Over 600,000 innocent lives are brutally destroyed by abortion every year in the U.S.
Of those 600,000 abortions, over 300,000 are performed at Planned Parenthood clinics.
But those unconscionable numbers might finally begin to decrease as a result of President Trump’s latest blow against the abortion mill organization.
Thanks to the latest move by the Trump administration, Planned Parenthood just lost $60 million in federal funding.
While there is disagreement over what the exact percentage of their overall abortion services are, there is no doubt that abortion is a huge part of what Planned Parenthood does.
Not only is Planned Parenthood performing most of the abortions in the United States, but they are doing it on the taxpayer’s dime; about 40 percent of their annual budget comes from funding from the federal government.
This has been the case for many years, even though many pro-life advocates oppose their tax dollars being used to fund organizations that provide abortions.
Yet a change from the Trump administration has led to Planned Parenthood rejecting 15% of their usual federal funding due to a new rule added to the federal “Title X” program.
Title X is a grant program established in 1970 under President Richard Nixon. Its purpose is to provide federal funding to organizations that provide family planning, contraceptive care, and women’s healthcare, especially to low-income families.
Recently, the Trump administration instituted a new rule to Title X that critics are calling a “gag-order”.
The new rule does two things:
It prevents any organization that receives Title X funding from recommending an abortion, or referring a patient to an organization that provides abortions.
It also requires physical separation between facilities receiving Title X funding and facilities that provide abortions.
Both of these restrictions are major issues for Planned Parenthood. First of all, they are barred from directly recommending women get an abortion, nor can they refer a patient to an abortion provider.
The requirement that abortion facilities must be separate from facilities receiving Title X funding is also a major problem for Planned Parenthood, as many of their facilities that had been receiving Title X funds provided abortions onsite.
Rather than comply with the new rules, Planned Parenthood has decided to opt out of Title X altogether. This means even fewer federal funds will go to providing abortions.
This allows other organizations, like crisis pregnancy centers, to receive the federal funding instead. Many of these organizations provide excellent healthcare without offering – or even suggesting – abortion.
These pregnancy centers are an important part of our communities, but they lack the national recognition that Planned Parenthood enjoys, so it can be more difficult for them to get funds from donors.
As Christians, we should be concerned with protecting every innocent life. Tragically, our sin-stricken world has decided to wage genocide against the most innocent lives imaginable: unborn children.
The battle to protect unborn life should be important to every Christian. God loves and cares for everyone, even the unborn. God told the prophet Jeremiah that He knew him even in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5).
God cares about life – after all, He created it!
Regardless of age or culture, every life is valuable and precious in the eyes of God. He loves us more than we can even imagine.
When we understand the amazing love God has for every human life, it should cause us to love those in every stage of life as well, including life in the womb.
While there is much left to be done to protect the lives of unborn children in the United States, we should celebrate and praise God for every victory we have.
If you want to be involved in the fight for life, consider volunteering or donating to groups like March For Life (https://marchforlife.org).
You can also contact your state representative and urge them to pass legislation that protects the unborn.
Of course, the most important thing we can do is spread the Gospel and ask God to change people’s hearts and minds regarding abortion!
