Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association, a conservative Christian group, said that Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) was "absolutely right" to claim that women cannot become pregnant from "legitimate rape."
The host of the talk radio show Focal Point said that the trauma from a “real, genuine rape, a case of forcible rape” would make it "difficult" for a woman to conceive a child, Right Wing Watch notes.
"There's a very delicate and complex mix of hormones that take place -- that are released -- in a woman's body, and if that gets interfered with, it may make it impossible for her or difficult in that particular circumstance to conceive a child," Fischer said during his show Monday.
"That's all Todd Akin is saying...and he's absolutely right about that," he continued.
Akin came under fire this week after he attempted to justify his extreme anti-abortion stance by arguing that "legitimate rape" does not causing pregnancy.
"From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare," Akin said in an interview with KTVI-TV on Sunday. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist."
According to the New York Times, this is not the first time that this line of reasoning has been used by anti-abortion advocates.
However, leading experts on reproductive health have dismissed this logic as unfounded.
“There are no words for this -- it is just nuts,” said Dr. Michael Greene, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. David Grimes, a clinical professor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina, told the New York Times that “to suggest that there’s some biological reason why women couldn’t get pregnant during a rape is absurd.”
According to a 1996 report in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, there are about 32,000 unwanted pregnancies caused by rape every year in the United States.
Akin, who is running for Senate in Missouri, has since been widely criticized for his comments by fellow Republicans, Democrats, rape victims and others. Many, including those in his own party, have called for him to leave the Senate race.
"Congressman Akin's comments on rape are insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly, wrong," Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said. "Like millions of other Americans, we found them to be offensive."
"The views expressed were offensive," echoed President Barack Obama in a news conference Monday. "Rape is rape."
Akin has since apologized for the use of the phrase “legitimate rape” and has conceded that a woman could become pregnant as the result of a sexual assault. However, Akin has reportedly no intention of dropping out of the race, saying only that he had suffered from momentary "foot in mouth disease."
As for Bryan Fischer, it doesn't look like he'll be backing down from his comments any time soon.
Fischer, of course, is no stranger to controversy. He recently blamed the "liberals' way" for the Aurora mass shooting, citing a breakdown in Judeo-Christian values and the teaching of evolution in schools as reasons behind the mass murder.
The conservative political activist has also been a vocal proponent of the AIDS denial movement, according to Think Progress. He believes that AIDS is not caused by HIV, but by recreational drug use.
For a look other jaw dropping takes by Byran Fischer, click through the slideshow below:
