Are Pro-Life Women Just “Men With Breasts”? REAL Women Protect Unborn Life!

In Pennsylvania, they have been debating a bill which would make it mandatory for abortion clinics to offer an ultrasound to each woman so that she can see the development of her child before aborting. State Senator Babette Josephs was outspoken in her opposition to this bill, stating that Republicans were turning Pennsylvania into a “laboratory for the right-wing. They’re trying all these experiments on us.”

She continued on to tell a crowd of supporters that she particularly did not understand other women in the legislature who would co-sponsor the ultrasound bill. “I do not understand how a woman in this Legislature can say to herself: ‘I’m not capable of making my own health decisions…. but I can get elected and make them for somebody else.” She continued on, “What is wrong with these women? What are they thinking about?” And then the punch line, for which she found herself on every news story in America, “Are they women? Or are they men with breasts?”

Was she being snide? Did she just want to get on the news? One of her Democratic cohorts from Pennsylvania defended her by saying, “We don’t move ahead of we don’t get people’s attention. If this gets people thinking, that’s the point of a rally like this.” Well, her comments certainly got her noticed. However, I think her statements are representative of a lot of trash-talk being thrown around by the pro-abortion crowd these days, their intention being to point out two classifications of women: those who care about so-called “women’s rights” and those who, in their words, “are sending women back into the dark ages.”

Well, I know a fight when I see one. In my opinion, they’ve been dropping a honking big gauntlet, and I am ready to pick it up. Let’s get real here: what makes a REAL woman and what does not?

Let’s start with this whole gobbledygook, babble-speak about “women’s rights.” What is meant by that anyway? I think I can safely say that when you read the words “women’s rights” (or women’s health) you can translate it to the “right of a woman to sleep with whomever she wants, whenever she wants and not have to be responsible for any of the reproductive repercussions.” In other words, that means free contraceptives and abortions without any hindrances. (So, does that mean that women like myself who are married and can no longer reproduce have no health issues?)

Well, Ms. Josephs, let me tell you what I think being a REAL woman means! Real women do not ever promote the killing of unborn children. Instead, they help those who have been lied to and duped by the mainstream media to misunderstand the true human nature of the child that is growing in their womb. As a result of misinformation, many women truly do believe that their unborn baby is only a clump of cells. Everyday, I see women who are shocked to see a beating heart up on the ultrasound screen.

The pro-abortion forces state that ultrasound is a violation of women’s rights and an insult to their intelligence. From personal experience, I know that women need to see to see the truth about the life within their womb before they have it destroyed. They have a right to know exactly what it is they are doing. I would argue that it is those opposing ultrasound bills that are the ones who don’t trust women. The truth is that they know that many women will not abort a child that they know has a heartbeat and looks like a tiny little person. They would rather have women remain in ignorance than to have the rate of abortion decrease!

I have been disgusted to hear some of the truly absurd and desperate arguments against allowing women to have a look into their womb. The very lowest has been to correlate a vaginal ultrasound with rape. Most of these bills do not force women to have an ultrasound, they just make it a requirement to make it available. I would be against making it mandatory. However, even so, it would hardly be on the level with rape! What irresponsible stupidity is that?

Here is a list of things that responsible, caring women need to do: (I won’t use the term “real” anymore, since women who disagree with me still share my gender.) Caring women realize that sexual activity outside the loving confines of marriage is destroying the lives of our young people. It is ravaging them with disease and assailing their hearts with the pain of meaningless sexual relationships, which will take a great toll on their ability to ever make a long-term, loving commitment to anyone. Caring, mature women counsel younger girls to have respect for themselves and their future by saving themselves for a man who will be willing to legally commit himself to them.

By promoting abortion, women have been stripped of the tender nurturing which is necessary for the survival of humanity. Unborn children have become a meaningless nuisance, to be callously tossed away. Who would you argue has lost their “womanhood”, those who believe in killing the unborn and leaving their mothers in ignorance, or those who are trying to open up the “window to the womb” so the full humanity of unborn children can be known and protected?

In mockery of the ultrasound bill, another Pennsylvania legislator has proposed a bill to require men to have prostate exams, stress tests and sex therapy before getting erectile dysfunction drugs. In doing so, he shows that he has missed the point altogether. Actually, he is doing what so many pro-abortion people are doing these days- attempting to shift the argument by making it about the right to an unhindered abortion, instead of about the rights of unborn children and the rights of their mothers to know the truth.

Like I’ve said so many times before, I am NOT an opponent of “Women’s Health.” That is absurd! What I am is a defender of all life, including life in the womb. As responsible adults (men and women alike) we have a duty to defend those who cannot speak up for themselves. If that strips me of my womanhood, then so be it!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Women Burned with Acid and Forced to Marry Rapist: When Women Aren’t Seen As Persons

I know that I deal primarily in this blog with life issues, but a lot of the problems in our world, including abortion and euthanasia, result from treating some individuals as being of no worth. Once we strip them of their humanity or personhood, it then seems justifiable to treat them in whatever manner we choose, including death and degradation.

I have written before about the outrageous manner in which women are treated in some parts of the world. Once again, it is a matter of seeing some members of the human race as being of less worth than others. In some parts of the world, females are treated as less than worthy of life. This results in the abortion of female babies in huge numbers in countries like India and China. It also causes women in Central Asia and parts of Africa to be treated in despicable ways without repercussion.

The woman pictured above was named Fakhra Younus.  As a teenager, she worked as a dancing girl in the red light district of Karachi in Pakistan. It was there that she caught the eye of a rich, influential man, the son of Ghulam Mustafa Khar, the former governor of a Pakistani region. Even though he was in his 30′s, he took the young girl as his third wife.

After three years of suffering his physical and mental abuse, Fakhra left her husband. She claims that he came to her mother’s house one night and poured acid on her while she was sleeping. Her wounds were so severe that she was barely able to live, and suffered from horrible pain. Often she could hardly breathe since her nose had totally melted. Her husband was acquitted of all charges and allowed to go free.

After 13 terrible years of suffering, with little hope of ever receiving justice, Fakhra jumped from the 6th floor of a building in Rome, where she was receiving medical treatment. She died as the result of her fall. Her suicide has renewed furor over her case.

It is estimated that there were more than 8,500 acid attacks, forced marriages and other forms of violence against women in Pakistan in 2011. At least that is how many that were reported. Speculation is that the number is actually much higher. In some areas of the country, women are quietly buried or live in silent suffering.

Also in the news today was the story of a 16-year-old girl from Morocco who swallowed rat poisoning and died to escape her own horrible marriage. In her case, she had been forced to marry the man who raped her, and who continued to beat her after they were wedded. Rather than face a lifetime of abuse, she killed herself.

There are many activists in that country who are trying to change a law which allows a rapist to marry his victim rather than be imprisoned for his crime. The law does allow the victim to refuse the marriage, but, like in so many nations in that part of the world, family honor seems better served by allowing the marriage to take place. Women who lose their virginity, even in a rape, are considered as dishonoring the family, and risk never finding a marriage partner at all.

I have recently read stories about women who are stoned to death after being raped. The burden of proof is on them to demonstrate that the man forced himself upon her. In countries where women are looked down upon as “lesser creatures,” all men have to do is state that the woman tempted him and acted like a seductress. Then the punishment falls upon her, sometimes even causing her execution.

As I have pointed out in the past, “honor killings”, where the family kills daughters or wives that behave in a way which “shames” them, happen quite frequently even here. Fortunately, the perpetrators are usually prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Work must continue around the world to recognize all members of humanity: women, the unborn, the elderly, the handicapped, individuals of every race, creed and color, as equals under the law. From the day of conception until the grave, all innocent life needs to be protected and revered. It is when certain groups are deemed as being less than human that injustices and holocausts take place. We must speak up against it wherever it occurs.

I am not certain of what action you or I can take to help women like these two unfortunate souls. At the very least, I do not want their deaths to go unnoticed. We can pray for change to occur. And, we can mourn their loss.

Keeping it true!  Barb

“Monumental”- Saving Our Country and Our Children: Movie Event Tonight!

Tonight only, Kirk Cameron will be showing his film “Monumental” in theatres across America. As the father of six, and a man concerned about the direction this nation is going, Cameron has spent the last few years retracing the history of the United States in an attempt to understand how our great nation came to be, and how we can work to undo some of the damage that has been done to our society.

In an interview, Cameron said that as a father, he’s “become concerned about the world that our kids are growing up in.” We are “16 trillion dollars in debt, and you see families falling apart, you see homelessness and teenage pregnancy, and suicide and crime…”

As a mother and grandmother, I have experienced the same frustration and fear for their future. What kind of nation are we leaving behind as their legacy? As I mentioned yesterday, without the hope of Christ, this would be an overwhelmingly terrifying world. In my job, I have seen and experienced a lot. And yet, things surface on an almost daily basis which threaten to drag us even deeper into depravity. If we don’t stand up and stop it, where will it end?

Not much is taught about the foundations of our nation these days. Instead, the focus is upon all that is wrong in our history. What Cameron did was travel to Europe and to the Eastern seaboard to learn about the Pilgrim’s journey, and how they were “far more courageous and resilient than many people give them credit for.” His goal for the movie is that he wants “people’s eyes to be opened to the real history of our country.”

Perhaps you’re wondering how in the world understanding about our history could help with the moral dilemmas we are facing. Perhaps it won’t, but something needs to happen to open our eyes to the desperate situation we are in. Heroes are in short supply today, so perhaps a look back will help provide us and our children with great role models to base our lives upon. Great inspiration can be drawn from the lives of those who bucked a system-gone-wrong and fought to live a life true to their principals.  According to Cameron, that can be said of the Pilgrims who left England to seek religious freedom in America.

“The history of the world is the story of people getting off track,” said Cameron. “History is full of people who took their history and freedom for granted.” He argues that we can’t ever take those things for granted or wait for others to solve our problems.

We have a small group that meets in our home every other week. One purpose of the group is to study politics as they pertain to the truth in God’s word. Presently, we are taking a course on the American Constitution, offered free by Hillsdale College. Unless we know what our rights in this nation really are, we cannot truly stand up for them. We are discovering that many of the things we are guaranteed in our Constitution are the same things that God promises us in the Bible. Our founders realized that certain rights are God-given, and, as such, are things that government has no right to take away (a key one being the right to life.)

If you would like to attend one of the showings of Monumental, it will be taking place at several locations in Omaha. I know it will at least be at the Oakview Theatres and at Village Pointe (call them for details.) You can watch the trailer by clicking here. Kirk Cameron has proven himself to be a courageous man of faith, truly attempting to make a difference in Hollywood and in our culture. I think Monumental will be a great movie experience!

Keeping it true!  Barb

How Might the Supreme Court Impact the Healthcare Bill? Historic Hearing Begins Today!

How big is this week’s hearing about the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (otherwise known as ObamaCare) before the Supreme Court? Well, one way to look at it is to see how much time the justices are allowing for the case to be presented. Normally arguments are only allowed 60 minutes, 30 for each side. However, with this case, they are allowing five-and-a-half hours over three days!

Basically, here are the items up for debate: Can Congress compel people to buy insurance? Can Congress pressure states to expand Medicaid coverage by threatening to withhold funds? If these two portions (or even one) are struck down, can the rest of the massive law survive?

However, before that part of the debate can even begin, there is a chance that the whole case will be put on hold. It turns out that there is an obscure law from 1867 which prohibits lawsuits from moving forward until someone actually has to pay a penalty as a result of breaking that law. In other words, some individual might have to actually pay a fine for not purchasing health insurance before a case like this could move forward. Unfortunately, that would delay this ruling until at least 2015, when many destructive parts of the plan would already be implemented.

Many legal experts do not think the Court is likely to make this type of ruling. For one thing, the justices have already given structure to the arguments they plan to hear, something that would be strange for them to do if they were not planning to actually hear them. There were other arguments given by law experts as to why the Court would not shut things down, but they were a little complicated for me to understand. The important thing to know is that this is a possibility, and, if it happens, it will happen today. So, I will keep you posted.

The major aspect of this case that I want to address is the fact that if our government is able to force individuals to purchase health insurance, where will it end? To me, hand in hand with this goes the recent announcement that some (I truly believe ALL) insurance plans will force people, regardless of their convictions, to give money towards the coverage of abortion. Unless something drastic happens, institutions will  have to provide free contraceptives later this year, no matter if they object to them or not. If the Supreme Court does not rule against the right of government to make such mandates to us, depriving us of our right to decide for ourselves, in obedience to our faith and convictions, this will just be the start of things we will be ordered to do. As Senator Patrick Toomey or Pennsylvania said: “The (healthcare) law has become emblematic of the overreach of this administration.”

Why is the government forcing all people to buy insurance in the first place? Well, first, it is an issue of control. However, it is also a necessary ploy to keep insurance companies afloat.

The basic principle behind insurance is to safeguard against things which may or may not happen in the future. Some health conditions are incredibly expensive to cover, such as long-term hospitalization or treatment for a chronic condition. As a result, insurance companies must charge differing rates, or even refuse coverage for pre-existing conditions, in order to be able to continue paying out all their claims. In other words, they are banking on the fact that most won’t need a big payout so that they can afford to provide the funds for those that do.

At present, there are thousands of individuals, many of them healthy and in a lower risk category, who have chosen to take their chances and not purchase health insurance. However, since ObamaCare would force insurance companies to cover everyone, regardless of the status of their health or any pre-existing conditions they may already have, at the same rate as those who are well, they will need greater number of healthier folk to purchase insurance in order to survive.

There are some who argue that forcing insurance companies to cover everyone at the same rate will drive existing companies out of business, mandate or not. Then, when the competition has disappeared, government-run health insurance will be all that remains. Obama has been outspoken in his support of single-payer insurance, and many experts say that is the end goal with this plan. In other words,  all health-care would be funded from a single insurance pool, run by the government, with everyone being forced to join.

So, how big is this decision? In my opinion, it is one of the most vital issues that the Court has ever ruled upon. John Sparks, a professor of constitutional law, said of the case: “If the Court upholds the individual mandate, it would effectively mark an end for constitutional restraint on Congress and usher in a new era of uncertainty, one whereby the federal government would be controlled only by the self-restraint of elected legislators. The Court, as it were, will have let the constitutional reins fall loose and the federal stallion will gallop forward at an even faster and more frightening pace.”

If the courts don’t hold back our government, and if a huge change does not occur in November, I shudder to think where our country will go. One thing I know for sure, the holocaust of unborn lives will escalate to numbers beyond our comprehension. If I did not know that God is in control, I would find today’s dangers too terrifying to comprehend. As it is, fellow believers, we need to pray for our nation like never before!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Why I Will Go To Jail Rather Than Pay $1 a Month To Underwrite the Destruction of Life!

I know that sounds a bit melodramatic, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. To me, it is a very clear-cut decision in a world of ambiguity. I cannot provide any money which would pay for the death of unborn children, and that is that.

If you are not familiar with the new mandate which was just revealed, it turns out that some health plans under ObamaCare would require each enrollee to pay one dollar a month to underwrite the cost of abortion coverage. (See my blog of March 13, “Just Released: State Healthplans Will Force Us to Pay for Abortions“) Supposedly, this is the government’s way of skirting around the Hyde amendment, which forbids tax money from paying for abortion. Instead, it will be a forced payment on the part of those getting insurance. Which, according to the new law, is all of us, since everyone is required to purchase some type of health plan.

Unless, of course, the Supreme Court steps in and rules that forcing individuals to purchase insurance (or to purchase anything, for that matter) is against the Constitution.  To my simple mind, I cannot comprehend how the court would not find this to be true, but I’ve come to realize that politics plays a huge role in swaying the minds of the justices. Please pray that sanity and the basic tenants of our nation will prevail in stopping this violation of our basic freedoms! (I promise to keep you posted on this developing story.)

Do you remember all the debate during the Healthcare hearings in Congress, and how those who were concerned that we would all end up paying for abortion were scoffed at? No, the president assured us, that would never happen. After all, it is against the law! We need to remember this huge lie when we enter the voting booth in November!

I must admit that I am taken aback at the audacity of Washington in the midst of this election year. First, with the proclamation that all organizations, even those which are faith-based, must provide insurance with free contraception, including drugs which cause an early abortion. Now, everyone, no matter what their convictions, are expected to contribute monthly so that women can have insurance coverage to take the life of their unborn child. I am shocked that these things were not hidden until after the election. Do they really think that the pro-life majority in America will not care?

However, I am equally surprised by the lack of uproar I have heard over the one dollar mandate. I was so outraged I could barely speak, but I had to search to find information on it, and all of it seemed to come from the same source: Lifenews.com. Perhaps this is because the mainstream press refuses to cover it, but they are not the ones that I turn to for my source of information.  Maybe it just seems too outrageous to be believed.

Like I said, when I first read about it I was very agitated. However, a peace soon settled in. I knew, without a doubt,  that this was a fee I could never pay. I could never stand before God’s throne and state that I had knowingly paid a cent which resulted in the death of the innocent.  Therefore, whatever consequences come my way will be in His hands. I am not going to worry about it, however, I fight fear best by confronting the worst possible outcome that could come my way and leaving it in the hands of Jesus. In this case, a refusal to purchase insurance would result in heavy fines and the possibility of prison. However, if I have no choice in the matter, it leaves me in a state of perfect peace.

So what should we do? Of course, prayer is called for. Times of corporate fasting should be proclaimed. This is a spiritual battle that is being waged. Regardless of the attitudes in Washington, it is God that “rules and overrules in the affairs of men.”

Plus, tomorrow, Friday, March 23, there will be rallies for religious freedom held all over the country. The one in Omaha will be held at Noon at the U.S. District Court Building at 111 S. 18th Plaza. Parking can be difficult downtown, so you might want to get there early. They promise that it will only last an hour, so please make the time to come!

If the government gets away with making us all pay for abortion, where will it end? If we allow them to, they will strip away all of our freedom, beginning with our right to worship and believe as we choose. If we allow this to happen, it will be what we deserve.

In addition, if insurance provides free or low-cost abortions, the number of unborn deaths will rise to levels we have never seen before. In addition, the rate of casual sex will rise, as it always does when consequences disappear. Our society will be filled with even more wounded women, struggling with the consequences of aborting their children. And on and on it will go!

Now is the time for action! Let your voice be heard. The lives of millions and our God-given rights hang in the balance.

Keeping it true!  Barb

 

Planned Parenthood and Human Trafficking: War for the Truth!

(This blog was originally posted on Feb. 7, 2011. I am busy helping in the aftermath of our fundraiser last night. (By the way, thanks to all who came and gave- it was an amazing night!) Sadly, all of this bears repeating, and, tragically, it is all still true.)

Human Trafficking: the selling of young girls (and boys) into the sex trade. We would like to believe that it only happens in other countries. However, statistics show that over a quarter of a million young people are entrapped in human trafficking right here in the United States! And, quite a large percentage of them were born and raised in this country.

There was a story in yesterday’s World Herald about a sex ring right here in Omaha. Two men and two women were arrested for forcing girls into prostitution. The young women were beaten and threatened into submission.  Especially appalling to me was the fact that the ringleader was a woman. Her hard eyes were scary as they stared back at me from the paper. I had no doubt that she was capable of just about anything!

The number is now up to five Planned Parenthoods that were video-taped aiding and abetting a supposed pimp and prostitute who were inquiring about bringing in a group of girls caught in the sex trade, some as young as 14.  These “health care workers” didn’t blink an eye at informing this man and woman (who made no pretense about their work) that they could help them in getting these girls tested, treated, or help them with abortions with no parental consent or notifying the authorities.

And what has been Planned Parenthood’s response to being caught “red-handed?” Well, one worker in New Jersey was fired. However, since having the weekend to regroup, and having met with their “supporters”, they have decided to join forces and clean up their act! No, wait…. that was a dream I had, the one in which the world is filled with integrity and truth, and in which we really care about each other. In other words, in which I have died and gone to Heaven.

No, in the face of overwhelming evidence that their workers really do not care about little girls trapped in sexual servitude and being raped over and over again, they have decided to focus on discrediting the messenger. Yes, sad but true, the enemy is not those who would allow a pimp to bring a 14-year-old in for a forced abortion so that she can get back out to the streets as quickly as possible. Instead, the enemy is the group that made the undercover video to bring all this to light. Because, after all, they are pro-life and their real motivation is (gasp!) to end abortion altogether!

Supposedly, there was a big conference call over the weekend between Planned Parenthood and Media Matters for America (a liberal media watchdog group, founded and supported by liberal billionaire George Soros.) The word was sent out to news outlets and liberal bloggers that the strategy will be to diffuse the criticism by ignoring it and to refocus on Planned Parenthood’s “wonderful” work with low-income women. The emphasis will be that the organization is essential because it provides the only healthcare some women ever receive.

Well, first off, that is a pack of lies (to put it kindly.) There are many places in communities all over America that women can go to for low-cost health care. In Omaha, we have several places we refer women, which are either free or pay-as-you-can.  A woman’s first stop should be to her local pregnancy center (but, of course, organizations like Planned Parenthood are trying to put those out of business!) Centers, like ours, have done research on all the referrals available in the community, and, believe me, it does not include Planned Parenthood!

Besides, all this is skirting around the main issue: if Planned Parenthood is breaking the law they need to be exposed and made accountable! Where are the women’s groups on this? Do they defend the sex trafficking industry? Has the obsession to keep abortion not only legal, but protected above all else, clouded their minds to basic justice and decency? Obviously, it has.

Fox News is the only network that reported on the videos. I didn’t see it in the newspaper, so AP must have ignored it as well. National Public Radio (NPR) did a story attacking Live Action, but was chastised for not criticizing it more than they did.  This must be really good news for those getting rich off of the sex industry. They can bring in all their little girls and not worry about any bad press or being reported to the authorities. After all, the press has to get those big, bad pro-lifers off the streets. You know: the ones who are saving lives; paying rent and utilities; providing resources and support, plus a listening, non-judgemental ear.

I have nothing but admiration for Lila Rose and Live Action. While still in her teens, Lila decided that she didn’t want to just speak out against abortion, but actually do something to stop it. That was when she began posing as an underage girl and entering Planned Parenthoods with a hidden camera. Even though she made it clear that her “boyfriend” was much older, she was continually told to lie about her age so that the abortion could be performed. This not only breaks the “statutory rape” law everywhere, but also all laws of decency and morality.

Now, with Sex Trafficking, Planned Parenthood has clearly shown the depths of its degradation.  Like all other abortion providers, they do not really care about women. They are too consumed with raking in the cash and keeping abortion a fat, sacred cow that no one can touch. Until that ends, things will continue to get worse and worse. Thank God for Lila and her group for continually stirring the pot. The press may have a conspiracy of silence, but the truth cannot remain hidden forever!

Keeping it true!  Barb

The Life Of Only One Child Makes Our Work Worth It All!

At left is a child who was born because his mother came to the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling. I can say with all honesty that we would continue to do all we do everyday for the sake of just that one little boy. Defending life is the reason that we exist.

Today’s blog is going to be a short one. We have our big fundraiser tonight. Everything we do for women in the community is done free of charge. We never want money to be an issue for them. We also do not accept any government funding as we wish to be free to share about our faith, and offer women the opportunity to find new life in Jesus.

Therefore, in order to save the lives of children like this little boy, we are dependant upon the generosity of others with the same passion for life as ourselves. Tonight we will share with others about our dreams and visions for the future, and how we foresee being able to reach out to more hurting women than ever before. Best-selling author, Bruce Wilkinson, has caught the vision of the pregnancy center movement, and will convey it with excellence and passion to the crowd we have coming. I am excited to see what God will do.

As I skimmed through the internet this morning, my heart ached again as I read accusations against the pro-life movement. We are conveyed as heartless punishers of women, preventing them from “controlling their reproductive destinies.” The harsh words often cause me to examine my heart and my motivations. What, exactly, propels us to work so hard on behalf of the unborn?

At the Center, we know that there are many women out there whose lives have come to a crisis point as the result of a pregnancy. However, we also know that, in most cases, the mess in their lives already existed and the presence of an unborn child is just bringing it to a head. Of course, the problems still need to be dealt with, and she needs our compassion and our care. However, we believe with all of our heart that the solution is never to take the life of an innocent baby.  Abortion may provide a temporary fix, but only compounds the problems in the long run.

As followers of Jesus, we love all the women that enter our doors, and do all we can to help them through the tough times they are facing. We cannot just have compassion for their needs, we must try to meet them as well. We try to find a way for them to have their child without their lives falling apart.

At the core of all we do is a firm belief that all life is created by God, even from the moment of conception. Each life is made for a divine purpose, and no life, no matter how small, is worthless. Life in the womb should be as vigorously defended as any person outside the womb. All life, no matter a what stage of development, deserves respect, as well as protection.

The heart of our faith is the fact that Jesus Christ died for each of us. In fact, he would have given His life just for you or for me. He loves us that much, the born as well as the unborn. He calls us to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters, no matter their size. At the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, we are heeding that call. We invite you to join us!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Our Government Okays Use of Aborted Babies Brains for Testing

Right now our country is developing a very sympathetic, if not out-right encouraging, atmosphere for pushing the envelope on abortion and research using the tissue of aborted babies. This is what results when the government considers the taking of life in the womb as no big deal. No, they go beyond that and consider abortion to be a good and necessary thing, to be protected at all costs.

Considering the attitude of our government, we should not be surprised when experiments using fetal tissue gets bolder and bolder. If the harvesting of embryonic cells is encouraged and funded, why not tissue taken from older babies? A company called StemCells, Inc., made such an announcement just a few days ago.

Their press release was more innocuously worded than their website. The press release announced that the company was going to use “purified human neural stem cell product” in a new study attempting to treat macular degeneration. However, their website uses more accurate terms when it speaks of “fresh human fetal brain tissue.” Such tissue is not even present in babies until the 2nd month, making this a progression from “embryonic stem cells” to “fetal stem cells.” Actually, there is some speculation that the tissue needed would have to come from babies at least 10 weeks in development!

It has not even been clearly shown that these brain cells will work. Stem Cells, Inc. is injecting the cells into the eyes of up to 16 patients to study their effect on vision. Actually, ignoring the heinous moral implications of this, cells taken from children in the womb have previously been shown to be highly unstable. Huge, uncontrollable tumors often develop. In fact, not one person has ever been successfully treated with stem cells from unborn babies.

On the other hand, adult stem cells have been incredibly successful, treating a long list of conditions and disease. These cells are readily available and advancements with them continue to escalate. Why then does our government insist on funding research which is unethical, as well as dangerous and proven not to work?

I’ve written before about the shield of protection which is around the whole area of abortion.  Those in charge of our government give overwhelming and outrageous protection and support to anything and anyone who progresses the abortion agenda, even if it goes against all sense. This whole area of testing with aborted human tissue is the area which, in my opinion, demonstrates the most folly (or the most evil!) They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, without a different result. In terms of using children killed in the womb for research, our government is truly insane, in the most blood-thirsty way imaginable!

Unless there is a change in November, we can expect companies like StemCells, Inc. to get bolder and bolder in their cannibalization of aborted babies. If the Obama administration gave their approval of the use of brain tissue, what makes us think that they would not approve the use of parts from bigger and bigger babies? Since it is the really young tissue that is the most unstable, what would prevent a lab from deciding to wait and collect the cells from a child in the latter stages? The government certainly doesn’t flinch from supporting later term abortions. For goodness sakes, our president even voted, as a state representative in Illinois, to allow children who survived abortions to die rather than to save their lives. Such a man, in my opinion, is capable of any barbarity!

I hate writing blogs such as this one. When I read the information about this testing today, it made me sick! However, we must continue to be watchdogs and stand in the gap for these defenseless little ones. If we don’t continue to cry out against these atrocities, they will only get worse. Plus, it is our duty as lovers of God and believers in the sanctity of all life that He creates, to do all we can to protect it.

Keeping it true!  Barb

Conservative Women Accused of Racism: The Gulf Widens as the Battle Heats Up!

Karen Finney, of MSNBC, was totally flummoxed over the huge number of working women who voted for Rick Santorum in the Alabama primary this week. In fact, it turned out that 49% of Republican working women voted for Rick, and Ms. Finney said that this “hurt her.”

“If you’ve got to worry about your basic healthcare,” said Ms. Finney, “how are you then going to be able to do what you need in terms of having a job, paying your rent, taking care of your kids?” This was in response to the fact that many of these working women were more concerned about the economy than about things like birth control mandates, which must be what Karen was referring to with “basic healthcare.” After all, that has become the new term to cover things like birth control and abortion. (We women are lucky: it turns out we don’t have to be concerned about trivial things like cancer or heart disease. Nope, women’s healthcare can be all summed up with our reproductive system. Having no uterus, I feel kind of left out!)

However, it was the next thing that Ms. Finney had to say that was the real kicker: “You know, I’m stunned.  Uh, the only explanation that I can come up with is — and I think this would be a question I’d want to go back and ask these women. For these women, did race — or… or, in other words, “conservative values;” that’s the code, right? — trump gender? You know, it’s still a very conservative state. The racial issues are alive and well in Alabama and Mississippi.  Remember those polls that we saw where large percentage don’t believe in interracial marriage and think the president is a “Mooslem.” So clearly there is some sort of racial stuff in there, and I wonder if that — ultimately for white working women — trumps their own gender.”

Wow! Is it so inconceivable to women like Karen Finney that women might actually be concerned about things, such as how they are going to put gas in their cars or find a decent job, that she has to resort to a charge of racism to explain their votes? Never mind the fact that over half the women in American don’t believe in abortion or in forcing religious organizations to provide birth control for their employees. No, that can’t possibly be true. It must be that we are racist; that is the only explanation for why we would vote for someone like Rick Santorum over Barack Obama.

You know, I hope more news people jump on Ms. Finney’s bandwagon!  Nothing would stir conservative women up to really get out the vote than to level charges of racism at them! Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. There is not a woman I know who cares one iota what race our president is. In fact, most of them are saddened that they were not able to get behind the election of the first African-American elected to office. No, it is solely a matter of his politics that cause such dissension.

Examining the news about life issues on a daily basis as I do, I have gotten extremely alarmed at the way I have seen things disintegrate. This administration is a huge supporter of Planned Parenthood. Their president, Cecile Richards, has been called in to consult with the president about such things as the birth control mandate recently leveled at religious institutions. I would be shocked if she also hadn’t played a part in the latest ruling to charge everyone who purchases insurance a $1 a month fee to underwrite abortions. These recent developments are blatantly against our rights as Americans, and should propel us to fight hard for a radical change in November!

The gulf between conservative and liberal women seems to get wider everyday! Trans-vaginal ultrasounds, which have been used for years to help women see their unborn children in the early stages, are now proclaimed as “rape,” but only when used before an abortion (I wonder if they know where the abortionist will be placing the suction cannula to destroy and remove the unborn child?) One article I found called ultrasounds, “inner-vaginal invasions.” And yet, the forcible dismembering of a tiny human being is benignly called “removal of tissue.”

Women in favor of abortion are getting more and more blatant about extolling its virtues. Writes Jessica DelBalzo, a pro-abortion blogger in RH Reality Check: “I love abortion. I don’t accept it. I don’t view it as a necessary evil. I embrace it. I donate to abortion funds. I write about how important it is to make sure that every woman has access to safe, legal abortion services. I have bumper stickers and buttons and t-shirts proclaiming my support for reproductive freedom. I love abortion.”

Those who used to call themselves “pro-choice” are becoming more outspokenly “pro-abortion.” Hopefully, pro-lifers are growing more outspoken in their rhetoric as well. We are now in a season where if we do not make our voices heard, we will no longer be allowed a voice in the debate. I believe that with all my heart!

So, pro-life brothers and sisters, let’s start making some noise! Let’s become active participants to help get candidates who support life elected on all levels of government. Even if someone like Rick Santorum gets elected president, it is vital for pro-lifers to gain the Senate and House as well. If not, we will be forced to either pay for abortions or face economic sanctions or worse. The handwriting is clearly on the wall. Now is the time for action, before it is too late!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Megan’s Story: I’m Afraid of What I May Have Done if the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling Hadn’t Been There!

Megan* (not her real name) sat across from her advocate, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t even believe in abortion, but I don’t know what else to do!” Thirty years old and single, Megan had a one night stand with a married man. Now she found herself pregnant. When the man found out, he changed his phone number. Now she was totally alone.

Right after the sexual encounter, Megan had taken the Morning After Pill, hoping that she could prevent anything more from happening. Obviously, that hadn’t worked. Now she was in our office, and she couldn’t quit crying.

From a Christian home, and a believer herself, Megan said that she had listened to K-Love the week before coming to us, and pleaded with God to show her what to do. Later she admitted that she knew God would not want her to abort her baby, but she had been in a desperate state. “Until you are in that situation, it is impossible to understand,” she told us.

Right after taking the positive test, she called Planned Parenthood. However, the receptionist was very rude to her, and she refused to make an appointment. Her next call was to the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, and she came in a few days later.

All through her appointment, she was very upset. Megan was torn between facing life as a single mother and ending her child’s life with abortion. She described it as difficult to even think. Or like a nightmare that she just wanted to end. And, yet, deep down inside she knew what she had to do.

Even after a soul-searching talk with her advocate about the Lord, and what he meant in her life, Megan still asked the nurse to tell her about RU-486, the abortion drug. By her calculation, she was about 6 weeks pregnant, and still had time to take it. She was under the misconception that it was an easier process than surgical abortion, taken in the privacy of home. Our nurse was able to explain that it is not quite that simple, but can involve long, involved, painful labor, with a risk of hemorrhaging, just like with a miscarriage.

However, it was the ultrasound that ultimately made the difference to Megan. On the screen she could clearly see a tiny heart, beating steadily away. With the Doppler, the sound of the strong rhythm filled the room. Megan put a hand to her mouth. “Oh my gosh! They have a heartbeat and everything, even this early?” Like so many others, she had accepted the widespread deception that babies in the womb are nothing more than a “shapeless blob of tissue.”

Megan was too stunned to actually tell us much when she left. Thinking she might still abort, Rachel, our Follow-Up Coordinator, called her a few days later, but only got voicemail. However, Megan called her back, telling her that she didn’t want her to think she “had done anything stupid.”

When she came back for another ultrasound two weeks later, Megan told us that some of her friends were showing support for her. She had not told her parents yet, and could not get ahold of the father. She was stunned, and overjoyed, by the site of her baby, with tiny arm and leg buds, vigorously moving around. The bonding process had definitely begun.

Over the next few months, Megan came in several times, volunteering to let our trainees practice by doing ultrasounds on her growing child. Several of our employees, especially Rachel and one of our nurses, were able to build close and lasting relationships with her, even going to her baby shower and to visit her in the hospital when her son was born in February.

Megan came in last week to film her story for our fundraising event next week. She cried most of the way through her story, and we cried with her. Her parents are now very supportive, and have come to spend time with her and the baby several times. She is just as exhausted as any new mother, with the additional challenges of doing it on her own, but very happy!

As for her son, he could not be any more perfect! With dark hair and dark eyes, he is absolutely beautiful. However, the best thing of all is that he survived to be here at all.

Megan said she is thankful for so many things. She is grateful for the rude receptionist at Planned Parenthood, for she is sure that if she had gone there, she would have aborted. She stated that if the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling had not been there for her, reminding her of her faith and helping her to see that God would make a way, her son would probably have not survived. And, she knows that not only would he have died, but she would be devastated as well. She, like so many others, would have suffered greatly if she had actually allowed herself to do something which she knew to be wrong and abhorrent.

You can hear Megan’s story (plus see her adorable baby) at The Great Turnaround on Tuesday, March 20. Tickets are still available, but I need to hear from you by tomorrow, Thursday, March 15 at Noon by the latest. You will also hear about the miraculous year we’ve just had, with greater numbers of women and lives saved than ever before! Plus, you won’t want to miss hearing Bruce Wilkinson and his vision for greatly decreasing abortion in our nation.

If you would like tickets, please call me at 402-390-9700. I would love to hear from you! Plus, we need you to join with us in changing the lives of women as well as saving unborn children from death!

Keeping it true!  Barb

(*Megan’s real name will be told at the Event next week. I just didn’t have her permission to use it in this blog.)