The fiery debate on the Reproductive Health bill has triggered a time bomb that sadly may gravely polarize Christians who are either against or in favor of the bill. There is hope, however, that this on-going moral issue may also help both sides to sincerely dialogue and galvanize unity in their convictions that would further serve society and especially the family.
Perhaps, Abby Johnson’s eight-year-long journey from being a student-volunteer to becoming the Director of an efficiently run model clinic of Planned Parenthood, to conversion may inspire persons with a sincere heart to finally find the truth.
In her page-gripping book “unPlanned”, Abby powerfully reveals the various stages that led to her discovery of the splendor of the truth. One cannot help but be attracted to the sincerity of her quest for truth. Perhaps, one demonstration of her sincerity is being able to discern that in both sides (the Pro-life and Pro-choice) there are actually good and bad points.
She reflects: “To this day I have friends on both sides of this polarizing debate. We all long for a story that shows that our side is right and good, and their side is wrong and bad, don’t we? But I testify that there is good and right and wrong on both sides of the fence. And even more shocking—we have far more in common with the other side than we might imagine.”
At first this affirmation may be hard to accept and understand. But as one discovers what Abby went through, one realizes that what’s common here doesn’t refer to simple intellectual concessions made by one side or the other. Moreover, it can never mean compromising objective moral truths providentially created for the ultimate good of man’s unchangeable nature that do not depend on the arbitrary views, feelings or situations that persons involved on either side may nurture.
By common we mean the individual’s openness to the truth about the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the person. She says: “In all likelihood, as you look through the fence (referring to the iron fence around the clinic), you see faulty thinking and harmful behavior on the other side. Here’s my question for you: are you ready to look through the fence and see goodness, compassion, generosity, and self-sacrifice on the other side?”
I do not intend to discuss here Abby’s intriguing and enlightening arguments. Perhaps, this will be for another moment. For now, I will give a brief narration of her conversion in 3-D. Hopefully, our conversion in the truth will be along a less dramatic and arduous path than the one God had opened her to follow.
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1-D: Noble Youthful Ideals – Her heart, as a young student, was filled with the noble ideal of helping others. When she first met Planned Parenthood she was quite reluctant to volunteer because she says: “I didn’t like the thought of appearing to be pro-abortion, no matter what. I love babies and family, and I wanted to be thought of as someone who was pro-family.”
This uneasiness, however, was resolved when she was candidly informed of the organizations primary objective: “[The] goal at Planned Parenthood is to make abortion rare. Women need to know their options so they can avoid unwanted pregnancy.” This was elaborated by further stating “that Planned Parenthood was the leader in providing community education about birth control. How many abortions could be avoided with only simple information? Because Planned Parenthood made birth control available to women, thousands and thousands of abortions weren’t required. But when women really did need an abortion, she said, the organization’s clinics were vital to their safety. Caring for women in crisis is what [the organization] is all about.”
Abby found herself at home because of her sincere desire to help others, especially women who needed access to the right information and safe medical procedures. Later on, however, she would confess after her conversion that what may have unconsciously led her to volunteer was not only her desire to help women in crisis. It was also to help them prevent choosing a choice hidden deep inside her, one which she regretted and tried to forget: she already had two abortions prior to becoming part of Planned Parenthood.
2-D: Eye-opening Commitment – Her outstanding performance as a volunteer gradually earned Abby numerous promotions. Finally, she was given a very important job as clinic director. Her clinic became a model for other clinics both for its efficiency and dedication, but above all for its financial viability. It was financially self-sufficient because it provided services for women who chose to abort. Now performing an abortion was not exactly a cheap procedure.
But Planned Parenthood’s focus changed when government funding for their services dwindled. This became another major conversion point for Abby. At this point she still held onto her praxis of reducing abortions by helping women to opt for adoption or contraception. But as funds became scarce their superiors demanded that they increase abortion procedures in order to earn more. This opened her eyes to reality.
She confesses: “I was starting to put the pieces together. I couldn’t escape the thought that this organization that had given me my career would soon be in the late-term abortion business. My dilemma was deep and profound. I was finding it increasingly hard to justify what I now saw as Planned Parenthood’s money-first attitude toward abortion, especially late-term abortions.”
3-D: Ultrasound-assisted abortion – One often wonders why God would allow so much time to pass before some realizes that what he or she is doing is morally wrong. Abby’s eyes saw the truth in 3-D when the lack of manpower required her to help out in an abortion of a 13-week-old baby.
Abby narrates: “At first, the baby didn’t seem aware of the cannula. It gently probed the baby’s side, and for a quick second I felt relief. Of course, I thought, the fetus doesn’t feel pain. I had reassured countless women of this as I’d been taught by Planned Parenthood. The fetal tissue feels nothing as it is removed. Get a grip, Abby. This is a simple, quick medical procedure. My head was working hard to control my responses, but I couldn’t shake an inner disquiet that was quickly mounting to horror as I watched the screen.
“The next movement was the sudden jerk of a tiny foot as the baby started kicking, as if trying to move away from the probing invader. As the cannula pressed in, the baby began struggling to turn and twist away. It seemed clear to me that the fetus could feel the cannula and did not like the feeling. And then the doctor’s voice broke through, startling me.
“Beam me up, Scotty,” he said lightheartedly to the nurse. He was telling her to turn on the suction—in an abortion the suction isn’t turned on until the doctor feels he has the cannula in exactly the right place.”
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God, indeed, has strange ways of drawing people towards the light of his truth and mercy. Abby’s conversion aptly demonstrates this. The arguments, the means and the consequences of what she had first sincerely believed and supported are very similar to what many of the Reproductive Health bill proponents are now saying.
Let us pray, without judging anyone—always seeing goodness, compassion, generosity, and self-sacrifice through the fence—that they, too, may find the path towards the truth about life, the person and the family. Let us pray, however, that it may not be an arduous road at the expense of the lives of many innocent children before they embrace the truth.