Just before Thanksgiving, America’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, sent an email to its supporters, seeking to help them “open someone’s mind on sexual and reproductive rights”, aka abortion, during the holidays. The following is a response to their talking points:

Talking Point #1:“Common Values, Common Ground: Each person’s circumstances are different and each pregnancy is unique. These personal decisions should be respected and valued.”

• Response: While each person’s circumstances are different and each pregnancy may be unique, each unborn baby was planned and created by God, and He has a unique plan for them regardless of the circumstances surrounding their conception or the circumstances of the baby’s parents. Each baby’s life should be respected and valued. Women who are facing unexpected pregnancies should take time to pray and consider whether they are ready to raise their child. If they are not, they should consider placing their baby with an adoptive family. There are thousands of families that would love to adopt their baby.

Talking Point #2: “It’s personal: Politicians are taking away our power to control our personal health care decisions.”

• Response: It is important for men and women to take personal responsibility and save sex for marriage. Outside of marriage, if the woman becomes pregnant, it is important for her to realize that she is not just responsible for her personal body and health, she and her partner are now also responsible for a brand new life. That life was created at the moment of fertilization and is sacred.

Talking Point #3:“Just the facts: Use facts and be specific. Don’t exaggerate or use hyperbolic language. Use numbers whenever possible — like how many states have banned abortion or how many people will be affected.”

• Response: We agree that we should stick to the facts, of which there are many. But here are just five of them from Family Research Council’s Director of the Center for Human Dignity, Mary Szoch, in her publication, How to Change Your Pro-Choice Friend’s Heart:

1.) Abortion Kills a Real Person

• • At about 22 days after conception, the child’s heart begins beating.
• • At just six weeks after conception, the baby’s fingers have begun to form and the lips, nose, and ears have formed.
• • By 10 weeks, the child can make bodily movements.
• • From as early as 12 weeks—and certainly by 20 weeks—an unborn child can feel pain.
• • By 20 weeks, the baby in the womb can be seen clasping his hands, sucking his thumb, yawning, stretching, getting the hiccups, covering his ears to a loud sound nearby12—even smiling.
• • Finally, a picture is worth a thousand words. Show your friend these pictures, which show the development of ultrasound from 1970 to 2002. Explain that in 1970, someone looking at an ultrasound might be able to say it did not look human, but by 1990, and certainly by 1995, that was no longer true.

2.) Aborted babies feel pain. “A meta-analysis of the research on fetal pain entitled “Reconsidering Fetal Pain” was recently released by Stuart W.G. Derbyshire and John C. Brockmann. The authors of this study have divergent views on the morality of abortion, but both consider the experience of pain as morally significant. Both concluded that, overall, the evidence points to the possibility of unborn babies feeling pain as early as 12 weeks.”

3.) There are other, better options for women. There are 2,700 pro-life pregnancy resource centers around the country, ready and willing to help moms and dads facing unplanned pregnancies.

4.) Abortion is systematically eliminating people with Down syndrome. “Here in the United States, 67 percent of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. Abroad, the statistics are even more terrifying. In Denmark last year, approximately 95 percent of pregnant women who received a Down syndrome diagnosis chose to abort. In Iceland, almost 100 percent of babies with Down syndrome are aborted. These precious unborn babies are killed simply because of an extra chromosome.”

5.) Abortion harms women. Most people think about physical complications from abortion, but women also experience mental health problems. “A meta-analysis of 22 studies found a moderate to highly increased risk (81 percent overall) of mental health problems after an abortion, a 34 percent increased risk of anxiety, a 37 percent increased risk of depression, a 110 percent increased risk of alcohol abuse, a 230 percent increased risk of marijuana abuse, and a 155 percent increased risk of suicidal behavior.”

Talking Point #4: “How to talk about abortion care at Planned Parenthood health centers: Talk about why Planned Parenthood health centers provide abortion care, anchoring the conversation in our values and the importance of providing this care.”

• Response: While Planned Parenthood profits from abortions with about a $1.7 billion annual budget, they are not pro-women. Read the many reasons why in Research Council’s publication, Planned Parenthood is not Pro-Women.

While we celebrate the most important birth of all-time this Christmas –the miraculous birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, –let us pray that the Holy Spirit empowers the Body of Christ to speak the truth in love, loving our neighbors and family members as ourselves.