cleveland Right to Life has violated National Right to Life policy, causing the chapter to disaffiliate itself from NRLC,” she continued. “We respectfully insist that you remove from your website the claim that you are affiliated with NRLC, and from this point forward, cease and desist from any representation that ‘Cleveland Right to Life’ is affiliated with the National Right to Life Committee.”

In a recent news release, Smith said that following word that headquarters had cut ties with the Cleveland chapter, the group has received a burst of support from across the country.

“We’ve received more emails, letters and phone calls expressing support than at any time I can remember!” she exclaimed.

The group also raised $15,000 in under a week’s time. It states that it will be communicating with other state chapters who likewise desire to expand their efforts to protect both life and the family.

“We know that other right-to-life affiliates in Ohio and around the country are considering a similar improvement to their missions in order to formalize their support for the family, and we are in active discussions with them,” advised board member Jerry C. Cirino. “In addition, our annual ‘Bringing America Back to Life’ Symposium, the premier pro-life event in the Midwest, will feature speakers that will highlight all aspects of our improved mission, including the need for strong families. The 2014 Symposium promises to be the best yet in the conference’s five-year history.”

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