40 Days for LIFE Austin chapter KICKS off FALL Campaign!!!

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5

Planned Parenthood South Austin -- Tonight, the Central Texas Coalition for Life launched the Fall 2015 campaign outside the Planned Parenthood facility in South Austin.  Dozens of people showed up to pray for an end to abortion in our city.  Executive director Heather Gardner emceed the event.

40 Days for Life is a uniquely effective pro-life ministry.  It began in College Station (credit where due to the Aggies...gig 'em) in 2007 and since gone global.  Among its accomplishments:

Over 579 cities in all 50 states and have conducted a 40 day prayer vigil at the local abortion facility

At least 30 different countries have conducted a 40 day prayer vigil including: England, Northern Ireland, Brazil, Peru, Canada, Australia, Denmark, and Spain

Over 10,330 women haven chosen life for children they were going to abort – because of the peaceful presence of people in front of the abortion facilities

at least 118 workers in abortion facilities have had conversions and quit their jobs

at least 60 abortion facilities have closed their doors and shut down for good

Thousands upon thousands of men and women with abortions in their past have finally found healing

They've also seen miracles locally:

213 women have chosen life for 216 babies that were going to be aborted (three women were pregnant with twins)

7 workers have had conversions and left the abortion industry for good!

Over 3,000 people have brought prayer to the streets of Austin in front of these abortion facilities

People from more than ONE HUNDRED churches have united arm-in-arm at the local 40 Days for Life prayer vigils

Thousands of women have been redirected to local pregnancy resource centers for help through their pregnancy and beyond

Many men and women with abortions in their past have found healing

Local newspapers, radio stations and magazines have featured the local 40 Days for Life helping to spread awareness about the injustice we stand against

Gardner also discussed 40 Churches for 40 Days, whereby an individual Church can commit to covering one days' worth of prayer shifts during the campaign.

Bottom Line: 40 Days for Life is one of the most effective pro-life ministries in existence; learn more and sign up here.

Texas Senate's Planned Parenthood organ harvesting hearing

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5

Abortion is always a difficult issue to discuss; even by the standards of the issue, however, today's Texas Senate hearing about organ harvesting and the recently released Planned Parenthood videos was astonishing.

Attorney General Paxton testified first.  For an hour, he outlined what his office's recently launched investigation has uncovered.  Investigators from the Texas Attorney General's office recently toured the "P.O.C." room at a Planned Parenthood facility in Houston.  'P.O.C' stands for 'product of conception'; Planned Parenthood couldn't even refer to their 'medical specimens' as children (Note: Abby Johnson later testified that when she worked at Planned Parenthood they would joke about calling it the 'pieces of children' room.).  Inside the 'P.O.C.' room, Planned Parenthood would store the remains of pre-born children in jars until they were ready to be transported for 'disposal.'  General Paxton testified that this particular facility 'discards' 260 pounds of 'medical waste' per week.

Following the testimony of several bureaucrats from state agencies, John Seago spoke on behalf of Texas Right to Life.  He explained how the raw footage from the Planned Parenthood sting mentions three facilities in Texas.  The Houston facility previously discussed by General Paxton was one of their largest "research" facilities in the country.  Seago also detailed how, despite improvements, Planned Parenthood was still eligible to collect subsidies from Texas taxpayers.  Seago restated Texas Right to Life's categorical opposition to any sort of 'medical research' on the carcasses of aborted children.

Abby Johnson followed Texas Right to Life.  She disputed the testimony one of the bureaucrats.  Whereas the bureaucrat testified that State inspections of abortion facilities are unannounced, Johnson said that when she worked at Planned Parenthood her facility was inspected during the same week of November every year.  This allowed the facility to scrub its records in anticipation of a visit from the state.  Johnson's testimony caused several D's to throw a tantrum over 'accusing a state employee of committing perjury.'  Of course, Johnson never accused the bureaucrat of lying, just being mistaken.  Upon being called to testify a second time, the bureaucrat admitted that she was discussing protocols as they exist on paper, not how they're carried out in real life.

Carol Everett spoke after Johnson.  Her testimony largely mirrored Texas Right to Life and Johnson.  The most notable part came when she discussed a medical procedure her mother had recently undergone.  As part of the procedure, the doctor recommended using placenta.  Everett was horrified.  As part of the discussion, the doctor explained that 'tissue' obtained via abortion was useless for either medical research or treatment because abortions rarely take place in sanitary conditions.

:This author found Johnson's and Everett's the most eye-opening.  The two former abortion industry workers discussed the number abortions performed on a daily basis.  Johnson said a Houston clinic in which she worked had a DAILY quota of 75 abortions, which extrapolates to 450 per week and 1800 per month.  Everett said she performed oversaw 35,000 abortions (spread among several clinics) over six years in the industry, which translates to approximately 20 per day.  That's not a medical procedure. , That's not "safe legal and rare."  That's genocide.

Finally, Cahnman's Musings would like to commend Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham).  Visibly shaken by what she was hearing, Kolkhorst nonetheless managed to ask probing questions that cut to the heart of the matter.  Chairman Charles Schwertner (R - Georgetown) also deserves credit for running a diligent, focused, hearing.  On the other hand, Senators Sylvia Garcia (D - Houston), Jose Rodriguez (D - El Paso), and Carlos Uresti (D - San Antonio) all admitted they hadn't watched the videos.  Senator Craig Estes (R - Whichita Falls) failed to show up at the hearing at all.

Planned Parenthood refused to participate in today's hearing, though their lawyer eventually showed up to deliver written testimony.

It's hard to imagine that pre-born children are being dismembered for profit here in Texas.  Unfortunately, today's hearing made clear that that's exactly what's happening.  This must stop.

Texas Right to Life Rebukes a Troll

"Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."
Proverbs 30:6

One unfortunate reality of pro-Life activism in Texas is that there are people who do fantastic work in non-political aspects of pro-Life ministry yet make TERRIBLE decisions when it comes to politics.

Earlier this week, one of those usual suspects attempted to insinuate that Texas Right to Life has collaborated with Planned Parenthood in the past.

Texas Right to Life addressed the issue on their website:

Texas Right to Life incorporates both long-term and short-term legislative strategies when setting the Pro-Life agenda for each legislative session. One long-term goal is to repeal and remove the loophole-ridden judicial bypass procedure through which minors obtain permission from judges to undergo secret abortions without parental involvement. In order to strike this judicial bypass provision from Texas law, various parts of the existing parental involvement law must be tweaked, stricken, and/or rewritten. A few myopic Pro-Lifers winced at striking parts of current law, claiming that such a move is just what Planned Parenthood would want, totally oblivious to the impact of closing the judicial bypass loophole, which would have ensured that a parent must give de facto consent before his/her minor daughter can undergo an abortion.

This move is part of a national strategy with far-reaching implications. However, the abortion advocates in the State House vociferously opposed efforts to remove the judicial bypass and even to tweak the evidentiary standards in regard to the pregnant minor. Despite imaginary partnerships with Planned Parenthood, the abortion industry and its advocates prefer the bypass provision and militantly oppose Texas Right to Life’s legislative initiative to strengthen the law and reduce the number of minors upon whom they can prey.

In Belotti v. Baird, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that if a state enacts a parental consent law, the state must also have a judicial bypass mechanism. Even though these laws have the same impact on reducing teen abortions, the semantics [“consent” vs “notification”] change the legal framework. Thus, a parental notification law without judicial bypass requires every minor to involve her parents in an abortion situation. On the other hand, laws requiring parental consent must allow an alternative path to abortion, i.e., the judicial bypass, preempting parental involvement. So the consent law must be changed before eliminating the judicial bypass loophole.

Read the whole thing here.

Bottom Line: Technical changes to legal language designed to comply with a United States Supreme Court ruling does not make one a "collaborator" with Planned Parenthood.

Central Texas Pro-Life Sidewalk Counseling Opportunities

"For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb."
Psalm 139:13

Thanks to HB 2, there is only one abortion clinic remaining in Travis County; that being said, one is still too many.

In her speech at the rally for Life on Saturday, Abby Johnson mentioned that the Planned Parenthood she used to work in would have a no-show rate of 75% when people would be outside praying and sidewalk counseling; that's an EXTREMELY effective way to protect babies.

Central Texas Coalition for Life is partnering with 40 days for life for the next campaign.  It begins on February 18th and runs through March 29th.  To sign up or receive more information, click here.

Please Go Away: An open letter to "Abolish Human Abortion"

"But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned."
Titus 3:9-11

Dear AHA,

Your latest attack on Abby Johnson would be astonishing if it wasn't so stupid:

You're going after Abby for being Catholic?!?

First things first, a single Facebook post doesn't prove heresy.  Without having spoken to her about this post, it seems pretty clear that she's describing the Lord's Supper, not her specific moment of salvation.  Catholics and Protestants can disagree with how frequently Christians should observe the elements, but it's hardly heresy.

I seem to remember reading something somewhere about knowing someone by their fruit.  Abby Johnson's fruit includes helping dozens (if not hundreds) of clinic workers leave the abortion industry.  And what, pray tell, have you done?!?

For a group that loves to use civil war imagery, you forget history.  During the antebellum period, there was a group called the Underground Railroad who helped take care of the economic needs of fugitive slaves.  Do I need to explain this one?!?

The ironic thing is that Abby and I don't get along particularly well.  We've been on different sides of numerous political disputes in Texas.  Furthermore, that's going to continue.  But there are appropriate forums to settle these disputes.  Calling someone a heretic on Facebook isn't one of them.

I probably shouldn't feed you trolls, but you're the Westboro Baptist Church of the pro-Life movement; please go away.

Sincerely,
Adam Cahn
Austin, TX
November 13, 2014

Turn the Other Cheek; Then Press Charges....

"Blessed are the peacemakers,
    For they shall be called sons of God. 
 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:9-10

Abby Johnson posts the following warning on her Facebook page:

I just wanted to post something in preparation for tomorrow. I have had a couple of legitimately concerned abortion clinic workers (from Austin clinics) contact me to let me know what is being planned for tomorrow. Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL are no longer encouraging their supporters to be civil and courteous. These workers are telling me that many are planning on getting arrested and being aggressive with prolifers (including physical contact because they don't think we will press charges).

I am writing this to you guys because I used to be one of the abortion supporters. They are very angry, hurting people. At this time, they feel like they have nothing to lose. I am not posting this to frighten any of you...rather, I am posting this so you are aware of what we are dealing with. AND, I want all of you to go in armed with the power of prayer.

I am not bringing my children with me tomorrow. I do not want them to be a part of the spectacle that will take place.

Tomorrow is NOT the time to engage with any of them. Also, do not be reactive. If one of them starting spouting off to you, immediately turn and walk away. They will be looking to get into trouble tomorrow. Let's make sure they don't find any trouble with us.

St. Michael, pray for us.

 Don't look for trouble.  If trouble finds you, lovingly advance justice.  God will take care of the rest.