Lies, Disinformation, & Inciting Riots

 I have not understood the out-of-control rage over the leaked SCOTUS docs. But I just read this tweet: "Senator Roy Blunt's daughter, Amy Blunt Mosby, has an ectopic pregnancy. It is now illegal for her to receive an abortion even if the fetus is on the outside of her uterus. What' she going to do?" [Paul Cogan]

I am very pro-life, but caring for an ectopic pregnancy is an exception 100% of the time. I don't know of anyone who does not consider this an emergency that requires saving the life of the mom as a priority. Roe has NOT been overturned (yet), but when/if it occurs, it will not make all abortion illegal; individual states can make their own laws. Yet, no one is going to demand a woman die because of an ectopic pregnancy!

Nor will it be illegal, as many on the thread claim, for someone to travel to another state to get an abortion. Again, keep in mind, that saving the life of the mother is always legal. There are valid reasons for ending a pregnancy. Inconvenience is not an acceptable reason to end an innocent life.

 

Unfortunately, many prefer slaughter over numerous forms of birth control. Saline solutions and dismemberment are cruel punishment for a tiny, growing human to endure. Yet some women do this to multiple children they conceived.

Yes, I believe Life begins at conception. As a Christian, I have a Biblical worldview that says, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. - Jeremiah 1:5 and
Psalm 139:13-16 - For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.

I can sympathize while still disagreeing with some people's opinions and actions. People whom I love dearly have had abortions for reasons they felt were valid. I disagree, but I still love them. I struggle more with people who use abortion as birth control multiple times--- those who even claim to be proud of what they did. Abortion is not health care (another person is being put to death), it's not reproductive rights (it's stopping reproduction) and it's certainly not YOUR body being sacrificed (the baby has its own DNA, blood type, fingerprints, etc.). It is cruel and people have become very desensitized about human life since it became legal in 1973. 

But a respecter of Life goes beyond the desire to keep a child in the womb safe. It certainly includes wanting humans safe, fed, warm (or cool), and sheltered from the womb to the tomb. However, it also means not stirring the rage of people by flat out lying to them and turning them against people for the wrong reasons. Lives are being threatened because people are foolishly listening to the lies of instigators. It is not "Free Speech" and "Peaceful Protests" when it's a deliberate plan to threaten, intimidate, and frighten people who share a different viewpoint, especially the lives of those who are in a position to make legal and moral decisions. Those who are participating should be prosecuted for their threats to others. It's time to wake up to the harm being done. 

 

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. - Ecclesiastes 11:5

Unplanned

All Abby Johnson ever wanted to do was help women. As one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation, she was involved in upwards of 22,000 abortions and counseled countless women about their reproductive choices. Her passion surrounding a woman’s right to choose even led her to become a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, fighting to enact legislation for the cause she so deeply believed in.

Until the day she saw something that changed everything, leading Abby Johnson to 

join her former enemies at 40 Days For Life, and become one of the most ardent 

pro-life speakers in America.

Unplanned was directed by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon and had outstanding performances by Ashley Bratcher as Abby and Robia Scott as Cheryl, a few surprising cameos, and other talented actors (including my friends Todd Terry and Stacey Bradshaw). Many were shocked when it's successful opening weekend landed it in 4th place overall. This has led to more theaters bringing it in this week! I thought Unplanned did well in presenting Abby Johnson's story and how her views on abortion were changed. I have always been pro-life, even before Roe vs Wade, so I admit to some bias when it comes to abortion. This film actually gave me a deeper understanding of the motives of some of the workers in the abortion industry who genuinely believe they are doing a service for women, and even the babies. I still disagree with what they do but am willing to concede that some are well-intentioned. 

The story was well told, and while some scenes were graphic, abortion is not a neat, tidy procedure... nor is it an unemotional one for most women. These are living humans who are being destroyed before they have the chance to draw their first breath. The very first scene, which was the catalyst for Johnson leaving Planned Parenthood, makes a powerful impact that still lingers in my mind... even knowing that it is CGI. And, I do have friends who faint at the sight of blood, but scenes that include blood are not put in the film for shock; these scenes accurately portray what sometimes happens. Of course, there are also scenes that hit hard on an emotional level. I rarely cry at a theater, but one, in particular, had tears running down my face.

My hope is that many will see the film, no matter their personal views, just to see this side of the story. It's hard to make an informed intelligent decision if you close your eyes to certain aspects. If you support abortion, I hope the film causes you to reconsider; if your view remains unchanged, I hope you at least have a greater understanding of the views of those who believe the unborn child has value. I highly recommend this film for adults and sexually active teens.

Go see this movie! 
For more information:
UnplannedFilm.com
Unplanned on IMDb 
Unplanned on Facebook 
Follow @UnplannedMovie on Twitter 
UnplannedMovie on Instagram 
Resources
AbbyJohnson.org 
40 Days For Life 

Voiceless

Jesse Dean (Rusty Joiner: Last Ounce of Courage, Dodgeball, Days of Our Lives), a recently discharged soldier and his wife, wife Julia (Jocelyn Cruz: Strike One, This Is Our Time) move to Philadelphia when he takes a job as the outreach leader in the church Julia attended before their marriage. Jesse was not a Christian before meeting Julia, but has fully embraced his new faith and eager to share it with others.

Jesse gets a great start with connecting with his new community, but the presence of an abortion clinic across the street, and encounters with 2 different women who talk to him regarding decisions of whether or not to have an abortion have a tremendous impact on him. The pastor, church members, families of the pregnant women, the police, and even his wife, advise him to back off before he lands in jail.

Despite opposition, Jesse feel compelled to take action on his conviction to be a voice for the Voiceless and talk to those considering entering the abortion clinic. Being supportive of the women whose decision to let their child live is another important step he considers vital after an initial reluctance ends in tragedy. Help comes from a reluctant source--- a neighbor (Susan Moses) becomes a staunch supporter, even as his wife battles her own insecurities and painful memories.

The winner of multiple awards, Voiceless has been honored as Northeast Film Festival’s Best Feature and People’s Choice for Best Feature Film and Best Feature Film from the California Independent Film Festival. Comedian Paul Rodriguez also stars as Virgil with James Russo as Pastor Gil. Written and directed by Pat Necerato, the film is rated PG-13 for thematic material and some violence. Voiceless will be coming to theaters on October 7, 2016. For more information and to see which theaters will have screenings, visit their website: Voicelessthemovie.com

Many thanks to Icon Media Group for allowing me to see Voiceless in advance of the theater release for review purposes. They only required an honest review. I am sharing my thoughts below:

Voiceless is a very well made film that not only touches on the controversial subject of abortion, but also on taking a stand and remaining firm on your convictions. Of course the story is told from a pro-life point of view, but it clearly shows that even Christians have mixed views on the subject and whether or not they should personally be involved. Elements that I loved were that the entire focus was not only on the unborn child. Many of the people who are in favor of abortion throw out a criticism that pro-lifers are only concerned with the "fetus." (While I don't find that true among the people I know, I do concede that there are people who are unsupportive of the women who choose to give birth, and even the children themselves as they age.) Jesse's total involvement and commitment to help the women who chose Life and his encouragement to others to get involved---to be the "Hands and Feet of Jesus" is an aspect of the film that touched me deeply, and I hope encourages other viewers to walk farther with the women who have more decisions to make after the one to not abort. A helping hand is more than just a hand out. 'Miss Elsie' (Susan Moses) was one of my favorite characters in the film. Jesse and Julia cranky neighbor secretly had a heart of gold and more courage than many as she also makes a decision whether to remain an outsider or get involved with others. 

Honestly, I loved all of the characters in the film (and the actors who portrayed them), since even the ones whose views differed from mine added layers to the film. We get so angry at those who disagree with us or who chose to remain uninvolved that we often fail to see from their perspective. While I remain as adamantly pro-life as ever, I did see how a pro-choice person could reach a different conclusion than me. That small common point can be the talking point (as opposed to the screaming point) that opens a conversation. 

The downside for me was that the film leaned more toward the typical "Christian movie" ending. Not as bad as many, but that may just be me. I do see that it would serve the purpose more...which is to encourage more Christians to get up, get out, get involved, and make a difference. I can't really complain about that. 

The film is going to be in a limited run, but you can check with the website to see if you could bring it to your area; More theaters are being added. If you can, I recommend you go see it. When it comes out on DVD, Buy Voiceless. Whether you are pro, anti, or indifferent about abortion, the movie will show that there is more to the story and that sitting back and ignoring the issue is not the answer. 

Loving The Bad Man

Julie (Christine Kelly) is a young, conservative Christian who is very zealous living out her faith. When a flat tire causes her to have to go into a very rough bar to use the phone [no cell signal], the bartender suggests a customer, Mike (Arturo Fernandez --now Arturo Rossi), may be able to help. The very drunk and angry mechanic changes Julie’s tire but then forces himself on her. Julie is able to identify him & he is quickly apprehended and sentenced to prison. Her family is ready to put this all behind them until it is discovered Julie is pregnant. They urge her to abort, but Julie refuses to even consider it. Realizing that she must forgive this rapist, she takes matters even further by visiting him in prison and forging an unlikely friendship.

Loving the Bad Man was mostly advertised as a Stephen Baldwin film. He was indeed in it...I'm just not sure why. I never did figure out the prison politics and gangs angle, although it was shown a lot and Baldwin's character was crucial to the ending of the movie. One of the prisoners, Cecil (George Smith) was a wiser, older gentleman whose character really reminded me of the role Morgan Freeman played in The Shawshank Redemption. [Another actor I found more compelling to watch was "Manny" ~ Pedro Moreno] To be fair, I have no prison experience, so they may have been showing an honest portrayal of inmates.

Even more disturbing to me was Julie's family! The brother was a DJ at a local radio show (yet I could barely understand a word he said), and I never quite understood his character. He stayed pretty happy, esp for one with those parents. The mom would go into hysterics at lightning speed and certainly was not the anchor of the family. The dad! Frankly, he scared me more than the rapist! With the way he would fly off the handle, it was easy to understand why the rest of the family seemed more than a bit dysfunctional.

The theme of the movie was great. The Bible certainly instructs us to show forgiveness. There were also instances of redemption, laying down your life for another, kindness, reaching out to others. Oh, and the music....it was okay. I would probably listen to it now & then, but it was played too loud over the scenes and the words were so well suited to the action that it became a bit funny to me. Obviously, the person who selected the music was very involved with the film and I know I should be much more favorably impressed.

           ***************SPOILER ALERT***************

The ending even made it appear that the family was being restored...yet I noticed the brother and Julie's friend/potential boyfriend were both conspicuously absent from the fun family photos. Perhaps they were at work, or on a mission trip, or even the photographers, but it seemed more likely that they escaped from the family.

Meant To Be

When 20-year old Nathan Burr (Bradley Dorsey) loses his career and his girlfriend, he questions his purpose in life. Compounding his struggle, Nathan grew up in a foster home and never met his birth mother. Nathan sets out on a quest to find his mother and somehow come to terms with her rejection of him. His journey begins by flying to the city where he was born. Upon his arrival, Nathan checks into a hotel and meets Mave (Della Reese) the hotel's housekeeper. Encouraged by Mave's wisdom and the help of a hotel guest, Shelly, (Kristen Renton) Nathan finds the address of his mother, Linda Dixon (Erika Eleniak). Linda is a social worker who agonizes over the decision she made with Nathan 20 years ago. In an effort to admonish the guilt of giving up her son, Linda is caught up in the life of a teenage mother, Tori (Erin Sossoman) who is conflicted by the decision to abort her baby... 

 My Opinion: Meant To Be is a pro-life film, but one with a twist. I admit that I can be the biggest critic of films that have scenes that I think are illogical, but it's easier for me to grant a bit of leeway with films that aren't meant to accurately portray reality. So I did have a few qualms in the beginning with why the husband (Dean Cain) seemed so harsh and other little things that seemed odd. However, the message of the story was so powerful that it made me more forgiving of what I initially considered flaws. I felt the writers of the film (Bradley Dorsey, Lori Marett, and Marshal Younger) were very effective in asking the viewer to pause and consider her actions. I recommend this film, especially to teens, in hopes they will think before they do something that will always stay with them...and consider their options. It also has a strong message to others who protest from the sidelines, but do no more.