President Obama’s budget released two weeks ago didn’t exactly thrill many of us concerned about a women’s right to choose. Obama failed to rescind the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits government funds from covering abortion services. This means that many low-income women are not able to have an abortion, simply due to the fact that they cannot afford it.

As truly disappointing as this is, I must also say that the president’s new budget does strike a significant financial blow to the radical anti-choice movement. When Obama zeroed out Title V and CBAE, effectively ending funding for abstinence-only programs, he eliminated the multi-million dollar subsidizing of radical “pregnancy crisis centers” all over the country *. (Though we still face a threat that Congress will try to slip this funding back in… be sure to let your representatives know that we can’t allow this to happen)

What are these “crisis centers” that have received hundreds of millions of dollars in abstinence-only funding over the last decade? They are basically fronts to deceive and scare pregnant women out of having an abortion, masked as a “professional medical facility” giving pregnant women treatment and options. Invariably, among the many programs all over the country, this is what pregnant women are told:

• having an abortion will probably give you breast cancer
• having an abortion is dangerous, and it will hurt your ability to have a child in the future
• having an abortion will give you “Post Abortion Syndrome”, which will make you severely depressed or suicidal.
• if you have an abortion, you will be acting against the will of God/Jesus

These first 3 points are, of course, blatant lies that have repeatedly debunked and discredited by the medical scientific community.

To back up their abortion-breast cancer link, every one of these groups cite a old 1994 study, neglecting to include that this study had been repeatedly debunked by everyone peer-reviewed in the field. Their “Post-Abortion Syndrome” is quite literally a social conservative invention that has been universally debunked by scientists. The claim that abortion will damage you so severely that you won’t be able to have children in the future or will die is nothing but a hollow scare tactic.

As for their claim that abortion will have the spiritual consequence of angering God and sending you to hell…. well, I’m still not sure how these groups have been able to take our tax dollars so they can dole out this information under the guise of medical advice in a country that has separation of church and state. But they certainly have been able to.

So, let’s just take a little tour around the country and have a look at some specific examples of these taxpayer subsidized “pregnancy crisis centers”. This is in no way a comprehensive look at all of the horrors of these organizations, just a slice of what some of them represent themselves as on their websites.

Abortion and Breast Cancer

Virtually every one of these organizations’ website cites the 1994 study, claiming that having an abortion will increase your chances of breast cancer by 50%, and that “carrying to full term gives you protection against breast cancer that cannot be gained if abortion is chosen”. But many of these sites go much, much further.

Federally funded groups in North Dakota, Michigan and Virginia all claim that “a number of studies” have shown these “facts” to be the case, though none of them bother to cite these “studies”.

The Pregnancy Centers of Central Virginia claims that “in over 35 studies to date, nearly 80% of them show a definitive link between abortion and breast cancer”. Again, none of them are cited. They received $2.6 million in CBAE grants over the past 4 years, and were set to receive $2.7 million more over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

In South Dakota, The Alpha Center goes further, claiming that “11 out of 12 studies in the United States, and 25 out of 31 studies worldwide, showed that women who experienced an induced abortion had an increased risk of breast cancer”. They were set to receive $3 million in CBAE grants over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

In Florida, a group called (I kid you not) “A Woman’s Place Ministries”, claims that women who have an abortion at 18 or younger have a significantly increased chance of breast cancer. They received over $3 million in CBAE grants over the last 4 years, and were set to receive $3 million more over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

In Ohio, Elizabeth New Life Center (the employer of Derek Dye the Abstinence Clown) makes the absurd claim that having an abortion increases your chance of having breast cancer by 800%, especially if you are woman of color. They received $3.2 million in CBAE grants over the last 4 years, and were set to receive $3 million more over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

In Arizona, the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Tucson ‘s homepage links approvingly to a “study” by a radical pro-lifer who purports that abortion definitely causes breast cancer (as well as one that says that the HPV vaccine is dangerous). They were set to receive $3 million in CBAE grants over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

In Alaska, the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Anchorage links approving to three radical right-wing groups masquerading as medical experts on breast cancer, all of whom say that it has been definitely proven that abortion causes breast cancer. They received $2.7 million in CBAE grants over the last 4 years, and were set to receive $1.8 million more over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

Missouri’s Laclede County Pregnancy Support Center says that “an analysis of all reputable studies to date” proves their abortion-breast cancer link. But their Title V funding has been eliminated in Obama’s new budget.

What you won’t find anywhere on these organizations’ websites are all of the peer-reviewed studies in the field by independent researchers that find absolutely no link between abortion and breast cancer.

But with their federal funding stream eliminated, these folks will have to deceive young women on their own dime from now on.

“Post-Abortion Syndrome”

Here’s a rundown of the psychological symptoms that virtually every one of these “crisis centers” tells young women that they can expect if they have an abortion, all caused by their invented “Post Abortion Syndrome”:

Guilt, anger, rage, depression, suicidal thoughts, suicidal impulses, “anniversary grief”, flashbacks of abortion, sexual dysfunction, relationship problems, eating disorders, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, psychological reactions, reliving the abortion, frequently thinking about the abortion, tension, emotional numbness, sleeplessness, nightmares, fear of others finding out about the abortion, avoidance of intimate relationships, preoccupation with becoming pregnant again, anxiety over fertility or childbearing issues, difficulty bonding with babies and children, sadness, fear of God’s punishment, inability to forgive, denial, feelings of loss, low self-esteem, shame, secrecy, isolation, repeat abortions, self-destructiveness, regret, emptiness, avoidance, intrusion, moodiness, frequent crying spells, memory repression and hallucinations.

Wow, sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it? Well, the fact that the scientific community has repeatedly debunked this myth hasn’t stopped these organizations from providing a good scare to young women considering their options.

A Women’s Place Ministries in Florida goes further, explaining why research to debunk this invented syndrome doesn’t exist:

“Abortion activists don’t research this because it would undermine their position”.

Actually, “abortion activists” leave it to the scientific community, and they have debunked it repeatedly. But hey, why let “science” ruin a good myth that can scare women, right?

“Spiritual consequences”

These federally funded “crisis centers” don’t stop at just the physical and psychological effects of abortion. No, they are sure to tell young women that if they choose to end their pregnancy, they are acting against the will of God/Jesus, and there will be “spiritual/moral consequences”. That’s were these groups come in to proselytize and guilt young women.

Federally funded groups in Alaska, Arizona, North Dakota and Virginia all cite an identical paragraph under “spiritual consequences” of abortion:

“People have different understandings of God. Whatever your present beliefs may be, there is a spiritual side to abortion that deserves to be considered. Having an abortion may affect more than just your body and your mind—it may have an impact on your relationship with God. What is God's desire for you in this situation? How does God see your unborn child? These are important questions to consider.”

A Woman’s Place Ministries in Florida warns women that one of the effects of “Post Abortion Syndrome” is “fear of God’s punishment”.

In Missouri, the “Director of Post-Abortive Ministries” at The Woman’s Clinic of Kansas City tells her story about how she had an abortion, and learned that God is against it:

"This pain went on until I received Jesus as my personal Savior. God reached out to me with His grace and mercy and began to deliver me from all the anguish. I believe my deliverance was to serve a purpose; which is to minister to women who have experienced the emotional, spiritual, and physical affects of abortion. God desires to heal your broken heart, to free you from your captivity, to release you from your prison of shame, and to comfort you in your mourning. Most of all, He longs to offer you forgiveness."

This group received $3 million in CBAE grants over the last 4 years, and were set to receive $2.6 million more over the next 5 years. Not anymore.

Also in Missouri, the Laclede County Pregnancy Support Center warns women “do not abort your conscience/values” by having an abortion, also advising them to tell the doctor that you “can’t kill your baby” if the doctor is trying to make “a quick cash sale” by performing an abortion.

In Colorado, Life Network lets everyone know what they are all about in their mission statement:

“Life Network is a sanctity of human life ministry that impacts and transforms people with the love of Christ.”

They achieve this by:

- Actively representing and presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Encouraging, equipping and partnering with the local body of Christ to promote sexual integrity, the value of human life and restoration of the family unit.

They were set receive $2 million in CBAE grants over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

In Illinois, the mission statement of CareNet Pregnancy Services of DuPage is as follows:

“Our vision is to help build a culture of life in which every pregnant woman is offered the support she needs to choose life for her unborn baby. We also envision a future where people will be transformed by the Gospel and desire to live out their lives in accordance with God's design for sexuality… We know that none of these positive changes can occur unless we are first committed to sharing the love, hope, and truth of Jesus Christ, both in word and deed. In the words of Isaiah 61, Care Net and its network of pregnancy centers are truly committed to sharing the Good News”

CareNet was set to receive $2.5 million in CBAE grants over the next 5 years. But not anymore.

In Michigan, the mission statement of Lakeshore Pregnancy Center is as follows:

“Lakeshore Pregnancy Center is a Christ-centered ministry, responding to those in our community experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, emphasizing the eternal value of all human life and teaching Biblical sexuality.”

Lakeshore’s Title V funding is now gone.

In Arizona, the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Phoenix states after a bible verse that “The measure of any civilized society is its commitment to the protection of the innocent.” Their Title V funding is now gone.

In South Carolina, the Palmetto Family Council states in a long letter on their website:

“Failing to recognize the image of God in the fertilized ovum results from a backward future orientation. A perspective beginning with adult human being and his abilities and looking back from the future on the embryo obscures the image of God in the embryo….

…`Now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.’ 59 Only into man does God breathe the breath of life so that he becomes a living soul. Only man is as the image of God. This soul, in the image of God, grants special status in creation to the ensouled human individual, regardless of the number of cells or the ability in the individual. Would that the imago might grasp the centrality of the soul and therein see through the moral spectacles from the perspective of promise.”

They received $1.2 million in CBAE grants over the last 2 years, and were set to receive $2.4 million over the next 4 years. But not anymore.

I mention once more, all of these groups will now have to proselytize and put the fear of God in young women on their own dime.

Where we go from here

In short, our tax dollars have been subsidizing evangelical, blatantly dishonest scare tactics against young women. Fortunately, that is a thing of the past.

*Or is it?

Last week an Obama Administration official said to a reporter that abstinence-only programs might be able to slip into the $25 million due to go to “innovative and promising models” of teen pregnancy prevention. While one would think that these phony “pregnancy crisis centers” would not qualify for these funds, we can’t be entirely sure. We must remain vigilant and keep the pressure up on Congress to not let any of these funds go to these failed ideological abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

And once we’re able to accomplish this….. the Hyde Amendment is next.