Pro-Abortion Groups Rally to "Change Indiana"
by Ryan McCann

I find it very educational to take part in activities hosted by the left-wing groups of Indiana politics. A wise man once told me, "You can't truly know what you believe and why until you understand what you don't believe and why." These groups help me understand what I don’t believe and why, which helps me think of ways to better support that which I do believe in. On this occasion I sat in on a rally at the Statehouse put together by abortion provider Planned Parenthood and the radically liberal feminist group NOW (National Organization of Women), among others.

Of particular interest to me were comments made by two Indiana legislators. The first was by Senator Vi Simpson (D-Bloomington). Here is one of her comments as quoted in the Indianapolis Star, so you know I'm not misquoting her, "The right-wing agenda is telling us that we aren't Christians, not pro-God, not patriotic and I'm d@*& sick of it." I find that statement amusing for obvious reasons, but the really interesting part of this comment and similar comments given by other speakers throughout the event was the paranoia and misunderstanding of the Conservative Christian position. I am a Conservative Christian and I know many Conservative Christians. I haven't heard one who has questioned Sen. Simpson's faith or patriotism.

Those who allow scripture to guide their political beliefs usually understand God's Word enough to know that only He can truly know a person's heart. Therefore, only God could truly know the sincerity of Sen. Simpson or anyone else's faith. So why do liberals, many of whom claim to be Christians themselves, often lash out at Conservative Christians in this way? Though they will never admit it, or may not even recognize it, at their very core it seems to me that they must feel that their faith stands in stark opposition to their political views…especially when it comes to abortion. Are they angry because of the guilt they feel, brought on by this dichotomy?

The other legislator who caught my attention was Rep. David Orentlicher (D-Indianapolis). Sporting a Planned Parenthood t-shirt, he stepped up to the microphone and informed Planned Parenthood revelers that he would always support them through his actions in the Indiana House of Representatives and that they "have three more supporters now." By this he seemed to highlight three newly elected Democrats in the Indiana House of Representatives.

It caught my attention because those three Democrats (Representatives Kreg Battles, Dave Cheatham and Ron Herrell) all campaigned as being pro-life. However, now they are being praised at a Planned Parenthood rally by the most liberal member of the Indiana General Assembly. So that begs a number of questions. Was Rep. Orentlicher attempting to label these new members as pro-abortion? Rep. Cheatham in particular has a pretty strong pro-life record from his previous stint in elected office. Given this fact, perhaps Rep. Orentlicher really mean to imply that with Democrats in power the pro-abortion crowd will get their way? Or perhaps he just told the crowd what they wanted to hear, though it was untrue?

Though Indiana Democrats run from this label like it is the plague, it seems like Rep. Orentlicher is branding his own party as pro-abortion. He would know. He has positioned himself as a rising star in the party. Perhaps he was just verbalizing that which those active in state politics have seen for years. I do not know.

I came away from the rally with more questions than answers. For example, why has killing unborn children become so popular that people would actually attend a rally to honor it? How does it logically flow that encouraging teens to have more sex (albeit with "protection") will save lives? Although these many questions still linger, I would like to thank Planned Parenthood, NOW and others. With every action your groups take I learn more and more what I don't believe and why.

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