Contact: Les Riley, Personhood Mississippi, 662-760-8695; Gregory Mertz, CitizenGO Foundation, 202-573-5160, gmertz@citizengo.net

STARKVILLE, Miss., Feb. 26, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Students, concerned citizens, and pro-life advocates will be taking a stand against Mississippi State University's program featuring abortionist Willie Parker. A rally is planned for Thursday, March 1, 2018.

A pro-life coalition is planning the rally. The coalition includes Personhood Mississippi, Pro Life Mississippi, American Family Association, Urban Family Communications, Personhood Alliance, and the CitizenGO Foundation. The coalition is asking rally-goers to meet at 5:00 p.m. near the Turner A. Wingo Auditorium at Old Main Academic Center, located at 260 Barr Ave., Mississippi, 39762.

The event was planned after 10,000 concerned citizens signed a Personhood Alliance petition on CitizenGO.org. The petition targets the Board of Trustees for Mississippi's Public Universities and Mark E. Keenum, President of Mississippi University. The petition opposes the school-sponsored event, "Abortion and the Christian Case for Choice," featuring Dr. Willie Parker.

According to the petition, the coalition and signers are "shocked that Mississippi State University has invited an abortionist to give a talk on how abortion is acceptable for Christians." The petition asks the University to "provide equal time to a pro-life Christian African-American doctor to give an authentic life affirming rebuttal to the pro-abortion propaganda of 'Dr.' Willie Parker."

Gregory Mertz, Campaigns Director for the CitizenGO Foundation, released the following statement:

"It is important for Mississippi State University to respond to the 10,000 concerned citizens who signed this petition. While freedom of speech is an important right, we deserve an explanation for why a taxpayer-funded university is providing a facility for an event that features someone who advocates for genocide and murder."

Les Riley, Founder of Personhood MS, states:

"Personhood MS celebrates the value and dignity of every person and seeks to defend the rights of every human being created in the image of God from the moment of biological beginning regardless of size, location, race, gender, perceived physical imperfections, method of reproduction, or sins of their parents. Therefore, we are appalled, as taxpaying citizens of Mississippi, that Willie Parker is spreading his twisted message at one of our state funded universities. This is especially offensive coming the day after Black History Month.

"As an unapologetically Christian organization, we find it blasphemous and morally repugnant for Willie Parker to claim that the killing of preborn humans is an act of Christian service. The Bible which tells us Jesus came to save via becoming an embryo in the womb at the incarnation clearly condemns performing abortions."

The coalition will deliver the petition to Mississippi State University officials at 4:30 pm, immediately following the rally. They hope to receive a response to their petition shortly thereafter.