Abortion is a hot topic in Missouri again this year. After losing to a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood in 2020, Missouri legislators are trying to defund the giant corporation once again. On February 24th, the Missouri General Assembly approved a bill which removed the Medicaid funding of Planned Parenthood in the state. According to the American Life League, Planned Parenthood receives an average of $461.8 million dollars of tax payer funds per year. The bill was hotly contested with the Democrats briefly using a filibuster for a few hours. It finally passed on a vote of 25-7 with surprisingly all 10 Democrats voting yes on the bill. It seems they voted yes in hopes that the removal of funding of Planned Parenthood would be reversed in court. They vote passed other badly needed funding for other project that would have been devastated had it not gone through.
In a press release on March 10th, 2022,
the Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri and Planned Parenthood Great Plains, filed a lawsuit in state court against the Missouri Department of Social Services. The DSS decision takes effect at the end of day Friday, March 11, and would bar DSS from reimbursing Planned Parenthood for services covered under MO HealthNet — the State’s Medicaid program — including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and other non-abortion care. This attempt to “defund” Planned Parenthood comes after Gov. Parson signed a supplemental budget bill that funds programs and services through June. Despite this defunding, Planned Parenthood’s 11 Missouri health centers will continue caring for MO HealthNet patients at no cost for now.
This lawsuit was in response to the February 24th vote by the Missouri General Assembly. The Kansas City Star reported,
“The legislation, which adds close to $4.6 billion to the budget for the fiscal year that ends July, also includes a line blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid dollars.”
Republican lawmakers are trying to kick Planned Parenthood out of Missouri’s Medicaid program. https://t.co/hNhIDUz5k4
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) March 10, 2022
With all the heightened emotions on both sides of the argument of abortion, sometimes we can be left not knowing what to do. The sad reality of our tax dollars supporting such a travesty can be quite overwhelming. But we are reminded in scripture to not allow ourselves to live in a defeatist mindset. Rom. 12:21 Do not let evil overcome you, but overcome evil with good. BBE
Take a deep breath, remember that God is in control, and remember that it is “the kindness of God leads you (us) to repentance.” NASB Here a few tips that we all can do to fight the injustice of abortion:
- Pray – Although at first glance this may seem cliché, remember that it was by prayer that the great prophet Elijah besought the Lord to end the 3 year drought and it rained. There are different ways to pray for the situation as well. We can pray for the Lord’s help and guidance in our personal journey to confront this disaster, we can pray for the youth of America to experience an awakening to the truth of the Creator God and His salvation through Jesus Christ. We can pray for our leaders, we can pray for the school teachers. We can pray against the spiritual forces holding these laws in place. Remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph. 6:12 KJV
- Share your beliefs with others – Use wisdom and tact as you share your beliefs with others. Remember to bathe yourself in prayer because you will come against resistance to your belief. Today, like no other time in history, you have the power to voice your belief to the world through social media. I have been kicked off of Reddit groups for voicing my convictions. It’s ok. You are not called to make everyone believe like you, you are called to be a voice for truth. If you become discouraged by all the flack online, take a break. Your own peace is of utmost importance. We can’t convince anyone if we are in a shouting match.
- Teach your children the sanctity of life – These days, it seems the loudest voices online are alt-left activists and followers who try to subjugate anyone with a differing opinion. Teach your kids that life was given to humans by the breath of God and as we procreate, we are passing that life to the next generation. Show them pictures of unborn babies in the womb and speak to them of the Bible verses where God has formed us in the womb. Isaiah 44:24 Remember to spend time with your children and show your love to them. Children will understand that you value unborn children’s lives more, if they see and feel their parents love for themselves.
These are just a couple ideas. We could go on and on with things to do to be proactive in the fight the injustice being perpetrated legally in the United States. I hope and pray that this article is an encouragement to you.
This story syndicated with permission from My Faith News