Pro-life blog buzz 3-18-14
by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
- Clinic Quotes shares something that might make your blood boil:
In one year alone, the Los Angeles Planned Parenthood clergy consultation service received $250,000 in kickbacks from clinics to which they referred women for abortions.Planned Parenthood and their current Clergy Advisory Board has celebrated the 40th anniversary of the CCS and states that they are proud to continue defending abortion in the spirit of the CCS.
- At Catholic Vote, Michael New says the real controversy at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) wasn’t about the decision to exclude the American Atheists from displaying a booth – it was the lack of representation of certain social issues that have always been considered conservative:
This year’s CPAC includes more than 20 panels on a range of interesting topics including the IRS, gun rights, and Obamacare. However, during the three day conference there are no panels specifically dealing with the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, or religious liberty issues. - Americans United for Life encourages Governor Ray Tomblin of West Virginia to sign a late-term abortion ban which was passed by the Democratically-led state House and Senate:
A woman seeking an abortion at 20 weeks (5 months) is 35 times more likely to die from abortion than she was in the first trimester. At 21 weeks or more, she is 91 times more likely to die from an abortion than she was in the first trimester.
- At Coming Home, Dr. Gerard Nadal has a strong statement about Planned Parenthood’s intention to bestow their Margaret Sanger Award upon Nancy Pelosi (pictured left with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, and sex therapist Ruth Westheimer).
Pelosi presents herself as an ardent, practicing Catholic while at the same time wholeheartedly supporting abortion on demand. Nadal wonders how the bishops will respond:
We are beyond conversation about reception of the Eucharist at this point. The question is why we cannot acknowledge that legislators who vote specifically for abortion funding (not general budgets containing abortion funding) but specific legislation for protecting, funding, and facilitating abortion are formal cooperators in abortion, and as such have already incurred automatic (latae sententiae) excommunication as such? On the consequences of this there can be no more doubt or debate. None of the Catholics in the party of death have defended the Church against the Obama administration’s war on religion. They are all in, all the way.We have nothing to lose that we have not already lost, or will lose soon enough. That said, what is most frightfully at stake is the very moral authority of the bishops themselves. Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion Catholic legislators are celebrating a lifetime of malignant success in the middle of Lent. The time has come for the bishops to recognize that milestone with a pronouncement of their own, one that is long overdue.
- Down on the Pharm may have coined a new term: fetophobia – the irrational fear of biological human development. Perhaps this was the reason that pro-life high school students were prevented from displaying accurate fetal models during lunch break at their school.
- Abolish Human Abortion responds to the assertion that their drop cards, which are designed for public distribution, are “hate mail”:
So, are you more angry with finding the card or the fact that what it depicts is legally protected and nearly universally ignored by good people like yourself? I am more angry at the latter. - Big Blue Wave posts 8 simple rules for debating abortion. It is important for us to communicate effectively on this human atrocity.
- Live Action shares a video in which a child lauds her hero. This video, along with many other life-affirming videos, was created by VirtueMedia, whose “‘pregnancy help ads’ focus on topics such as post abortion help, humanity of the unborn, statistics on abortion, resources for pregnant moms and more. The videos from VirtueMedia have received national awards for creativity in broadcast commercial production”:
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
The Clergy Consultation Service for Planned Parenthood has been around for more than 40 years.
Jill, in the spirit of attaining a bare minimum level of journalistic competence, could you provide a shred of evidence that the Clergy Consultation Service is still around? You’ve linked to PP’s statement on the 40th anniversary of the organization’s formation, which gives no indication that the CCS is around now. I mean, one hopes that you don’t think that “Anniversary of D-Day” means that Allied forces are still storming the beaches of Normandy.
Or don’t you believe that your readers deserve accurate information?
Well I note the 2014 post from Planned Parenthood on their website thanks them for their continued service. They ought to know.
Susie, could you please quote the full sentence that refers to the CCS’s “continued service”? Thanks!
I thought they would have already given Pelosi the Margaret Sanger award by now. Guess not.
Dr. Nadal with another cute little article…”war on religion”. I’m sure Christians who are actually being killed for their faith would find Dr. Nadal’s language to be interesting.
War? Glad you asked, person actually being persecuted – see, in America, if you’re a multi-millionaire business owner, and provide health insurance for your folks, you have to cover services that might be utilized by other people that you might find offensive.
War? Come on.
Yes, being forced by law to cooperate with evil is merely “offensive”. And the HHS mandate doesn’t only affect millionaires.
Why is my last comment in moderation?
Well ex-GOP, the Democrats have been throwing around the “war” language for nearly a century, making left-wing causes the moral equivalent of war (war on poverty, war on homelessness, war on women, etc. ad naseum), can you blame others for following the corruption of our language? Perhaps, but you’re calling the kettle black. And yes, forcing someone to violate their religious views under threat of law is persecution, especially considering the law is telling that person they must be forced to do something, rather than just forbidden from hurting another person (which is the point of law, or at least it used to be). If you don’t want complaining stop treating people like pawns to be directed by the State through legislation and regulation.
Lisa C straight from the link provided.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Clergy Advisory Board Statement on the 40th Anniversary of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion
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The Planned Parenthood Federation of America Clergy Advisory Board (CAB) remembers with thanksgiving the members of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion (CCSA) who struggled for reproductive freedom in an effort to realize the sacred vision of a truly just society.
The CCSA was formed by Rev. Howard Moody of the Judson Memorial Church in New York City in 1967 to find safe abortions for women. On May 22 of that year, 18 ministers and two rabbis joined Rev. Moody to announce the service on the front page of The New York Times. This prompted an influx of phone calls from women seeking medical attention. CCSA leaders took turns referring women to doctors across the country who were skilled and compassionate. The CCSA grew to include more than 2,000 clergy and helped more than 100,000 women obtain safe abortions. The work of the consultation continued after the legalization of abortion in New York State to assist the large number of women who came to New York to obtain legal abortions. In 1970, the CCSA opened the first legal abortion clinic in the United States.
The CAB thanks Rev. Howard Moody for his unwavering support of reproductive health services and his incredible leadership in the struggle to support social justice for all. We also wish to thank and express our gratitude for the work of the consultation’s courageous group of clergy and religious leaders. Their faith inspired them to challenge unjust laws in order to help women confronted with an unintended pregnancy seek safe medical care.
In this spirit, the CAB and our pro-choice colleagues continue to bear witness in support of reproductive justice by upholding the theological and moral basis for a woman’s right to self-determination.
Maybe the Clergy Consultation Service has changed its name to the Planned Parenthood Clergy Advisory Board? From this link, as recently as 2007:
Rev. Davis, who founded and has headed the Planned Parenthood Clergy Advisory Board for the past 13 years, is stepping down as chair, though he will remain a board member.
And here is a newsletter from 2009 telling the history of the PPCCS. It never speaks of a discontinuation of the group, but simply says that the work continues and it makes mention of the PP Clergy Advisory Board in reference to that.
And here is a link to their current Clergy Advisory/Advocacy Board information. http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/get-involved/advisory-boards-and-initiatives/clergy-choice/
Ex-GOP,
My, my, but you seem a little threatened. “Cute” gave it away.
So a “truly just society” MUST include the right to kill your unborn child? Please explain how this sort of justice works out for the slaughtered ones???
Lrning – that is a good way to put it – “offensive”.
To call it war seems a bit overdramatic.
Chris –
I agree – the Dems throw around the word “war” too often as well. I mean, really, do you see it as a “war on women”? Show me some people who have been shot and we’ll call it a war.
The rest of your post – I don’t know – I just find a little odd to see some folks rushing out and saying their rights are being massively violated because they fund a plan that has services that might or might not be taken advantage of by somebody else, and if they do, they take offense to it.
I mean, where do those people shop for clothes or by goods – because my Bible has a heck of a lot of language concerning treatment of the less fortunate in society – so if a person could spin the mandate into this moral dilemma, I’m sure a person would have their head explode to know the slave trade/worker injustices/child labor injustices that their every day buying habits support.
Gerard –
Thanks for writing though – I mean, I don’t often agree with you, but I enjoy reading your writing and your thoughts. You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, even the wrong ones! :-)
No spin is needed to see that the HHS mandate presents a serious moral dilemma for many people. Just because you seem incapable of understanding the moral dilemma doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist.
Sorry Lrning – the selective “moral outrage” from folks – it is just tiring.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say “thou shalt give shekels to government so that the Philistines can have affordable access to passing their children through the fire to Molech.”
What happened to LisaC? Huh.
Lisa C straight from the link provided
Nowhere in that post does it say that the Clergy Consultation Service continues to provide services. This is not a matter of debate. It’s a question of basic reading comprehension.
Maybe the Clergy Consultation Service has changed its name to the Planned Parenthood Clergy Advisory Board?
No, it hasn’t. Both the National Clergy Consultation Service and local chapters of it disbanded after Roe v. Wade was decided, because its purpose was to assist women in getting safe abortions when abortion was illegal.
And here is a newsletter from 2009 telling the history of the PPCCS. It never speaks of a discontinuation of the group.
It’s true that the article never “speaks of a discontinuation” of the PPCCS. If you look at the article again, you’ll notice that it says nothing about a PPCCS at all. That’s because there was no such organization. Really. Google it, and you’ll see that although Jill claims that “the Clergy Consultation Service for Planned Parenthood has been around for more than 40 years,” there is actually no record of a group with that name until Jill made it up two days ago.
Returning to the question of basic reading comprehension: the newsletter that you cite as “never speak[ing] of the discontinuation of the group” in fact notes that the clinic established by the CCS closed in 1973.
In the unlikely event that you want to gather reliable information on the CCS, there’s an undergrad thesis on the CCS, based in part on interviews with its founders, here. There’s some discussion of the Los Angeles branch of the CCS, which does appear to have had close ties with Planned Parenthood, in chapter 4. There’s nothing one way or another about PP receiving “kickbacks from clinics to which they referred women for abortion.” However, there were no abortion clinics in California pre-Roe v. Wade. Abortions were done in hospitals.
Thanks to both Kel and Susie for planting their flags so firmly on the “readers don’t deserve accurate information” ridge.
Chris
Nor does it say ‘thou shall not contribute to a health insurance plan in which contraception is covered and thus, your brother might or might not take advantage of said services”.
Again – I stand by my statement – the selective moral outrage is tiring. I don’t like people using my Jesus as some sort of political trump card.
“I don’t like people using my Jesus as some sort of political trump card. ”
Proof positive that you haven’t a clue about the HHS mandate cases.
Lrning -
The one thing I am quite positive about is that you don’t know me well enough to say I don’t have a clue about the cases – I understand them quite well.
“I understand them quite well.”
If you are saying that the outrage and court cases over the HHS mandate equals using Jesus as a political trump card, then no, you haven’t a clue.
Lrning – we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. Thanks.
Lisa… the link to the 40 year anniversary of such a group is a link to Planned Parenthood’s own website (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/boards-initiatives/clergy/statement-ccsa-14818.htm) mentioning the group, by name:
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America Clergy Advisory Board (CAB) remembers with thanksgiving the members of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion (CCSA) who struggled for reproductive freedom in an effort to realize the sacred vision of a truly just society.
So I’m puzzled by your assertion that such a group never existed.And while the first clinic was opened by clergy and closed after a year – and was replaced by other clinics, the Planned Parenthood newsletter states – I am hoping you don’t believe the clergy are no longer serving in a role affiliated with Planned Parenthood. The Clinic Quotes quote does not say that they are currently, to this day, receiving kickbacks. It states that in one year, this occurred in L.A. All other pertinent links are to Planned Parenthood itself.
So I’m puzzled by your assertion that such a group never existed.
It’s really not that complicated. Obviously, the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion existed. What did not exist is the fictitious “Clergy Consultation Service for Planned Parenthood,” which Jill initially alleged “has been around for more than 40 years.” She has since removed the fabrication.
I am hoping you don’t believe the clergy are no longer serving in a role affiliated with Planned Parenthood. The Clinic Quotes quote does not say that they are currently, to this day, receiving kickbacks.
No, of course I don’t think that no members of the clergy have any connection to Planned Parenthood today, although the PP Clergy Advisory Board obviously does something very different from what the CCSA did. There’s no way of verifying the truth of the claim that PP formerly got kickbacks from abortion clinics to which the CCS referred patients. All we know is that some cursory research suggests there were no Los Angeles clinics extant to pay kickbacks before 1973, and that when it comes to Planned Parenthood, the pro-life media will pretty much say whatever they can get away with.
Actually, I removed it, since apparently, it wasn’t clear. There was no “fabrication”. From reading all of PP’s own information, it is clear that there was a CCS, and that there is now a Clergy Advisory Board. Also, I would have you note that in the link provided to the Planned Parenthood clergy newsletter, on page 3, the author, in discussing the history of abortion-supportive clergy and the CCS, calls them “the Planned Parenthood clergy….”
I understand that you are taking issue with the quote, but perhaps you need to take up the issue with either Clinic Quotes or the source from which that particular blog owner quoted it. Do you take issue with the quote itself, from Clinic Quotes, which stated that the Los Angeles Planned Parenthood’s clergy consultation services received kickbacks from abortion? And if you believe there’s “no way of verifying the truth of the claim,” then I have to say I don’t understand why you’ve made such a sweeping claim that Jill or anyone here is attempting to make purposely false claims.
it is clear that there was a CCS, and that there is now a Clergy Advisory Board.
And your point is what? That all organizations with the word “clergy” in the title are the same?
Also, I would have you note that in the link provided to the Planned Parenthood clergy newsletter, on page 3, the author, in discussing the history of abortion-supportive clergy and the CCS, calls them “the Planned Parenthood clergy….”
And I would have you note that the “Planned Parenthood clergy” that you mention are clearly not the CCS, because the CCS was founded in New York and the clergy that you cite are specifically identified as “The Planned Parenthood clergy from Maryland.” The sentence obviously refers to the clergy committee of the Planned Parenthood of Maryland discussed in the previous section of the article. This is, again, a question of basic reading comprehension.
I understand that you are taking issue with the quote, but perhaps you need to take up the issue with either Clinic Quotes or the source from which that particular blog owner quoted it…I have to say I don’t understand why you’ve made such a sweeping claim that Jill or anyone here is attempting to make purposely false claims.
To begin, I brought the issue up here rather than at Clinic Quotes because, unlike Clinic Quotes, Jill styles herself a journalist. A journalist who posts inaccurate information should get called on it. Moreover, Jill embellished the original story by adding the “information” that the Clergy Consultation Service for Planned Parenthood has been around for more than 40 years. Anyone who reads at the third-grade level should know that the difference between the original post’s “Planned Parenthood clergy consultation service” and “The Clergy Consultation Service for Planned Parenthood” is that the latter connotes the existence of a specific organization called “The Clergy Consultation Service for Planned Parenthood,” which the former did not. As noted above, a Google search shows that the first time that an organization named “The Clergy Consultation Service for Planned Parenthood” was earlier this week, when Jill made it up. Jill further alleged the organization had been in continued existence for 40 years, which the original post did not. And so yes, she purposefully made false claims, as opposed to the original post, which made claims that are unverifiable.
Although I’m saying that the false claims were made purposefully, I’m not, mind you, saying that the fabrications represent anything more than a slipshod effort to make the author seem more knowledgeable than she actually is.
I am responsible for the error in the post. In my research on the CCS, I mistakenly assumed that the group was part of Planned Parenthood (thanks to their honoring of the group’s anniversary and the historical affiliation mentioned in their newsletter) instead of being supported by Planned Parenthood in multiple partnerships. I regret the error and have corrected the post.