Because this blog started because of a baby and because it's my make or break issue, I've got to talk about it. You may have heard that the Susan G Komen Foundation just severed ties (no new grants) with Planned Parenthood. Given the controversial nature of Planned Parenthood's abortion services, people have taken to the airwaves - and all social media- to huff and puff about the news. Fortunately, I have a blog to use to work through my thoughts on the story.
On the Today Show this morning, they shared the story (with bias I might add, only showing an interview with the President of Planned Parenthood and citing the new VP of Komen Foundation as being the cause for this move because she is Republican and had endorsed Sarah Palin), explaining that the Komen Foundation implemented policies not to give financial support to organizations under investigation, which eliminates Planned Parenthood (currently under investigation). At face value, and if you take their policies for what they're worth, this shouldn't be a political issue at all.
On Facebook last night, I came across a link posted from moveon.org clarifying, if you will, that abortions only make up 3% of the services provided to women by Planned Parenthood. Under the title of "what planned parenthood really does," the goal is to educate and inform of true statistics rather than hyped numbers the media and advocates may use. That is good practice for all of us - not to take the news at face value, to check statistics especially when being presented as evidence for or against a candidate or cause. What doesn't change is the argument or stance against Planned Parenthood, because the percentage of abortions provided isn't in question or being argued against. The simple and deciding factor is that abortion, singular or plural, is an available service.
Now I don't know where Susan G Komen stood on abortion, what political party she identified with or if she was a Christian, Catholic or Buddhist. And I don't really expect organizations to evaluate the ethics behind their donations or sponsorships. Not because the shouldn't but because it doesn't seem like this is common practice. I can't expect organizations not professing a relationship with Jesus to act like him or pursue his values. On this issue (abortion), however, I personally do evaluate any organization or candidate by their opinion on abortion. I will vote for the next president based on this issue. It is the deciding factor for me.
I'm not sure how anyone can argue that you should realize that Planned Parenthood's services are only 3% abortions and then think it's okay to support the organization. Either you do or you don't do abortions. Either you are pregnant or you're not. Either you're dead or alive. Maybe the number of people murdered matters when you're being sentenced for the crime but one is as bad as 10 or 10,000. To God, the creator or life, one life is important. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by him. For he knew us in the womb.
Susan G Komen Foundation fights to save the lives of women. In this step, it would appear they are taking a step that says they want their money, previously provided to Planned Parenthood, to be redirected to an organization that fully commits to the same goal. This example helps reiterate that the issue is sanctity of life and therefore the stance is pro-life - pro breast cancer prevention, pro seat belts, pro humane society, or other life saving measures - to support those that give to save lives because every life is valuable. After all, God created you on purpose and for a purpose.
My aim isn't to spark heated debate, judgement or arguments. For the person performing abortion, the person getting an abortion or the person supporting abortion, my God offers the same love, forgiveness and redemption to them as the liar, gossiper, hater, adulteress, or average joe born with a sinful nature (that's all of us, by the way). But I just cannot wrap my head around such heated backlash against the Komen Foundation for deciding, given their history of working to save the lives of women, to not give their money to any organization under investigation (sounds like good business sense) and if it was just because they didn't want to provide funds that support an organization taking lives at the same time, to me that would be justified as well. I can't wrap my head around the idea that a few abortions is worth breast cancer screening for poor women. It IS a tough situation because lives can be, and are, lost. But we're distorting creation when we start issuing different values to different lives. For the same reason there has to be absolute truth about sin, about life, about death and about heaven/hell - it can't just be what each person thinks is right. The murderer thinks its okay to kill, the rapist thinks it's okay to have sex against someone's will, the thief thinks it's okay to steal. God's Word gives us the truth, the values to live by, that do not change. His Word isn't always easy to swallow, but doing the right things isn't often the easy thing to do.
Thanks for letting me share and talk through this. I used to blog my thoughts. And then Emersen came along. These issues were always important to me, but often people would rather just look at a cute baby. And it IS amazing what a baby's smile can do for your day. But having Emersen and knowing Emersen makes me more passionate about this issue. Even yesterday on House reruns, the issue of fetus vs baby came up and with a surprising twist, even the hard nosed House was affected by the reality of life.
Love to hear your thoughts...Your amazing,lady :)
ReplyDeleteI did what you said and have done my own research; although, I didn't have to look too far to find this... "Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old." A direct quote from plannedparenthood.org. YIKES.
ReplyDeleteKelli, I'm reading a book that is a compilation of anecdotes from those who waited for marriage to engage in sex and others who didn't. At least 3 of the stories, I think, included women who had multiple abortions. And the numbers speak for themselves. What I can't wrap my head/heart around is the extensive work/research that is funded and performed to find cures for breast cancer, heart disease, HIV, etc in order to save lives. We have the answer to stopping millions of tiny lives from being ended. It's hard for me to wrap my head around people FIGHTING for the right to abortion.I don't pretend to understand being in the predicament of unwanted pregnancy. But research does NOT need to be done to figure the cause of unwanted pregnancy AND there IS a cure. But I digress, I didn't want to get into a heated debate and argue "pro-choice vs pro-life". =o)
ReplyDeleteSusan G. Komen is in the business of saving lives. Period. So why should they support an organization that doesn't commit 100% to doing the same?
ReplyDeleteLove this. There is a movie coming out called October Baby. It's based on a true story of a woman who survived a saline abortion. I watched the trailer on YouTube and read the comments about it. One comment that kept coming over and over from pro-choice people was about what would happen if the women kept the baby? One guy asked someone arguing the sanctity of life "are you going to take care of all these babies?" another one commented that most moms resort to that because they don't want their child in foster care because "most people won't adopt a baby addicted to...." it's heart breaking that there isn't an urgency among Christians to provide a very real very solid option for these ladies in crisis pregnancies. If all these women knew without a doubt their baby would be adopted into a loving home because soo many Christians were standing up ready to take that baby that they argue shouldn't be aborted would that change her mind? I'm not justifying a Woman's choice to abort because of the way it is. I'm praying Christians will put their money where their mouth is. Thanks for sharing friend.
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