Moral Majority drops O’Connor Issue

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Moral Majority said ,Thursday it still is concerned about Judge Sandra O’Connor’s views on abortion but neither will ‘support nor oppose her confirmation as the nation’s first woman Supreme Court justice. The Senate is expected to confirm her Monday. When President Reagan announced her nomination July 7, the Moral Majority called it a mistake and announced a campaign to oppose her, saying she had voted to legalize abortion and had supported the Equal Rights Amendment, which the Moral Majority opposes. Television evangelist Jerry Falwell, who founded the Lynchburg-based conservative political group, changed that position. On July 17, Falwell said he would decline an invitation to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee and would remain neutral until after its hearings, which ended Tuesday. The Moral Majority, in a statement Thursday from its headquarters here, said it remains concerned about Judge O’Connor’s views on “the law as it related to unborn life.” “At the same time, Moral Majority remains convinced of President Reagan’s strong personal integrity and commitment to ending abortion on demand in this country,” the statement added .