Planned Parenthood: Ok to put pro-choice rosaries on ovaries removes offensive “Pastoral Letter to Patients”
UPDATE 6/9 12:20p: Planned Parenthood has removed its offensive “Pastoral Letter to Patients.” (Clear your cookies before checking link. Read archived letter here, on page 3.)
Either criticism reached critical mass, or as Alliance Defending Freedom’s Casey Mattox noted at LifeNews.com, Planned Parenthood decided it was a bad idea to concur that religion plays a part in deciding whether to get an abortion:
I write to express my agreement with Planned Parenthood, reflected in the publication of this pastoral letter, that for many women their religious beliefs will be very relevant to their decision about whether to have an abortion.
6/2 3:20p: While abortion proponents have forever belittled opposition to abortion (and contraception) in the name of religion, hypocritical Planned Parenthood has for at least two decades used pro-abortion clergy to promote killing preborn children.
In October 2013, Planned Parenthood Federation of America released a “Pastoral Letter to Patients” that is only now getting media attention, today headlined on Drudge.
PPFA’s inexplicably pro-abortion Clergy Advisory Board is comprised of 12 men and only three women, a lopsided 4:1 gender ratio that would draw ire if a board of pro-life pastors. But I’ve already noted Planned Parenthood is hypocritical.
The letter states, in part:
The decision to have an abortion is personal. Though your reasons may be complicated and private, you’re not alone. As religious leaders from a number of religious traditions, we’re here to support you in your decision.
Many people wrongly assume that all religious leaders disapprove of abortion. The truth is that abortion is not even mentioned in the Scriptures—Jewish or Christian—and there are clergy and people of faith from all denominations who support women making this complex decision. The beliefs of each person are deserving of respect, and each person deserves care and compassion, [sic] No one should be allowed to force their faith teachings on anyone else.
We believe this decision is yours, made with your doctor and anyone else you choose to bring into the conversation, such as a spouse, partner, parent, or clergy person.
Our religious traditions have somewhat different opinions about abortion, but we share some basic understandings:
- No one knows the circumstances of your life as well as you know them; no one knows what’s in your heart better than you. Allow yourself to be at peace with your decision.
- God loves you and is with you no matter what you decide. You can find strength, understanding, and comfort in that love.
There are so many things theologically wrong with this letter, it would require a book to thoroughly rebut. But I’ll give a brief overview.
There are many sins not mentioned in the Bible. For instance, it never specifically condemns slavery. Like abortion, the Bible has actually been used to condone slavery, since it gives instructions on how to treat slaves (Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1). But the Judeo-Christian community has grown in holiness to know slavery is an evil affront to against a fellow human.
At any rate, the Bible can’t cover every specific sin humans might contrive.
So common sense can certainly be applied here. We know humans are unique in all of God’s creation as being made in His own image (Genesis 1:27), and that He Himself knits us together and watches over our development in that “underground workshop” known as the womb (Psalm 139:14-16). Actually, God knew each of us before He formed us (Jeremiah 1:5), which is quite something.
All that being true, “Thou shalt not murder” undoubtedly applies to preborns, and God found child sacrifice particularly “detestable” (Deuteronomy 12:31; Ezekiel 16:20-21; Leviticus 20:1-5; etc.). In fact, God says in Jeremiah 19:5 the concept of child sacrifice is so far beyond the pale it “never even entered my mind.”
Of course, Jesus was particularly fond of children (Matthew 18:1-6; Matthew 19:13-15).
One of many signs of a false prophet is they “will come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15), an apt description of “clergy” who promote ripping apart babies limb from limb. The Bible warns teachers will be “judged more strictly” (James 3:1), so Planned Parenthood “clergy” should know leading others astray has personal consequences.
Planned Parenthood knows its biggest hurdle to acceptance of abortion is God. So it is attempting to turn God into an ally, which God will doom.
I patiently await the day, even as my heart breaks for those Planned Parenthood’s ravenous wolves are leading down a deadly path.
Meanwhile, I take comfort in many scriptures. One of my favorites is, “The Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.” ~ Psalm 37:13
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.
Well indeed its in scripture. Thou shall not kill..thats good enough for me. And its not possible for anyone to put their rosaries on your ovaries. Ive always hated that one. Be quiet and quit blaming everyone but yourself. I used to lol when people blamed Bush. Oh so now George W Bush got all of you pregnant? The sick slogan was Bush stay out of mine. lol
Each person deserves care and compassion, indeed.
Except the most helpless ones.
I’ll pass on that religion.
I pray the rosary outside of Planned Parenthood weekly. The rosary is an instrument of love not hate. Only those who are caught up in wickedness would despise the rosary or prayers on their behalf.
“PPFA’s inexplicably pro-abortion Clergy Advisory Board is comprised of 12 men and only three women, a lopsided 4:1 gender ratio that would draw ire if a board of pro-life pastors.”
Wow. You’re darn right, it would.
By the way, how do they *know* that “God loves you and is with you no matter what you decide”? Wouldn’t that be a “faith teaching”?
Its interesting to note that most of these proabortion churches are losing membership. Maybe their stance on abortion is one of the reasons why. Also did these ppl write pastoral letters to women choosing to keep their babies or place them for adoption? Isn’t God with women who choose life for their babies, too?
A clergy advisory board for a taxpayer funded organization?
Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?
“God loves you and is with you no matter what you decide. You can find strength, understanding, and comfort in that love.”
No, this isn’t faith teaching Kel, it’s heresy. This lie from the pit of Hell will probably deceive more people into choosing eternal damnation than any other I can think of.
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” Dt 30:15–20 NKJV
Jesus is the Way. We need to follow Him, to know Him, or be forever lost.
http://americanrtl.org/what-does-the-bible-say-about-abortion
We can also take instruction from Exodus 21:22-25, which tells us the consequences for inadvertently causing premature birth. The price is steep, whether or not harm comes to the mother or child in the process:
“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
That’s a slippery letter, goodness.
No, the truth is that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can accept His grace even when we make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean we can just run around saying abortion is okay and sin is no biggie and do what you want. That’s not how it works.
There’s a huge difference between humbly admitting that you are weak, and repenting of sins, and asking for grace due to your weakness but striving in His grace to do the right thing and saying, “Whatevs! God’s got it” and blithely going to commit sin.
What the pastoral board should have said is something more along the lines of: It takes great courage to not abort. We understand the complexity of your situation, and because of that, we’ve included lists of nearby resources to help with whatever you need to change the complex, horrible situation that has led you to contemplate abortion. There is a network of caring people willing to help you do what needs to be done to give your baby a chance at life. There are resources for housing, counseling, food, job help, etc. Any time you have questions, our doors are open.
And should you still not take advantage of these resources and choose abortion anyway, yes, God will forgive you. But the decision will haunt you for the rest of your life. We ask that you exhaust all options. A way of escape has been made for you and there are people willing to help you get what you need to make the right choice.
You know, something like that.
Ed, I agree with you that it’s heresy. But it is, in essence a “faith teaching.” It’s their BELIEF. It can’t be proven at all, let alone by Scripture.
NATURAL LAW. The natural moral law is written on our hearts, as God told the prophet Jeremiah (if I were an Evangelical, I would know the chapter and verse). The human conscience, in accord with reason, is where all of the rights and wrongs of human behavior are known.
The Divine Law (revealed in Scripture and Sacred Tradition) has some moral laws in it. These are ALWAYS consistent with the Natural Moral Law, because God is the author of both.
The Divine Law does not record every virtue and every sin. How could it? — The ancient people barely knew about contraception and abortion portions. They did not know about IVF or IUD’s or RU-486. But infanticide, they knew very well. And Scripture condemns infanticide and the peoples who practiced it.
Natural Law is a reason why the pro-life movement has so many Catholic believers. We don’t need a clear verse from Scripture to tell us that abortion is violence to women and murder to children.
Natural Law is also the reason why there are Secular Pro-Lifers. They don’t quote Scripture, but they do use Natural Law arguments to explain why abortion is injustice to women and children.
What we see in PP’s Clergy Advisory Board is the conscious denial of God’s Natural Law.
The rebuttal to their propaganda piece is very simple: Everyone has difficult personal circumstances. However, it is never right to kill an innocent person in order to relieve one’s own circumstances. Only a Serpent would suggest this, someone who expects to benefit by leading you into catastrophe.
While the Bible doesn’t specifically speak of abortion, one of the best pro-life Scripture passages recounts the meeting of Elizabeth and Mary. The babe in Elizabeth’s womb, i.e. John the Baptist, recognizes Jesus in Mary’s womb, and leaps within Elizabeth. If that doesn’t speak of God’s word on life in the womb, I don’t know of any passage that is better.
I debunked it from a Catholic perspective here: http://catholicstand.com/planned-parenthoods-pastoral-letter/
The bottom line is that having God’s unconditional love is not at all the same as having God’s unconditional approval.
Nothing explictitly in scripture- this would be a problem for people who believe in sola sciptura, the bible alone. That’s why the bible isn’t enought by itself, it needs authorative interpretation.
This has been going on for years with “Clergy for Choice” and the baptism of babies by abortionists. Sick
even the e cards from places like Exhale after abortion
https://exhaleprovoice.org/
it is all diabolical
Good..at least they did something right.
Well. That was a rather interesting turn of events.
Planned Parenthood removed a page from their website? Why? Is this good for us? Or for Planned Parenthood?
I suppose that the clergy-page got a spike of hits after it was disclosed to the public. I suppose that PP reckoned all of those views were pro-lifers. And many were blogging and linking about the blasphemy of PP’s shilling clergy.
So they shut it down, to protect themselves. They weren’t making many sales from that page, anyway.
I suppose that this is a little pro-life win…. We have reminded PP again that they must keep retreating into the shadows as the light shines upon them. PP is cornered and dangerous.
Meanwhile…. PP has lost their political cover, as the Obama Administration is distracted by cascading dominoes of scandals and gaffes. This mid-term election will be very important, again…. especially at the state level. PP must be defunded.
Julia, even some atheists believe abortion is wrong.
Your comment would imply that Protestants wouldn’t be able to glean from Scripture alone that abortion is wrong. This is nonsensical. The fact that God made man in His image is enough, Scripturally, for me to support the prolife view.
Your comment also implies that without the Catholic Church, no one could possibly have sense enough to recognize that killing human beings in the womb is wrong.