Gift Cards

One of the most common questions you hear this time of year is, “Have you gotten all your Christmas shopping done?” It’s an easy conversation starter and an easy way to make small talk with someone you don’t really know.

Undoubtedly many of us have “gift cards” or “gift certificates” on our Christmas shopping list. I know that Sandy and I do. You can give someone a gift card to a department store, a restaurant, hotels, gas stations, golf courses (Did you catch that last one?), etc. Gift cards are great! But I never thought I would see a gift card used the way that was described in a recent Washington Times article that said, “Indiana residents in need of a quick stocking stuffer this holiday season have an unusual option: Planned Parenthood gift certificates. The group’s Hoosier state chapter on Wednesday began selling gift certificates redeemable at any of its 35 facilities for any service provided - from basic health screenings to birth control to abortions.” Betty Cockrum, the president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, was reported as saying, “The gift-certificate program is the first of its kind by any of Planned Parenthood’s 99 affiliates nationwide.”

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, said, “Planned Parenthood claims that it is doing this in the name of women’s health. A gift certificate for health services might be a thoughtful and meaningful, if unusual, gift. But Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, performing multiple thousands of abortions nationwide each year. The organization also receives hundreds of millions of dollars in income from performing these abortions. Abortion is a big business, and Planned Parenthood is the market leader.”

The Los Angeles Times corroborated Dr. Mohler’s comments by reporting that the Indiana chapter of Planned Parenthood performs about 5,000 abortions each year. If you go to the Indiana group’s website (which I did), you’ll see that you can purchase gift certificates online in $25, $50, $75 and $100 increments. They say you can use the certificates for a basic health exam for $58. So, why would someone need $100 gift certificates unless you were using them for an abortion?

According to The Washington Times, “Planned Parenthood affiliates operate more than 880 centers nationwide.” Ms. Cockrum said, “While it’s too early to judge the program’s success, she plans to offer the certificates year-round.”

Earlier this year, during our Think Biblically series I shared the following truths from the Scriptures about abortion:

1. Life begins in the womb.
2. This life is the special object of God’s loving care.
3. Unplanned and ill-timed pregnancies can lead to amazing things (That was certainly the case for Mary and Joseph).
4. God’s redeeming grace covers all our sins.

While I can certainly understand and even applaud the use of a gift card for basic health exams, it makes my heart heavy to think that someone could use a gift card for an abortion. It’s sad to think that at this time of year, we celebrate the birth of one child who changed the world, we can also make it so convenient to end the life of so many others. Note: Special thanks to Barry Cameron at Crossroads Christian Church, Grand Prairie, TX (www.crossroadschristian.net) for some of the information contained in this article.

Jesus cares,
Pastor Chris