Michael Corleone, Planned Parenthood & Mother Theresa

Today I will continue my comments on Abbey Johnson's book, "Unplanned", and the next very illuminating point which stands out in her account. In simply reading her first description of her own personality, and her introduction to Planned Parenthood, there is one major theme which keeps repeating itself throughout.

Abbey begins her story with a description of herself, as a compassionate and deeply sensitive person, who was, in her own words, "a magnet for people in crisis". The degree she had chosen to pursue, a Bachelor's in Psychology, was a natural choice for someone like Abbey, who truly cared for and wanted to help people. She then goes on to recount that fateful day, in which her sensitive heart and soul, came face to face with a Planned Parenthood representative who was looking to recruit volunteers - volunteers who would be interested in helping "women in crisis".

Here is where Abbey's story, once again, becomes very eye-opening. The phrases used by the Planned Parenthood representative that day, carry a continuous theme of compassion and caring for women in trouble. A theme which, for someone like Abbey, proved a very enticing worm on a hook. The Planned Parenthood representative tells Abbey, how Planned Parenthood was looking for volunteers, "who knew how to make women feel cared for - who were compassionate and good with people." Hmmmm. Who could argue with such sentiments?

I interrupt my story, for a moment here, to make a comparison. Reading the kind words of the Planned Parenthood representative, I was immediately reminded of 2 kinds of personalities. Michael Corleone, from the "Godfather movie". came to mind first. A famous line from that movie has always struck and stayed with me, from which I learned much about the art of deception. That was the chilling line, which Michael Corleone speaks to one of his fellow mafioso, saying, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." These words still send a chill down my spine to this day; and Abbey's description of the Planned Parenthood representative's warmth and compassion, brought Michael Corleone's words back to mind. Mother Theresa was the 2nd personality, who came to my mind, but I will recount why, a bit later.

To go on with Abbey's account of the day she signed up to be a volunteer for Planned Parenthood (PP), Abbey continues with her descriptions of the PP representative, with phrases like - "she was easy to talk to" - " I could sense her sincerity and how much she cared about women" - "her compassion really captured me - "she was poised and well-spoken, while still really friendly" - "I felt like I had a new friend." Abbey signed up to become a volunteer that very day. And her journey into a world of making "wrong choices for right reasons" had just begun.

As pro-life volunteers and crusaders, how often to we examine our motives, and our methods? Are we truly compassionate, caring, kind and understanding and easy to talk to? Would these accolades, which Abbey ascribed to the Planned Parenthood representative, truly apply to us? Abbey's motives are quite clear from the very beginning of her story. She cared about people. We on the pro-life side, many times assume, that the "other side" are insensitive ideologues. But, Abbey's story tells of a completely different type of personality, whom Planned Parenthood is ready and able to seduce. Planned Parenthood offers the sensitive, compassionate soul a vehicle, a cause, a place to give of their compassionate heart. Do we in the pro-life movement "effectively" do the same?

There is much news these days about a certain Baptist Church, which is demonstrating and protesting against homosexuality, at the funerals of young soldiers who were killed in battle. And though the courts have upheld this church's right to do so, I would suspect, that there are very few who sympathize with this church's methods - and rightfully so. For what does Christ say about the woman caught in adultery? And what approach did Mother Theresa of Calcutta use to treat the poor and suffering of India? Mother Theresa was a Catholic Christian. Those she treated, were as far from Christianity as one could be. Hinduism, though it may have some laudable aspects, is nevertheless, in the eyes of Christianity, a pagan ideology based on pantheism etc. Yet, there was Mother Theresa, not using an overbearing hand, but a gentle one. With true love and compassion, she cared for people, even though they believed in a completely different ideology from that of her own. Mother Theresa was not about - my religion is right, your religion is wrong - she was simply about following the teachings of Christ, in what he told us about doing to the least of His brethren.

Michael Corleone kept his friends close in order to deceive and destroy them. Mother Theresa held close, those who were suffering, in order to be Christ to them. What were the motives, that day, of the Planned Parenthood representative, who used kindness and compassion to seduce the kind heart of Abbey? Was she being another Michael Corleone? We may never know. And we can no more judge her, than we can Abbey. Perhaps she too had been seduced by a lie, due to her own sensitive heart.

My point here is, how truly sensitive are our hearts to those who are suffering? In our desperation to save babies, do we really see the suffering of the mothers, as well as people like Abby Johnson believe she did? Are we about caring for people - or are we about a cause? In our enthusiasm to save babies, do we sometimes err on the side of that Baptist Church, which is fighting a wrong, with a wrong method? Satan loves to capitalize on our mistakes. Many on the pro-choice side, see themselves as the caring ones, while viewing us on the pro-life side, as self-righteous, judgmental and uncaring. That is how the Planned Parenthood representative that day, was able to paint pro-lifers to Abbey Johnson.

One of my favorite statements is "we must put on the armor of God" This is especially true when we are fighting a great evil such as abortion. We must not let our own Achilles heel give the high ground to the enemy. And we must truly identify that enemy. Is it the Abbey Johnsons of this world? Or is it sometimes, our own selves? Abbey Johnson's story is about people like herself, who make wrong choices for right reasons. But there are also those of us, who make right choices - for wrong reasons. And just because someone's cause is right, does not mean that they are right. Let us truly examine our own hearts. Stay tuned for more on this subject ...