Actually, it's "180" AND another ministry called "And Then There Were None".
As you have seen on my blog in the past, the "180" documentary has been posted for some time now. It's very eye-opening for many who never really throught through the whole pro-life issue. I was one of those kinds of people at one time only I didn't have "180" to point it out to me. Had I seen "180" when I was a lot younger, it would have made a huge impact on my life. Pretty sure of it.
There have been reports that "180" is making some waves on high school and college campuses. Hundreds of thousands of copies have been distributed in many areas of the country. It has actually saved some lives of babies (and when you think about it, maybe this film prevented some deaths of mothers as well. We know that women still die from abortion).
Many different things are going on in the pro-life movement right now. I would recommend checking out some pro-life news websites like www.jillstanek.com
There has been a lawsuit filed claiming Planned Parenthood has committed fraud in the amount of $5.5 billion Now, I am not very sanguine that this will take them down. They get pass after pass and I seriously doubt Cecile Richards will ever see any prison cell, although some of her employees will probably be seen as expendable.
Still, this SHOULD raise some eyebrows but my concern is people are far too jaded to care that citizen's taxes are going to fraud. Actually, I have come to the conclusion that most people are far too jaded to care about Planned Parenthood's willingness to cover up sexual abuse, rape, incest, sex trafficking, statutory rape, domestic violence, willingness to lie about basic prenatal development, their targeting of minorities and their goals to promote promiscuity, especially among youth (the younger the better in their eyes).
It is truly amazing to see the blank, glazed looks of people who are told about these things and there's just no reaction. Sometimes I do get a reaction, but mostly from youths. The people who are stone-faced and uncaring are the ones, the pro-aborts, mostly from my mom's generation. It's like they look at you and say, "but the coathanger icon is what we cling to....don't mess this up for us! We refuse to register any thought contrary to our rosy picture of abortion and our heroine Margaret Sanger. I refuse to look at your evidence." You know you have faced the most hardened heart when the mention of a baby being killed doesn't cause a person to even flinch in the slightest. Sadly, I know and have talked to people who are just like this.
The other ministry that I am happy to share with those of you who have not heard yet is "And Then There Were None". Abby Johnson is a former Planned Parenthood director having been in the industry for 8 years. She left after a series of events took place at the abortion facility that forever changed her mind about abortion. By the way, she just gave birth to her baby boy so congratulations, Johnson Family!
Abby has started the ministry to help abortion workers leave the industry. Oftentimes, there are workers who find themselves wanting to leave but fear they won't find a new job to support their families or they fear they will be ostracized for their past involvement which goes to show you that abortion is not looked favorably by most medical professionals. Abortionists are seen as the bottom feeders in the medical field. Even many doctors who claim a "pro-choice" belief don't really want to do abortions themselves.
The exciting thing about "And Then There Were None" is the possibility that abortion facilities could have great difficulty keeping their doors open if there is a mass departure of their work force. Abortion workers see crimes being committed, fraud perpetrated and of course, the bodies of mutilated babies day in and day out. They see the gross negligence, the callous treatment of the abortionists and their staff and the suffering victims of abortion (including the babies who may even live for a short time after the abortion). The ministry can help the abortion worker safely report criminal activity of their former bosses, reach out to people who know where they have been, and gain some confidence in leaving by getting assistance in finding a new jobs and possible temporary financial help. http://www.attwn.org/
There have been many people who have left the abortion industry. Some of them have become very outspoken pro-life warriors and have fought in many arenas for life. Those are the "dangerous ones" to the abortion industry. They were frontline and are not afraid to tell about the horrors (not exaggerated by any means) of the inside workings. There is credibility and they deliver an impact. I have been most impressed with Carol Everett's account. Her book Blood Money: Getting Rich Off a Woman's Right to Choose has been the most riveting inside look. Carol is pretty much a straight-from-the-hip shooter and she tells of her conversion from a highly ambitious abortion facility owner to a sold-out-for-Jesus Christian and pro-life warrior. If you haven't read it, buy it and read it! Carol could have become hardened and jaded but Christ gave her humility and a love to serve. She is a formidable force to be reckoned with and she does it with a healthy dose of humor too. In addition, Carol has a post-abortion ministry called The Heidi Group.
http://www.squidoo.com/Carol-Everett Much of her story is at this website but I still recommend the book.
So you see, the heart change of people will cause a major tide change for the protection of the defenseless. Whether they see "180" or whether they leave the abortion industry, or whether they read a book......all these will cause people to rethink their ideas on abortion. Really, that's great but none of this matters if they really don't have a personal relationship with Christ. I am happy to hear about people change their views to pro-life. There are pro-life atheists, pro-life secular groups and pro-life Buddhists, etc. Dr. Bernard Nathanson (a former abortionist who died from cancer last year) became pro-life before he became a believer. I was pro-life before I became saved.
It one was of many precipitating factors in becoming saved in my case. Many things contributed in my journey to being born again. God kept putting different truths in my path until I couldn't ignore Him any longer (He has the most amazing patience and perfect timing). I sat in churches a long time in a complacent state of worldliness. God grabbed hold of me through various ways and people. This isn't my full testimony of how He became my Lord and Savior but my emphasis is that one can be pro-life and on a path to Hell. I know I deserved Hell as I was not a good person. I desperately wanted assurance that I was a good enough person for Heaven and I desperately wanted to know what made my place in Heaven sure. There was no peace, just religious activity with a nagging question...."how much activity is enough for God to see that I deserve to be in Heaven?"
None is the answer. And on my very best day of behavior I am still but a filthy rag. I can't do anything for myself, I can't save myself, I can't ever be good enough for Heaven ever. I can try to save babies all day long (possibly quite successfully) and that won't get me into Heaven. So you see, if you are out there and you have become pro-life...I am very happy that you are fighting for the defenseless. I am thrilled that you and I share that belief that no human should be subjected to dismemberment or suffocation or even lack of sustenance based on "wantedness" or "convenience". I hope that you recognize that it's not enough to be pro-life. Why are we pro-life? It is because we recognize that that little baby is a human, unique and individual and precious to Him AND made in HIS image. He created Life and His Son gave HIS life so that we might have eternal life. Every life He brought forth on this earth is precious and beautiful to Him (if you aren't aware of it.....you need to realize that you are precious and beautiful to Him).
I often tell my clients that the Lord opens the womb and closes the womb. No baby, child or person you know exists on earth without His knowledge or permission. He knows each person at a molecular level and their souls intimately. Add up how many people have ever lived from Adam to present time and then think about all the people about to be born. Then add the fact that He knows of all the activity going on at a molecular level in the trees,, animals, oceans, and in the galaxies from the beginning of time to the present. There are still saplings that will sprout and puppies to be born.....and He knows all about those things at the deepest level as well. Even with all this, He knows and loves you and you are a precious gem to Him. And He has all the time in the world to listen to you....He's outside of time. He's omnipotent and omniscient.
This kind of knowledge about God (in His own words) drew me to Him. His love drew me to Him. Truth drew me to Him. I remembered one day that I realized with horror that I was not saved. I remedied that shortly after. There was still a lot I didn't understand but He was still so patient and good to me. To this day, I am in awe that He still wants me to be with Him. :) I am a pretty stiff-necked person and no, I am not proud of that. It's not a trait to be embraced. Chastening is a daily (hourly or secondly) activity that goes on in my day. Thanks to Proverbs, I can put this in perspective. One thing I am working on is a spiritual inventory for a bible study I am doing. Okay..."working" is a loose term as I haven't actually started the spiritual inventory yet.....God will deal with me, to be certain. Maybe this blog will help me get a move-on? :D
The one thing that bothers me is that I don't have a single moment of time where I remember turning my own "180". It's not easy growing older! It seemed like one day I was for abortion and then the next day I was not. I did go through a metamorphosis that many people experience. I was into exceptions first and then one by by one, those exceptions disappeared. Once I realized the horrors of abortion, I went through a very hard stage of disgust for the woman who chose abortion. In my mind, she was only one kind of woman....pretty hard-hearted and calculating. Over time, I learned that there was not just one kind of woman who underwent abortions. You mean there are COERCED abortions? Then, my understanding of how men were involved came into view. Then the effect of abortion on grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, future siblings and friends became prominent. This journey of learning has led me to recognize God's grace, forgiveness, His chastening, His justice, His power and His compassion.
So you see, I became pro-life through mysterious means. However, in short, it was God who was behind that. God started working on me with all those things I mentioned above. The more I learned and the more truth He set before me, the more I was humbled and the more my heart grew and wisdom increased. I have to admit, when I became pro-life, I wasn't seeking Him actively. I was still very enamored by the world's pleasures and empty promises. There was more confusion and doubt than any active search for peace and rest in Him. I was having fun for the most part. I loved Oprah, Rosie, and Hollywood movies. My apathy for world events slowly crumbled and God set many things in motion.
God showed me that I was being lied to through many channels. It set forth a huge domino effect of indignation that I had been duped but also a thirst for more answers. That's a good place to be though---malleability! It boiled down to one question. Do I believe that the Bible IS the SOLE authority or not? That was the turning point for me. After that, everything changed. I had to leave a church based on the fact that they did not really believe in the Bible. They elevated man's understanding above God's. I had to dump my presuppositions that had been inculcated in me for over 30 years. It caused a chain reaction of losing friends, losing a church and an increase in shallow conversations with family members.
But I wouldn't go back to that life before He was Lord and Savior of my life for anything. I was bought, paid for and sanctified. His Word does divide but I have an amazing amount of peace. The wheat and chaff will be separated. The sheep and goats will be separated. I just can't be a Chaffy Goat anymore! :D
My life isn't a "180" movie and I am not an insider to the abortion industry. This blog isn't going to cause a tsunami-level change to the pro-life movement (DISCLAIMER), but maybe there's a pro-lifer out there who can relate to some of the things shared here. Are you still trying to figure things out in where you stand with your pro-life beliefs? Are you still in the world enjoying the trappings? It may just boil down to just a few vital questions. Is Jesus your Savior and LORD of your WHOLE life? Is God's Word sole authority or not? Are you bowing down to the "created" or your CREATOR? Who is your god....you......or Your Father in Heaven who thinks of you as worthy for His Son to pay your penalty?
Romans 1:16-25
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
