The Biggest Pro-Life Lie Ever Told. Plus 7 More.
I’m pro-life. I voted for President George W. Bush in 2001 largely due to this one issue. Abortion. Most of my Christian friends did, too. Back then, it made sense to “vote pro-life.” I was taught that abortion is against one of the Ten Commandments1. Thou shalt not kill.
Alas, I feel hoodwinked2. In a real way.
George W. Bush was president for eight years. From 2001 to 2009. And last I checked, abortions are still legal.
That leads me to my list of pro-life lies or myths believed by most Christians.
The Lies We Pro-Life Advocates Believe
Lie 1. Presidents can overturn Roe vs. Wade. (The Biggest Lie)
No, they can’t. No Republican president in the last 40+ years has reversed Roe vs. Wade. Presidents don’t have power to declare it unconstitutional. As one person put it, “When pro-life is woven into political agendas it becomes propaganda. Simply because no pro-life candidate can tell their conservative or “evangelical Christian base” that they can and will outlaw abortion.”3
Lie 2. Overturning Roe vs. Wade will make abortion illegal.
Again, no. If it’s overturned, states once again enforce their own laws regarding this issue. At the time Roe vs. Wade became law, abortions were already legal in 20 of the 50 states. You read that right. Twenty (20) states. And that was in 1972. These days with a world that is more wicked, probably even more states would permit it. New York and California would be among the first if given the chance.
Lie 3. Appointing a Pro-Life Judge to the Supreme Court will Overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Many Christians believe that a pro-life president will automatically appoint a pro-life judge to the Supreme Court. Not necessarily. Remember Ronald Reagan? He was a Republican, pro-life president. He appointed Sandra Day O’Conner. And guess what? Although she allowed certain limits to be placed on access to abortion, she supported the fundamental right to abortion4. So having a pro-life president making appointments doesn’t guarantee a pro-life judge. And as pointed out with Lie 2, overturning Roe vs. Wade doesn’t stop abortions.
Lie 4. Our Tax Dollars Fund Abortions in the United States.
This lie is very popular. That our tax dollars pay for abortions. Or that Obamacare will make this a reality. Boloney. The health insurance reform known as Obamacare will NOT use your tax dollars to fund abortions.5
“The health insurance reform legislation maintains the status quo of no federal funding for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the woman is endangered. A federal judge recently wrote “the express language of the [Affordable Care Act] does not provide for taxpayer funded abortion. That is a fact and it is clear on its face”6.
Lie 5. The Federal Government Funds Abortions Performed by Planned Parenthood
Unfortunately, one bad apple spoils the barrel. And Planned Parenthood has one extra stinky, rotten apple. Abortions account for 3% of their total services. Even though 97% of their other services include good apples7–like well-visits, cervical and breast cancer screenings, STD screenings and prevention, prenatal care, and more–it’s not possible to overlook 332,278 abortions in a single year8. And that’s the statistic from 2009. That’s nearly a quarter of a million souls. Even though not all Planned Parenthoods offer abortions. For example, there are eight such non-abortion Planned Parenthoods in Texas that 160,000 women rely on for well-visits & cancer screenings. Still, rotten at the core9.
The select Planned Parenthoods that offer abortions are not funded by the federal government. By law, federal funding cannot be allocated for abortions.10
So how are their abortions funded? By private donors. And interestingly enough, one of their biggest private donor is Bill Gates. (I found that intriguing as someone who works in the Information Technology field. Bill Gates is the founder of Microsoft, a computer operating system that half the world uses.)11
Lie 6. Atheists or non-believers have the most abortions.
Very wrong. And you might want to sit down for this one.
Christians are the number one group getting abortions today12. That’s right. People professing to follow Christ. Even though God hates abortion13.
(Side note: Christians also have the highest divorce rate in America. Even though God hates divorce14) The hypocrisy is so rampant. There’s even a pro-life politician who recently begged his mistress to abort his child she was carrying because he didn’t want his wife to find out; it seems he was pro-life until the issue “hit home.”15. That same politician asked his wife to get an abortion twice, and she did16. And let’s not forget embryonic or chemical abortions that can happen when women use The Pill or the Depo-Provera shot for birth control. Sadly, many pro-life Christians unknowingly terminate life after conception this way, too. Never heard of this? 17; Read more.
Lie 7. The Romney-Ryan Ticket Will Champion Pro-Life Issues.
Doesn’t seem like it. Here’s what he told the Des Moines Register last month, on October 9, 2012:
REPORTER: Do you intend to pursue any legislation specifically regarding abortion?
ROMNEY: I don’t. There’s no legislation regarding–with regards to abortion–that I’m familiar with–that would become part of my agenda.18
Paul Ryan was asked point blank during the Vice Presidential debate, “If the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected, should those who believe that abortion should remain legal be worried?”19 Here’s Ryan’s answer: “We don’t think that unelected judges should make this decision; that people through their elected representatives in reaching a consensus in society through the democratic process should make this determination.”20
Governor Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan also refused to sign The Susan B. Anthony’s (SBA) List “2012 Pro-life Presidential Leadership Pledge.”
Signers of the SBA List pledge promise to advance pro-life leadership in government and end funding for Planned Parenthood. As well as sign into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Protection Act.21 Speaker Newt Gingrich signed. Also Representative Ron Paul and Senator Rick Santorum. And many others. And it’s interesting that checkGovernor Romney was strongly pro-abortion for most of his political career. So will Governor Romney do more on this issue than the previous pro-life presidents we’ve had? The jury is out.
Lie 8. President Obama is Anti-abstinence.
The incumbent is actually pro-abstinence. And has included abstinence in legislation 22 and pregnancy prevention programs23. This is part of an effort to stop women from getting themselves into situations where they have unwanted pregnancies in the first place. Especially teens. And studies show abstinence is effective in that goal. Just adding this tidbit because abstinence indirectly and directly relates to this topic in a nation where abortions occur daily. Hourly. Every 10-20 minutes. The problem is epic. One friend of mine characterized America as the murder capital of the world. From womb to the tomb, life is not valued.
Why Am I Sharing This?
I’m simply sharing my experience, not to tell people how to vote, but to help them make a more informed vote. Had I known some of these myths back in 2001, I don’t know if it would have changed my vote. Perhaps. Perhaps not. But I would not have falsely expected President Bush to stop casual abortions. And I’m also reminding people to look at all the issues, the total picture. It was foolish of me to pick a candidate without taking into account the many biblical issues on both sides. Again, perhaps I would have still voted for Bush after examining more issue. Or perhaps not. But either way, it would have been a more informed vote.
I pray this post is helpful in some way to at least one person who reads it. As a people, we perish from lack of knowledge (Esther 4:14) and too often we don’t study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15). In addition to prayer, Word, and counsel (Proverbs 11:14), I recommend Dr. Tony Evans’ latest book called, “How Christians Should Vote.” Get it! Even if you’ve already voted. For those of you who know Pastor Joe Focht of Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, he recommends it, too. Spoiler: the book does not endorse any political party. (TIP: The Amazon Kindle version of the book is only $3.95. And you don’t need a Kindle to read it. Just download the Kindle App to your Android phone or iPhone/iPad. Or, you can read it right online using Amazon’s Cloud Reader.)
Our hope and trust is not in a man, a politician, nor a president, but God. God still rules no matter who is elected. God will remain large & in charge, always! Finally, when discussing these sensitive topics with one another in the Body of Christ, let us us be gentle as doves but wise as serpents (Matt. 10:16). Emphasis on gentle. And also wise. None of us have all the answers or fully knows the mind of Christ.
A prayer:
“Help us, Oh Lord. To renew our minds (Rom. 12:1-2). For such a time as this (Esther 4:14). To stand back and see, really see, the big picture and the many issues at hand (Psalm 119:18). Help the church to influence all parties (Democrats, Republicans, and Independents) of changes they can make to incorporate more of Your laws, which are best. As each party can use a lot more of You in the mix.
Or have we lost our saltiness, Lord? Are we still a light? I pray we can rise as believers and still be the salt and light of the Earth. You are truly Lord of lords and King of kings, President of all presidents! It’s in You we hope and trust (Proverbs 3:5-6). And it’s in Your Everlasting Name that we pray. Amen.”
- Proverbs 6:6-19; Exodus 20:13 ↩
- verb (used with object) 1. to deceive or trick. 2. Archaic . to blindfold. 3. Obsolete . to cover or hide. ↩
- Here is the rest of this person’s quote: “Pro-life candidates know they can polarize faith-based organizations in making them think that voting for them is the “lesser of an evil” or a righteous decision. Such practice is deceit! Romney knows already that him saying he is pro-life will not overturn Roe vs. Wade but simply win him votes as the abortion issue is a sensitive button (as it should be). But what candidate or sitting president actually put their term on the line to totally ban it for good?…. NOT ONE! Again, vote for whomever you choose, but my concern is politicians having this grip on believers by making them think that casting a vote for a president is somehow tethered to righteousness. Keep in mind that any issue you isolate and make as a major to sway your vote, you purposefully compromise in other areas of morality and intellect to cast that vote. ” ↩
- Read more about Sandra_Day_O’Connor ↩
- It should be noted that medicaid can not be used for abortions on a federal level; however, some states use medicaid funds in cases of rape, incest, or life of the mother to permit DC&Cs (abortion). This is due to the (on again off again) Hyde Amendment that requires these exceptions. The same exceptions that the Romney-Ryan ticket recently endorsed. It’s also rumored (still fact-checking this) that one or more states perform DC&Cs when there are known birth defects, like Downs Syndrome. ↩
- whitehouse.gov ↩
- February 2, 2012. See this Washington Post article. The pie chart pictures on this page is from the same article. ↩
- Footnote Pending ↩
- Forty (40 percent) of all reported abortions committed in the United States occur at a Planned Parenthood clinic, making it by far the largest abortion provider in America. (Note: When using the national abortion numbers from the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood does 27.5 percent of all abortions in the United States) ↩
- Groups unite vs. Planned Parenthood. Politico. February 2, 2011. ↩
- It is also argued by some pro-life groups that Planned Parenthood’s money is “interchangeable,” and even though the government doesn’t intend or designate its funds for that purpose, Planned Parenthood can use the funds for that anyway (I’m still fact-checking this). ↩
- Sixty-five percent (65%) of all abortions are performed on Christian patients. Check back later for the hyperlink ↩
- Proverbs 6:6-19; Exodus 20:13 ↩
- Footnote pending. ↩
- Scott DesJarlais, Pro-Life Republican Congressman And Doctor, Pressured Mistress Patient To Get Abortion ↩
- See this link ↩
- Read my blog post on, “How Birth Control Pills Work as Abortifacientsts.” ↩
- http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1210/10/pmt.01.html ↩
- Read the entire transcript here: Read the entire transcript on the Fox News website here ↩
- Read the entire transcript here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/11/transcript-vice-presidential-debate/#ixzz2B92NLpz4 ↩
- Read the pledge and more about The Susan B. Anthony List at at www.sba-list.org. ↩
- H.R. 4737 incorporates many of the components of the President’s proposals to: (1) maximize self-sufficiency through work, job training, and education; (2) promote child well-being and healthy marriages; (3) encourage abstinence and prevent teen pregnancy; (4) enhance child support enforcement; (5) improve Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and (6) facilitate the integration of public assistance and training programs…” Read here. ↩
- Heritage Keepers Abstinence Education was added to the pregnancy prevention program list endorsed by the Department of Health and Human Services. ↩
Thank you for providing some much needed clarity on this topic.
Thanks for reading, Kyle.
Wow! Continued food for thought! Thank you June for being a true journalist!
Ruth, thanks so much. That means a lot coming from you!
Thanks for writing this. I have many friends sharing this on Facebook.
Hey Dana, how is it going? Thank you for reading, sharing, and commenting, too. I wish I had time to write it last week. Alas, better late than never.
June, It sounds like you are saying that abortion is settled law in the US and that pro-life Christians should move on because there are bigger issues to be addressed. Is that your point?
Hey Doug, thanks for reading. To answer your question directly, no, that’s not my point. I believe that the daily killings of unborn persons is one of the biggest issues in our country today. My primary message is twofold: (1) abortion is not the only issue. I was foolish back in 2001 to vote for Bush solely on this one issue. Because there’s quite a few biblical issues in both parties. (2) I’m sharing my experience, not to tell people how to vote, but to help them make a more informed vote. I personally have believed a few of the myths I listed. Had I known they were myths back in 2001, perhaps I would not have had false expectations when I voted (e.g., abortion being banned). So more so than making a point I’m sharing my experience and my heart. I’m a journalist at heart and enjoy getting out helpful or resourceful info. Hope that answers your question.
Thanks, June. That does clarify what your point was. I would say that you were not foolish to vote on that issue in 2001. Just misguided on what that vote might accomplish. Here is what that vote DID accomplished: (1) Bush reinstated the Mexico City Policy, so that American taxes did not pay for abortions overseas, which Clinton before him and Obama after him both rescinded. (2) Bush also appointed two judges to the Supreme Court. So while Roe vs. Wade may or may not be overturned, other issues regarding life, like partial birth abortion may be affected in the future by your vote in 2001. It is not the only issue, but I would argue that the sanctity of human life is a foundational issue and one worth a lot of weighty consideration. After all, we are all made in the image of God.
Doug, good dialogue. I agree that I wasn’t foolish to vote on that issue in 2001. But foolish to vote on that single issue “only.” I will have to look more into the Mexico City Policy. I also believe Bush disallowed cloning of people and showed great interest in upholding the sanctity of life when addressing stem cell research.
I find this to be pretty misleading. While federal funding may not be used for abortions other than the circumstances you listed, many states allow broader circumstances of which abortion is covered under Medicaid. Obviously, that is taxpayer money. Planned Parenthood’s funding is interchangeable. That means tax dollars CAN be used to cover abortions, even if the government doesn’t intend for it to be. That being said, if we have a president who would cut funding to Planned Parenthood, that allows more room for donations to be used for essential services like contraceptives and testing, rather than unnecessary abortions. While I completely agree with you that there are so many other important issues to consider as well, I hate the idea of someone using these points you’ve made as a means of justification for supporting a political candidate who is blatantly pro-choice (which, sadly, I already saw on Facebook tonight). I believe as Christians, we have a responsibility to stand behind someone who has a biblical morale, not because he/she has the ability to change or enforce what we believe in.
Renee, thanks for reading & commenting. So far I can only find that Medicaid does not perform abortions, except for rape, incest, and life of the mother… due to the on-again off-again Hyde Amendment requiring those exceptions. Although I did come across an abortion ad type website claiming that “Medicaid abortions are legal in 15 states.” But I haven’t had a chance to fact check this. If you have any references to support this, please share. The myths I list certainly aren’t intended to mislead anyone; quite the contrary. I’m not endorsing any party or candidate, although with respect to your comment about standing behind a cult leader who has biblical morals, that’s a whole other post for another day perhaps (I don’t want to change topics or get long winded). As for ““How Christians Should Vote” I agree with wholeheartedly with Dr. Tony Evans who recently wrote a book with that name. God bless.
Please provide viable documentation to support what you are stating. From research such as above I cannot seem to find anything that backs what you are saying. I am searching out the truth and not mere opinion.Remember, we are not to place a lable on out relationship with God.
Alicia, here’s something I found on a neutral website called FACTCHECK.ORG. It’s a website by a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters group at UPenn (in Philly). After doing lots of searching, I can’t find anything that backs up what the other poster said either. I hope you find this link helpful (Medicaid is mentioned 5 times in the article… you can do a CTL+F and type in Medicaid to jump right to those spots): http://www.factcheck.org/2011/04/planned-parenthood/
Look below. It’s not mere opinions.
can i say that this is such a POWERFUL POST! this needs to be printed and given out every where, love reading it and it kept my attention! you are a natural on the keyboard my friend! loved it
Thanks, Lisa :)
I stumbled upon your blog through looking up some natural hair info and when I read this post, I smiled. I voted for President Bush as well. It was my first major election and I was sold on that one issue as well and I learned a lot about voting from that point on. My parents told me to always read up on all of the issues not just one and make an informed decision. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and also giving us some new insight to explore. :-)