Abortion and Mental Health - A New Look

By Donald F. Calbreath, Ph.D

As the Washington state legislature prepares for its next session, we can anticipate pro-abortion forces once again trying to close crisis pregnancy centers. These centers provide a number of valuable services to pregnant women and their partners - pregnancy testing, counseling, health information, and adoption services among others. What they do not provide is abortions. This "lack" is something that greatly offends "pro-choice" supporters (whose only "approved" choice appears to be abortion) (1).

In the last legislative session, Planned Parenthood and its allies strongly supported HB 2837 (and its companion Senate bill 6452) which would have severely limited the activities of crisis pregnancy centers (2). Pro-life opponents said that these centers were providing false information to clients, including misinformation about links between abortion and breast cancer (worth another column at another time) and between abortion and mental health. Planned Parenthood's web site indicates that abortion is a relatively benign procedure for a psychological standpoint (3). They cite research studies that suggest few (if any) mental health issues for women undergoing an abortion. There are a number of problems with this work, including the fact that the most current reference is over five years old. No discussion of current literature is provided, leaving us with a very incomplete and misleading picture of the impact of abortion on mental health.

Planned Parenthood Admits Failure

During the last legislative session, the Washington State legislature chose to increase funding for Planned Parenthood through a contraceptive program called "Take Charge". In our testimony in opposition to HB 5912, we explained that there is no evidence to suggest that increasing funding for contraceptives actually reduces the unintended pregnancy rates.

Now, only a few months later, the Guttmacher Institute, which was started as a division of Planned Parenthood, has reached the same conclusion.

In a recently released analysis, the Guttmacher Institute confirmed that the overall unintended pregnancy rate in the U.S. has remained essentially flat since 1994. This is despite a steady increase in funding for contraceptives topping out at $305 million per year in 2006.

Washington’s Orphans Need You

Did you know that Washington has more than 10,000 children in foster care today? Did you know that more than 1,000 of those children are free to be adopted, if only a home could be found for them?

The world has lots of problems with no obvious solutions, but this isn’t one of them.

Polygamist Lawsuit Uses Same-Sex "Marriage" Arguments

By Joseph Backholm, Executive Director

The last thing in the world same-sex "marriage" advocates want to talk about is polygamy. If you ever tell them marriage recognition for same-sex relationships requires recognition of polygamy as well, the usual response is, "we're not talking about polygamy." Nor will they, even if you want them to.

Polygamy exposes the weakness of the same-sex "marriage" debate like nothing else. By refusing to openly support polygamy, in addition to same-sex "marriage", advocates admit that they really don't want "marriage equality" like they say they do. They just want their recognition. They are apparently content to allow other sexual minorities to wallow in their ostracism. Which, given their own history, is ironic.

Four Days to Double Your Investment

Last week we told you about an exciting matching opportunity that allows you to double your investment for the month of July. A generous ministry friend has offered to match every dollar, up to $20,000, that will be raised for the rest of July. Will you help us maximize this opportunity?

So far, many of you have. And we’re thankful. But we still have about halfway to go in order to make sure we take full advantage of this opportunity.

Whether its $5 or $500, your support makes our work to change the culture possible.

Summer can be a difficult season financially. But thanks to your support, we can continue focusing on the work that needs to be done. And as you know, there is a lot of work to be done.

The decision of the New York state legislature to pass same-sex “marriage” only weeks ago reminds us of the inevitability of that debate here in Washington. Since it is inevitable, we should prepare. If we do not prepare, we will lose.

Our desire to make sure we are prepared like never before is the motivation behind our extensive efforts to educate, motivate, and mobilize.

It is the reason we held our statewide pastor’s conference.

That is why we are putting Culture Impact Teams in churches throughout Washington. These citizen led organizations exist to remind the church that every Christian is a duel citizen-a citizen of heaven and a citizen of earth-and that we have obligations to both.

That is also why we are conducting Truth Project Trainings throughout Washington State. We have already done them in Spokane, Vancouver, and Renton, and are making plans for more this fall. As a result, nearly 100 individuals have been trained to lead small groups that will encourage their communities to think biblically about the culture, including: art, media, history, economics, philosophy, and more.

That is why we continue to build relationships with legislators. In August, we will be bringing legislators from Washington together with legislators from around the country for a Legislative Worldview Training in Louisiana. The title of the conference is "Consequences of Truth" where Chuck Colson, and other leading thinkers on issues related to worldview, will encourage legislators to think about how the reality of Truth impacts the ways they govern.

If you are excited about what is taking place on behalf of the culture and families here in Washington, we know you'll be excited to be part of it.

Thank you for your support. And please remember, your gift will be doubled for the remainder of July, up to $20,000.

Administration Threatens Conscience Rights

Here in Washington, the state has been working for years to force pharmacists who are pro-life must choose between being in business or violating their conscience.

It appears that same war on individual freedom is now being waged in Washington D.C. as well. We wanted to pass along the following letter that was published in the Washington Post from Jonathan Imbody, the President of the Christian Medical Association and director of Freedom2Care.

President Supports Repeal of DOMA

Yesterday President Obama gave his public support to legislation sponsored by Sen. Diane Feinstein that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which defines marriage as a union between one-man and one-woman.

Currently federal law, and almost all state law, says a person cannot not marry someone who is a minor, already married, a close relative, or of the same gender. Feinstein's bill, being called the Respect for Marriage Act, would remove the gender limitation but allow the other restrictions on marriage recognition to remain in place.

This position further confuses the President's position on the issue of marriage. During his 2008 campaign, the President said he did not support same-sex "marriage". Since then he has called the federal DOMA unconstitutional and was also instrumental in the repeal of the militaries' "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The President also opposed Prop 8 in California while still maintaining his position that he opposed same-sex "marriage".

Regardless, during an election in which most of the attention will be given to a weak economy and high employment, these developments all but guarantees that cultural issues like marriage will be a critical voting issue in the 2012 Presidential election.