You, Me, Plan B, and Planned P

by A. Mensan

an article originally published by Always Ready Ministries

It is time for the church and individual Christians to ask some hard questions.

At what point is a person complicit with the abortion industry? Are there instances in our daily lives that indicate we need to repent of aiding abortionists, however indirectly, in destroying human life? I pose such questions because of the age in which we live. Abortion has been a legal and widespread reality since 1973 in the United States, and a great deal of commercial activity is tied to the abortion industry. Specifically, here are several questions worthy of reflection.

• • • Envision a cashier at a retailer like Walmart or Target checking out a customer purchasing an abortifacient such as Plan B or a generic counterpart. Plan B is a drug that prevents the human embryo/person from implanting on the uterine wall of a woman, thus causing the that young individual to die. Is the cashier engaging in wrongdoing?
    • Picture in your mind a person purchasing a cappuccino from a coffee shop like Starbucks or some other business that gives directly to Planned Parenthood. Is the customer supporting abortion with his or her purchases? Is he or she guilty of assisting the abortion industry? Remember: abortion is the killing of children who are made in the very image of God.
    • If a person is not culpable in the destruction of human life at these points, at what point would he or she become complicit?

But wait! someone objects. I’m just doing my job! Another speaks up as well. All I’m doing is buying coffee! Of course, there is a big difference between collecting the money for an abortifacient as a cashier at a retailer and performing an abortion. A cashier is not actually purchasing “the pill” for his girlfriend or ingesting it herself, but merely is scanning it for a sale. Moreover, the cashier might even use his or her earnings to fight abortion in any number of ways, perhaps even by giving to a pregnancy resource center (PRC). Many PRCs have ties to churches or other Christian organizations, so many PRC personnel not only help women choose life for their babies but also share the gospel with them.

I’ll admit that while it is relatively easy to avoid being directly involved in the abortion industry, it’s extremely difficult to avoid any and all indirect connections. This is the world in which we live.

Hitting Home

The questions I raise are not theoretical for me. As one who works for a national retailer that sells Plan B and its generic equivalent, I am confronted with the reality of abortion every day as I work on the sales floor. Should I handle and/or stock the abortifacient? Should I swipe the abortifacient across the scanner or somehow try to avoid doing so? Let me tell you, that would be awkward! I know that my actions regarding ringing or not ringing up Plan B for a customer will not affect whether a human life will be terminated. Even if I excuse or recuse myself from the sale, another employee will do the task. I’ve only removed myself from the process. Is that worthwhile?

As hard as these kinds of questions are to answer, I believe it’s healthy to grapple with them! Here’s yet another.

The United States government gives hundreds of millions of dollars per year (also go here and here) to Planned Parenthood. Is paying required government taxes engaging in abortion activity, albeit very indirectly? In his landmark book A Christian Manifesto, the late Francis Schaeffer suggested that at some point Christians might feel the need to consider withholding a portion of their taxes to protest, not just abortion, but involvement in it through taxation and redistribution of funds to abortion groups.

Be assured that I am not advocating here that a Christian refrain from paying his or her taxes, or even a portion of what he or she owes the government. As Christ instructs, we all must give the emperor his due. Again, however, we need to wrestle with this issue. Even more importantly, we need to resolve to encourage change where we can. Our reflections, deliberations, and struggles should help us become advocates of better public and corporate policies. All too often, too many Christians have said and done nothing. This is contrary to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:13-16.

We need to resolve to encourage change where we can. Our reflections, deliberations, and struggles should help us become advocates of better public and corporate policies. All too often, too many Christians have said and done nothing.

Having an Impact

Where can we begin making a difference? Here are some places to start.

• • • Contacting public policy officials and urging them to defund Planned Parenthood will have an impact.
    • Also, as one contemplates businesses that either give to abortion facilities or sell abortifacients, I do know one thing persuades, and that is collective images of Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, and others, including Benjamin Franklin. M-o-n-e-y has the power of grand persuasion. When enough of us tell retailers and other corporations we do not approve of their involvement in the abortion industry, true change will be far more likely to occur.
    • Along these lines, let’s vote with our dollars and send corporate America a message. 2ndvote.com is an extremely helpful website for Christians who want to align their buying choices with their values. 2ndvote tracks the policies of corporations with regard to corporate gifts and the positions they take on public policy. Thus, our friends at 2ndvote have done the research, making it possible for us to make informed choices when we buy. This is so important, especially at the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

Send corporate America a message! 2ndvote.com will help you make informed buying choices.

May we become known as Christians who are willing to stand up for the most vulnerable and defenseless members of the human family. Let us use our voices, keyboards, and memes for good. What better cause can we embrace than that of putting an end to the killing of innocent persons made in the LORD’s very likeness, for the renown of Jesus Christ.

We have the voices and resources necessary to be catalysts for positive change! Let’s use these for the glory of the one true God who is the author of life itself.

 

December 3, 2018

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