Tuesday, October 29, 2013

All Pink Is Not Pure

As I write this, there are only a few days left in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It seems that everywhere I look, I see someone wearing pink. Pink shoes. Pink shirts. Pink ribbons. Shirts with pink messages about breast cancer. October is the one month of the year that it is not only acceptable, but cool for macho He-Man types to wear pink.

But not all pink is pure.

One of the largest names in breast cancer fundraising is the Susan G. Komen foundation, often seen as Komen For The Cure or just SGK. Their name is practically synonymous with breast cancer.

However, they do not just raise money for breast cancer research. They also raise money for the purpose of providing free or low-cost mammograms to women who cannot afford them. I absolutely understand the reasoning for this, as early detection is key to lowering the mortality rate from breast cancer.

I do not, however, understand why their primary partner in this effort is Planned Parenthood (PP). PP offers a wide range of services, from true family planning to free contraceptives. That said, they are best known as the nation's largest abortion provider. Indeed, as of 2009, PP had performed 5.3 million abortions since the SCOTUS discovered a brand new "right" in 1973, the right to abort a pregnancy hidden in the right to privacy.

Let's set aside the possible link between breast cancer and miscarriages and/or abortions. Both sides have studies that prove their point, so let's take that off of the table.

SGK takes part of every dollar and gives it to PP. PP is supposed to take that money and use it exclusively for mammograms and breast exams. The fly in the ointment is this: there is a fancy word used to describe money, that word is "fungible". Basically, what it means is this: if you give PP a dollar, and they use a dollar to pay for an abortion, then your dollar might have paid for that abortion. Money goes in a big pot, and they pull out what they need to operate. So if you donate ANY money to SGK, PART of your money WILL be given to PP, and PART of that money WILL be used for providing abortions.

Let's make up an extreme example to clarify: What if the American Nazi Party announced a campaign of pink swastikas during October, and sold those for $5 for the purpose of raising money for their breast cancer medical research. Most people would immediately associate the American Nazi Party with the German Nazi Party, which killed over 6 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, Christians and other "undesirables" during WW2. No matter what good COULD come from the $5 donation, the entity trying to do the good has been judged (rightly so) to be an enemy of freedom and humanity. Thus, most reasonable rational people would choose to forgo any association.

I submit that as Christians, we have the same moral obligation to reject any association with SGK.

Sadly, the American Cancer Society also is partnered with Planned Parenthood as well.

Lest anyone suspect or accuse me of some kind of "war on women", my paternal grandmother was killed by breast cancer. I have three daughters who I pray are never touched by breast cancer. One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 5:19. I HATE breast cancer. I HATE the destruction that it wreaks in the lives of women that I know and have known. 

But I cannot and will not ally with a demon to battle another demon. Support breast cancer awareness. Support breast cancer research. Support breast cancer victims. Just keep your hands clean while you do it.

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