I usually don't post about a lot of political things. The truth is, I don't keep up with politics too well these days. That's not because I don't care. Actually, it's the opposite. I care a little too much, and I get a little obsessed. Back during the 2008 Presidential election, I was very involved. I got my kids involved, and I just really believed in my heart that there was no way America could elect an inexperienced community leader whose birth origin was actually in question. But we did. In the whirlwind of 2009 and all the things that Obama brought about (and continues to) I became quite depressed at the state of our country. My husband has asked me to please stay away from all things political for the betterment of our family. :) I am in agreement!! My life has been much happier and blissful in my current state of ignorance. I fully trust that my husband will inform me of things that I need to know! :) Now, please don't get me wrong. I don't mean this to say that I haven't continued to be involved in anything. I do email, write and call my senators and congressmen. I do have thoughts and ideas of my own about bills and laws that are being passed. I just choose not to let it rule my life these days! I'm an "all or nothing" kind of girl!
That being said, the ruling this week on the Pence Amendment (or #11) to H.R. 1 is something that I am passionate about. I am passionate about life--the life that starts at conception--each life that is God ordained and planned by Him. So I was, of course, in agreement with the Pence Amendment. This amendment essentially states that Planned Parenthood would lose federal funding. To most people who walk in my "circles" Planned Parenthood is a dirty little place that is summed up in one word--abortion. I realize, however, that there are other services performed. I know a couple of people personally who get their annual physical and pap done there. I know they conduct STD testing and a line of other women's services. These services also include handing out birth control like candy--whether the women are 14 or 40 years old. Among our "enlightened" culture today, I'm sure these things are usually seen as helpful to keep away unwanted pregnancies and the spread of STDs. Education is the answer, right? But PP is sending out the wrong education in my opinion. I realize that it's been a long time in our country since abstinence has actually been advocated on a large scale basis (besides anyone but the church) but I still believe that's the answer. No condom or birth control pill is 100% effective.
But even that is not what this post is really about. Obviously, with the passing of the Pence Amendment this week in the House, there has been a huge outcry from the Planned Parenthood community. Last night on Facebook, one of my friends had a "stand with PP" post in the newsfeed. It sparked my interest, and this morning I decided to do a little research to see what's going on out there with this passing. There are some heated debates going on. On the Planned Parenthood side, there is outrage that the government would take away funding for the poor women of our country to get access to healthcare. As much as I agree with the amendment, it is ironic that our country that just passed a universal healthcare law would now decide that women can't get it from PP. Their outcry is that it's not about abortion--it's about all the other services that are being taken out of the reaches of women who can't pay for them. They are crying "Hyde Amendment!" This amendment was brought to pass in 1976 to say that federal funding can not be used for abortions. Today, this has been amended several times and currently reads that abortions can only be federally funded in the cases of rape, incest or life threatening circumstances for the mother. Let me just take a minute here to say that these cases only make up <3% of abortions performed annually. If these were the only abortions in our country that we were having to deal with, it would be a different story. Now, I believe, as I stated earlier that every life has meaning and is planned by God. But I'm just saying that if the real "hard" cases were the only ones to deal with--this whole thing wouldn't be where it is.
Now, looking at the people on the other side of the argument--which is where I stand, obviously. We don't agree with Planned Parenthood on any level. That's just how it is. We don't segregate their services to say "some are okay so they need federal funding for those." No, there's nothing wrong with performing physicals and pap smears for under privileged women. That's actually an honorable thing. But we cannot agree with handing out birth control to 14 year olds without parental consent or claiming "doctor/patient confidentiality" when performing STD testing on underage girls. Not even to mention the fact that their #1 source of billions of dollars a year is abortions. Yes, people, that's why they are here. You can dress it up and gloss it over as much as you want--but that's what PP is here for. I can promise you that if abortion was outlawed today, Planned Parenthoods all over the country would be closing their doors (after a big, long fight I'm sure) because the other services that they provide are just a drop in the bucket. They are definitely a nice little "cover-up" for people to stand behind when they stand on their side. They are a great little step stool in helping PP advocates get up on their high horses about how religious people just must not care about the unfortunate of our society. And they are a great way for PP to get uninformed citizens to stand behind them when laws like this are making their way through the government. But there's no doubt that it's all about the money that's brought in from abortions--and it's not those <3% cases of rape, incest or life threatening situations.
That's why we, as Christians, have to stand behind the Pence Amendment. God's word is very clear--murder is wrong. And science is also just as clear--life begins at conception. That's not even what the debate is anymore. Abortionists used to be able to get away with that--telling moms it was just a cluster of cells like a blackberry. But we know too well now. We know that the heart starts beating at 3 weeks gestation, before most women even know they are pregnant. We can see babies moving in the womb as early as 7 weeks. By 12 weeks, babies have every system of the body functioning (which, by the way, is how scientists prove whether something is actually alive or not.) No, that's not the argument anymore. In our enlightened day and age the argument comes down to "Whose life and happiness is more important--the mother or the baby's?"
Planned Parenthood is making billions off of uneducated, non-counseled, desperate women every year. They are shuffling women out the back door after an abortion so that the women coming in can't see their pain. They are exploiting minors and helping out pimps and sex traffickers (Have you seen the under cover youtube videos that are in state governments under review all over our country?) and we cannot support any law that would give any of our tax dollars to them.
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