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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Abortion Issues and Myths

I have received a number of emails and had a number of conversations with people asking for direction as it pertains to abortion and abortion rights. I have had a number of Pastors who are somewhat confused over what is called "Medically Necessary" abortions and more specifically abortions when the Mother's life is in danger. To clarify the United States Supreme Court has said the following :

A "medically necessary abortion"... a professional judgment for the physician that may be exercised in the light of all factors—physical, emotional, psychological, familial and the woman's age-relevant to the well-being of the patient." US Supreme Court 1973.

The questions I have received revolved around 2 things. 1- This definition of "medical necessity" and and 2- permissibility of abortion as it relates to circumstances of rape or incest. These are among the most emotionally debated topics. We must be careful because the atheist and critic states that if we truly value human life we would value it in all circumstances (including rape or incest) and if we value the life of a baby as the result of rape or incest we are condemning the victim to a life of repeated pain by forcing her to carry the product (the child) of such a terrible event. In either case the critic always says, "If God existed and he cared, he wouldn't have let it happen."

As noticed this is a highly emotionally charged issue and one not to be taken lightly.


Who Pays?


First, the Kaiser Family Foundation provides information on how states offer and administer "medically necessary" abortions. You should look up that information to see how things are handled in your state so that you may know how your tax dollars are spent and what to expect as you minister to various individuals with certain medical needs. At Answers.com it is stated that abortion is not among the medical procedures covered by Medicaid, the federally funded, state administered program that provides health care to many poor women.

Under federal law, the so-called "Hyde Amendment" passed in 1976 and amended in 1997, prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger. Some states use their own Medicaid funds to pay for abortions that physicians consider "medically necessary," and a few states fund abortions cases of fetal anomaly or grave physical health danger of the mother. Some private organizations, such as Planned Parenthood, assist low-income women in states with restrictive funding policies by performing abortions for reduced fees. In 1999, less than two-fifths of women with employer-based health insurance were covered for abortion services. Many of those women with gaps in coverages within their primary health plan were prime targets an users of Planned Parenthood services.

Current Trends



The news is that this Holiday Season Planned Parenthood is offering coupons for abortions in Indiana, at 35 of it's clinics across the state. The coupons are for an amount up to $25.00 per request. This is the same Planned Parenthood that is responsible for 20% of the nations abortions per year (1 out of every 5) receives $305.3 Million per year in government funding, has net assets of $952 Million and ended its 2005-2006 fiscal year with a $115 Million surplus.

One thing is for sure, at these numbers and profit margins Planned Parenthood certainly DOESN'T need a Government bailout, bridge loan or anything else.

The facts are that according to John Lofton of WorldNetDaily.com under the regime of President George Bush (The Religious Right & Conservative Republicans-mind you) since 2001 Planned Parenthood has received $2.2 Billion in Federal Funding which was an increase of 67%.

No More Smoke & Mirrors, The Real Facts


To the heart of this post and as not to add additional confusion to the fiasco that we are witnessing, it is interesting to note that only 1% of women in the 2004 survey-based U.S. study became pregnant as a result of rape and 0.5% as a result of incest. These statistics are according to Finer, Lawrence B., Frohwirth, Lori F., Dauphinee, Lindsay A., Singh, Shusheela, & Moore, Ann M. (2005). Reasons U.S. women have abortions: quantative and qualitative perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37 (3), 110-8. Retrieved 2006-01-18. This information offers startling insight into the myth that a high representative amount of abortions are due to rape or incest therefore condoning abortion.

To place this in perspective, of the estimated 50,000,000 abortions that have occurred since 1973 only 1.5% were due primarily to rape or incest. This would bring the figure to approximately 750,000 abortions in which the killing of a fetus was decided based on morally subjective terms. As it relates to the black community, assuming the same 1.5% rate of rape and incest, (which may be more or less) the numbers would shrink from 13,000,000 since abortion legalization in 1973 to 195,000. The average number of abortions per day would go from it's current level of 1,450 to approximately 22 per day.

These numbers are of course, hypothetical but they do drive home the point that even IF a person were to allow that abortion is permissible in cases of rape or incest society would be more than significantly less impacted than we are as a result of the current trend within the abortion arena. In fact statistics say that almost half of all unwanted pregnancies occur because of contraceptive failure. In other words frivolous sexual behavior, and a lack of abstinence and self restraint has led to over 25,000,000 abortions by itself within the United States.

"Medically Necessary"Link


The problem here is clear. There is generally no statistical information kept on "medically necessary" abortions because that area is highly subjective and based on any number of factors as witnessed above. What may be considered "medically necessary" for one individual may not be medically necessary for another. According to the definition, one can abort a normal and healthy fetus if you just feel too old and tired...Statistically speaking there is not a great amount of abortions performed to save the life of a mother either. This is another of the greatest myths that the church must endeavor to debunk. In fact there is a growing number of cases in which the pregnancy or the baby did not cause the mother's death, but hospital and physician error was the culprit. This is called a "medical error". The Report of the Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force (QuIC) to the President, February 2000 stated the following:

"In the Harvard Medical Practices Study of adverse medical events (Leape, 1991), which was based on 30,195 randomly selected records from 51 hospitals in New York State, the researchers found that drug complications represented 19 percent of all adverse events. The researchers concluded that 58 percent of injuries and deaths due to drug reactions were preventable, and 27.6 percent of such complications were due to negligence. According to this study, antimicrobial drugs were the class of agents most commonly associated with adverse drug events. Misuse of antimicrobial drugs not only exposes individual patients to an increased risk of a poor treatment outcome, but also leads to the emergence and spread of drug-resistant microorganisms, which may place other patients and health care workers at risk of infection."
In essence "medically necessary" abortions is a highly subjective subject and there is no set standard by which "medically necessary" reports are made. Secondly, pregnancies arising from rape, and incest are minuscule in comparison to abortions preformed simply because the parent had frivolous sexual practices and failed contraception.

The Right To Live

There is a human factor to these numbers and statistics that must be discussed. When a person IS the statistic it can be devastating to their life and as we see the life of the unborn. I have seen the devastating effects of a child denied a mother's love through what we consider the premature death of the mother. These situations are not to be taken lightly, but that's when the church comes in and why it is important to be a part of a healthy body of believers who will pray and put their money where their mouth is...in their actions and in support of families and children in need.


The church and leaders should teach that all life is valuable. Even the life of the child produced as a result of rape or incest. Only God can heal wounds and the greatest pain could be the greatest gain if placed in the hand of the master of our souls. The atheist and skeptic is right on one hand, If we value life and truly believe that we are created in the image and likeness of God, we must instruct those who have been used and abused to seek shelter in the safety and love of Jesus Christ and not render or offer a retaliation for sin by taking out punishment upon the innocent.

These situations are not easy and according to statistical data, not something that must be dealt with all the time, but the church must be prepared to give an answer and make a difference in all areas of life and living. These are opportunities to teach values and virtues of life that change lives for millions. Values such as forgiveness and mercy are only words until they are placed in action. It is during these times that true Christianity is exemplified. The innocent deserve at least a chance to live and make a difference in this world.

Isaiah 58:10-12 ~ "10-And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness as the noonday: 11-And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. 12- And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in."


On a recent radio show, a young lady called in to complain about my position on abortion in general. She said that society is "bad enough as it is". She then asked, "how would we possibly provide for an extra 50,000,000 people?" That was a sad indicator of our times when individuals would rather use death as a manner of population control and management, giving no heed to all the potential talent, genius, and idealism that this country has sacrificed at the altar of human comforts. This doesn't even address the tax revenues, and jobs that would have been created over the same period of time, the additional funding for the social security "lock box" that Former VP Al Gore spoke of in his stolen election campaign.

To those who have made this terrible mistake, it's now your time to take what may be your greatest pain and place it into God's hand. He will wash and renew you soul, and cause you to live abundantly in HIS sufficient grace.

Psalms 118:17-21~ "17-I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord. 18-The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. 19-Open to me the gates of righteousness and I will go in unto them, and I will praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. 21-I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation."

Blessed!

14 comments:

  1. "the numbers would shrink from 13,000,000 since abortion legalization in 1973 to 195,000"

    The shedding of innocent blood in this context is staggering. And that is it in all practical terms legal, is stunning.

    Since 1998 when I awoke to the abortion issue in black America alone, I have never viewed it as a political issue. So thanks Pastor B. for blowing away the smoke on both spectrums.

    As you pointed out (increased PP funding under Republican administration) this is why any blind allegiance to a political party/leader is dangerous for the church. People who do not value scripture even as a principled guide to living and government are dangerous to the health of this nation.

    So many things about abortion mirror those of homosexuality as an industry and is so cloaked in confusion, pastors and leaders continue to misinform people, thus the open altar of child sacrifice is deepened and stained with the blood of these children.

    Surely, God has seen and will hear their cries.

    The other contradictory expression --you cant legislate morality --- I hear often (and while its true in specifically) its irresponsible and passive for the church to adopt that as a position. If these hideous actions become law, there is only one organization to blame biblically: The church. (2 Chron 7:14, Matt 5:13-16)


    Pastor, have you seen the short film: "The Hard Truth" before?

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  2. Gcmwatch,

    Regarding the correlation of abortion to homosexuality, that is a very interesting topic.

    I haven't seen that movie yet. Where can we get a copy?

    Thanks.

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  3. Pastor Burnett great article. And I too believe the church should take a firmer stand against abortions.

    Taking of any life is wrong and especially abortions. When women use abortions as a means of birth control I have a problem with that, but that was not always the case.

    I said that to say growing up I had a friend who did just that. She used abortion as a means of birth control. I believe she had at lest three.

    At that time there were no places in our area that did the procedures so we went to Atlanta to have it done.

    She ask me to go with her because she didn't want to go by her self. I had never heard a sermon about abortions being wrong until later in life.

    I don't know if it would have made a difference or not but looking back I can't believe I through it was alright. My friend and I both were around seventeen.

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  4. JJbrock,

    That's right sistah, the youngest seem to be the target of the Planned Parenthood schemes because they simply have less experience in life.

    Youth's are vunerable to certain mistakes and outlooks on life that sometimes changes as they age.

    In essence I want this information to be about healing for both type of individuals, those who committed abortions and those who maybe didn't help restrict them from being done. abortions hurt everyone involved and that's the OTHER side of the coin that's not always discussed.

    Thanks Lady JJ.

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  5. Praise the LORD!

    Pastor Burnett,

    I was converted in 1997 and filled with the Holy Ghost in 1998. I was in my mid 20s. I have a vivid photographic memory since my change into a new creation. I heard the audible voice of GOD through a baptist preacher. I saw the gifts of the Holy Ghost operate through a holy woman of GOD...the lady I call 1 of my spiritual mothers today. In my early years of seeking, 1997 to 1999...about 3 years of seeking Godly counsel and finding my place in the KING-dom, I HAVE NEVER EVER HEARD ONE(1) message or any teaching in any BLACK church(...storefront to traditional denominations to mega-church conferences, radio broadcasts, television-local, TBN, WordNetwork, etc.) about Abortion! I have heard/sat under preaching/teachings on every relevant biblical subject from faith, to fasting, to prayer...to men's day to etc, etc, etc.

    I have always heard the trumpet cry on Abortion from predonimately white pastors/organizations! I did not become fully awake/aware of the great abomination abortion until the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.

    I knew from my conversion that fornication was sin(...I heard enough preaching on that, and I had enough of prophets/apostles calling me out...once a true child of GOD gets enough open rebukes, you will repent and clean up your life, Amen.) and fornication was my number #1 offence and until I gave that up completely(...no more dating, not looking lustifully upon women, cutting out certain things on TV/Movies--LOL!) did the LORD bring healing and restoration to me, and I heard HIS call to ministry once I started living totally and completely HOLY, GOD brought my wife to me(Genesis 2:22 was literally fulfilled for me!)

    My question to you and any others in leadership for more than 10 years, (I have only been ordained since August 2005)...WHERE HAS the BLACK CHURCH Been on this abortion issue? I have to say in the Washington DC/Baltimore MD/Richmond VA area...the black church has been SILENT on abortion! Why?

    GOD bless you Pastor Burnett and Pastor Foster for being Relevant and on the cutting edge!

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  6. Enochwalked~ "WHERE HAS the BLACK CHURCH Been on this abortion issue? I have to say in the Washington DC/Baltimore MD/Richmond VA area...the black church has been SILENT on abortion! Why?"

    It's difficult to be a part of the solution when your money goes to cover the sins of pastors ministers of music, deacons and other church personelle. I mean when leaders are paying young ladies to get abortions so their "works" won't be revealed that's to our shame.

    I know of pastors who've gotten a young lady pregnant and paid the family for the abortion and the relacoation of the family all to cover their garbage.

    You want to know what's worse? The members who sit there and know that it's happening but psyche themselves out to believe that somehow the "Lord hasn't told me" to move their membership. I mean how much more loud and clear can "The Lord" be?

    That's why we don't hear a lot of preaching on it...too many caught in their own sins.

    Then the're the edicational issue. Because of the lack of teaching others like both you and me have to investigate the matter on our own to even understand it and get some perspective on it. Remember I've been around for almost 27 years now and have the same or similar experience as you as it pertains to hearing this preached by anyone...

    What promotes our undereducation is that we've got an attention span in too many of our churches that is only geared to an organ, a microphone, and a bunch of singing and entertainment. Anything substantive can't harldy be preached over the pulpit because if it doesn't promote an immediate shout or dance it's considered not anointed. Utter and TOTAL confusion is the problem.

    So yes my brutha, we've got a lot of work to do, but you make some very interesting observations.

    God bless.

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  7. Praise the LORD!

    Pastor Burnett,
    I bless GOD for your wisdom and insights on your blog. And thank you for your response last week telling it like it is! Amen!

    I believe you, Elder Foster, and others like myself are Nehemiah's and Ezra's rebuilding and restoring the Black Church that has been a spiritual and somewhat natural capitivity in Babylon Christianity(false doctrines). I see the walls have been destroyed and GOD is using men like us to rebuild those foundations upon the ROCK-CHRIST JESUS! Hallelujah!

    4 questions:
    1. What is your "holy opinion" on this article?
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/05/AR2008120503088_pf.html

    Please read--it is an interesting take on the Black family!

    The author of the article states: In 1950, at the height of the Jim Crow era and despite the shattering legacy of slavery, the great majority of black
    children -- an estimated 85 percent -- were born to their two married parents.
    And now most statistics state 69 to 71% of our black children are born/raised by a single parent(sins of adultery, divorce, and out-of-wedlock birthes(the majority--fornication)
    2. Is SIN the major reason that we have lost the black family--husband and wife structure? We have more prosperity today but we have raised children who are reprobates and do not know the LORD!
    2. Who or what failed to bring the Black Family to the conditions we have today(you see this problem in both Black Christians and Black unbelievers)?
    3. Where has the Black Church been on this in the past 10, 20, 30, 40 years? You have been in this longer than me.
    4. Can(men of God like us) we turn this around? We may not see it in our lifetime but with the help of God, maybe in our childrens time. I am 37 with 2 sons ages almost 5 and 3 and another due in the spring. I have accepted the fact that my generation is LOST! I am looking to save my children's generation!

    God bless you and your family and your ministry and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Elder Grover W. Stephens, Jr
    AKA EnochWalked

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  8. Elder Enochwalked, go to the front page of the blog. I've got the answer to those questions there.

    God bless and thank you!

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  9. Elder Enochwalked, go to the front page of the blog. I've got the answer to those questions there.

    God bless and thank you!

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  10. Thanks for the mention, friend. Hope you browse our site and listen to some radio shows; comments appreciated. God bless you all -- and He does bless us when we OBEY Him.

    John Lofton, Editor
    TheAmericanView.com
    Recovering Republican
    JLof@aol.com

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  11. Mr. Lofton,

    Thank you ever so much for stopping by and I and we appreciate your work very much. Many blessing be upon you and the family this Christmas and New Year!

    God bless.

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  12. Abortion is part of the decay inflicted by the gods in the latter half of the 20th century as we approach the Apocalypse::::
    - Free sex
    - Explosion in gay sex
    - Abortion
    - Legalized greed/immorality
    - The internet. Whereas TV was a phenominally destructive new temptation on the landscape it doesn't hold a candle to the internet. Some people will waste their whole lives.

    So many people don't care about global warming. They don't care about the Federal deficit/debt (outside of partisanship) and they don't care earning $400k for an $80,000/year job will eventually bankrupt the country. They have awarded themselves $400k pay and retirement packages, loading up their friends on the payroll during the boom 90s through the real estate bust while all services which the program were intended to fund now get cut to pay for it.
    These people are often common public university labor. Not Ivy League, not private university.
    This labor isn't good enough to command the salaries they are earning. And they understood this when they applied to the public university they settled on.
    You can't expect a top-tier salary with a second-rate education.
    They think they are going sometime during/at the end of this life, and disregard the poor souls who are left behind.
    These are the people who will be here in the United States when bankruptcy is declared and society deteriorates into chaos. And they will deserve the anarchy which ensues.

    Continuing the push for privatization, reinforced and supported recently with enormous public sector salaries and retirement packages.
    Once achieved the gods will utilize the corruptive predisposition of the private sector economy, as seen with the sub-prime/bailout fiasco, to initiate economic catastrophy and initiate the bankruptcy proceedings of the United States.
    Whether the cure for cancer/diseases or the permanant resolution of economic misery, before the gods remove these motivations to pray we will experience an inordinate deluge of each element, with economic misery being perhaps the dissallusion of the united States with bankruptcy.

    The gods used the Italians to ruin life in the 20th century.
    The gods used the Italians to ruin life in A.D. with The Church.
    The Church controlled Western Civilization. As the largest land owner in Europe they controlled the monarchies. They were responsbile for slavery, revenge for African invasion and rape of Italy. They created religious discontent, ultimately leading to the disfavored dumping ground known as the United States.
    And each generation of these Italians were sold on "earning", only to be reincarnated as a lesser life form subsequently, punishment for their evil.
    "The West Bank, where the end of the world will begin." With xtianity.

    A good example of societal decay and how the gods manage their culpability is birth defects. In the past the gods occassionally punished people by divinely creating birth defects in the womb. Now, with the advent of biotechnology, they tempt the mother with "earning" and compell her to take a substance in utero which deforms the fetus, dispelling the gods of blame and future obligation to the victim. Incidentally, they use liberal policies to pay for these individuals, ensuring a lifetime wasted, for they have no hope for progress. Too often in the past they were mercifully killed immediately and brought back without this handicap, allowing them opportunity to resume their journey of ascention into heaven.
    The gods are washing their hands of culpability. The gods are washing their hands of Planet Earth.

    You don't want to get involved in the abortion battle. You're not "earning". The gods will use this tool to cast people into Damnation. Nothing will save them. Stop wasting your time on others and work on fixing your own problems. If you don't make enough progress to be granted good parents when reincarnated you will waste your next life too.

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  13. Abortion is a terrible thing and we really have to be standing strong on our feet being watchful with these issues. I didn't even know until recently that certain birth control methods can cause the abortion of a fertilized egg. And that's an important issue. They're called abortifacients. It's important to watch for sins underneath the surface of a culture. Such as buying products from wal mart, who use slave labor to make their products (see documentary: Wal Mart the high cost of low price) In the USA we have extraordinary privileges and blessings that require prompt watchfulness.

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