Joanna Smith's article, "Deception Used In Counseling Women Against Abortion", suggests that when a pregnant woman who is leaning towards abortion walks into a pro-life counseling office to receive information about her options, she is misguided and deceived into making a pro-life decision.
An unbiased opinion will not be found in pro-life counsel. That means they are doing a good job.
A deceptive counsel will not be found either. The facts speak for themselves, unlike at an abortion clinic where women are given:
* Fabricated medical information
* Pressure to have an abortion
* and in some cases, disregard to serious legal offenses.
...all in an effort to influence a pregnant woman into an abortion...the clinics money-maker.
Smith makes an attempt to diminish a pro-life crisis pregnancy centers credibility in her article,
Aid to Women (the crisis pro-life counsel in question) describe themselves as non-judgmental sources of support for women with unplanned pregnancies, but use misleading information to discourage them from choosing abortion.
The point (that the pro-life counseling drives home is that) a woman will, without a doubt, suffer severe emotional pain following an abortion because it is always – always —the wrong decision.
I certainly hope they are driving that point home. Murdering your offspring is always a wrong decision. A decision that comes with significant emotional, physiological, and medical consequences.
She gives a terrifying description of the procedure itself. She shows pictures of an aborted fetus, limbs lying in a bloody mess.
Those pictures (warning - graphic images) should be shown. Those pictures are not shown at abortion clinics. In fact, Live Action discovered in their undercover video that women at an abortion clinic are told that the pictures are fakes.
Smith also points out that the pregnancy center will show a woman seeking an abortion, pictures of the baby's development at 6 weeks. Women should see what is happening and how their baby is developing. In most cases, women who seek abortion, do so in a frightened state of mind. How will I take care of the baby? How will I live my life? How will I live my dreams? It's been reported that 80% of women who see an ultrasound of their baby choose to make a pro-life decision, rather than an abortion.
I see no deception here.
Women in pro-life counsel are given information on the physical and psychological risks of abortion – including breast cancer, emotional trauma and infertility. Abortion is presented as a dangerous decision, while both adoption and parenting are seen as positive choices with minimal risk.
I see no deception here, either.
The erroneous information that pregnant women are given at abortion clinics have been well documented.
Including telling pregnant women seeking counsel:
* That a heartbeat cannot be detected until the 8th or 9th week (the heart starts to beat in as little as 22 days from conception)
* avoiding use of the term "abortion", instead calling it a surgical procedure to remove the contents of the uterus
* continually telling women that it is not a baby, but merely a fetus
* misinforming that abortion is a "very safe procedure", safer than carrying to term
* and in this case, failing to report sexual abuse
The only deception in the pro-life vs pro-choice battle is that abortion is a solution. Unplanned pregnancy can be stressful. Becoming informed about real solutions is necessary when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Abortion is a terrible offense that complicates a woman's life ten-fold.
Life is a blessing. Life is the solution.
Source:
Date Published: August 7, 2010