Prayer and Fasting

I wonder if the Robo Call I received on Friday was influenced by Wednesday's " star-studded “teletownhall” meeting to discuss health-care reform" that 350,000 people apparently listened in to. During this phone conference:

Michelle Bachmann repeated the myth, adopted early by Sarah Palin, that the health-care plans being debated in Congress would set up “death panels” to determine which old folks are entitled to health care. “Thank God that Sarah Palin said that,” she told the callers. “These are true.”

In response to a caller from Minnesota who wanted to know if there was a plan afoot in Washington to require all medical doctors to perform abortions, Bachmann didn’t exactly shoot the suggestion down.

“Unless we explicitly restrict these items, I think we can fully expect that these radical pro-abortion individuals could very likely make those decisions,” she told the caller. “All of us who have labored tirelessly in the pro-life cause for years and years and years, we know what these people are capable of. That’s why they have to be tied down by restrictions explicitly in law.”

....“That’s really where this battle will be won — on our knees in prayer and fasting,” she told the listeners. “Remember: faith without works is dead. So we’re asking you to do all of it: pray, fast, believe, trust the Lord, but also act.”

I really liked the comment after the article by:

Mill
Comment posted August 24, 2009 @ 7:32 pm

Praying so some Americans won’t get any health care insurance?

Does Mrs. Bachmann’s God accept such petitions?

It reminded me of a passage from Isiah:

¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

¹⁶ wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

¹⁷ learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

Shocking Abortion Robo Call

It's been a while since I posted anything. Life has kept me pretty busy. I have considered writing something about the crazy Health Care "non-debate," but I really wasn't sure if I had anything new to say.

That changed when the phone rang this afternoon and a recorded male voice informed me that they were conducting a survey about Obama's health care plan. I like the idea of having my voice heard (obviously, why else would I blog ^_^) so I stayed on the line. I'm sure I'm a little off on the wording, but this is the main idea:

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First I was asked if I was anti-abortion. I truthfully responded, "Yes," but then the voice stated something to the effect that Obama's health care would force all citizens and companies to pay for abortions! This shocked me, as I hadn't heard this argument before, and as I racked my brain for any facts I might know I was asked:

"Do you agree that Obama should not force the public to pay for abortions?" Or something to that effect - I wish I had a way to record it...

Of course I don't think the public should be forced to pay for abortions, but I'm pretty sure that's not part of the plan....

"You must respond Yes, No or Repeat!"
"Repeat..."

Ugh, my statistics teacher was right, surveys are easily manipulated.
The repetition comes to an end. What should I say? I can't argue with a machine... I pause for maybe 3 seconds...

"Thank you for your support!"

What?!?! I didn't say I support you!

"Do you agree that marriage should be between one man and one woman?"

What does this have to do with health care?

"Are you a man over 55?"

"No!"

"Have you ever donated to any campaign or religious organization?"

"Yes!"

"Would you be able to support our anti-abortion campaign?"

"No"

"Thank you for your time."

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So, does Obama's health plan propose that we all fund abortions?

Not according to FactCheck.org

"In fact, none of the health care overhaul measures that have made it through the committee level in Congress say that abortion will be covered, and one of them explicitly says that no public funds will be used to finance the procedure. Furthermore, none of the bills call explicitly for cuts in Medicare coverage, much less rationing, under a public plan."

I am so SICK of all the lies and distortions! This robo call twists their lie in a way that most likely has nothing to do with the survey, although I'm sure now my "voice" will be incorrectly reported as one of a "majority who oppose Obama's health plan." More scary to me is that now many people who got the call will truly believe that Obama wants us to fund abortions, like they think he wants to kill off Grandma, and take away our options. Why can't the truth spread as easily as the lies?

Help is Better than Hate

Can I be both Pro-Life and Pro-Obama?

This week I was told by two people that they were voting for McCain because abortion is just such a terrible thing. I totally agree that abortion is horrifying. I've seen the pictures. I've been pregnant, a joy for me each time. I know people for whom it was not a joy and abortion was the only option they saw available. I wish they would have felt differently, but I will not judge them for their decision, because I have no way of understanding what they were going through.

On the other hand, I really would like the amount of abortions in our country to be reduced. Realistically, I understand the number will never be zero, but what could be done to limit that number?

Faced with the two McCain supporters basing their votes solely on their pro-life convictions, I headed to Google and found some statistics. I was thrilled to find the Matthew 25 Network expressing the views I have held for so long:

Studies Show that Economic Support for Women and Families Reduces Abortion

• Economic assistance to low income families is correlated with a 20% lower abortion rate. Across the entire United States, this translates into 200,000 fewer abortions.
• In the 1990s, states with more generous grants to women, infants and children under the age of five as provided by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program had a 37% lower abortion rate.
• Higher male employment in the 1990s was associated with a 29% lower abortion rate.
• The abortion rate has declined most rapidly from 1990-1996 when there was an economic boom under President Clinton. While rates have continued to decrease, they have declined less rapidly in recent years when poverty rates have been climbing.

What this says to me, is that help is better than hate. When women face an unplanned pregnancy, do we say: "Wow - too bad for you. Don't ask me for a hand out - but you'd better not be a baby killer," or can we say: "Wow - this is a huge moment in your life, here are some programs to help you be the kind of mother you would like to be."

In conclusion, YES, I can be an Obama supporter and be Pro-Life! I haven't even gone into the topic of supporting life in other ways, such as less war, and less pollution. I believe this is a very important point to make this election year! Please don't be a single issue voter, and spread the news that you can support LIFE and OBAMA!