Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the first annual Outrageous Mental Gymnastics (OMG) Award post, in which we spotlight those individuals and/or organizations whose astounding feats of incredible cognitive dissonance in terms of pro-life issues are dizzyingly stupendous. Let’s meet today’s winners, shall we?
1. Texas in July.
This metalcore band is nominally Christian but is performing as part of the Take Action Tour 2011, with the proceeds benefitting a website called “SEX, ETC.” Planned Parenthood is a tour affiliate, which should give you some idea of where this is going. Bryan Kemper over at Social Justice Begins in the Womb has the full scoop on this overwhelmingly pro-abortion site, but here are some highlights:
- The site links to Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-choice America, Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom, National Abortion Federation and Catholics for a Free Choice, but no crisis pregnancy centers or other pro-life resources.
- The FAQ section says: “[Crisis Pregnancy Centers] claim to give women complete and accurate information about their pregnancy options when, in reality, their agenda is to dissuade women from obtaining abortions. They offer misleading and medically inaccurate information about abortion.”
- It tells the disturbing story of a then-14-year-old girl who was impregnated by her 18-year-old boyfriend but, thanks to those accommodating folks at Planned Parenthood, was able to abort her baby and keep the statutory rape a secret from her family members and competent authorities.
When fans raised an outcry about a Christian band’s support for this site, Texas in July’s response was truly worthy of an OMG (emphasis mine):
Many people seem to be confused on where we stand on certain issues and we just want to apologize for this confusion and clear some things up directly. Texas In July in no way favors abortion and are at a loss for words for those saying hurtful and untrue things about our band’s beliefs and motives. We feel that this is the right place for us to be right now. This is, and has always been, about the music. We are excited to be sharing our music with an entirely new audience and will continue to let our music speak for itself.
That’s right, folks! According to Texas in July, one can “in no way favor abortion” yet participate in a tour where 10% of the ticket proceeds go to an organization that blatantly favors abortion. As long as it’s, you know, “about the music” and not about selling your integrity to the highest bidder.
2. Cecile Richards
The current president and cheerleader-in-chief for Planned Parenthood tweeted the following on May 7, the day before Mother’s Day:
Yes, Cecile, that makes total sense! Let’s observe Mother’s Day by murdering children and making women the mothers of dead babies instead of live ones! What a great idea. And let’s be sure to note the irony of you encouraging women to “save lives” by ending them. Here’s a thought – why not head on over to http://theunchoice.com and tell the women there how their forced abortions didn’t actually physically and emotionally traumatize them, but rather empowered them as women and mothers? After all, might as well spread the holiday cheer! Yay genocide!
3. Michael Moore.
My thoughts exactly, Michael.
Ah, Michael Moore. I actually met him nearly a decade ago at a book signing in Minneapolis, MN, back in my liberal Lutheran days. He was a very personable man and a very funny one too. However, his vehement pro-abortion stance as articulated in several of his books caused me to seriously rethink my support of his work.
Earlier this week I was listening to the radio and heard his comments about the death of Osama bin Laden (emphasis mine):
I am a Catholic, and the position of the Catholic Church and the Pope is that we are 100 percent against the death penalty unless it is in self-defense. Look at the Nuremberg Trials. We didn’t just pop a bullet in the heads of the worst scum in history. We thought it was important to put them on trial and expose their evil. In a democracy we believe in a system of justice and we believe in a judicial system that gives people a day in court … and then we hung them.
Michael, Michael, Michael. Let’s take a look at some of your recent thoughts on abortion:
What is “life”? An egg is life, a sperm is life. Those sperm aren’t running on a battery pack. They are living creatures, as is a fertilized egg. But they’re not “human beings.” A human being is something that can exist outside the womb of a mother. If you think a fertilized egg is a human being, then I respectfully ask you to go down to the DMV today and have them change your birthday on your driver’s license to 9 months older than what you’ve been telling everybody.
Now let’s take a look at the position of the Catholic Church and the Pope on when life begins:
2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
Please, Michael, tell me you see cognitive dissonance here. How can you claim to be a Catholic who follows the Pope when the issue is the death penalty, but hold an opposite position when it comes to abortion? If the Catholic Church is wrong about abortion, how do you know She isn’t also wrong about the death penalty? Conversely, if you believe Church teaching about the death penalty, why don’t you believe Church teaching about abortion?
It’s all or nothing when it comes to teachings about faith and morals. If you are a Catholic, and you believe that Jesus gave the Catholic Church protection from teaching error in the realm of faith and morals, then you must assent to all of Her teachings – including the ones about the evil of abortion.
If you do not believe that the Church’s teachings on faith and morals are protected from error, then we can only conclude that there is no such thing as objective truth and we can all determine our own morality based on what we feel – thus it is perfectly legitimate to kill anyone in cold blood, whether that person is Osama bin Laden or an unborn child, and you’re in no position to dictate anyone else’s moral judgments.
Texas in July, Cecile, Michael – I have to say I am truly amazed by the mental gymnastics necessary to hold such bizarre, illogical views. All I can do in view of such staggering cognitive dissonance is offer the following:
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Awesome – especially digging #3 – because I have heard Catholics (both in my parish and others) be very opposed to the death penalty, but lukewarm or even pro-abortion on that life issue! Major facepalm, I would say.
God bless you!
I like to ask the pro-abort/ anti-death penalty folks if they will at least allow the law to call for the baby to have due process before it is executed. If Khalid Sheik Mohammed(sp?) is entitled to a trial, why not an innocent baby?
Well done, Joanna! I would have thought that instead of Outrageous Mental Gymnastics, Extreme Braincramp Alert would work, but understand my acronym doesn’t work as well as yours. Not to mention that the gymastics required to make such mental leaps probably cannot be performed even by Olympians.
I was tempted at first to invoke the term “Cafeteria Catholicism”, but instead, one could simply use Cafeteria Christianity. It doesn’t matter one wit that one claims Catholicism or any of our seperated brethen’s flavor of the day: once one rejects one tenet of Christ’s while clinging to others, you move to that place of hypocrisy and lukewarmness. You risk being rejected by God Himself, and being spewed from His mouth.
One day, I supect many will be called to answer for rejecting those least among us, those without defense, and why they rejected Him at the same time.
Our best weapon here is the Truth. Recognize it as objective, immutable, unwavering. When we see it twisted, call it out as such, and seek to lovingly correct the error, remembering that love is not a sticky sweet, ooey gooey feeling, but an act of the will, a sacrifice, a giving of everything that one has for the benefit of others without regard for the benefit of oneself.
I love straight talk! Thank you, and keep it coming!!
Joanna thank you so much for helping shine light on the Texas in July story, people need to be warned about this. It saddens me that Christian kids may be led into that darkness by this band.
Joanna,
This is a great work you are doing.
In no way am I defending Texas in July. Actions speak louder… than music. However, in their minds and on their own spiritual path, perhaps they are dining with the sinners. Perhaps they don’t see the greater evil they are causing by quietly evangelizing in this arena, or the deep scandal they are causing, by not clarifying their position in the midst of the event. It is good to shed light on their actions and question their motives.
Michael Moore is definitely an illogical and hypocritical example of clear representation of the Truth. Alas, so are the larger percent of Catholics, all who do not have the public arena in which to shine their hypocrisy. Regarding Cecile, well, no comment.
It is so hard (for us) to thirst for justice, but do so in a merciful way. Hypocritical stances and representations like those of Texas in July and Michael Moore are infuriating. Still, we try hard to look at what portion of grace they have responded to, and pray for the grace to work more fully until the Truth is realized. I know I am going out on a limb here, but let us hope for the best in their hearts, rather than purposeful misrepresentation, and God can do the rest.
April,
Re: Texas in July, I see your point bit I disagree. Jesus dined with sinners but He didn’t financially support their sinful behavior. Moreover, as far as I’m aware TiJ have made no strong, unequivocal pro-life statements, nor have they said they object to Sexetc’s stated opinions.
Yes, Joanna, you are right. I failed to let it sink in that the money/proceeds they are raising by participating as a performer is going directly to support Sex, Etc.
I was simply highlighting that their confusing message regarding this being “about the music” when the band in “no way favors abortion” could mean that they are limply trying to evangelize amidst the mass chaos. Still you are right, the funds raised in favor of abortion do speak the truth. My hope is that they, in their hearts, will see this hypocritical act and I hope also, that their deceit is not intentional, but rather – confused.
Yes, Joanna, you are right. I failed to let it sink in that the money/proceeds they are raising by participating as a performer is going directly to support Sex, Etc.
I was simply highlighting that their confusing message regarding this being “about the music” when the band stated that it in “no way favors abortion” could mean that they are limply trying to evangelize amidst the mass chaos. Still you are right, the funds raised in favor of abortion do speak the truth. My hope is that they, in their hearts, will see this hypocritical act and I hope also, that their deceit is not intentional, but rather – confused.
There is a request via Facebook that you produce “Jesus Facepalm” T-shirts.
Hah, I would if I owned the image, but I’m not sure who the original creator is!
I was thinking….. (a dangerous pastime, I know)
Do pro-choicers think those of us who “choose” to keep our babies are nuts for patting, cooing, and singing to our bellies? What about baby showers? I have a few pro-choice coworkers who never corrected me while I was pregnant. They didn’t care to inform me that what I carried and loved was actually a mindless mass of cells without dignity or feeling.
So does your baby get to be a baby if you think it’s a baby? And it’s not a baby if it’s not convenient? Is being considered human based off of feelings and one’s particular circumstances? So much for objectivity.
As far as Mr. Moore is concerned…. well, if he wanted to post his conception date on his license plate that would be one thing, but our licenses list our date of birth. Date of birth (expulsion from mama) and the moment human life is created (conception) are two different things.
Love the Jesus facepalm
Thanks for another great pro-life article, JoAnna!
I was thinking….. (a dangerous pastime, I know)
Now I’ll have that song in my head all night…
woops, I meant driver’s license, not license plate!
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