Dianna Anderson has a guest post up at Think Christian: Why is it so hard to be truthful about Planned Parenthood? There was one comment in particular to which I wanted to reply, but to create an account required my zip code, so I'm replying here.
Dianna's post was a response to some rhetoric that's come up re: the Komen situation, and it laid out some basic information about Planned Parenthood's services and funding-- they do a lot of stuff that isn't abortion, and abortions are not federally funded. One commenter replied (spread over two comments, which I have excerpted), "The funding of PP is always supporting abortion. By giving them money to support non-abortion services, one has allowed them have more money to perform abortions. It's the same reason the government does not allow money to be sent to terrorist organization, even if a particular dollar is used in humanitarian good, other money is then freed up for the sinful aspects of the organization. So, the government should not at all be funding abortion services providers, even if tax-dollars never get spent on abortions... I still stand by my other assertion that any money given to PP indirectly supports abortion."
So here's my question, for people who are pro-life and support what the Komen Foundation did. Say this assertion is true-- if any money given to Planned Parenthood allows other money to be used for abortions-- at what point does this justify not funding any of their other services? How many unaborted babies justify how many women dying of uncaught breast cancer, or of HIV/AIDS? And are you, indeed, willing to make that sort of calculation, trading lives for lives?
Think about that. If you make this argument, are you willing to say that it is okay to let people die of cancer and STDs in order to prevent abortion?
I'm not. I'm emphatically not. I'm pro-life; I want there to be fewer abortions in the world. But unfunding health care for some of the most vulnerable segments of society is not the way to do it.
1 comment:
Oh, Thanks for this. You beautifully put into words what I feel. I am also pro-life, but the way current anti-abortion activism is going is more harmful than helpful. It is my opinion that we should first reduce the need for abortion by facilitating access to (and reducing cost of) contraceptives and pre- and post-natal care, developing a male contraceptive, and protecting the rights of those who may become pregnant who are part of the workforce. Defunding institutions that provide important services and outlawing abortion full stop are not the right way to go.
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