5 Reasons Why Planned Parenthood Must Stop Receiving Our Tax Dollars - LISA SMILEY/BOUND4LIFE

5 Reasons Why Planned Parenthood Must Stop Receiving Our Tax Dollars

2/10/2017 LISA SMILEY/BOUND4LIFE

Planned Parenthood makes many lofty claims about its "services" being critical to women's health. But just digging a little deeper into its actual practices and history reveals something much less positive—and a lot more sinister.

As a pro-life blogger and speaker, who escaped abortion myself in Communist China, and chose life for my "imperfect" child, I feel called to expose abortion lies wherever I see them. This weekend, tens of thousands of people will protest Planned Parenthood nationwide; it's a critical moment to raise awareness of the abortion giant and its misdeeds. 

More than any organization in America, Planned Parenthood is responsible for perpetrating lies about abortion—and lies about its own "women's health" services. There's no doubt, the public relations strategy of the abortion giant is built on deception.

If the American public really knew the truth about Planned Parenthood, I truly believe most Americans would immediately stop supporting and defending it. That's why my latest video gives five reasons why Planned Parenthood must stop receiving our tax funding—the entire $553 million dollars they currently receive annually.

In fact, Congress will soon begin debate over a budget reconciliation bill on this issue. We can expect mainstream media to go crazy over this bill, claiming it will harm women's health. But the truth is, all it will do is halt abortion providers from receiving about 75 percent of their current taxpayer funding for one year.

I'd call that a good first step, and here are five reasons why.

1. Planned Parenthood has disturbing eugenics origins.

Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was a racist eugenicist. She wholeheartedly believed in weeding out the "undesirables" as she called them—like blacks, minorities, the disabled, the poor and the "feeble-minded." She was a white supremacist. She proudly spoke to the KKK.

Sanger openly supported forced sterilization and birth control, especially for the black community. She started Planned Parenthood as a nonprofit to funnel her eugenics goals. Sadly, the organization still honors its disturbing founder with its annual Margaret Sanger award.

2. Planned Parenthood still targets blacks and minorities.

Seventy-eight percent of its clinics are in minority communities! This is evident in abortion statistics. Blacks are three times more likely to have an abortion than a white woman. Hispanic women are two times more likely to have an abortion than a white woman.

And tragically, more black babies are aborted than born alive in New York City.

3. The claim that Planned Parenthood does "so much good" besides abortion is a lie.

In reality, the business is built on abortion, because it is its biggest moneymaker. Former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson has shared at length about the organization's disturbing abortion quotas.

Live Action has debunked the myth that abortion makes up only three percent of its services. In the past, the organization has shut down clinics that didn't provide abortions. 

4. Planned Parenthood does not provide comprehensive healthcare.

A practicing OB-GYN in Tennessee, Dr. Brent Boles has pointed out that these abortion centers actually offers women very limited health care—far less than what you get at a doctor's office or other health clinic.

The organization claimed that it provided mammograms—but that turned out to be a sham. It recently scrubbed the phrase "prenatal care" from websites—because their abortion centers offer no such thing. It claimed that if it got defunded, millions of women would lose health care access—but that is another lie. 

The $400 million it would lose in Medicaid funding (in the soon-to-come budget bill) would actually get redirected to 13,000 health care clinics that offer many more services than Planned Parenthood. Women have far better health care options.

5. Planned Parenthood is guilty of illegally selling aborted baby parts.

In 2015, the Center for Medical Progress led a huge undercover investigation to expose Planned Parenthood's illegal activities. Their footage included scenes of executives bargaining over the price of aborted babies; workers admitting to selling "fresh" aborted baby eyes, hearts and "gonads;" and abortionists illegally changing abortion procedures to get baby organs.

Corruption at the organization has gone on for years. Planned Parenthood has also been caught covering up child sexual abuse, committing Medicaid and taxpayer fraud, illegally dumping aborted babies in landfills, and has a history of violating health and safety standards.

No matter where one stands on the issue of when life begins, this budget measure coming before Congress that affects the public funding of abortion providers is one we all should be able to support.

As Planned Parenthood faces greater scrutiny of its practices, women and children will benefit by receiving the care they need from legitimate health providers.

Lisa Smiley is a mother of four precious children, including one now with his creator in heaven. She earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of California-Irvine. Lisa blogs at LisaSmiley.com as well as for Bound4LIFE International, a grassroots movement to pray for the ending of abortion, carry the spirit of adoption and believe for revival and reformation. She and her husband James raise their family in the Dallas area.

Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE International.

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With Synergy of Mercy and Truth, OneVoiceDC Prayer Gathering Raises a Song for Life - JOSH M. SHEPHERD/BOUND4LIFE

Matt Lockett in worship. (Courtesy)

With Synergy of Mercy and Truth, OneVoiceDC Prayer Gathering Raises a Song for Life

JOSH M. SHEPHERD/BOUND4LIFE  Jan. 26, 2017

On Monday, President Donald Trump signed the Mexico City Policy as one of his first acts on his first Monday in office—banning any U.S. funding of overseas groups that provide or promote abortion. Many praised the executive order as a "great start."

Pro-life leaders see years of policy battles and work ahead to protect women and lives in the womb. "In this lifelong endeavor of upholding the value of every life, it is easy to grow weary," notes Bound4LIFE executive director Matt Lockett. 

"The only thing that can sustain our stand is making the space and taking the time to hear from God Himself," says Lockett, who has led a group standing in prayer outside the U.S. Supreme Court since 2004. "That's why, when Ryan and Bethany Bomberger floated the idea of a prayer gathering linked to the March for Life, we jumped at the chance to partner with them."

OneVoiceDC is an annual prayer and worship gathering to "speak life and biblical truth into the greatest human rights injustice of our day, which is abortion," according to event co-founder Bethany Bomberger. DC-area churches and pro-life ministries nationwide are represented with a diversity of ethnicities, denominations and worship styles.

For three years, she and her husband Ryan have brought together leading pro-life voices in a different format than one normally encounters in Washington. Rather than presenting formal speeches, leaders like Alveda King, Tony Perkins, Star Parker, Charmaine Yoest and Bishop Harry Jackson have shared their hearts in prayers to God.

Two leaders, both returning to the event this Thursday night, illustrate how mercy and truth infuse this non-denominational prayer gathering.

"We come to You tonight praising You for forgiveness," prayed Abby Johnson at OneVoiceDC. "We know that none of us is worthy of redemption, but because of Your precious blood—because of Your scandalous mercy—we are forgiven. You love us so much. Because You call us Your children, we are able to receive Your love."

Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director, now runs a ministry to help abortion workers leave the industry. "I pray for those who are still trapped inside the abortion industry—that they find Your grace and run into Your arms, like a child runs to her father! I ask that there would be an exodus from the abortion industry."

"God, touch their hearts as only You can do. I ask that You would replace the fear in their hearts with overwhelming joy," Johnson continued.

"Lord, would you give us Your compassion for these workers?" she asked, challenging those assembled to cast off attitudes of anger and offense. "No one is beyond conversion because no one is beyond Your power. I pray that the doors of these abortion facilities would be shut."

Right after Johnson, Catherine Davis came at the issue of abortion from a different perspective. Nearly two years ago, Davis led a prayer march in Selma, Alabama to close an illegal abortion center. Only months later, the abortionist closed up shop. The story is told in a new documentary, Hear from Heaven, premiering on the evening of March for Life 2017.

"Father God, we come before Your throne tonight with Thanksgiving. You do miracles in the earth today," Davis began.

"You showed us that with the Center for Medical Progress videos that revealed the truth about abortion in America. You showed us that in Selma, Alabama when You shut down that illegal abortionist—no one can take credit for that but You, Lord!"

She continued: "Father, we come today asking for another miracle: that You would raise up Your army to end the scourge of abortion in this nation. Awaken the black community who have been blinded to this scourge for so long. God, expose the truth that abortion has been about population control from its beginning. 

"We pray You will go from heart to heart and raise them up to join this fight for life—just like You did in Selma, where black, white, Hispanic, Native American and everybody came together as one. Together, our unity broke the influence of that illegal abortionist," she recounted.

Davis prayed with fiery passion: "We pray tonight for an unleashing, beginning here in Washington, D.C., and growing to an avalanche that will break the influence of abortion over this nation once and for all."

This Thursday evening, Davis and Johnson are slated to join other leaders such as Eric Metaxas, Terri LaShae, the Transform DJs (Jonathan and Angela Burgess), Bishop Vincent Matthews, Reverend Dean Nelson, Pastor Kate Costa, Father Terry Gensemer, Charismatic Episcopal Church youth, Pastor Bill Shuler and others at OneVoiceDC.

The prayer and worship gathering will begin at 7 p.m. at Renaissance Downtown DC Hotel. No registration is required and full event details are available online. As Davis concluded in her prayer: "Raise us up from OneVoiceDC to One Voice USA. We won't run from the fight, we'll run to the fight!" 

Josh M. Shepherd serves as communications manager at Bound4LIFE International, a faith-based pro-life group. He previously worked on staff at The Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family. Josh and his wife Terri live in the Washington, D.C. area.

Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE.

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Biggest Political Upset in American History Poised to Shift US Supreme Court - JOSH M. SHEPHERD/BOUND4LIFE CHARISMA NEWS

A general view of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Biggest Political Upset in American History Poised to Shift US Supreme Court

11/16/2016 JOSH M. SHEPHERD/BOUND4LIFE  CHARISMA NEWS

Uniting a diverse coalition of blue-collar workers, pro-life advocates and people of all backgrounds, last week Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the U.S. election—becoming the 45th president of the United States in "the biggest political upset in American history" as The Economist and media outlets worldwide reported. 

The victory was unexpected partly because polling models did not fully account for what issues motivated certain voters. Exit polls showed that "7 in 10 voters nationwide say Supreme Court appointments were either the most important factor or an important factor in their decision to support a candidate."  

Describing those motivated by the appointment of new judges, ABC News stated: "These voters overwhelmingly favor Trump." 

Personnel Is Policy 

Led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, the Trump transition team will be making headlines daily over the next two months—working to place conservative personnel to lead departments across the executive branch, including in domestic, economic and foreign policy. 

From government funding of abortion to the rise of assisted suicide, from bioethics concerns to conscience rights for medical professionals, every new staff member has the potential to be involved in protecting and defending lives. Yet it's the empty seat on the U.S. Supreme Court pro-life advocates are intently focused upon.  

Who will Mr. Trump nominate for this seat, and how will the U.S. Senate guide his decision? While some nationwide have circled Inauguration Day (Jan. 20) as the first date to refocus on politics, important moves will be made in the coming weeks. 

"The first appointment to fill the Scalia vacancy will give Donald Trump the opportunity to preserve, and improve, the divided court that existed before the election," says Allan Parker, president of The Justice Foundation. Parker has been involved in pro-life legal advocacy for more than two decades. 

Indeed, experts at The Heritage Foundation recently noted how a divided court means the empty seat carries great significance.  

A media circus is expected with any nominee to the high court, often focusing on the potential justice's gender or other external traits. Yet the important questions will center on his or her judicial philosophy. 

"Donald Trump should appoint an original-intent constitutionalist, one who interprets the Constitution according to the original intent of the American founders and ratifiers," states Texas attorney Allan Parker. 

"Of course, the Constitution can be amended and has been over the years—but not by judges. There is a legislative process for amendments, subject to the consent of the governed which is where we get the legitimacy of our form of government." 

Small Committee Faces Big Decisions

Trump is expected to announce a nominee in the first weeks of his presidency—with much fanfare. During the campaign, he released a list of 21 potential judges from which he would ultimately choose one important name. 

"Donald Trump showed real leadership by putting out a list of excellent candidates for the empty seat on the Supreme Court," says Carrie Severino, policy director of the Judicial Crisis Network. "That list, combined with the principled position taken by Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Grassley, is what made the Supreme Court such a key issue in this election." 

The Senate Judiciary Committee carries responsibility for vetting all Supreme Court nominees, including during the high-stakes nomination hearings. The committee, currently chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), is comprised of 11 Republican and nine Democratic Senators. 

While Republicans were elected to majorities in Congress—with the Democratic Party having few ways to obstruct the process—the Senate's role of providing advice and consent on new personnel appointed by President Trump could result in a holdup. 

"It will be a busy spring," Severino continues. "The U.S. Senate will be in the unusual position of having to process a Supreme Court nomination at the same time as over 1,200 presidential appointment positions." 

At least one Senator is leaving the Judiciary Committee. After opting not to run for reelection, Sen. David Vitter (R-Louisiana) will retire this year.  

Another committee member, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) has forged a close bond with President-elect Trump as one of his strongest backers—leading some to speculate he will leave the Senate to work in the Trump Administration. In this event, two Republican seats on the committee will need to be filled. 

"This election was all about the Supreme Court, so engaged citizens are expecting pro-life leaders in the Senate to act accordingly," says Pam Olsen, a Florida prayer leader who supported Trump during campaign season. 

"We need voices like Joni Ernst, Ben Sasse and my own newly reelected Senator Marco Rubio on the Judiciary Committee—men and women of true conviction!" 

More Supreme Court Seats to Fill? 

Replacing the empty seat left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia may not be President Trump's only appointment to the high court. 

Three current Supreme Court justices are also approaching retirement age: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (age 83), Anthony Kennedy (age 80) and Stephen Breyer (age 78). Last week, retirement rumors surrounding Justice Kennedy surfaced. 

"With as many as three more vacancies possible in the next four years, [the] conservative domination could become overwhelming for generations to come," stated NPR News in post-election analysis. 

Yet considering recent pro-abortion court decisions, is it astute to envision some future Supreme Court case that will weigh innocent pre-born lives on the scales of justice? Attorney Allan Parker sees a path for such an outcome. 

"Decisions such as Roe v. Wade and its companion case can be overturned under the doctrine of stare decisis," asserts Parker, referring to a legal principle of constitutional law by which more than 200 Supreme Court decisions have been overturned. 

"All judges take an oath to defend the Constitution, which means honoring that written text more than any prior opinions—including court opinions. The U.S. Constitution expressly has a right to life in the fifth and fourteenth amendments," states Parker. 

Matt Lockett of Bound4LIFE International, who leads a team of pro-life Christian intercessors based on Capitol Hill since 2004, echoes this statement. 

"Many have said that Roe v. Wade will never be overturned; they also said the election could never go the way that it did. I believe we are in a unique season of answered prayer. The pro-life movement must push forward right now with what we know is right and true," declares Lockett. 

Parker emphasizes the new administration must live up to its campaign promises, saying, "Republicans need to be as bold and as confident as President-elect Trump was when he said that he would appoint judges who would overturn Roe v. Wade." 

Josh M. Shepherd serves as communications manager at Bound4LIFE International, a faith-based pro-life organization. He previously worked on staff at The Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family. Josh and his wife Terri live in the Washington, D.C. area. 

Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE. 

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Babies in the Womb Have Become the Fatherless in Our Land - CATHERINE DEVEAU/BOUND4LIFE CHARISMA NEWS

Babies in the Womb Have Become the Fatherless in Our Land

 6/17/2016 CATHERINE DEVEAU/BOUND4LIFE  charisma news

This Father's Day, let us not forget that children are affected by how we treat them during their prenatal period. (Courtesy/Bound4Life)

"Man does not know its price, nor is it found in the land of the living" (Job 28:13).

I believe the greatest assault that we are facing today is the spirit of death—and it stems from not valuing and having a reverence for life. The world has become more and more detached from the One who deems us valuable. When we are not connected to the source of our value, then we are unable to see that value in ourselves and in others.

Currently I work as a doula and also was just accepted to midwifery school. One of my requirements to being a midwifery student is to keep my neonatal resuscitation certification current. At my renewal class recently, our instructor Karen Strange was talking to us about research that psychologists have conducted of babies in the womb.

Psychiatrist Thomas Verney, author of The Secret Life of the Unborn Child has studied how children respond to stimuli in the womb and how the majority of their personalities are crafted during the prenatal period! This is a big statement yet also a truth reflected in Psalm 139.

Children in the womb are affected by outside circumstances, as we see demonstrated in the biblical account of Luke: "When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She spoke out with a loud voice, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Indeed, as soon as the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy'" (Luke 1:41-44).

How does all of this tie into the truth that the fatherless in the land are babies in the womb? Let me share with you a bit of my story. My mom and dad were married for seven years before I was born.

During that time period, my mom was told that she wouldn't ever conceive children as she struggled with infertility. The doctors told her to give up on her fifth or sixth round of fertility treatment and that they could try again in a few months. During that waiting period, unbeknownst to her, she conceived me!

I was conceived in the midst of emotional turmoil for my parents. My dad had lost yet another job; the pull depression had on him was becoming stronger each day. During my prenatal period, my mother was caring for her dying mother—all the while walking on eggshells around her suicidal husband, who was in and out of the hospital on a regular basis. Then when I was about 10 weeks gestation age, trauma shook my mother to the core. Her mother passed away and she was overcome with grief. Still she didn't know that a life was growing within her.

My mother got sick from what she thought was grief, until one of her coworkers convinced her to take a pregnancy test. My mother, a nurse, thought her co-worker was out of her mind—but she obliged and she was surprised when the results came back positive. So many emotions swept over my mother at the news: elation, shock, joy, sorrow, loss, grief, fear, love... all of which I felt as well, hidden within my mother's womb.

When my mother shared the news with my father, his first reactions were based on an all-too-common premise that this baby is a burden. He asked, "How am I going to provide for this baby? I can't keep a job." Self-hatred was brewing within him all the more.

My whole prenatal period was very hard for my mother. Not only was she working an incredibly demanding schedule as an operating room nurse, but she was constantly faced with the fear that she would arrive home to a dead husband.

No one should have to go through this, especially a pre-born baby who has no idea why the bodies of mother and child are being pumped with a cocktail of hormones: cortisol (from stress), adrenaline (from fear) and serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine from grief, sorrow and sadness.

Children in the womb respond to these outside stimuli by going into what is known as "survival mode" or "fight or flight," which inhibits their growth and development.

In my case, not only were there lasting physical effects from being gestated in this plethora of emotions. I also adopted the beliefs that I was a burden, that my father didn't want me and that I caused grief—all of which lead to a life of severe self-hatred, among other problems.

See, my father dismissed me during the prenatal period. He was overcome with grief and sorrow. Therefore, one of the foundational beliefs of my life was that my father didn't love me, that he didn't want me and that I was a burden. I was affected by fatherlessness from conception throughout the course of my life until I found myself in Christ, adopted into the kingdom of my Father.

Years later, I discovered what my heavenly Father says about me in His Word. Ephesians 1:4-5 proclaims, "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will."

God chose us—He chose me—before He even created the world! That right there tells me that humans are valuable to God, more valuable than anything else, because He chose us to be adopted into His family through Jesus. And His Word says He was and is pleased with that decision!

Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; and before you were born I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations. " The Father placed value on you before He formed you in your mother's womb! While He was forming you there, He was writing all of your days in His book (Ps. 139:16).

Through my heavenly Father's words, I have found healing and perspective to completely forgive my earthly father—feeling compassion for a broken, needy man who was only hurting because he too hurt deep inside.

This Father's Day, let us not forget that children are affected by how we treat them during their prenatal period. Children can feel the effects of fatherlessness even in the womb, and it is during this period that their personalities are shaped the most. Do we want to continue to create a culture of fatherless children—or will the fathers rise up to care for their babies when it matters most, during their formation?

It's time to pray for fathers in America to lead and nurture their families. Amidst your Father's Day celebrations, pray for "the hearts of the fathers be turned to their children" (Mal. 4:6a) and for the consciousness of America to be awakened towards the value of the developing child. 

Catherine DeVeau is birth doula and birth photographer with Live Free Baby and is involved with Symphony House of Prayer in Manchester, New Hampshire. She holds an associate degree in Early Childhood Education and has been accepted to Mercy in Action College of Midwifery in Boise, Idaho, to start this fall in pursuit of her Certified Professional Midwife license. Passionate about how birth relates to our spiritual walk, Catherine believes healing our practices of pregnancy, labor and birth can help heal our culture.

Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE.

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WATCH: Pro-Life Prayer Movement Advances in Hong Kong, Gateway to Asia - MARISA LENGOR KWANING/BOUND4LIFE CHARISMA NEWS

WATCH: Pro-Life Prayer Movement Advances in Hong Kong, Gateway to Asia

6/2/2016 MARISA LENGOR KWANING/BOUND4LIFE  charisma news

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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When Joseph Woodard answered God's call to be a light in Asia, it was more than simply stepping out of his comfort zone in suburban America. Woodard grasped the torch of pro-life prayer, a movement shining brightly since 2004 when 40 Days for Life and Bound4LIFE launched within the same month.

He moved to Shanghai, China in 2010 to teach English. Two years later, Woodard ended up in Hong Kong, where he led the first 40 Days for Life prayer campaign this past spring—part of a movement that involved more than 120,000 people praying in 273 locations across 25 nations, including daily at the U.S. Supreme Court.

To capture a snapshot of what God is doing in Hong Kong—including how the symbol of Life Tape played a role in their pro-life advocacy—we spoke with Joseph Woodard about his personal journey and why standing for life matters in every nation.

Bound4LIFE: What brought you to Hong Kong?

Joseph Woodard: Originally I had a very general calling to China and then I realized that Hong Kong would be an ideal place for long-term work in Asia.

God never told me, in so many words, to be a missionary in Asia; I simply thought of myself as a Christian whom God had called to China. I eventually decided to move to Hong Kong, specifically because I saw a special work of the Holy Spirit among churches here.

Bound4LIFE: How did you become a part of the 40 Days for Life movement, starting with the campaign this past spring? 

Joseph Woodard: I heard about it a long time ago, but only participated in one 40 Days for Life prayer gathering—for about an hour when I was a student at Ave Maria University. Honestly, I thought 40 Days for Life was a great idea, but not for me. Last summer I realized God was opening a door in Asia for pro-life ministry, which tragically has been almost nonexistent. 

When I spoke with an experienced pro-life leader for advice, he suggested 40 Days for Life would do more than anything else to serve churches to respond to the crisis of abortion. After that, I spoke to the 40 Days for Life international campaign director in London—actually while I was in the middle of watching the movie Mission: Impossible. Some would call our mission in Hong Kong "impossible," but we decided to go for it!

Bound4LIFE: What challenges did you face in assembling a team to pray continuously?

Joseph Woodard: So I had already lived in Hong Kong for over three years at this point. I had done a lot of work with a number of churches, but I hadn't initiated a prayer campaign for non-English speakers before. Honestly, I was worried about translation issues and would have preferred that someone from Hong Kong lead the campaign.

But I was able to overcome some of the language barrier by being able to type Chinese better than I can actually speak it. Nearly everybody I know uses a smartphone; even when I was talking with someone who didn't know English, we were able to communicate thanks to Google Translate.

As far as filling up the prayer schedule, we really wanted to have 12-hour shifts (8am–8pm) per day during the prayer campaign. We only actually filled up the entire 12 hours a few times during the 40 days. But at the same time, I consider the whole experience a great success. 

Thankfully, no one was against the idea of praying outside an abortion center. The problem was that the concept was completely new, even for churches I worked with. Out of 125 volunteers who signed up to pray in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic, only three had done this before. We were very moved by the number of participants.

Bound4LIFE: Over the course of those 40 days, do any experiences in front of the abortion center in prayer stand out—either yours or from your team?

Joseph Woodard: We prayed in what was probably the most unusual setup of any 40 Days for Life campaign. It was within a public area, where people often sit to drink beer or smoke. One day, I recall so many people smoking—cigarette smoke rising all around us; it happened to be the day a local House of Prayer community joined for an hour.

One of the volunteers told me later that had he wanted to put on his Life Tape and pray prayers of spiritual warfare. But the Holy Spirit told him just to worship. I believe the incense of true worship is our best weapon against the culture of death. Many of the volunteers really liked the idea of the Life Tape, being able to proclaim life on behalf of the voiceless. 

During Hong Kong's first March for Life, some leaders had everyone put on Life Tape, and then we marched for two hours through the busiest neighborhoods in Hong Kong. They were holding signs, many wearing Life Tape, praying and others singing. It was really amazing. That was definitely one of the main highlights for everybody.

Bound4LIFE: The freedom of public assembly is recognized by Hong Kong. How does this right influence your ability to gather with volunteers to pray? 

Joseph Woodard: Overall, Hong Kong is one of the freest places in the world. According to the Cato Institute's Human Freedom Index, Hong Kong tops the list—which is an anomaly, the only very free society in the world that is not officially a democracy.

There are all sorts of public gatherings in Hong Kong every day: celebrations, public awareness events, big fundraisers, protests, etc. Hong Kong police are very helpful in facilitating the gatherings and really don't care why you're gathering, as long as you're not blocking traffic.

Right when we were starting 40 Days for Life, there was actually a series of small riots. This dominated the news cycle because—despite what you might see on the news—Hong Kong is a very peaceful place. So the police were on high alert. Thankfully, we had communicated clearly with the police about what we were doing before the campaign started, even though legally we didn't have to tell them anything.

Better to communicate directly than for the police to hear about us from the abortion center. It's hard to believe the reach of Planned Parenthood, which is directly affiliated with the abortion facility we prayed at for 40 days. Overall, we felt supported by the police. I believe the prayers we prayed months in advance gave us favor during the spring campaign.

Bound4LIFE: Can you describe the differences between Hong Kong and mainland China as it pertains to standing for life? 

Joseph Woodard: In Hong Kong there is freedom of religion, and the church is very active in public life. Even if people don't go to church and don't know anything about Christianity, there is still the opportunity to be influenced by Christian principles like the dignity of the human person and the rights that accompany that dignity.

However, in mainland China, people don't have a sense of the individual's rights including the right to life. Because of that, in some ways it is much easier for this issue to make sense in Hong Kong. Whereas in China, it is going to be even more countercultural to stand for life.

Bound4LIFE: What milestones have you seen happen with the pro-life prayer movement in Hong Kong since you relocated?

Joseph Woodard: Right after I moved to Hong Kong, a newspaper article covered a story about a major abortion center that had shut down in the central business district. The article quoted a local leader as supporting the clinic shutdown and described a gathering praying for a culture of life in Hong Kong.  

For three years, I had been looking out for anyone doing pro-life ministry in Hong Kong. But I came up empty. Then right after I decided to do 40 Days for Life, I started meeting people; it was totally providential. Within several weeks, I had met most of the main pro-life leaders in Hong Kong and many from elsewhere in Asia.

Bound4LIFE: What core message do you want the American church to know about the pro-life prayer movement in Hong Kong?

Joseph Woodard: Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to influence all of Asia. Regardless of the nature of the cause, Hong Kong has become an attractive place for people to set up shop to advocate for various causes. Whether it's animal rights or the pro-life movement or starting a new business, Hong Kong is the place to be to get things done.

For that reason, it's worth praying for Hong Kong and also worth coming. If God calls you to Asia, then Hong Kong is a good place to start.

When we started this spring, I had some health problems that made it difficult for me to walk. God has really carried me through this whole process. While I still deal with chronic fatigue, the sense I have is that I'm being carried. I believe God wants me to be a part of what He is doing in this part of the world. 

Marisa Lengor Kwaning is a writer, editor and health policy analyst who resides in Washington, D.C. She has worked in public health, disaster management, as well as foreign and domestic health policy. She earned a Masters degree in Public Policy from George Mason University. She currently consults at Final Draft: Writing Services and writes for Bound4LIFE International, a faith-based pro-life organization.

Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE.

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Some Things Are Non-Negotiable—Like True Pro-Life Convictions - LISA SMILEY/BOUND4LIFE CHARISMA NEWS

Lisa Smiley leaves her polling place after voting. (Courtesy)

Some Things Are Non-Negotiable—Like True Pro-Life Convictions

 3/9/2016 LISA SMILEY/BOUND4LIFE  charisma news

In my decision to vote for a candidate in an election, the right to life is the most important issue I consider. Perhaps it is because my own life was saved and redeemed from abortion. I am alive today because my Chinese mother broke the law and gave birth to me.

Raising my sisters and me in communist China, where a violent family-planning regime forces parents into aborting additional children, my mother risked her life and safety to keep us from being taken by armed government agents.

We are talking about real lives here. I am one of them. My son, Zeke, is another. Diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in utero, our doctors adamantlypressured us to abort him.

My husband and I refused. We raised him, loved him and were completely blessed by him ... until we buried him just two months ago when he passed away at the age of 7. We have never regretted our decision.

Yet every day I think about the millions of babies who weren't so lucky and never had a chance at life, because "pro-choice" advocates and our very own laws have told women it is OK to discard their children for whatever reason imaginable.

Yes, the issue of life is very dear to my heart and something my conscience will not allow me to compromise on. 

Which brings me to the trouble with Donald Trump, the current Republican front-runner. He came out making a lot of promises to the American people. Holding a tough line on immigration, promising to build a wall and calling out both parties for incompetence, he vows to "make America great again."

Love him or hate him, his bold TV debate performances woke Americans up. He also claimed to be pro-life, but "with the caveats." However, as the months of campaigning have gone by, we have seen him traipse back and forth on major issues—and the issue of valuing every human life has been no exception.

Trump's views on abortion, past and present (very present—like this week), give me little confidence that he will fight for the pro-life cause. In 1999, Trump described himself as "very pro-choice." Since then, however, he says his views have "evolved." 

Yet Trump has said his extremist, pro-abortion sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, would make a "phenomenal" justice. She argued for a constitutional right to the hideous practice of partial-birth abortion. Of course, he said a few months later that he'd have to rule her out now.

During this year's March for Life, he was the only Republican candidate who said nothing about abortion, while all the other candidates vowed to defend every precious life—whether lives in the womb, special needs children or any innocent life. Trump extols the child almost aborted who becomes a "superstar," though his views are uncertain if that child were ever a "loser" (to use his words).

He has also gone on record saying he is for the status quo of funding Planned Parenthood as it is currently being funded. Yet when he was forced to clarify his stance, he finally said he would sign a bill to defund it if he became president.

But apparently, he still to this day believes Planned Parenthood is an organization that "does do wonderful things." He's repeated that sentiment, also saying it "does a lot of good" and "does a really good job." Such views are right in line with Secretary Hillary Clinton, whose pro-abortion activism has defined her public policy for decades.

Yes, and the president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, thanked Trump for saying those nice, wonderful things about her abortion centers where 300,000 babies' lives are lost every year—funded in part by $500 million of taxpayer money.

Excuse me? Did he not pay any attention last year to scandal after scandal that the Center for Medical Progress exposed? Of Planned Parenthood illegally selling baby parts, of executives callously haggling over the price of "intact" baby "specimens" to fund a Lamborghini, of workers admitting they sell "fresh" aborted baby eyes, hearts and "gonads," of abortionists illegally altering abortion procedures and using partial-birth abortions to procure baby organs?

What about reports that show Planned Parenthood lying to women to coerce them into choosing abortion, covering up sexual abuse of minors and spreading the lie that it provided mammograms when in fact they do not? Trump's lack of true conviction to stand up for defenseless lives in the womb is truly disturbing.

But so is his disregard for human rights in general. He has praised Russia's murderous Vladimir Putin. His ever-shifting, unprincipled assertions on national security lead to a joint letter of 117 longtime defense and diplomatic leaders who say Trump would "make America less safe." Perhaps we should not be surprised, since Trump has had a history of standing with oppressive governments.

In regards to China, my place of birth, he supported its government in the past for stomping out a student protest at the Tiananmen Square—when students fought for democratic rights in 1989. Do you remember seeing the video footage of a military tank running over a student as he stood there in protest of the cruel, violent regime?

As one who escaped communist China as a girl, I can absolutely testify that China'srecord on human rights is detestable and should never, ever be praised by anyone. Because of the constant fear and terror we lived under, it was the happiest day of my parents' lives when we received our passports to leave the country.

I never thought I'd hear a presidential candidate admire and take pointers from the Chinese government, the Russian government or fascist leaders of the past. All the while, Americans have cheered him on and voted him higher on the presidential short list.

We have barely touched on his character issues, his level of indecency (as eloquently pointed out by author Max Lucado), his lack of understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the string of business failures, lawsuits and scandals. 

Can we stop and think about what we are doing? We know what's at stake here. We are voting for the commander-in-chief of our nation, the leader of the free world and the moral face of America.

With the recent death of Antonin Scalia, the next President will likely choose his replacement—and perhaps two more Supreme Court justices, affecting laws in this nation for the next generation. 

Just as Roe v. Wade was decided by the courts, the battle to end it will be fought in the courts. Are we going to take our chances on a candidate who has expressed little regard for human rights, whether lives in the womb or born?

The blood, sweat and tears shed in the fight for life cannot be squandered on Trump when there are pro-life candidates like Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio to consider. I've made my views known, while others have made their case.

Both of these leaders have phenomenal track records of consistently elevating life issues, crafting life-affirming laws and speaking with care to convince hearts and minds to join our cause. 

It is not too late. I pray our next president will have a deep, unwavering conviction to stand for life. I pray America makes the right decision, that the rights of every human being may be advanced and protected in America—and abroad—for generations to come. 

Lisa Smiley is a mother of four precious children, including one now with his Creator in heaven. She earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of California-Irvine. Lisa blogs at LisaSmiley.com as well as for Bound4LIFE International, a grassroots movement to pray for the ending of abortion, carry the spirit of adoption, and believe for revival and reformation. Together with her husband, James, they raise their family in the Dallas area.

The views of the author are her individual opinions and not necessarily those of Bound4LIFE International, which takes no official position for or against individual candidates.

Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE.

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