How To Save Children From Poverty? Get Married and Stay Married!

The Family Research Council’s Marriage and Religion Research Institute released a new study last Friday showing how closely woven are marriage and economic security for children.  Statistics show that anywhere from a third to a half of children who live with a single parent live in poverty, compared to only 5.8% of children who live with their married parents.  A study that was done a few months ago by the Omaha World Herald concluded that poverty usually did not come down to a matter of race as much as it was a matter of the marital status of the child’s parents.

Of course, if you are like me, you assume that this only makes sense. Two incomes have to be better than one. However, the study also showed that married households did much better than those couples who were simply cohabitating. For couples who were living together, the poverty level was almost twice as high as couples who were married. Married men tend to make more than unmarried men. (I’m not sure what that means exactly. Is it a comment on the type of men who refuse to make a marriage commitment or on how they are viewed by society? The study didn’t really say. I can give you my opinion on men who won’t commit, but I’m not sure it is totally relevant!)

This is no big surprise, but the report also showed that divorce can have a devastating economic impact upon the family; particularly upon the woman, and, therefore,  the children. They tend to take a nosedive into poverty, even with child support payments. Of course, the devastating emotional impact that a break-up of a family usually has on all the members is obvious. The economic implications are just one more factor to make a bad situation worse.

Ann Coulter, in her book, “Guilty,” points out the following tragic statistics about children from single parent households: they make up 80% of all prison inmates and comprise 72% of all juvenile murderers; in addition, 60% of all rapists come from single parent homes. The same is true for 70% of teenage births, dropouts, suicides and runaways. In turn, the vast majority of teen pregnancies occur to girls raised by a single mother.

A few months ago, I sat across from a young mother. “I’m only 20 and I already have two little ones at home,” she said, barely able to look me in the eye. “I don’t know how I’m going to do it with one more. I’m ashamed to tell my family. They tell me I need to get my life together. So, how am I going to tell them that I’m going to have another baby?”

This young woman broke my heart. She looked younger than 20, but her eyes had dark circles which betrayed her worry and fatigue. The children were the result of two different fathers, neither of whom were on the scene. She lived with her sister, who helped out all she could. Her future looked so bleak that it was hard to know what to tell her!

So, in our work at the Center, where does that place us? Well, our first concern is always the life of the unborn child. Yes, birth into  a single-parent home places children at a great disadvantage in life. However, killing the child to save them from potential (albeit startling) problems can never be the solution. In life, even against great odds, there is always hope. Abortion snuffs out those hopes as it snuffs out the life of the child.

At the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, it is upon the life in the womb that we must focus our discussions and prayers. We present adoption to everyone as a loving choice for their child. However, less than 1% of single pregnant women choose adoption. Most of the time, they are too consumed with making that life or death choice to hear us. And, of course, our focus needs to be upon the survival of their child.

It is heartbreaking, however, to hear about the lives of some of these young women, and to realize the bleak future their children probably face, even if they do choose life. Poverty, no healthy male role-models, a dysfunctional mother: these are the things that await the innocent children yet to be born. We rejoice that at least they will have a chance to live but wish there was a brighter future awaiting them as well.

It is this very quandary which propelled us years ago to go to the schools with a message of abstinence.  Our speakers encourage young people to focus on their dreams and to not sacrifice their futures for a fleeting sexual relationship. They tell the students that marriage provides the best and most fulfilling sex, as well as allowing them a hopeful future.

We are especially excited about a new program (which we will probably be using in the fall) which focuses on marriage.  Called, “Marriage is Cool!” its aim is to bring black couples with successful marriages into the classroom to show students that a committed, lifelong relationship is possible. Recent statistics show that only 17% of African-American 17 year olds live with their married parents. It is pretty safe to say that this community will never rise out of poverty unless committed marriages re-enter the picture!

Please pray for our speakers! In the past we have only seen students in the 8th and 10th grades; this fall, we have been speaking with school officials about opportunities to speak to all grades 6-12! So far, we have been amazed at the open doors we have received. With prayer, we should be able to walk through those doors and make this program a reality!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Standing Strong Against The Tide of Evil (Ask Yourself: Am I Doing All I Can?)

I think I have mentioned this in the past, but my husband and I meet with a group in our home every other week to discuss political issues as they relate to Scripture. This has been an eye-opening time for all of us: some more than others. Often it calls for us to take a hard look at the difficult world we live in. As the Bible has always been clear to point out, this is a fallen world filled with evil.

If one takes an honest look at the Word of God, one sees clear warnings that the people who serve Him will face trials and tribulations. Especially as we get closer to the end, it appears that evil will get an ever tightening strangle-hold on our world, until, finally, Christ and his vast army will sweep in and be victorious! Many of us are longing for that day! However, as one of our group asked last night, “what hope is there that any of the bad things can change?”

My husband and I have been involved in pro-life work for around 27 years. The bulk of my work has been with the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling. John has more involved with front line work on the streets: praying in front of the abortion clinic, etc. It can be heartbreaking and exhausting work which never really seems to make a significant impact, at least if it is examined from the big picture.  The national abortion rate has decrease somewhat, but there are still well over a million abortions performed in this country every year. Legal experts will tell you that abortion is deeply entrenched in the law because of almost 40 years of legalization and isn’t likely to be overturned. (Of course, there are many of us who believe that can still happen, but, if one allows them to,  these statistics can be discouraging!)

And yet, when we take the time to look at the smaller picture, at the lives of individuals and what is happening in the states, there is much to rejoice about! In my work there are women who choose life everyday as the result of seeing their unborn child’s beating heart and learning of the life-giving options that are available to them. Women who are approaching the doors of the abortion clinic often turn away when the sidewalk counselors offer compassion and help. On a personal level, there is always hope for snatching children away from the abortionist before it is too late! And, there are many who are committed to doing just that, no matter what the personal cost may become!

It has been so exciting to watch all the states that are courageously standing up to the abortion industry and making laws to protect their women and children!  I have discussed multiple times in the past how crucial these laws, such as parental consent and limiting abortion to 20 weeks, are. In our center, we have already felt the impact! Plus, every time these laws appear in the paper or are discussed on the news, the humanity of the unborn is brought into the light once again. Statistics show that most people are disturbed by the realities of abortion and would like at least the later term procedures to be outlawed.

It is a miracle in itself that after almost 40 years of legality, the abortion debate is not only still alive but the pro-life argument seems to be winning! Tragically, it is an industry that generates billions of dollars and will not easily go away. As we’ve seen this year, organizations like Planned Parenthood have lots of political clout. However, as has also been seen, due to the courage of little organizations like Lila Rose’s Live Action, just the right little stone may bring the huge giant come tumbling down!

Of course, I know that abortion is only one small piece of the huge, evil picture that confronts us! There are other life issues, such as assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research, and the whole healthcare debacle to fight. Our youth are pounded on all sides with sexual images luring them into deadly lifestyles far away from the security of marriage. Not only is remaining pure not demonstrated, it is mocked and degraded. All the while the rates for STD’s skyrocket! (Last night’s American Idol finale was a classic example. Not only would I not allow a child to watch the sexually explicit musical numbers, but I felt contaminated as well. And this is a show which markets itself to families!)

Pile on top of all this issues such as: the devastating state of our economy, Israel and Middle-East conflicts, the security of our borders, etc, etc, etc, and we can find ourselves longing to retreat to the security of our living rooms and keep ourselves happily entertained and ignorant.  What can we hope to do to stem the overwhelming tide of evil?

As a Christian, I believe with all my heart that God has an assignment for each of us to accomplish. For myself, I believe this is to continue to work with women who are seeking abortions and to offer them loving alternatives. I also believe that God has given me an ability to write and that He wants me to use that gift to educate people to the truth of what is happening, specifically in the life issues. I pray that I will be able to stay strong and continue this work until He calls me home, even though I get very discouraged and weary at times. I also pray that I will always remain open to His voice should He call me to do something else.

What about you? What is God calling you to do? I have an elderly friend who cannot get around very easily so she spends a lot of time in prayer. She is always telling me she is lifting up our work, as well as my family. I know she is accomplishing amazing things for the Kingdom on her knees in her living room.

I am convinced that if everyone who has given their lives to Jesus would be obedient to the things He calls them to do, that our world would be a very different place. And, even if those around you don’t seem to be doing as much as they can, you are only responsible for yourself. On the Judgement Day, I know I will have to stand before God and give an account of my life. How I long to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Keeping it true!  Barb

Refusing to Abort: A Modern Story of Courage!

 A couple I am going to call Christina and Jason came into our office for help last month. Christina was 17 years old and around 6 months pregnant. She and Jason were young, but seemed to be truly in love with one another. They both attended a great church that preached the Gospel; in fact, they met in the youth group. They really seemed to love Jesus, and they readily admitted they had gone too far sexually and now were expecting a child.

This young couple seemed more than ready to face up to their responsibility and have this baby. They had been struggling to decide whether to parent or place the child up for adoption. Tragically, they had just discovered that the child suffered from extreme physical deformities and would probably not survive long after birth. If he did (they knew it was a boy) he would need emergency brain and heart surgery. The prognosis was grim.

This is a classic case which is used in the argument to support late-term abortions. Why should this young couple suffer for several months with the knowledge that their baby is going to either die or suffer with handicaps. Why not just “end it all” now and get it over with? That is what most doctors recommend, unless one is fortunate enough to find a physician with pro-life convictions.

Christina and Jason, along with their families, never gave this option a second thought. This little boy had been created for a purpose, and the results were in God’s hands. I’m sure they struggled with the knowledge that they would probably never see this child grow and flourish, but there was always the hope that a miracle might occur! Plus, doctors sometimes make mistakes.

We just found out this last week that such was not the case with this precious little boy. He was born in critical condition and rushed by Lifeflight to Children’s Hospital. Christina’s condition was too fragile to follow him there. However, they were unable to save him, and the child soon died.

The staff at Children’s graciously made it possible for the baby boy to be carefully returned to the hospital across town to his grieving parent’s arms. The three of them cuddled together on a couch, saying their hellos and good-byes. Pictures were taken of the little family. Christina’s mother told us that it was an incredible time of healing and closure for everyone involved. Yes, there will still be lots of grieving and pain, but there is also peace that they did all they could for the precious little boy and that he is now in the hands of Jesus.

Christina’s mother went on and on in her letter describing how her daughter, in the midst of this difficult season, had grown and matured into a wonderful woman of God. She asked us not to feel badly for them; that they would not undo the last few months even if they could. This baby boy had been a gift to them and they had absolutely no regrets.  They were convinced that God’s purpose and will had been accomplished.

I was reminded again of how seriously parents are robbed of this peace and closure when baby’s are aborted. There is no child to hold; no little fingers and toes to count; no little face to see and remember. If they are unaware of it then, there will be a day when they discover that death by abortion is never dignified or pleasant: abortions are violent and brutal. No child deserves to die in such a horrible manner. Plus, life and death should never be taken out of the hands of God. Only He truly knows the plans He has, even for the tiniest baby.

As difficult as it may yet be for this young couple, at least they will not be hounded by guilt. They will never wonder, “What if?” What if the doctor was wrong? What if a miracle had occurred? There will also be a day, after the healing comes, that they will be able to help others. As a result of their courageous choice, I’m convinced that God has amazing things in store for them.

Please pray for these hurting families. Please also be inspired. I know I am.

Keeping it true!  Barb

United Nations and Planned Parenthood: Same Old Tired (and Untrue) Song and Dance

Have you ever noticed how the people who believe in abortion rights  are so pathetically uncreative?  They really only have two answers to all of the world’s problems: use more birth control and, if that does not work, have an abortion.  They have one mantra:  there are too many people in this world! And the solution to that problem? You guessed it! Give out more birth control and make abortions more accessible!

Ever since the 1960′s, the United Nations and others have been beating the drum that unless we cut down on the number of people terrible, terrible things are going to happen. Never mind that there have been governments who are systematically attempting to destroy their own people by starvation or worse, or that wars and rebellions have taken a terrible toll: no, the problems of starvation and devastation are all due to their being (you guessed it!) too many people.

It constantly amazes me that they continue on with their tired, worn-out song and dance in spite of the fact that it simply is not true. In fact, as I’ve pointed out in recent blogs, many countries are facing a population shortage.  I pointed out that Russia is doing all they can to encourage their people to have more children or they will face a critical shortage of workers. Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal also have critically low replacement rates (1.4 children per couple.) We are on the brink of that situation here in the United States as well. As our population ages, there are not nearly enough young people to move into the workforce, placing things like Social Security in great jeopardy.

And yet, the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) just issued an alarm that the world will hit 7 billion people by October 31 of this year and more population control is needed! What does it call for? You guessed it: more family planning services!Ignore the facts and pass the condoms!

There is also a new study here at home which states that our government pays out too much money for babies born to women with “unintended pregnancies.” The implications from the Brookings Institute are that it would be financially beneficial if the government would pour more funds into “family planning” (ie. birth control and abortion.) To which Planned Parenthood adds a hearty amen. “If anyone doubted that affordable birth control is good for families and good for taxpayers, these new findings should set the record straight!” chimed in Cecile Richards, PP’s President.

I must admit that I do not get it! The facts clearly demonstrate that in spite of all the money that organizations like Planned Parenthood have  spent on contraceptives and “educating” the public, there is no discernible difference in the rate of  “unintended” births. Let me ask you: how in the world could anyone be ignorant about birth control and the places it can be found in this day and age, especially in America? It is my opinion that if condoms and free contraceptives were handed out on every street corner, the rate would only continue to grow! Why? Because the problem is not in education, but the increase of casual sex at younger and younger ages!

Plus, what is an “unintended” pregnancy anyway?  I didn’t intend on getting pregnant with my 4th child, but he was one of the most wonderful surprises I’ve ever had. This whole issue of planning families and children as if they were items on a grocery list has always been disturbing to me. Somehow, we’ve begun to equate “planned” with “good” and “unplanned” with “bad,” and that is dangerous! Very often it is the things we aren’t planning on (and had no idea were coming) that are the best things in life.

The report by the Brookings Institute points out how many millions they estimate the government has had to pay for “unintended” children, but, as I stated earlier in this blog, we lose much, much more by the loss of those who will never be born. Who can put a price on the doctors, research scientists, artists, construction workers, teachers, and everyday citizens that are lost to abortion? The cost of that loss to our world, in much more than money, is staggering!

If reforms need to come, let it happen with the welfare system or in teaching our children their intrinsic value in Christ so they will not seek affection in meaningless sexual encounters. Nothing has ever been solved by throwing a condom at it: not AID’s or poverty or even decreasing the national debt. Would someone please pass that along to the UN and Planned Parenthood? (Of course, that might leave them with no answers at all!)

Keeping it true!  Barb

The New Eugenics: Seeking and Destroying the Disabled in the Womb

America has a shameful history in the whole area of eugenics. We look back with horror at the atrocities committed in Nazi Germany with the attempted extinction of Jews, Gypsies and other “non-desirables,” but if certain influential and wealthy Americans had had their way, we would have led the way down that path of death. As a matter of fact, thousands of men and women who were deemed “unfit” were sterilized during the 1920′s and 30′s (and even into the 60′s!)

Lately, I have been reading a book by Edwin Black entitled, “War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race.” Right around the turn of the century, a group of physicians, social scientists, and wealthy entrepreneurs decided that America’s melting pot was detrimental to the nation’s future. They determined that there were too many of what they deemed “social misfits” or “imbeciles” polluting the population. It was decided that the best way to deal with the problem was to either sterilize the “unfit” or to incarcerate them until they were past child-bearing age.

As I have mentioned before in this blog, Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, played a large role in this movement. She founded the Birth Control League, whose aim was to keep the poor and undesirable from having too many children (or any at all!) She was fully supportive of forced sterilizations. Among the groups targeted were African-Americans, poor whites, mixed races, and the disabled.

Families began to hide away their children who were less than perfect because their lineage would be seen as “tainted.” Even the blind were targeted at one point. Fortunately, the movement never really took off to the degree its founders desired. Especially after witnessing the Holocaust, Americans were never supportive of wide-scale sterilizations. The targeting of specific groups of people for destruction was rejected by the majority of people. (I would also like to think that our spiritual heritage played a large role in this!)

I have previously mentioned  the film, Maafa 21, which documents the decades long effort by many in this country to target the black race: originally through birth control and sterilization and now through abortion. However, that is not the focus of today’s blog. I have become increasingly disturbed by new methods of testing which enable doctors to discover children with disabilities earlier and earlier in the womb. Particularly of concern is the targeted eradication of children with Down Syndrome.

It is estimated that up to 90% of all Down’s babies do not make it out of the womb alive. It used to be that only women aged 35 and above were tested for Down Syndrome. Then, in 2007, new recommendations came down from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, that pregnant women of all ages should be tested using a new procedure, supposedly safer (for the mother’s anyway!) From reports I have read, once a diagnosis of Down’s (or any other disability, for that matter) is made, there is a lot of pressure placed on the couple to abort. “Counselors” and doctors alike remind the devastated parents of the high cost and emotional toll of raising a “less than normal” child. And there is always the argument that it is unfair to the child to condemn them to a life filled with “so much suffering.”

Amazingly, it is parents of Down Syndrome children that are leading the way in attempting to counteract this mindset that death is the best choice for these little ones. There is a coalition of parents that are now begging doctors to refer the families that have discovered their unborn child has Down’s to them so they can show them the full and rich life these children can have.  Ironically, scientific developments are also enabling  Down’s children to lead longer and healthier lives, with richer opportunities for education and employment in adulthood.

Parents of children with congenital handicaps are facing new prejudice and hostility in this new age of earlier testing. With fewer handicapped children being born, the more those survivors stand out in our society. Loving mothers and fathers are now viewed as “irresponsible” and “uncaring” for condemning their child to such suffering when it could have been “so easily prevented.”  As one mother of a Down’s daughter put it: “Margaret does not view her life as unremitting human suffering (although she is angry I won’t buy her an i-pod.) Oh, sure, she wishes she could learn faster and had better math skills. So do I. But it doesn’t ruin our day, much less our lives. It’s the negative social attitudes that cause us to suffer.”

The sad truth is that the whole ugly, superior, prejudiced attitude which birthed eugenics is still alive and well. Except that this is worse: before, women who potentially might be carriers of “undesirable” children were sterilized; today, unborn children are being slaughtered for their “imperfections.” Genocide is genocide, in or out of the womb.  I could make the argument that this is far worse, for it is distraught, vulnerable parents who are being coerced into consenting to the death of their children. Shame on us as a society for even allowing this to be a possibility!

There is very little doubt in anyone’s mind that Hitler and Nazi Germany deserve judgment for their shameless slaughter of millions. However, do we deserve any less? In fact, where they failed, we just might succeed. We’ve come much closer to the total extermination of Down Syndrome children than they ever came to the annihilation of the Jews. Thank God for brave parents who will always refuse to even have the testing done (or to ever abort even if the truth is known to them.) They are true heroes in this new age of genocide!

Keeping it true!  Barb

David vs. Goliath: The Attack on Pregnancy Centers Intensifies

At the left you can see the ad that the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling formerly placed place in the Yellow Pages (we have since reduced the size of our ad.) It asks the main three questions that we attempt to answer for our patients: Are you pregnant? How far along are you? Do you know if you have an STD (sexually transmitted disease)?

Our goal as a Center is to provide women with a safe place to find out if they are pregnant. It is a vulnerable time for many and one which can be filled with fear and anxiety. We provide a free pregnancy test. If it is positive, one of our fully trained ultrasound technicians will do an early, limited ultrasound to find out three things: if there is a heartbeat, if the pregnancy is in the correct location (in the uterus instead of in the fallopian tubes,) and how far along the pregnancy is.  If the woman is considering getting an abortion, we encourage her to let us test her for chlamydia and gonorrhea, since it can be dangerous for her to surgically abort if she has one of these STD’s (also a service which the abortion clinics do not automatically provide.)

We also try to arm each woman with the information she needs to make a choice which will be best for her and her child. We firmly believe that abortion is a harmful choice (for the woman as well as for the child,) however, we never lecture or stand in judgment. A woman who states she is planning to abort is treated just the same as one who wants to parent. We let the truth of the information we give, as well as the realities of life seen on the ultrasound, speak for themselves.

One more fact before I move on: our patients love us! Even those who end up aborting will usually return for their next pregnancy test because of the kindness they received. Around 75% of our referrals are word of mouth; women learning of us from friends or family who have been here before. From all I’ve seen or heard, this is true for the vast majority of pregnancy centers around the country.

A video was released on YouTube on May 10 which was produced by NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) Pro-Choice New York. It reveals a national network of people who are forming a strategy to target pregnancy centers in urban areas. The rhetoric in the film spoke of centers as evil places that exploited vulnerable women with “emotional bullying,” lies and “brainwashing.”  We are branded as dangerous because we “masquerade” as medical facilities.

At the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, we have five paid nurses and three paid ultrasound technicians on staff. At least two nurses and one ultrasound tech are present whenever we are open. We have a doctor that oversees everything we do and is on call for us at all times. Our ultrasound machines are linked to his so that we can immediately send him any scans which might require his advise or attention. 

As for misinformation, that all depends on what you believe to be the truth. We believe that women need to know that there is a chance they will struggle emotionally after an abortion. There are also physical things that can go wrong. Women need to be provided with all the facts so they can make an informed choice. We do not believe in over-dramatizing things or using scare tactics. There may be some centers that do that, but I am not personally acquainted with any.

One large area of contention is the breast cancer link. If you are a regular on this blog, you have read some of the evidence I have shown to demonstrate the validity of this link, even though most pro-abortion groups deny it exists. Again, without using hysterics or the fear factor, we inform women of the higher risk for breast cancer that they may encounter if they have an abortion. As a result, they may want to start getting tested at an earlier age. In this area, we feel strongly that Planned Parenthood and others are the ones who are disregarding the welfare of their patients.

Of course, the biggest source of contention by these groups attacking pregnancy centers is that they feel women are not being informed ahead of time that we do not perform or refer for abortions, and are therefore being deceived.  However, their accusations are baseless. Our advertisements in the Yellow Pages are found under “Abortion Alternatives” not “Abortion.” If we are asked about whether we do abortions on the phone, we make it clear that we do not. Within the first five minutes of the appointment, each woman is clearly told that “the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling does not perform nor refer for abortion.”

However, according to this coalition, this information is not enough. In spite of a ruling in Maryland which declared it unconstitutional, they want laws passed in big cities all over America requiring pregnancy centers like our own to clearly post in their building and on all publicity that they do not perform nor refer for abortion. I’ve pointed out the insanity of this in the past. Do you know of any other business that is required to let people know what they don’t do? Should McDonald’s have to post signs saying that they don’t make fried chicken? Or Bed, Bath and Beyond have to make it clear that they don’t sell automotive parts?

Maybe instead we should be pressing for Planned Parenthood to be required to post things they’ve been caught on tape doing, like allowing men to bring in their 14-year-old “girlfriends” for abortions without notifying Child Protective Services; or making deals with pimps to “take care” of their sex slaves. I’d like to see a sign in their lobby warning girls that they will not be protected from sexual predators, or announcing that Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortion in the nation.

If this national coalition is so concerned about helping to protect women, they should focus on shielding them from filthy, dangerous abortion clinics. So-called “misinformation” has never killed or maimed anyone. Abortion clinics are clearly listed in the phone book or on-line. If one is intent on finding them, it is not difficult. When women choose to come here, we believe it is because, deep down, they really want the truth and care we have to offer.  Everyone who enters our doors leaves it alive and well. We are no danger to anyone.

Keeping it true!  Barb

The Ethics of Harvesting Living Organs: The Dangers of “Brain-Death!”

Gloria Cruz (pictured with her husband, Tani) had been declared “brain-dead.” The fifty-six year old Australian woman was rushed to the hospital after having a stroke in her sleep. She underwent surgery, which was deemed “unsuccessful.” Doctors told Mr. Cruz that his wife would die within 48 hours, and they recommended that she be taken off the ventilator. However, Tani Cruz is a devout Catholic who believed in miracles. He did not want to give up on his wife quite so soon.

After 2 long weeks, Mr. Cruz finally agreed to have Gloria taken off the ventilator. However, he insisted that she have a breathing tube, as she was able to use it to breathe on her own. Three days later he had his miracle when his wife woke from her coma and began to speak. She is now alert and on her way to recovery!

The Cruz’s are fortunate that they did not agree to donate her organs for transplantation. Or, perhaps, Gloria’s organs did not qualify. However, she fit the criteria commonly used for “brain death.” If that had occurred, obviously she would not have had her miracle.

Of course, some of you may argue that if her organs had been taken, there would be some seriously ill people who would have experienced the miracle of a new heart, lungs or kidneys. As much as I sympathize with the patients (and their families) who desperately need these organs or they will die, the fact still remains that hearts, kidneys, lungs and other vital organs must be taken from a human being whose heart is beating (or, as in the new controversial ‘cardiac death’, has ceased for less than 5 minutes.)

Val Thomas of Charleston, West Virginia, had been breathing artificially, with no detectable brain waves, for over 17 hours. Her family had called paramedics after finding her at home with no pulse and not breathing. She had been that way for at least 15-20 minutes before being placed on a ventilator. Rigor mortis was beginning to set in when the family began discussing organ donation. However, 10 minutes after discontinuing life support, the 59-year-old woman began to speak to the nurses.

Even more chilling was the case of Zack Dunlap, who was minutes away from having his organ’s harvested when his family noticed him moving. Zack reported later that he actually heard the doctors discussing the removal of his organs, but he couldn’t move or respond to them. Like Val and Gloria, he has almost fully recovered.

All these cases have been called miracles, but Dr. Paul Byrne states they are not as uncommon as we might think. “I don’t want to take anything away from God, but it’s not supernatural what occurred. If there is anything miraculous about it, it is that they didn’t get his organs before someone was able to notice some sort of other response. He was always living- his heart was always breathing, there was always blood pressure, he was always very much alive.”

Dr. Byrne continues by saying that “brain death was concocted, it was made up in order to get organs. It was never based on science.” Another pro-life physician, Dr. John Shea modifies that statement somewhat by stating that brain death is based on theory and not fact. There are several sets of criteria used to determine if a patient is “brain-dead”, and it sometimes comes down to the opinion of the doctor in charge of the case.

I’m disturbed by the fact that so many variables can come into play in determining when organs should be taken. A key role seems to the family’s willingness to sign off on the transplant. Bernice Jones faced this first hand when her son was severely wounded in an accident in 2000. She spoke of being led to believe that her son was totally dead. She was never told that his heart was still beating.  Nor were they informed that his diagnosis of brain death was based upon a test in which the doctors removed his ventilator for two minutes, depriving him of oxygen. She never felt that the doctors did the utmost they could to resuscitate her son, but, rather, always treated him as a supplier of healthy organs.

I think there are just too many factors in which subjective rationale comes into play.  It would be difficult for any physician to see, on one hand, a patient that is struggling for life that can be saved with a new heart. On the other hand, there is a patient in the ER with severe head trauma. He is not dead, but at the very best it appears there will be months and even years of heartbreaking rehabilitation ahead with little hope of a full recovery. At worst, he will never recover consciousness. Under those conditions, unless strict guidelines are put in place, it would be very easy to play God and begin to rationalize which life should live or die based on their chances for a quality existence.

Plus, the more socialized a health-care system is, the greater pressure there also is to not go the extra mile to save people whose care appears that it will drag on with less chance of success. Doctors and families both become less willing to go to great expense to save loved ones. This seems especially true when there are healthy, vital organs which can be used for transplant. I hate to sound cynical, but both Biblical truth and history demonstrate that men always sink to the lowest common denominator. If it can be rationalized, it will be. It is what some people call, the “slippery slope.” The Bible calls it our sin nature.

I think I will always feel uncomfortable with heart transplants. It is my hope that adult stem cell research will develop to the degree that new hearts can be fashioned for the patient from their own cells (a reality which may be on the horizon!) However, that does not eliminate our tendency to pull the plug too fast.  I never want to be on a ventilator for a prolonged period of time, but I also want to know that if my loved ones die, it is because it was their time to go and not just as a matter of convenience.

Keeping it true!  Barb

Parental Consent for Abortions: Restoring God-Given Protection to Children

When my children were teenagers, we were pretty forthcoming with them. My daughter was allowed to get her ears pierced, but other than that no piercings or tattoos were allowed! I know there have been some tattoos since they became adults, but that was their decision, made when they were an adult (even if I still think tattoos are ugly!)

There is a reason that children are under a parent’s legal care and guidance until they are 18 years old. Until that age, kids are impressionable and easily swayed by those around them to do things they may later regret. And, some things (like tattoos) are not easily eliminated. Most likely, even if they later choose to get it removed,  it will leave a mark for the rest of their lives.

Even though it is much more serious, it is the same with an abortion.  When I see a very young girl come into our office for a pregnancy test, I begin to pray that it will be negative.  It is already tragic that a girl of 13, 14 or 15 would be having sex, but sometimes that damage can be lessened if there is not an unborn child involved. However, if there is a pregnancy, you can almost see the carefree look of childhood disappear from her eyes. No matter what choice she makes, that baby will be with her and her family forever (even if she chooses adoption or abortion, thoughts of that child will never completely leave them!)

Sometimes we find ourselves caught between a rock and a hard place as far as patient confidentiality is concerned. Parents, by law, have to be informed about their child’s medical care except in the areas of pregnancy and birth control.  At the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, we are bound by confidentiality to not reveal if a patient, no matter how young, has been to us for a pregnancy test or ultrasound. I’ve spoken with more than one angry parent who demanded to know how we could see his or her daughter without their consent. It is not hard for me to commiserate: I would feel the same way! I try to explain that we are bound by the law, and if they want it changed they need to contact their legislative representatives.

In spite of the law, we do encourage our patients to talk to their parents. When they tell us their parents will “kill” them if they knew they were pregnant, we assure them that they might be disappointed at first, but that the great majority of parents come around and provide support.  Sometimes girls want to abort so that their parents will never know. It is at moments like that when I am happy I can tell them that Nebraska has a law which states that their parents will  have to at least be notified before they abort. I think this comes as a relief to many; now the pressure is off to keep it hidden and secret.

 I read an article this morning about parents in New Zealand who were distraught because their under-age daughters had been taken by school officials for an abortion. Days later, these mothers and fathers were left wondering why their children seemed so upset and seemingly ill. In other words, they were left in ignorance as their child was taken in for a life-changing surgical procedure for which they now had to pick up the broken pieces! Putting myself in their place, I know I would be utterly devastated. Not only was a grandchild destroyed, but my daughter would have been “coerced” into an unspeakable act without my guidance or my assurance that I would be there for her no matter what!

Nebraska is presently debating a bill to make it a law for at least one parent to give consent before a young woman under 18 could have an abortion. It has a provision which allows for a grandparent to sign if there is abuse in the home. In my opinion, this is a return to sanity and the protection that God intended for children. Right now, the law speaks to the lowest common denominator, and seeks to protect minors from the tiny minority of parents that might be abusive. Instead, it needs to protect minors from those who would coerce them into making dangerous decisions (like boyfriends or pro-abortion teachers, or the abortion industry itself!)

We see girls all the time who are being bullied by their boyfriends to “get rid of it!” They are afraid of disappointing their family and so they become isolated from those they need the most. This law would assure that they would be brought back into the protective fold of their family before making this decision of life and death. If a child is too immature to make a decision to get a tatoo or their naval pierced, they are way to immature to decide what happens to their unborn child.

Please, Nebraska, pass this law and restore a little sanity to our state!

Keeping it real!  Barb

Bringing Down Planned Parenthood One State at a Time!

When Abby Johnson began working for Planned Parenthood, she was an idealistic young woman who felt uncomfortable with abortion, but was convinced that her work providing contraceptives was the only way to bring the abortion rate down. Eventually she became the director of a Planned Parenthood in Texas. According to her book, “Unplanned,” she grew more and more disillusioned as she came under great pressure to increase the number of abortions her clinic performed, and to even provide later abortions because of their immense profit.

Abby speaks of meetings where those at the top of the organization spoke of the need to multiply the number of Planned Parenthood clinics performing abortions. The goal was clearly to increase the bottom line. When Abby asked about the non-profit status of the group, she was chastised with the comment, “Non-profit is a tax status, not a business status,” and ordered to get her revenue up!

Abby Johnson is no longer with Planned Parenthood; in fact, she is working with the group Live Action to bring her former organization down. She knows PP from the inside out, and she is not deceived by their fine sounding rhetoric of “caring for poor and needy women.” Planned Parenthood is the number one provider of abortions in America, and the driving force behind them is consuming desire for more and more profit!

Live Action, and it’s president, Lila Rose, have carried on several sting operations against Planned Parenthood. Their first focused on PP’s willingness to cover-up cases of statutory rape, enabling adult men to bring in their underage girlfriends (or sexual conquests) for abortions without reporting them to the authorities (which is required by law.) The second sting operation featured actors playing a pimp and prostitute who were seeking out places to get gynecological care for their cadre of underaged sex slaves. Employees at center after center bent over backwards to smooze the “pimp” and assure him that all his needs would be met, free from interference from the law.

I have an idea for Live Action’s next sting operation. Planned Parenthood continually claims that poor women will suffer from lack of care if they lose funding. However, it is almost impossible to obtain statistics on who exactly is helped in their clinics (age, economic status, race, etc.) Nor is it easy to discover what their services cost. We have heard from women who come to us that they couldn’t afford the price of either a pregnancy test or an ultrasound at Planned Parenthood. It has also been my impression that the poor do not go to Planned Parenthood except for abortions. If I had to guess, I would say that it is more a bastion for middle to upper class white girls who want free or reduced cost contraceptives. However, it would be good to have the facts.

I’m sure you all know by now that the House of Representatives had the courage to pass legislation to cut off Planned Parenthood’s tax-payer funds. And, of course, that set off a tantrum by the Democrats, most of whom are heavily funded by those who revere abortion as sacred and would not be pleased if this passed. And, of course, President Obama is very close chums with Planned Parenthood’s National President, Cecile Richards. Some senators (Harry Reid for one) were so passionately opposed, in fact, that it seemed like they would rather shut down the government than cut off the funding.

Fortunately, the states are coming to the rescue once again! Just this week, Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels, signed a law cutting off Planned Parenthood (along with all businesses that deal in abortion) from state funding.  Actually, all PP would have to do is cease their abortion activities and their money would return, but as they complained in their challenge of the law to the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, they should not be forced to make such a terrible (and costly) decision. Since they know which side their very expensive bread is buttered, they will continue to stick with abortion and continue to duke it out in court.

Fortunately, round one of the court battle went to the state of Indiana! Judge Tanya Walton Pratt declined to issue the injunction that Planned Parenthood wanted so that they would receive their funds until the final decision is rendered. Judge Pratt refused and the funds dried up immediately! PP just did not give enough evidence that it would suffer “irreparable harm” by losing the dough. (This just adds fuel to the fire that PP doesn’t really need government funds anyway. They already make a huge profit margin off of the blood of unborn children.)

The Indiana law actually accomplishes several amazing things in one fell swoop. It adopts the Nebraska law, which cuts off abortions at 20 weeks when it has been proven that pain levels begin to rise. It opts the state out of any abortion coverage in state health exchanges if the federal health care law actually comes to pass (which we should still be praying against.) Women considering abortion must be given full, factual information about the procedure in writing before an abortion can be performed, and doctors who do abortions must maintain admitting privileges in local hospitals (so that those harmed by their butchery can get faster emergency care!)  It’s a pretty great law, I must say! (If challenges against it remain unsuccessful, it will undeniably inspire more states to cut off their funding for PP as well.)

On the home front here in Nebraska, the bill to outlaw “webcam abortions” has passed out of committee and is moving ahead. If the law is passed, Planned Parenthood will not be able to dispense RU-486 (which is proving to be a more dangerous drug all the time) via a webcam visit by a physician that might be hundreds of miles away. As Julie Schmidt-Albin, Executive Director of Nebraska Right to Life, so excellently stated, “With our current statutes stating that only a licensed physician can perform an abortion, it makes sense for our statutes to also reflect that with the advent of chemical abortions, that a licensed physician must also be physically present when inducing the abortion.” Or for care afterwards, in the event that something goes wrong (which is happening in increasing numbers!)

Three cheers for state’s rights! Everyday I read of new laws blocking abortion popping up in state legislatures all over the country. Since the federal government (at least the Democrats)  is in bed with the abortion industry, our best hopes lie with the states. I don’t care how it gets done as long as this national travesty is brought to an end!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Painting Death With Pretty Colors

“Death With Dignity:” what does that even mean?  It is one of those terms which have been designed to look good, but actually covers up a lot of ugliness. It fits in the same category as  “a woman’s choice” and “elimination of pregnancy.” They seem like very benign, even noble terms until one begins to scratch below the surface. However, once one penetrates beneath the shiny veneer there lies a putrid stench of death.

Since Physician Assisted Suicide became legal in Oregon in the mid-90′s, there have been 525 reported deaths of individuals ingesting the legal, but lethal, concoction of drugs. Most were over the age of 65. According to the state’s statistics, all were white and well-educated. They were also receiving hospice care and had end-stage cancer.  It is also noted that most felt an overwhelming sense that they were losing autonomy and their dignity. 

Ominously, only one of the 525 had any type of psychological evaluation before the suicide.  There are some that claim that the reporting laws in Oregon are deliberately ambiguous. As a result, no one knows what is really going on in the state.  Apparently, there is no budget to investigate violations of the law, and very few records are kept. It almost seems as if the state officials are more protective of the law than they are of dying patients.

There was an article in the Journal of Internal Medicine in 2008 that found that Oregon doctors prescribed the lethal drug cocktail for patients not inflicted with pain or severe symptoms, but, rather for fears and worries for the future. It appears that depression has been redefined as a “lethal disease” warranting an early death, rather than investing the time to alleviate those fears and prescribe antidepressants. Assisted suicide is horrible enough, but basing it upon subjective rationale is dangerous beyond belief! The elderly are particularly vulnerable to feelings of worthlessness; it would not take much for family members who would prefer to hasten their inheritance to convince an aging parent that it would be best for them to “die a dignified death” before things got any worse. Or, a medical facility could exert influence upon an ailing patient who could not afford to pay their bills.  (Cases like this have been documented time and time again!)

Or take the cases of Barbara Wagner and Randy Stroup. Both had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, with an estimate that they would not last five years. Their only hope was chemotherapy, which had been prescribed for them by their doctors. However, since they were on Medicaid,  the state of Oregon refused to cover their treatment; instead they were offered funding for a physician assisted suicide.  (And our federal government wonders where the concern about “death panels” comes from!)

Fortunately, not many states have jumped on the assisted suicide bandwagon. In 2008, after an impassioned appeal from former Governor Booth Gardner (afflicted with Parkinson’s and determined to control his own death) and millions in international funds, Washington state voted to allow assisted suicide. Later that same year, a judge in Montana ruled that the state’s law banning assisted suicide was unconstitutional. Even more appalling, she ruled that the terminally ill had a fundamental right to die with dignity. The case is on appeal with the state’s supreme court, but until then it is the law of Montana.  To their credit, doctors in both states have been very reluctant to follow along and help their fellow citizens to die.

As I mentioned yesterday, England is considering an assisted suicide bill of their own. And, if our government continues to press for the elderly to receive “end of life counseling,” legislation in the individual states will be a moot point. I would be shocked if Physician Assisted Suicide was not part of the long-range agenda.

Do you remember the “Hemlock Society?” Founded by Derek Humphry it was one of the original groups to espouse the legality of assisting people to kill themselves. Well, they have a new name; they now do business under the  “lovely” sounding title of “Compassion and Choices.” Gone are the crazy looking men at the helm. Today they are  represented by affluent white women in tailored suits, spouting words like “compassion in dying,” and “my life, my choice.” It made my heart run cold to realize that they are one of the organizations likely to provide the required ”end of life” counseling should it be enacted.

As I mentioned yesterday, death is not a lovely option, especially when one is going to enter a Christless eternity. How many of you have heard stories of amazing death-bed conversions? I have personal knowledge of quite a few. There is something about being forced to face eternity that turns even the hardest heart towards God. Many will be robbed of this if they are allowed to choose (or more likely, are coerced) into accepting a lethal cocktail handed to them by a physician who took an oath that he would “do no harm.”

We must be as persistent and diligent as our enemies. We also must be armed with the truth so that we can fight the battles that are before us. Lives and eternal salvations are at stake! Are there any more important things to safeguard than those?

Keeping it true!  Barb