Posted on 12/01/2003 4:12:53 PM PST by nickcarraway
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- They're back. Planned Parenthood announced today that it is "pleased" to once again sell its "Choice on Earth" Christmas cards that sparked a national outrage last year.
"Planned Parenthood believes in every individual's right to make choices and live in peace with our planet. Our holiday card has proven to be very popular with America's pro-choice majority for almost a decade because it sends an inclusive seasonal message for people of all faiths. I am proud of the card," Planned Parenthood president Gloria Feldt said.
The outside of the card features the Planned Parenthood logo and numerous political phrases such as "human rights," "equality," and "women's health."
Sandwiched in the center between the slogans is the phrase "Choice on Earth" -- a takeoff on the Biblical passage in the Gospel of Luke depicting angels rejoicing over the birth of Jesus Christ saying "peace on earth."
Pro-life advocates say "choice" is no more than a euphemism for abortion and it is exploitive to use a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus to commemorate the death of millions of unborn children.
The Christmas cards are part of an overall strategy that pro-life people must not miss, Father Frank Pavone tells LifeNews.com.
"For years now, the pro-abortion forces have realized that they will lose touch with the American public unless they start presenting abortion in the envelope of moral and even religious language," Pavone, director of Priests for Life, explained. "Hence they speak more and more of a choice 'between a woman and her God.'"
The inside of the card reads: "Warmest Wishes for a Peaceful Holiday and a Healthy New Year." The back of the card promotes the April 2004 march for abortion Planned Parenthood is co-sponsoring with other pro-abortion groups.
In a statement announcing this year's card, Planned Parenthood called the past criticism of it "ridiculous."
The abortion business says it sold 25 percent more cards last year in the face of national outrage than it did in previous years. Planned Parenthood also made "Choice on Earth" t-shirts it claims sold well.
Feldt predicts the 2003 campaign will have even greater success.
Georgette Forney, director of the National Organization of Episcopalians for Life, agreed. She said she suspects Planned Parenthood is using the cards as a fundraising tool based on the outrage it creates
"I'm not sure which is most troubling: that Planned Parenthood's agenda is so all-consuming that they need to use a sacred Christian holiday to promote their message, or that they really think the right to make choices, live in peace with our planet and wish all people a healthy holiday season is a message any reasonable person would want to send their freinds via their cards," Forney told LifeNews.com.
Last year, pro-life and pro-family organizations and leaders criticized the card.
Focus on the Family called it "outrageous and deeply offensive." The Family Research Council called the greeting card "just plain sick," while others said a more accurate Planned Parenthood card would be one with a picture of an empty manger scene on the front.
Bill O'Reilly, who hosts a popular talk show on the Fox News Channel, criticized the card on his program and commissioned a poll on the appropriateness of it.
However, Planned Parenthood defended the card by having a pro-abortion minister wrote a letter to O'Reilly.
Reverend Mark Bigelow, pastor of the Congregational Church of Huntington, New York, and a member of Planned Parenthood's Clergy Advisory Board, defended the card saying it didn't mock Christianity.
"One thing I know from the Bible," he wrote, "is that Jesus never said a word against women having a choice in continuing a pregnancy. [H]is compassionate stance toward all individuals causes me to believe that he would want us to do what we can to ensure that women have full access to all necessary medical care in order to have happy and healthy families. Jesus was for peace on earth, justice on earth, compassion on earth, mercy on earth, and choice on earth."
Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America disagreed, saying Jesus never would have been born had Planned Parenthood been around.
"If Planned Parenthood had existed 2,000 years ago, it would have targeted Mary, an unwed, pregnant teenager, for a profitable abortion," Wright said.
Oh? I didn't see them applauding Eric Rudolph's "choice."
Suffer the little children, eh, Rev? Suffer 'em good!
And this man calls himself a pastor? Where ever did he go to seminary? Wait...don't answer that. I forgot, most seminaries don't teach scripture.
"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live...." Deut. 30:19
They may have made money off this stunt, but I bet pro-life groups took in even more money fundraising off this card. I don't think they realize they are making fundraising easier for pro-lifers. Pro-life fundraisers send this out in a fundraising letter and people get outraged and send money.
It fits Planned Parenthood's agenda.
One has to ponder the sanity of ANYONE who would get all doe-eyed about baby murder.
SICK.
Lord have mercy, but not on these filthy murdering scum lappers. (I am thuch a meany!!)
If you know about Planned Parenthood's history, it's more likely that they PP will be after the baby Jesus because he is Jewish and ``unfit.''
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