Never Mind…DON’T Thank the Komen Foundation for Defunding Planned Parenthood!

Komen_12 (Photo credit: Tennessee State University)

UPDATE:  The Komen Foundation caved under pressure and the bullying tactics of Planned Parenthood and changed their decision to defund Planned Parenthood.  This, of course, is terrible.  Planned Parenthood should not be able to use mob-style tactics to force a grantor to give them funds.

On January 31st, the news broke that the Komen G. Foundation (Race for the Cure) has decided to break monetary ties with Planned Parenthood and stop giving them money.  This is incredible news!!  Of course, Planned Parenthood has stepped onto their bully pulpit as usual and is pounding Komen for their decision. Since when does a grantee attack a grantor for ending donations?!

Pro-lifers need to stand with Komen and thank them for defunding Planned Parenthood!  It’s very simple to send a short email, thanking Komen for their important, ground-breaking decision.

Send them an email–right now–here:  news@komen.org.

You can also sign a petition, thanking Komen here:  www.istandwithkomen.com.

Please take the time to do this.  We know that Planned Parenthood is having their supporters email Komen by the thousands.  While it’s virtually impossible for Komen to change their minds (based on a new rule their organization adopted), they still need to know that we stand with them.  Komen adopted a rule stating that they will no longer fund organizations who are being investigated at a local, state, or federal level.  Congress has a pending investigation into Planned Parenthood, and several states have ongoing investigations as well.  Planned Parenthood is a very corrupt organization that is on its way to an end.

For more information, read Jill Stanek’s inside scoop:  http://www.jillstanek.com/2012/02/inside-story-on-komen-split-from-planned-parenthood/.  You can also keep updated on Live Action’s blog:  www.liveaction.org.  Or, follow me on Twitter @KBurtonBrown.

Keeping Up on the Issue

Image via Wikipedia

Have you ever thought that it’s pretty stinkin’ hard to keep track of everything that goes on in this world related to the pro-life issue?  I sure have!  Every day, it seems, new developments are occurring.  Happily, 2011 was one of the best years…if not THE best year…for pro-lifers since Roe v. Wade.  Many new pro-life laws were put states.  Congress held a vote to completely defund Planned Parenthood.  (Sadly, it didn’t pass this time around.)  Media attention is increasingly highlighting the pro-life issue.  The recent GOP presidential pro-life forum, televised by C-SPAN and live-streamed by CNN is evidence of this.

So, four ideas for you to keep up with all that’s happening in the pro-life movement:

1)  Subscribe to Google Alerts for news on “abortion,” “pro-life,” and “personhood.”  Any other term relating to the issue that you’d like to watch is fair game!  (Think Roe v. Wade, stem cell research, euthanasia, etc.)

2)  Visit Live Action’s blog every day–or at least once a week–to catch up on news you may have missed.  Live Action usually makes multiple posts by multiple writers every day!  It’s a busy place over there =)

3)  Sign up for Family Research Council’s annual ProLifeCon.  This is coming up on January 23, and it’s a webcast.  You can find out how to more effective in broadcasting the pro-life message from the comfort of your own home!  The speakers include pro-life pioneer U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, Dr. Gerard Nadal, Live Action President Lila Rose, and Michael Clancy–the photographer of the famous picture where little Samuel Armas reaches out from his mother’s womb to grab the doctor’s finger.  Sign up for the webcast here.

4)  Watch the video of the GOP pro-life presidential forum.  If you’re still undecided on who to vote for, this may help you make up your mind!  (Hint, hint, don’t vote for Mitt Romney.)  Here’s the link to the video.

Happy learning!  Happy researching!  And happy saving lives!!!  Through God’s grace, we ARE making a difference.  YOU are making a difference.  Keep it up.

Ready to Quit?

Image via Wikipedia

Sometimes quitting sounds so good.  I mean, honestly, do you ever feel like you want to quit?  I know I’ve felt that way.  No matter how much I believe that unborn babies—and all human beings—are worth fighting for, it can seem too hard some days.  It sounds a whole lot easier to just lay down this burden we carry and let another take it up.  It would feel so nice to forget about all the evil we’re trying to stop.

Or would it?  Would we really feel good if we left the voiceless innocent in the dust?  We’re not just fighting for a good cause here.  We’re fighting for people who literally cannot stand up for themselves.  If we go away, they have no hope.  They can never speak up and protect themselves.

We cannot quit.  We cannot end our efforts.  It’s ok to admit discouragement, disappointment, and hardships.  It’s ok to feel overwhelmed.  But it’s not ok to give up or quit.  Too many lives depend on our commitment.

Still, a resigned attitude—Ok, ok, I guess I’m in this to stay because I have to be—isn’t the kind of attitude our movement needs.  Trust me, I’ve questioned exactly what God is doing before.  I’ve wondered why He doesn’t hurry up and end abortion.  But I’ve learned that people blame God for way too many things.  People have a free will; we have a choice.  And sadly, too many people use their choices to keep abortion legal.

I’ve also learned that faith in God and faith in truth prevailing isn’t about expecting a certain outcome exactly when we decide that it’s essential.  True faith is recognizing that God does indeed have a plan.  The victory over death was already won on the cross, centuries ago.  Sometimes God doesn’t ask us to fight to achieve victory.  He asks us to fight as a test of who we really care about and Who we really follow.  He uses us to save lives—whether it be one or countless many—in the process.  And one day, abortion will end.  That is a surety.

I believe we will see abortion end in our lifetime.  I believe we will see death’s doors close and accept no more children.  I believe we will see life valued.  I believe we will see society welcome babies as the precious little ones they are.  I believe there is hope.  I believe in a God Who works miracles.  I believe.

I’d challenge you not to overlook how you truly feel inside about working on the pro-life issue.  If you are rearing to go and out-of-your-mind excited right now, that is AWESOME!!  We need people to feel like that!  If you never get discouraged because you’ve already learned what faith and hope are, hang on to them!

But, if you do occasionally question the length of this battle; if you wonder what will happen one day; if you are asking if you really have the strength to keep trying—examine your heart.  Find out why you are really fighting.  Remind yourself of the truth you believe.  And picture all the nameless unborn children who cannot utter a single sound in their own defense.  I know that you, like me, do not want to leave them behind.

Doubt, discouragement, and hopelessness will attempt to plague most of us.  But we have the choice to reject these monsters and send them back to the pit where they belong.  We can make the choice for hope.  We can choose Hope itself in Christ, Who first came to earth as an unseen unborn Child.  We can choose to believe.  We can choose the attitude of faith.

Doubt sees the obstacles,
Faith sees the way!

Doubt sees the darkest night,
Faith sees the day!

Doubt dreads to take a step,
Faith soars on high!

Doubt questions, “Who believes?”
Faith answers, “I!”

–Author Unknown

 

Visit Me at Live Action!

Image via Wikipedia

Hey Friends!

Just wanted to let you know that I very recently started blogging over at Live Action!

Live Action was started as a youth-led movement by Lila Rose when she was just 15.  To date, she and her team have conducted many investigations of Planned Parenthood.  Her work is quite famous–in fact, if you look her up on YouTube, you’ll see plenty of media videos about what she’s done.  You’ll also learn about many of Planned Parenthood’s lies in the process.

I’m excited to join their team of bloggers over there, and hope that you will check it out often.  Live Action keeps their blog VERY updated with current news, real-life stories, and up-to-date opinions on the pro-life issues.

Here’s a link to my first blog post over there:  “Terms of Life and Death“.  Let me know what you think!  And don’t worry, I’ll still be blogging here as well =)

Merry Christmas!

Kristi

An Unborn Child Was the First…

Image via Wikipedia

As we approach Christmas and the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I’d like to point you to an incredibly touching article.  It was written by the father of a little girl with Down’s Syndrome.  As this father writes, his precious daughter “belongs to a group of unborn children who are indentified, targeted and eliminated prenatally at a rate of 90+%.”

Most of us probably know at least one person with Down’s Syndrome.  There is absolutely no reason in the world why they should be targeted for death.  They are precious, precious people, who have an amazing capacity to give love.

What does it say about our society that 90+% of people who are about to have a baby with Down’s Syndrome abort that baby?  We can only keep “perfect” babies?  And what is the definition of perfect, exactly?  Clearly, we have our definitions wrong.

As this father poignantly points out, the very first person to recognize Jesus was an unborn child.  Here is what he says: “Elizabeth was carrying her unborn child John the Baptist when Mary who was pregnant with Jesus visited her. Unborn John immediately leaped in Elizabeth’s womb upon hearing Mary’s voice. The unborn son of Elizabeth recognized the unborn baby Jesus in Mary’s womb, and he was so very excited and overcome with joy that he jumped in Elizabeth’s womb! This is an absolute incredible documentation of an event by the gospel writer and physician Luke who was known for his attention to detail. The first person to truly recognize and celebrate…the One who would wash away our sins and lead us to our permanent home in heaven was an unborn child — what eternal wisdom! John was clearly thinking and understanding the magnitude of the situation when he recognized Jesus, and as an unborn child he could not control himself.”

To finish the article…and I hope you do…go here:  http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/kondrich/101222.

In the meantime, let’s remember to celebrate ALL life, for every SINGLE life is truly a precious and PERFECT gift.

Suffering From a Culture of Convenience

This morning, I read an excellent article about the effects of abortion on women, men, and other family members.  The author is correct when she recognizes that abortion has a ripple effect.  Not only does it end the life of an innocent human being; it also does major damage to the lives and relationships of many others…the mother, sometimes the father, a friend who encouraged the abortion, parents who were “almost-grandparents”, siblings who lost a brother or sister…the list goes on, as Jane Brennan points out.

I’d encourage you to read her poignant article, sharing her personal experience here:  http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/understanding-the-post-abortive-woman-11568765.html

Here is an excerpt of what Jane shares:  “The pain of abortion is a pain many women continue to suffer in isolation or silence. I recently compiled a book of women who have chosen abortion, and in their stories I see the same sorrow, pain, agony and guilt I felt that so often gets unreported amid the jumble of political rhetoric focused on rights. In one story, Marie shares: The despair deepened and turned quickly to depression. I remember sitting in the bathroom during a break at my summer job, seriously considering suicide. I could just take one of these box-cutters from the back room-end it all. Right here. Right now. “

Jane gives hope for healing to women who have already chosen abortion.  And to those who are on the brink of making their choice, she has some thoughts that cannot go unread.  For example:

“Today’s world is all about comfort, it’s all about “me.” Our society has convinced us of the “inconveniences” of life and that we need not endure them. Yet, I and so many others have learned that “inconvenience” builds character and makes us stronger. In fact, these “inconveniences” can even be better for us than the alternative.”

I agree wholeheartedly with Jane that we suffer from a culture of convenience.  Because we are often so busy looking at what we want in the here and now, we forget to have faith for the unseen blessings ahead.  Since we cannot see our unborn child, we choose to believe they must not be a real person.  The women who accidentally see the arms, legs, and heads of their aborted children after abortion are usually devasted for life.  Choosing convenience is weak.  Choosing to break out of our circumstances, even when it seems that we can’t, is a strong choice.  Strong women are built by hard choices that care for others.  Once we are pregnant, we have a duty to care for the small life developing under our heart.  Choosing life may be hard, but it is the best choice for everyone involved…

Here are resources to help women who have already had an abortion and for those who are pregnant and looking for help:

Post-Abortive Women:

• Motherhood Interrupted by Jane Brennan  Info on ordering it is here:  http://janeatmotherhoodinterrupted.blogspot.com/
• http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/  This is absolutely EXCELLENT!!

Women Needing Help to Continue Their Pregnancies:

• http://www.standupgirl.com/
• Find a local pregnancy center:  http://www.optionline.org/get-help/
• 101 Reasons Not to Have an Abortion:  http://www.101girlsguide.com/uploads/101_Reasons_Not_To_Have_An_Abortion.pdf

Note:  Some of these sites/resources claim that abortion or emergency contraceptives (chemical abortions) are options for women.  I disagree.  It should never be an option for us to intentionally kill an innocent little person.  However, these sites will point you to good resources and help in keeping your baby or choosing adoption.

MOM and BABY (istolethetv via Flickr)

Coupon for an Abortion

Ok, this is beyond horrifying.  Really?  A coupon for abortion?  You betcha.  Abortion clinics would love nothing more than to find a new way to get more women in and more babies killed.  You have to see it to believe it.  Go here:  http://www.womenscenter.com/orlando_womens_center.html.  To make matters worse, the abortion “discount” can only be applied on Sundays, which is often thought of as the Lord’s Day.  Well, don’t let me stop you.  Hurry and print your coupon…after all, it’s a “Limited Time Special.”

Victory is Coming…A Personal Letter

Image by Jessicamulley via Flickr

Dear Friends,

By now, you have likely heard the news coming from Mississippi.   Although the vote was the closest yet for Personhood, it did not emerge victorious this time.  Yet, a great battle was waged in Mississippi that stretched to the corners of our nation and beyond.  Lives were changed and saved. Beliefs were challenged and hearts transformed.  You inspire us, Mississippi!

I will admit something very personal to you.  As the sponsor of the 2008 Colorado Personhood Amendment, I was incredibly disappointed—to put it mildly—when we lost.  I had truly believed we would win.  My faith in God was shaken.  For two years, I had difficulty accepting what had happened.  I questioned God.  But through prayer, God’s great goodness, and the support of my family, I learned a key truth.

If we fight expecting to win, we may be discouraged.  If, instead, we fight to proclaim the truth, we will always have hope to hang on to.  We will have the strength to go on.  After all, where are we told that our only purpose is to win every battle?  My Bible tells me that I am called to cry out for the innocent and to speak up for the truth.  That, in itself, is a great victory.

Now, three years after our first loss in Colorado, I’m back, along with many others who have been here all along.  We’re going to come at this yet again here in Colorado.  I have a deeper understanding of our good God and an even greater determination to end this evil.  Please join me, once more.  Details will follow soon.

Now is not the time to stop.  It is the time to push forward, harder than ever! Civil rights movements are never recognized as civil rights movements until they win.  Ironic, isn’t it?  Until we win, we will be mocked and truth may be cast aside by some for a little longer.  But, one day, we will win.

You have been a part of this victory all along.  You have stood firm.  You have spoken  for those who have no voice.  You have rescued innocent lives sentenced to death.  You have been a watcher on the wall in our generation.  You have said, “No more!” and you have followed your words with actions.  We will be calling on you to act once again.

Civil rights movements often take years to win.  Take, for example, South Carolina’s ballot initiative to allow women the right to vote.  It took seven times on the ballot for this to win.  Seven times.  Surely, we can be even more committed to an issue that touches innocent children.  William Wilberforce fought for twenty years in England before slavery was stopped.  Winning can enable us to save many, many lives.  We cannot turn back.

We are committed that no baby will be left behind.  But this commitment goes far deeper than an Election Day victory.  Win or lose, babies are saved.  At what other time do we get a chance to let our voices be heard in the media, in our small towns, big cities, and statewide?  The 2012 Personhood Campaign in Colorado will be the perfect opportunity to speak eloquently in the defense of all innocent human life.  We have a platform.  We must take this chance to speak again.  And we speak by acting.  By acting now.

No matter how many years we work, do not be discouraged.  Do not lose heart or give up hope.  Great movements, throughout history, have been great battles.  They have been long battles that require sacrifice.  Many would see obvious reasons to quit.  But we see no such reason.  Through victory and through loss, we are proclaiming the light of truth in our corner of the world.  We are obeying the call to stomp down injustice and give the voiceless innocent a voice.

Please join us, once again, in 2012.  We need you.  A great battle requires many soldiers.  A great movement requires many essential parts.  You are a soldier.  You are an essential part.  We cannot promise victory in Colorado in 2012.  But this we can promise:  together, we will raise a voice for the innocent so loud that it will reach the very gates of Heaven and storm the gates of Hell.

Stand true for life!

Kristi Burton Brown

For Your Encouragement:

‎“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”- Harriet Beecher Stowe

Image via Wikipedia

“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent” -John Calvin

“So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the trade’s wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.”  –William Wilberforce

The Mirena IUD and Prayer for Mississippi

Prayer for Mississippi

First things first!  There is a historic vote coming up on November 8th in Mississippi…one of the biggest votes in pro-life history!  This southern state is voting on their very own Personhood Amendment.  This Amendment will declare that an entire state will protect each and every human being under its laws.  I’ll let Personhood USA, who is helping the effort there, tell you more about it:

We are happy to report that everyone involved has put everything they had into this momentous vote.  Although have had to battle the most evil organization in existence today, Planned Parenthood, we know that thanks to our tireless grass roots base, we have met and exceeded them in every facet of this fight.

However, there is one mighty weapon that we posses which the opposition does not, and that is prayer.  The Bible tells us:  “This is the confidence we have  in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us….” (John 5:14)  We should not underestimate the power of prayer in this last week of the battle for personhood in Mississippi.  Will you please join us in prayer for the remainder of the week?

For our part at Personhood USA, win or lose, we will “Be joyful always; pray  continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will  for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE WORKERS, THE VOTERS, THE STATE, THE BABIES, THE MOMS, AND OUR COUNTRY!

The Mirena IUD

Image via Wikipedia

Ok, I promised that my next post would include information about the Mirena IUD. Most of us already know that the IUD likely causes abortions before the mother is even aware that she’s pregnant.  But there’s been some talk that the Mirena IUD is different, so I studied it out.  Here’s the results I came up with:

1)     Causes Harm/Side Effects for Many Women  Did you know about the possible lawsuit against the company who makes Mirena because of all the bad side effects, specifically in younger women?  Also, the FDA themselves actually put out a warning letter to the company…and we know that the FDA rarely does anything!  http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/mirena-iud-13909/

2)     Stops Implantation:  http://www.contracept.org/iud-mirena.php  This site (and several others I found) say that Mirena may stop ovulation in some women, but it does not in most.  It also says that one way Mirena works is to stop a baby from implanting if a woman does get pregnant (even though, of course, some people do stay pregnant, but that is apparently rare).  Of course, if implantation is stopped, the baby dies.

3)     Risks Danger and Possible Death to Women and Babies:  http://www.drugs.com/pro/mirena.html  You have to scroll down a ways on this one, but under the warnings and precautions, it talks about how up to half of women
who get pregnant on Mirena have an ectopic pregnancy (and other random, weird things that can happen).  There is always the risk of death for the woman (and of course the baby) with an ectopic pregnancy.  I know the FDA warned the company that makes Mirena that they are not being up front enough with people about all the risks and side effects that Mirena can have/has had with some women.  Pretty scary stuff if you ask me!

4)  IUD Must Be Removed:  If you do have a Mirena and get pregnant, you are warned to get it removed as soon as possible.  Otherwise, it can cause birth defects or death in you or the baby.  However, death to the baby, specifically, is still a risk with the process of having the IUD removed.

5)  Pro-Life Doctors:  From my own personal experience, I know there are pro-life doctors who have no problem recommending birth control that actually does stop a baby from implanting and living.  You would think they would only prescribe stuff that stops fertilization, but this is usually not true, unfortunately.

Summary:  Why use a “birth control” method that is likely to cause death for a baby/babies you never knew about?  Why use a device that hugely increases your odds of suffering an ectopic pregnancy and a miscarriage if you have it removed during pregnancy?  Why choose a “contraceptive” that is manufactured by a company that even the FDA calls misleading?  Why use the Mirena IUD if you are risking your own health and life in the process, along with your baby’s?

174 Babies Saved and Other Updates You Don’t Want to Miss

Image via Wikipedia

40 Days for Life’s blog is quickly becoming one of my favorites!  (http://40daysforlife.com/blog)  If you want to be encouraged in your work to save innocent lives, head over there.  You’ll also find amazing facts and real truth.  But there is one story you absolutely MUST read:  http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2350.  This story tells of three babies, all saved on one day, at one clinic in part because an ultrasound technician just “happened” to show up.  It has the fingerprints of God and the gentle breeze of miracles all over it.  You will probably cry when you read it because it’s that beautiful…

If you’ve never been involved with 40 Days for Life, please check them out!  They have an amazing ministry, praying and peacefully counseling outside of abortion clincs.  Thousands of babies have been saved through their work!  It is incredibly easy to get involved.  Go to http://40daysforlife.com and sign up!  It’s not too late, they’re only on Day 17 this time around.  And already, 174 babies have been saved…

In Other News

Loss for Students for Life of America is Heaven’s Gain

Students for Life of America lost a hero in Kortney Blythe Gordon and her unborn baby, Sophy, when they were killed in a head-on collision earlier this month.  They were driving back from a pro-life training in Georgia.  We mourn their loss, but know the angels in Heaven are rejoicing.  I had the awesome privilege of meeting Kortney, and I just pray that we all may have that much life and enthusiasm in us as we fight for the babies.  Pray for her new husband, Ben, and also for Jon Scharfenberger who is still in critical condition.  Pray that Jesus touches him…

Unbelievable:  Suspension Recommended for Phil Kline

http://www.jillstanek.com/2011/10/travesty-panel-recommends-suspension-of-phill-klines-law-license/.  Phil Kline, a heroic pro-life attorney, who spearheaded investigations into Planned Parenthood as Kansas’ attorney general is now under attack.  This is what he says:

The  ethics process is being used to punish political opponents.  Even so, the  dominant tragedy in this saga is that through my investigation it was learned  hundreds of children were sexually abused in Kansas, and Kansas has still done  nothing.  Nothing in the panel’s 185 page opinion can alter that  truth.  I upheld my duty, upheld my oath of office and the integrity  of my profession.  My “mistake” was my willingness to investigate politically  powerful people and to let that investigation go where the evidence led.  It is  a decision, however, I would repeat and I will continue to speak and stand for  the truth and for those who cannot speak for themselves.  May we all be willing to repeat such “mistakes.”

President Obama Changes His Mind

Remember how Obama promised that ObamaCare would not fund abortions?  Remember how he convinced pro-life Democrat legislators to pass his plan based on this promise?  Remember how many were saying that his executive order really didn’t mean anything?  Well, that’s right. 

Despite Obama’s earlier assurances, here’s what’s said now about a bill the House to trying to pass to ensure that no federal funds will go to abortion under ObamaCare:  “H.R. 358 goes well beyond the safeguards found in current law and reinforced in the President’s Executive Order by restricting women’s private insurance choices. If the President is presented with H.R. 358, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.”

Right, so that’s what we should have known all along…Obama wants to make abortion federally funded in any way possible.  Read the details here:  http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/12/obama-threatens-to-veto-bill-for-no-abortion-in-obamacare/.

Looking Back:  Be sure to read my post “Saving the Babies of Juarez” to find out how you can help babies in Mexico that are dying before the age of 6 months because of no food.

Looking Ahead:  My next post will discuss specifics about why the Mirena IUD is not safe for women and how it is an abortifacient.  Learn what to say to your friends!