I am reminded of the way the world looked at the German people after the Holocaust had ended. The issue was not just how the Nazis could commit such unthinkable atrocities. The issue was how the entire German nation could stand by and watch it happen and do nothing. Of course, there were some in Germany who fought against the Nazis. And there are some (thankfully) in America that fight against abortion. But, America, as a whole, is turning a blind eye.
Much has been said about Planned Parenthood over the last few weeks due to the release of numerous behind-the-scenes videos. These videos have revealed what Christians have know (and said) for years, namely that abortion is one of the most barbaric, callous, and tragic practices of the modern world.
Hidden behind sanitized words like “fetus” and “tissue donation” and “scientific research” is the unthinkable reality that Planned Parenthood “doctors” are chopping up living babies in order to sell their body parts on the open market.
So, what could possibly be said in defense of PP’s activities? Incredibly, some people have tried to make a defense. And what is fascinating is to observe how inadequate (or even irrelevant) such defenses turn out to be. Let’s just examine a few of them:
1. Planned Parenthood does other good things. This is an example of a “change the subject” defense. In order to deflect attention away from the killing of babies, PP advocates point out how they also provide general healthcare like mammograms and STD testing.
However, there are numerous problems with this response. First, PP does not manage a single licensed mammogram facility in the United States. Not even one. Their main industry is, and always has been, abortion. Second, this defense is not actually a defense at all because it never addresses the main issue. The question is still on the table: does PP, in fact, kill babies and harvest their parts? If so, then it doesn’t matter what other good things it might do. Such things cannot overturn, nor should they cause us to ignore, the unthinkable practices they are engaged in.
2. The videos have been heavily edited. This response is legion among PP supporters, with the help of a complicit media. Of course, technically they are right. Of course the videos are edited. They are too long to show all at once. But, that is true of any lengthy video clip that needs to be shown on TV or the internet. The key issue is whether the video has been edited in such a way that it distorts the message. Given that the full videos are available for anyone to watch, why doesn’t PP just show alternative clips that prove their side of the story? Notice that they have not done this. And there is a reason for that. It cannot be done. Regardless of how many minutes you watch, the message is the same.
3. Planned Parenthood is not making any money.