NEW YORK — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke favorably about abortion, the contraceptive mandate in Obamacare and homosexuality during a speech at Thursday’s “Women in the World” summit in New York, stating that religious beliefs need to be changed over the issues.

“Far too many women are denied access to reproductive health care and safe childbirth, and laws don’t count for much if they’re not enforced,” Clinton said. “Rights have to exist in practice—not just on paper.”

“Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will,” she continued. “And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”

The former secretary of state also spoke against the popular craft chain Hobby Lobby’s fight against the abortion pill mandate in Obamacare, stating that she believed it was wrong for the company to “take away” the reproductive choices of employees.

“America moves ahead when all women are guaranteed the right to make their own health care choices, not when those choices are taken away by an employer like Hobby Lobby,” she asserted.

“There are those who offer themselves as leaders … who see nothing wrong with denying women equal pay, who offer themselves as leaders who would de-fund the country’s leading provider of family planning,” Clinton said, referring to Planned Parenthood, “and want to let health insurance companies once again charge women just because of our gender.”

The Democratic presidential candidate also asserted that women are being fired from their jobs because of their sexuality.

“We move forward when gay and transgendered women are embraced as our colleagues and friends, not fired from their jobs because of who they love,” she stated.

“These are not just women’s fights. These have to be America’s fights and the world’s fights,” Clinton told those gathered. “There’s still much to be done in our own country, much more to be done around the world, but I’m confident and optimistic that if we get to work, we will get it done together.”

But some disagree with the former first lady’s assertions, stating that her words demonstrate a liberal, anti-Christian bias.

“In one sense, this shows just how extreme the pro-abortion caucus actually is,” wrote Ed Morrissey for HotAir. “As Hillary admits here—albeit unwittingly—the at-will destruction of the unborn goes against religious beliefs, long-held cultural values, and the structural ‘biases’ that exist to recognize the value of human life.”

“That’s what the ‘clump of cells’ fallacy has to overcome, and as Hillary and the left have discovered, it’s a tall order,” he continued. “And it’s not just abortion, but also same-sex marriage and forced participation in it, euthanasia dressed up as ‘right to die’ movements, and the rest.”

As previously reported, Tony Campolo, former adviser to then-president Bill Clinton, wrote an op-ed earlier this month calling for Christians to vote for Clinton as he asserted that she would reduce abortions in the nation.

“Hillary Clinton is one of the few candidates on the political stage who has a plan for cutting the abortion rate in America by at least 50 percent,” he claimed. “She is committed to addressing [economic] problems, and thus diminishing the urgency that drives so many oppressed women into having abortions. … As a pro-life Democrat, I am encouraged by the possibility that Hillary could be our next president.”

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