#PPSellsBabyParts – Should We Really Need to Say More, NcR?

The Catholic church should partner with Planned Parenthood to reduce abortions (http://www.donotlink.com/gihf)

Let’s just let this National catholic Reporter title sink in for a bit before I start my rant.

Ready? The sheer enormity of the Fishwrap’s delusions never ceases to amaze me! The whole time I was reading this lengthy missive, all I could think of was, “Sounds just like the devil whispering into the ears of the faithful!” Do you think they Fishwrap realizes that?  I suppose the answer to that question is likely “no,” or at least I hope so, for this jerk’s sake.

After 40 years of rosaries prayed in front of abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood offices, annual marches, and millions upon millions of dollars raised to fund the anti-abortion lobby and the related jobs program for the anti-abortion lobbyists, what is the end result? Eh.

Let me tell you exactly what it’s done. It’s led to thousands upon thousands of lives being saved a year! Maybe that doesn’t mean anything to you, Tom Gallagher, but it means everything to those who weren’t slaughtered. If one single life was saved, it was worth it! Thankfully we haven’t settled for just one.  By the way, your liberal slip is already showing, Tom, with your “anti-abortion” terminology.

This past Saturday, thousands of anti-abortion activists protested at Planned Parenthood sites across the nation demanding that the federal government defund the organization, according to Reuters. Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wis., diocese prayed in front of a local Planned Parenthood health clinic.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Eric Ferrero, Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement that the rallies were meant “to intimidate and harass” the organization’s patients. “Unlike these protesters, compassion is at the center of what we do, and we will continue to provide care, and a safe, welcoming environment for our patients, no matter what,” Ferrero said.

First, kudos to Bishop David Ricken and other bishops (including my personal favorite, Archbishop Cordileone) who joined us. You are part of the reason more and more lives are being saved every year! As for the comments of Planned Parenthood, puh-leez! These are the guys who just exonerated themselves (https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/planned-parenthood-exonerated-says-planned-parenthood-funded-analysis-of-un) and expect the world to go along with that. They’re not exactly living in reality land, and right now, they are really, really mad they got caught doing what most pro-lifers have known for years. They not only slice and dice living human beings with beating hearts, they’ve parlayed that heinous act into double the profits by selling the pieces when they’re done killing them.

I’m sure everyone’s seen the videos but just in case, go www.centerformedicalprogress.org and watch the hours upon hours of videos. Many thanks to David Daleiden for spearheading this project! May God bless and protect you and your team!

Forty years of the same behavior from both sides of the abortion debate. Forty years.

You wish it was forty years of the same behavior, because then you wouldn’t have to try to salvage what’s left of Planned Parenthood’s image. You see, we’ve evolved. We’ve taken “sly as the serpent, gentle as the dove” to heart and have shed a lot of light on Planned Parenthood and their ilk (you included, water-boy). We’ve gotten around you, Planned Parenthood, and the media, and it scares you all to death.

Let’s face it. It’s time for the Catholic church and Planned Parenthood to try something dramatically different: to work closely together in order to reduce the number of abortions. It’s time for a committee of national Catholic lay leaders and executives of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to begin a sincere dialogue about creating a new way forward — together.

Can I say what we’re all thinking? Over. My. Dead. Body. You cannot collude with the devil (and Cecile and her buddies are as evil as they come) and expect a holy, happy outcome. It’s a no brainer, Tom. I’m sure you think working with evil is just peachy, because that’s the kind of Catholic you are. (Related side note: I find it quite telling that you never capitalize “church” when writing “Catholic Church.”)

Planned Parenthood, according to Ferrero, is a place of compassion. But what is “compassion” to Planned Parenthood? Does it mean pushing abortion as the solution to every pregnancy? If Planned Parenthood’s pregnant mothers were offered a substantial list of benefits should they bring their pregnancy to term, would Planned Parenthood offer them such benefits and advise the mother in favor of keeping the baby or giving the baby up for adoption? If Planned Parenthood is truly for “choice,” then the pregnant woman should have a choice of keeping the baby or giving the baby up for adoption. Now that’s real choice.

Planned Parenthood wasn’t designed for adoption or charity. Do we really need a history lesson, Tommy Boy? Sigh…I guess so. Planned Parenthood was the devil child of Margaret Sanger, a woman who wanted to annihilate any race or group of people she deemed unworthy. We have all sorts of quotes from her on that. My gosh! Can you really be this ignorant, Tom? “No more babies!” was one of her rally cries, along with “No more blacks, Hispanics, poor, handicapped, or large families!” 

Abortion is here to stay for the foreseeable future

Stepping back for a moment, let’s also face this fact: The right to an abortion remains the law of the land, it is not going to change any time soon. Yes, some Republican-controlled state legislatures are doing everything they can to tighten restrictions on access to abortions and abortion providers. But the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade is not going to be overturned any time soon.

A HUGE part of the reason we still have abortion is your kind of thinking, Tom. What if the abolitionists all ran around saying, “Hey! Dred Scott is the law of the land. Not going to be overturned anytime soon! Let’s just partner with the slave owners!”? Can you really be that devoid of any knowledge of history that you’d go there or do you think we all are?

In 2011, TIME Magazine reported: 

The rate of abortion among American women has dropped overall, but not among the poorest women, according to study published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal by the Guttmacher Institute.

Between 2000 and 2008, abortions among American women ages 15 to 44 fell 8 percent, reaching a low of 19.6 abortions per 1,000 women. The decline applied to most groups: notably, the abortion rate declined 18 percent among African-American women over that time period and 22 percent among teens ages 15 to 17.

 This is because Planned Eugenics has put 90% of their clinics in poor, ethnic neighborhoods – ON PURPOSE! But, yeah, by all means, let’s work with them! 

<snip>

I’m just going to start snipping here because this article goes on forever.

Church: the largest social service provider

<snip>

In other words, we really can do without Planned Parenthood.

Under President Barack Obama, the Catholic church has received more federal money than under any previous president. In 2012, I wrote a blog post titled, “Following the money from the White House,” which traced the federal funds going to Catholic enterprises.

Let me guess. Catholic Charities or one of those other lovely organizations that likes to dissent from Church teachings probably receives money? Think they give to the Little Sisters of the Poor? Do you think “Catholic enterprises” was a mistake? We would normally call it charity.

<snipping a bunch of stats with no point>

 Republicans are against abortion, in favor of adoptions

<snipping more things that don’t have a point. Maybe he’ll get to one soon!>

Democrats want choice, fewer abortions, more adoptions

In 1996, President Bill Clinton had this to say about abortion: “Americans believe deeply in the need to keep government out of private, personal matters. That is one reason why I am pro-choice. I believe we should all work to reduce the number of abortions. That is why I have worked to reduce teen pregnancy, remove barriers to cross-racial adoption, and provide tax credits to families willing to adopt. Still, I believe the ultimate choice should remain a matter for a woman to decide in consultation with her conscience, her doctor, and her God” (emphasis added) (Between Hope and History, by Bill Clinton, p.137, Jan 1, 1996).

Of course I’m going to go with “Puh-leeeeez” here again.

The Democratic Party is perceived as being immovable on pro-choice and, therefore, not inclined to promote programs to help reduce the number of abortions. However, according to the website, Catholics for Obama, it offered this evidence that Democrats would like to reduce the number of abortions:

Congressional Democrats have supported the Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act (HR 1074, known as the DeLauro-Ryan bill) and the Prevention First Act bill (HR 819). Democrats are serious about finding new solutions to serious problems posed by the practice of abortion.

Congressional Democrats have also worked on making other alternatives more attractive with the Adoption Promotion Act of 2003 (Public Law No: 108-145).

These are solutions that can lead to policies that reduce the number of abortions, not the empty rhetoric that promotes criminalization but does nothing to enhance life for real women and children.

Democrats for Life have made an important contribution with their Pregnant Women Support Act, which is supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It aims to reduce the abortion rate in America by 95 percent in 10 years by enacting the social and economic supports that actually do something to help women avoid going through this ordeal.

Let’s see, how do most Democrats propose to reduce the number of abortions? You notice he doesn’t touch on that little issue. Could it be by passing out birth control like candy? How about by further keeping parents in the dark about the health choices their kids are making so they can have “safe sex”? Getting all American teens on the pill, IUD or some other lovely abortifacient? 

And nothing changes 

With the release of the controversial undercover Planned Parenthood videos featuring the cavalier discussion of the sale of fetal tissue for research, and the resultant outcry from varied quarters, the pro and con groups have just dug in further and have not used this moment to explore a different way forward.

Some Republican governors are attempting to defund Planned Parenthood; the usual default behavior of Republicans. One U.S. senator wants to risk a government shut-down over Planned Parenthood. One Catholic organization wants to re-direct Planned Parenthood funds to community health centers that don’t offer abortion services. That’s not going to happen. In the past few weeks, there has been no new or creative thinking offered.

Oh yeah, it’s changing, and for the better! It’s definitely not changing because of you, though. It is changing because of this stellar group of young pro-lifers who managed to outflank you. I’m sure many of my readers – and even some of yours – participated in the first National Protest of Planned Parenthood. I’m also sure you noticed how many new people have been shaken to their core by the Center for Medical Progress’ videos. People who never stood out in front of a clinic were there. In fact, I’d guess half of the several hundred people in my particular location were complete newbies. So, you can again be Planned Parenthood’s water-boy, or you can start being a little more honest with yourself and your readers.

After 40 years of substantially fruitless battles, the time has come for both Planned Parenthood and Catholic church leaders to leave the comfort zone of condemnation and pledge to do at least one common project that puts women and babies first in truth.

Hmmm…you consider thousands upon thousands of people saved from abortion fruitless? Of course you would! Only one of the organizations you mentioned puts ALL people first, and it ain’t Planned Parenthood.

What if a coalition of national Catholic entities (e.g., representatives of Catholic Charities USA, each diocesan Catholic Charities, the National Catholic Educational Association, the Catholic Health Association, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the leadership group of men religious, the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Extension Society, the Order of Malta, Covenant House International, the many grassroots organizations like Mary Cunningham Agee’s The Nurturing Network, and so on), developed a concrete, substantial partnership, even a joint venture, with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers, along the following lines:

WE DON’T NEED PLANNED PARENTHOOD TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING POSITIVE IN THIS WORLD. THEY ARE CONTRARY TO GOODNESS. 

<Snipping the lengthy list of stupid ideas and other things for which we don’t need Planned Parenthood>

Here’s an idea. How about you give all the federal funding that goes to Planned Parenthood to the Catholic Church and let them do charity, while you get the heck out of their way.

Funding for such a national adoption initiative

In advance of the 2012 election, three Catholic professionals wrote a thoughtful white paper titled: “America Undecided: Catholic, Independent & Social Justice Perspectives on Election 2012.” The authors were Ed Gaffney, who teaches religious freedom and a course on war and peace at Valparaiso University; Ambassador Douglas W. Kmiec (former U.S. ambassador to Malta), the Caruso Family Chair and Professor of Constitutional Law & Human Rights at Pepperdine University, who formerly served in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations; and Patrick Whelan, M.D., Ph.D., who is on the pediatrics faculty at Harvard Medical School and is a pediatric rheumatology specialist at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston, who served on the board of directors of NCR and on a group called Catholic Democrats.”

I read all that just to end up at the phrase, “Catholic Democrats?!?” What a stinking waste of time. How come I’ve never heard of a group called “Catholic Republicans?” Maybe it’s because most of us who are not “Catholic Democrats” want to be Catholics first and foremost. That’s our identity. How we vote come second.

They write [as of that time]:

[The Affordable Care Act] ACA represented the first federal law that provided new funding and was explicitly dedicated to abortion reduction. The law incorporated elements of the Pregnant Women’s Support Act, sponsored by Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, providing $250 million over 10 years to create a federal Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) that is helping teenagers and college students who are new mothers or currently pregnant, and helps victims of domestic violence who are pregnant. There are currently 17 PAF-funded programs, helping new parents in states and Indian tribes across the country.

In 2011, Senator Casey procured expanded funding for the PAF with S.1490, the Pregnancy Assistance Fund Expansion Act, which provided for $25 million in annual grant funding through 2019. The currently funded programs include Young Mom’s Connect in North Carolina (support and care for teen parents in 5 counties), the Pregnant and Parenting Adolescent Support Services (PPass) Program in Indianapolis (avoiding subsequent pregnancies and decreasing high school drop-out rates), the Montana Healthy Teen Parents project in Helena (focused on Native American youth), and the Virginia Department of Health program (domestic violence, particularly affecting college students across the state).

So the ACA provides for a wide variety of new ideas in constructively addressing the causes of unintended teen pregnancy. The ACA also provided $1.2 billion in additional funding for adoption. The law raises the maximum adoption credit to $13,360 per child, up from $12,150 in 2009. The credit is based on the reasonable and necessary expenses related to a legal adoption. In summary, the ACA did nothing to expand abortion rights or funding, and in fact provided funding for the first organized effort to help decrease abortion by addressing the underlying social factors that make it difficult for women to carry pregnancy to term.

If you believe that, I some beach front property in Nebraska for you! Please, do a nice internet search on “Affordable Care Act” and “Abortion”. Methinks Mr. Gallagher doesn’t believe people can actually do this. You will turn up hundreds of articles showing he is oh-so wrong.

In addition to the ACA’s funding for adoption, Congress should immediately fund this new initiative. The U.S. spends over a billion dollars annually resettling 70,000 foreign refugees. Republicans and Democrats can’t find funding for a national adoption strategy for Planned Parenthood’s pregnant patients through a national Catholic organization? Surely it can. Imagine, for a moment, a combined approach whereby the national Catholic organization and Planned Parenthood together sought legislation and funding from Congress to facilitate this adoption strategy?

Planned Parenthood can fund all the adoptions they want through the ACA. This doesn’t exonerate them from the death and destruction they’ve left in their wake. I will again suggest you give all the money that the ACA supposedly gives to promote adoptions to the Catholic Church. The Church will do a far better job. Heck, if you just gave the Catholic Church the money the government gave to fix the ACA website, She could really do some fabulous work!

As part of the federal funding, a Congressionally-chartered third-party could be funded by Congress and would be tasked with making the donations or off-sets to Planned Parenthood for the adoption referrals rather than being paid for by the national Catholic entity, even as a pass-through. This third-party entity could act as an auditor and compiler of data and could be comprised of individuals from both political parties and from both sides of the abortion issue. The U.S. created the American Red Cross pursuant to a Congressional charter and bylaws. Congress could most certainly do the same for an entity whose singular mission would be to reduce the number of annual abortions performed by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers and bring together people with different perspectives and interests in order to achieve such a goal.

Why in the world would we have to pay off Planned Parenthood – you know, that organization that’s so compassionate – to refer women for adoptions anyway? How much does that cost them? It’s something any decent person would do for free, which is exactly why Gallagher has to suggest a payoff. When you have to buy morality from a company, it’s a lost cause. Here’s a novel thought: how about we give money to organizations that actually exercise morality?

Given the scope of the Catholic Charities nationwide, the Catholic Health Association, the universities, and so on, mathematicians, accountants, insurers, logistics experts, health care providers, government relations experts, adoption experts, software writers, marketing professionals, primary, secondary and college educators, parishes, hospitals, and so many other skilled individuals and institutions are immediately available to create the financial and operating model to make this work. This national Catholic entity will need to be governed and managed by sophisticated lay people and professionals in several fields of expertise.

The last thing we need in the Church is a national Catholic organization. We have enough problems with Catholic Charities, and now this knucklehead wants to make them bigger? Let’s get real. He wants something like this, because every good liberal wants a leviathan so immorality gets lost in the shuffle, while morality and true compassion get eaten alive and it all ends up one, big, totalitarian rule. You do realize that’s been tried before, don’t you? Anyone else have the National Socialist Party name pop into their heads? And isn’t it interesting that Gallagher wants this giant organization to be headed by lay people who are “experts?” Yeah, sounds like a winner plan. I think Mengele was an expert in something, too.

 The role of Catholic bishops, the issue of contraception

The U.S. bishops and their national staff are deeply and heavily invested in the view of Planned Parenthood as the evil opposition to a “pro-life” view of the world.

Bishops and their national staff? How about the Universal Church? Planned Parenthood is evil! My gosh! How many times do we have to say “#PPSellsBabyParts” before they get it??? Tom can minimize this little, teeny, tiny (not!) issue all he likes, but it’s totally and utterly true. Planned Parenthood, from its founder to its current management are doing the devil’s bidding.

Would the U.S. bishops as a whole be open to working with Planned Parenthood in a collegial, cooperative manner to reduce abortions? If Francis’ wish for a poor church for the poor and one filled with mercy, the answer would be yes. However, it would take great courage and fortitude to pursue a national adoption strategy working hand-in-hand with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

As we have seen during the past several years, contraception is very important to many bishops and they want nothing to do with it. Yet, Planned Parenthood, like most lay Catholics, has a different view of the value of contraception and it’s a big part of Planned Parenthood’s services.

Want some candy, little Catholic? Evil cannot stop evil. It doesn’t matter how many Catholics don’t think birth control is a sin, it is. The Church, as history has shown, is not a democracy, nor does its truths care what “most Catholics” think of contraception.

Just this past month, the New York Times reported that dramatic success of the use of contraception in the reduction of teen pregnancies in Colorado.

 <Snipping the stupid article that still means nothing to the Church’s truths.>

Would the U.S. bishops deny this vulnerable cohort free contraception knowing that an abortion is the highly expected result of an unplanned pregnancy?

Uh, yes, because the Church knows what birth control is! It’s no birth and no control. It separates the procreative and unitive aspects of MARRIAGE. It promotes promiscuity. It’s anti-chastity. It promotes sex outside of marriage (fornication) and affairs (adultery). (Parentheses added because most folks over at the National catholic Fishwrap aren’t familiar with those words.) It’s creates an environment where babies are the enemy. The Church also knows a few little scientific things, such as the fact it’s incredibly dangerous to the physical health and well-being of women. Oh, and let’s not forget that a good majority of “contraception” doesn’t actually prevent that conception thing all the time. Many times it simply gets rid of the newly conceived. Do you even know this, Tom? Lastly, there’s that little thing called the IMMORTAL SOUL! The Church didn’t arbitrarily decide birth control was a sin. It IS a sin. So, yes, Tom, the bishops already know the score, even though you think they are simply ignorant. They’re not a bunch of misogynists who sit around trying to make life worse for women. That would actually be you. I’m sure that sex with no responsibility sounds like the bomb to you.

Hey, how about we just get rid of teenagers altogether, since many give us “the highly expected result of an unplanned pregnancy?” Shoot, I guess I shouldn’t be so sarcastic. The Fishwrap might actually find this an excellent idea. 

Time to think big and with mercy

Yay! Does this mean the Fishwrap is closing its doors for good? What? No? That would really be quite merciful. Please! Please! Pretty please!

To date, the Catholic church is not thinking big enough in its attempts to reduce the number of abortions in the U.S. It never has, but that time has arrived.

Or could it be that, maybe, just maybe, the Church is being thwarted by Einsteins like you?  That’s the more likely scenario.  Scrap that.  It is the scenario.

Unless the Catholic church stands up and says unequivocally, “Let us work closely with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers and with every expectant mother who is considering an abortion and we will support all mothers who choose to keep their baby or accept every newborn child who was otherwise scheduled for an abortion but is delivered and given up for adoption, and we will work closely with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers and with the birth moms before, during and after the pregnancy,” it’s hard to take seriously the “commitment” the church has to reducing abortions.

Hard to take the Church seriously ? More like hard to take a joke like the Fishwrap seriously. Either you’re a serious Eeyore (“It’ll neeeeever work!”) , or you’re actively trying undermine the Church. My guess? Yeah, nobody can figure that out.

The hardline protesters can still go praying their rosaries while holding their blood-stained placards in front of Planned Parenthood offices. Policy initiatives can still be pursued to reduce the number of abortions and to keep abortion available. And fundraising in support of the lobbyists fighting abortions will continue unabated, as will fundraising and lobbying efforts in support of the pro-choice advocates. All this is certain.

After 40 years of the same old hostile, screaming stand-off and in-your-face, finger-pointing between the anti-abortionists and pro-choice advocates, at what point do the futile anti-abortion tactics become morally complicit in each of the one million abortions performed each year? And when will Planned Parenthood’s “pro-choice” mantra actually include enabling a pregnant woman to choose to keep her baby or choose to give the baby up for adoption?

In light of the intractable status quo, the real work of reducing abortions, a goal of both Democrats and Republicans, can only take place by a national Catholic lay-led and governed entity engaging the self-described compassionate Planned Parenthood — and expectant mothers visiting Planned Parenthood offices — in a way that builds up life and does not continue to tear it asunder.

Forty more years of doing the same thing is sheer insanity.

Awww, my poor, delusional Fishwrap writer, I think you’ve actually figured out that big strides are being made against Planned Parenthood, and it scares you to death. Heavens! The tide might just be turning on the immorality they (and you, for that matter) are peddling. We can tell by your comments that you probably have never been to a clinic. Your efforts to pat us on the head and send us to our corner are falling on deaf ears. We’re definitely coming after Planned Parenthood, and you know what? The faithful are also coming after you and your ilk. We’ve had it up to here with you telling us that all things are NOT possible with God, that morality can’t possibly work, that babies are the enemy, and that we have to compromise Truth for God to have victory. You’re not going to get away with peddling this garbage without a big fight! We don’t have to sacrifice anyone or anything to win this war. It’s already been won for us, but you’re too stupid to see it. #meetthelaity