GREATER COLUMBUS RIGHT TO LIFE

This will come as no surprise, but the American Red Cross is holding a blood drive today. What may come as a surprise is where - the Complete Healthcare for Woman (CHfW) abortion facility on Cleveland Ave. 
 
The Drs. Samuel continues to try to legitimize his abortion business by providing other positive health services. No matter what other good things the doctors at CHfW do - and blood drives, prenatal exams, clinical trials and Ob/Gyn services are good things - they will never be able to legitimize their business enough to make up for the fact that two days a week they kill pre-born children.
 
Whenever the American Red Cross agrees to hold a blood drive at a local business, they are allowing that business to use the Red Cross's good name to promote the business. And that is powerful. Building good will in a community increases the bottom line because people like to do business with people and companies they perceive as benevolent and caring of those in need. The Red Cross has earned the good will of their supporters. They are well respected not just in the United States but around the world for the work they have done to supply healthy blood to patients in need, provide shelter and aid in national disasters, help soldiers and their families in war time, provide CPR and disaster preparedness training to individuals and corporations and more.  They should be careful not to damage their good name and hard-earned good will
by aligning with CHfW or any other abortion provider. 
 
Sarah Cleveland with the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform is at CHfW right now with their "Choice" signs, showing those coming to give blood what else happens in that building. If you would like to stand with Sarah she will be there until 2:00 today. Complete Healthcare for Women is located at 5888 Cleveland Ave.
 
Whether or not you can go out to the abortion facility today, please call the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus and ask that they no longer lend their good name to businesses that take the lives of pre-born children.
 
Red Cross of Greater Columbus
614.253.2740
 
Matt Bertram, Chief Executive Officer
Kurt Anders, Chief Operating Officer, ext. 2207
Lynn Cook, Chief Communications Officer, ext. 2477
 
Always for Life,

A July 31 article in The Columbus Dispatch reported about Todd Smith, a Columbus City Police Officer, who is charged with the coercion and enticement of a minor. Mr. Smith is accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to a 15-year old student at Centennial High School and trying to have sex with her. Mr. Smith was assigned to protect the students and staff at that school. 
 
He also worked as an off-duty policeman every other Saturday at the Founder's abortion facility on 1243 East Broad St. 

I wish I could say that I'm surprised that an abortion worker treats women and children this way, but I'm not. Abortion denies the unique nature of women and treats our wombs like machines at a manufacturing facility that can be turned on and off, emptied, and its contents used or discarded at the whim and will of its owner. Why should we be surprised that a man who chooses to work at an abortion facility would see women any differently? 
 
Those of you who have heard me speak about my experiences as a former abortion worker have heard me beg your prayers for these workers. Some abortion workers enter the industry with good intentions - to help women. They believe the lie that abortion is good for women and they are improving women's lives through their work. But they are heading down a steep and slippery path into the darkness and evil of abortion, and they get sucked into accepting more and more lies about women, women's health, the nature of sexual relationships, and more. They are like frogs in a soup pot with the heat being turned up slowly so they do not realize they are being cooked.   
 
So what should be our response to news such as this? May I suggest prayer and action?
  
Pray for those involved.
  
I'm heartbroken for the girl, who apparently had some sort of ongoing relationship with Mr. Smith that culminated in him attempting to have sex with her and threatening her that she should not to tell anyone about their relationship. Another 15-year old student from Centennial High School has come forward saying that she also was involved with Mr. Smith, sending and receiving sexually explicit text messages, sending topless photos of herself, and performing oral sex on Mr. Smith. These young girls need our prayers. They are victims. 
 
I'm also heartbroken for Mr. Smith's wife who is now dealing with her husband's betrayal of their marriage covenant in a most horrific and public way.  I cannot even begin to imagine what she is going through. She also needs our prayers.
 
I will also pray for Todd Smith. If these charges are proven to be true and he is found guilty, Mr. Smith committed unspeakable acts against children and I hope he receives the maximum punishment allowable by law. Women of any age are not sexual objects to owned, used, abused, and then thrown away. Women are  precious gifts of God and our affections and bodies should be prized and protected by the men in our lives and society. That these women are children only compounds the horrendous nature of Mr. Smith's alleged actions. Yet, we are called to pray for our enemies, and if Mr. Smith is guilty of these charges then he is indeed an enemy of women and children.  We are called to see all people as Christ sees them - and Christ died for Mr. Smith as certainly as he died for me. 
 
Turn your prayers into action.
 
40 Days for Life is right around the corner! During the 40 day period from Sept. 26 through Nov. 4, please  act on your convictions that abortion is evil and join us in fasting, prayer, community outreach and vigil at the Complete Healthcare for Women abortion clinic. Step up and help us lead the campaign by assisting with event planning, coordinating a day of prayer, or helping to organize a group to do some community outreach and education. There are many ways to get involved, and we need your participation to make this campaign the biggest yet! Call Katelyn Neil at (614) 395-8404 or send her an email at cplevans@yahoo.com to discuss how you can help. She'd love to hear from you!
 
Our sidewalk counselors are making a difference! These incredible men and women stand on the precipice between life and death throwing a life-line to the women and families walking into the abortion clinic in an effort to save them and their preborn children. They help people to see women in a different light. They honor women and the children they carry in their wombs. Are you called to this? We can help you with training and support. Contact me at 614.445.8508 or ruth.gcrtl@gmail.org to find out more.
 
Stand with us financially. Without your support, Greater Columbus Right to Life could not continue. Join us for dinner on August 19 at our Spiritus Banquet (click here to register), meet Melissa Ohden and enjoy an inspirational evening in support of our educational foundation - the foundation from which we do at least 80% of our work. There are other ways to support us financially as well. Contact Lori Dobos at 614.556.0299 or lori.gcrtl@gmail.com to learn more.
 
Thank you for all you do to defend life!

Today has been an interesting email day. I've received several emails from Christian and citizens' rights organizations reminding me that today is the day that American citizens lost our right to the free practice of our faith. 

August 1, 2012 - beginning today businesses that offer health insurance are required to include free birth control, sterilizations and abortifacient drugs in that coverage. As of today, the 'home of the free and the brave' denies her citizens the freedom to say "No" to helping their employees kill their pre-born children through the use of abortifacient drugs and the right to say "No" to paying for non-essential medicines that are contrary to their church's teaching on birth control.
 
The story of the Newland family in Denver, Colorado, who were granted an injunction saving them from having to choose between their faith and their ability to maintain their family business provides at least a measure of hope. This ruling does not apply to all businesses, but it does set a precedent for future lawsuits. The Newland's attorney Matthew Bowman explained that the principle behind the ruling this way: "Washington bureaucrats cannot use Obamacare to force people of faith to violate their faith in order to earn a living or engage in other activities in society." Mr. Bowman, an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, expects more lawsuits and more wins to follow, and that's good news. 
 
Of course, that's our take on it.
 
Cecile Richards sees things differently. I got an email from her today, too. Not surprising, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America president is celebrating because she interprets the HHS mandate as giving freedom, not taking it. According to Ms. Richards, this loss of our constitutionally protected freedom to follow our faith without fear of government intervention and massive fines that will cripple business owners and force them out of business is a win for women because
  
". . . more women have the power to plan their families (as if the birth control pill is the only way a women could manage to plan her family)
 
. . . there will be fewer unintended pregnancies (because none of us have ever known someone who conceived a child or who was conceived while his/her mother was taking contraceptives)
 
. . . there will be reduced need for abortion (even though abortion rates have increased with increased access to birth control, not decreased)"

(comments in italics mine)
 
Ms. Richards is concerned though. She knows about the Newland family's injunction too and tells her followers that "the fight isn't over". 
 
She's right about that. We're not done fighting. 
 
I have to give her credit though. Ms. Richards and her marketing crew at Planned Parenthood are good at taking opportunities like this and turning them into money makers. Her email, which went to I have no idea how many thousands of people across the U.S., is basically a call to donate. She asks her followers to "make a gift in honor of the women who gained that freedom today. Give the cost of a pack of pills - that's about $35." I shudder to think how much money the abortion-giant will raise from that one email blast. 
  
Yes, Ms. Richards is right. The fight to protect our freedom of religion is not over. 
  
Over the past several months Greater Columbus Right to Life has been privileged to lead two rallies in defense of those freedoms and help raise awareness and educate the public on this issue, and we will continue to fight to protect all of our rights. We will also continue to fight to defund Planned Parenthood in the State of Ohio. 
 
I am going to take a page from Ms. Richards' play book, though, and ask you to stand with Greater Columbus Right to Life in this fight. We don't get millions of dollars of government funding. In fact, we don't get one single penny of government funding! One hundred percent of our funding comes from people like you who believe, as we do, that life begins at conception and should be protected from that moment through the moment of natural death. 

Will you join us for a lovely dinner at the Villa Milano on August 19? Our Spiritus Banquet is our annual fund raising dinner and your presence there would be a great blessing to us! We'll have lasagna, salad, bread rolls, steamed vegetables, and my favorite - the Villa Milano's delicious layer cake with raspberry filling. You'll get to hear the incredible testimony of a woman who survived a saline-infusion abortion and how God has called her to use her voice speak for those whose voices - and very lives - were stripped from them in abortion. You will be so blessed by Melissa Ohden's joy and love for life and family. Dinner registration is just $25 and 100% of proceeds for the evening will fund our educational foundation - the fund through which at least 80% of our work is accomplished.
  
 Register today - and invite a friend to join you as well.  

God bless you, and thank you for standing with us for Life.

It’s common to see or read news articles on the cost of raising children.  A recent government study tells us that it will cost nearly $235,000 (in 2011 dollars) to raise a child from birth to age 18.  This blog post by Len Penso on msn.com’s money page bemoans additional costs not included in the government study, making
the toll even higher. 
   
These articles can instill fear and deter couples from having more – or any – children. I don't know about you, but I don't have a quarter of a million dollars just laying around and I doubt that I ever wil.   Even worse, by placing a price tag on child-rearing, these articles paint children as only a line-item on the family’s and society’s balance sheets – and a liability line item at that!  
 
Assets:  House, Car, Income
Liabilities:  Mortgage, Car Loan, Bobby, Jr., Mary Jane
Equity:  Checking Account, Savings Account, 401k
  
Really???  Is that how we see children – a financial burden that sucks every dime out of our financial future?  Is a child just a cost center in the family budget? 
 
I’d like to see some articles about the benefits of child-rearing.  Children are an incredible gift to a family and to society. 
 
So let’s hear from you. How have children been a blessing and benefit to your family and society?