Big Country church leaders say Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi crossed the line between separation of church and state with a recent theological attempt to defend her support for abortion rights.

On the eve of the Democratic National Convention in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Pelosi, D-Calif., supported her stance Sunday by arguing that "doctors of the church" have not been able to define when life begins, according to an Associated Press story. Pelosi, a Catholic school graduate, also cited St. Augustine's view that abortion may not be considered homicide.

Regardless of her defense, Abilene area Catholic and Protestant church leaders say Pelosi's statements were a poor leadership choice.

"In simplest terms, (the unborn) are human beings with inalienable rights to live, a right that the speaker of the House of Representatives is bound to defend at all cost for the most basic ethical reasons," said Bishop Michael Pfeifer, head of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo. "Anyone who dares to defend that they be legitimately killed because of another human being's choice, I think is showing poor leadership in a civilized democracy."

Her comments have sparked many rebuttals from the Catholic community. Many, including Pfeifer, have stated their disappointment in her statements as a Catholic for being so removed from church teaching.

"She totally misrepresented the teaching of the Catholic Church, and she was answering her question of being a Catholic, so I was astounded by her reply," Pfeifer said. "Sadly, she calls herself a Catholic, but she's not practicing any basic moral teaching of the Catholics in this regard."

Other Protestants saw Pelosi's remarks as a misstep for a politician to speak on theological matters.

Pastor Derrell Patterson, with Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Abilene, said Pelosi's political position does not automatically make her theological position credible.

"I'm not sure that we ought to be getting all our theology from politicians," Patterson said. "I'm concerned that maybe people think that we turn to our politicians for our best theology."

Rod Taylor, professor of ethics at Hardin-Simmons University, said he wants to see political figures truthfully speak their religious views.

"I'd rather them speak about it than cover it up," Taylor said. "I find it hard to see how she would separate her Catholicism from her political action any more than she separates her being a Democrat from the rest of her life."

Pelosi has been criticized by Catholic cardinals and archbishops from Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, New York, Philadelphia and Denver. Much of the criticism attacks her interpretation of the views of St. Augustine from the fourth century.

"She was right in what she said about Augustine and some others who did not view abortion as homicide, but they still thought it was wrong," Taylor said. "I think she's muddying up the issues there."

Whatever defense Pelosi presents for her position, Pfeifer said she should stick to the teachings of the Catholic Church from which she claims membership.

"She's called to uphold the law, but the first law she should uphold is the law of God and the law of the church to which she belongs," Pfeifer said.