Thursday, January 26, 2017

When Your Conscience and Thrifting Collide

    Yesterday I was deeply sadden and surprised to find out that a "faith based" thrift store that I have shopped at over the years proudly stated on their Facebook page that they financially support the local Planned Parenthood in the town where they are located.  My heart dropped and I decided to do some checking to see if this Planned Parenthood offered any kind of prenatal care or if they, in my mind, did the unthinkable and ended a child's life.

   I went to the local PP website and found that they do not offer prenatal care or mammograms (as are commonly claimed "services" used by groups who support PP) but they do perform abortions in house or will refer you to another provider who will if it's something like an ectopic pregnancy.  To their credit, they do offer Pap tests, cervical cancer screening, STD testing and treatment, birth control and a few other services.  While some may argue that this is a good cause, I cannot support it and wonder how a faith based thrift store located in a church can either.  We do have a wonderful place called WISH Medical that is faith based and offers all of the things above except abortion services.  They will give you all the facts, do an ultrasound so you understand what is going on if you find yourself pregnant and then offer options like support if you choose to become a parent, adoption support if you are not ready to be a parent but want your baby to have a chance at a good life and have your baby placed in a loving home. If choose to abort, they will advise you of the physical and emotional risks to you but remain compassionate and non judgemental.  They also offer support for those who have had abortions and are suffering from the guilt and shame of having done so.  One of my friends, who has sadly gone down that road herself in the past and knows first hand all the shame, guilt and pain associated with it, is one of their counselors for that particular program and is very compassionate, loving and helps women heal from those experiences.  I honestly cannot fathom why this faith based thrift store would support PP and not WISH Medical given that WISH supports women and their babies not only with medical treatment and prenatal care, but also helps provide them with parenting classes, cribs, clothing for their baby and other support services.

   I will tell you that I went to bed with a very heavy heart and even though I was exhausted, I tossed and turned for hours.  I had made the decision as soon as I gathered all the facts to NOT shop at that thrift store again.  It breaks my heart to know that every time I even drive by PP, I know that a baby's life may be being ending right then.  My heart also aches for those women who make that choice and later come to realize the truth of what they have done.  I myself have had 2 unplanned pregnancies, one sadly ended in a miscarriage (this was when I was 20 and my husband and I were not yet married) and the second is when I got pregnant with our twins while on two forms of birth control, both of which failed. I never once considered abortion and neither did my husband. We both value life and knew that even before we were married, that we would have and love our child.  We have offered to take in pregnant teen moms and family members and support them through their pregnancies and if they chose not to keep their babies, adopt, raise and love their children as our own, even when we had a 22 month old and newborn twins ourselves.  Sadly all those people made the choice, whether it be from pressure from other family members or to "not be bothered with a child", to end that child's life.   I also am so thankful that I am still here and that abortion was not legal when my mother got pregnant with me but I also have survivor's guilt for another precious child who was not as lucky.  I know for a fact that IF abortion had been legal when I was conceived, that I would not be here today and that has left a huge scar on my heart.  As a parent myself, I cannot even imagine not having my amazing children, each is a gift from God.  Our twins' pregnancy may not have been planned by us, but God knew what He was doing when He blessed us with them and we are so humbled and grateful for his wisdom in giving us all three of our sons.

   I honestly feel like I was deceived by this particular thrift store by their claim of being a Christian faith based nonprofit that helps women and children.  How is helping to fund the killing of innocent children in any way "helping" them?   I will no longer shop there and I will also be letting my family and friends know where the profits of this store are going.   


   

   

18 comments:

  1. :-( I wouldn't take my business there either. I can't see how a faith based organization would support that.

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    1. Jess, I have sadly found that there are some faith based organizations that are very "My Body, My Choice". :(

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  2. WOW, Debbie I wouldn't shop there any more either. That is so sad. No matter the situation on how a women gets pregnant, it's not the babies fault.

    I recently watched a video where someone called 40+ PP locations around the country (recorded) and NONE provided prenatal care. Name shouldn't be Planned but Preventative Parenthood.

    God bless.

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    1. I agree Cheryl. I saw that video too and that is why I checked out the local PP and WISH Medical. Women in our area can get much better and more compassionate care, in my opinion, at WISH Medical. The local PP actually had a fire and had to be closed down for awhile. While I don't agree with PP, I still think it was awful that someone would set the business on fire.

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  3. I appreciate your post today! I would not shop there either. Same with online companies...if they tout their "agenda" I stop shopping. This faith-based group is obviously blinded like St. Paul was before his conversion! So just pray for them. Andrea

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    1. p.s...your write-up included a lot of different issues and you explained them beautifully. You are truly defending life! Andrea

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    2. Thank you Andrea. You are very kind and sweet. :) Sometimes I feel like I am standing alone in my views with most of the members of my extended family and that has made it hard at times. For the most part we just have to agree to disagree on this and many other issues. The love and respect for each other is still there though and we are trying to find all the "common ground" that we can. :)

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  4. The best way to protest is with the "power of the purse", I've discovered. Good for you to stop shopping there. Many people don't realize it but Bill Gates is a major funder of Planned Parenthood, so every time people buy his products, we are in a way funding PP. It's getting as though soon I will have to return to the stone age, as so many companies are against the law of God. Oh well! It would probably do me good!

    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. Jane, I did know that about Bill Gates too. One of my brothers is fairly high up in that company. It is really hard to avoid buying their products since they are the standard operating systems on most computers. I won't buy anything from Dell ever either. Horribly unethical man who really screwed over some of his employees. Our family has personal experience with him too! I am finding my shopping options are getting smaller and smaller, but I'm ok with that. I'll join you in the Stone Age if that is ok. ;)

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  5. We have a wonderful place here in Reno Nevada that offers counseling and help to pregnant women. A lot of them are young girls. They also help with medical, baby items and clothes and they have a great program called - Daddy Academy for men to learn how to be Daddies and this has been so helpful for the younger men. Even if they aren't married to each other they are still parents and need to both support the child and love the child or make the decision to put the baby up for adoption. NO Abortions - they have stuck to their guns on that. If that is what you want they will counsel you on life of the baby - especially in the womb. My daughter in law can't have children and is raising her niece. Her heart breaks when she hears of these mothers aborting their children. A few of her own 5 sisters have also do this and she tells them she would take the baby. I believe these women will come to feel pain and shame and anger that they were lead to believe that abortion basically has no consequences for them or their baby. Take care.

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    1. Crystal my heart just breaks for your DIL. I'm glad that she is raising her niece and has a chance to be a mother to her. The program you described is wonderful! I wish we had something like that here!

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  7. Try #3 to comment.
    I'm so sorry you had to experience this. My heart goes out to you. SJ

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    1. Hi SJ and thank you my friend. :) I hope you have a good weekend.

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  8. Good Evening Debbie,

    I wrote a short blog post a while back entitled, "Do You REALLY Know Where the Money's Going?". I wrote this after discovering the Susan G. Komen Foundation (a non-profit foundation) donates a significant portion of their revenue to Planned Parenthood.
    This revelation prompted me to do a search to find our exactly what our family's charitable donations support. I applaud you for deciding to take a stand regarding your local thrift center.
    Blessings,
    Mrs.B

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    1. HI Mrs. B. :) Thank you for letting me know about the Susan B Komen Foundation. I was not aware that they donated to PP. Jeff and I do research before we donate to charities. I want to make sure that our money is going to something that we honestly believe in and feel strongly about. Be blessed!

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  9. Good to do the research before supporting anything. Know where your money goes.

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    1. Yes it is. I will be doing more research in the future. :)

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