Planned Parenthood offers ‘lethal’ gift certificates for the holiday season

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Indianapolis, Ind., Dec 2, 2008 / 04:23 am (CNA).- The Indiana affiliate of Planned Parenthood is offering gift certificates for birth control and other services, including abortion. While an announcement of the program encourages customers to purchase the certificates to “give the gift of health this holiday season,” one critic characterized the effort as “lethal.”

Indiana Planned Parenthood is offering the certificates in $25 increments through its web site or at its 35 locations in the state. Prospective customers are advised that the gift certificates could be used as co-pays in conjunction with partial insurance coverage.

“Why not buy a loved one a gift this holiday season that they really need and one that will contribute to their health throughout the year?" Indiana Planned Parenthood President and CEO Betty Cockrum said in a statement on the state affiliate’s web site. “The gift certificates are also a wonderful idea for that person in your life who puts everyone else first and has been putting off taking care of her or his own health. Now, there’s no excuse for those people in your life not to get the basic health care that they need.”

The certificates may be used for breast exams and Pap smears, but may also be applied to defray the cost of an abortion, the Associated Press reports.

"I certainly don't think anyone would consider giving it for that purpose," Planned Parenthood of Indiana spokeswoman Kate Shepherd said.

Cockrum reported that Planned Parenthood in Indiana performs abortions on about 5,000 of the 92,000 patients it sees each year.

In Indiana the organization operates abortion clinics in Indianapolis, Merrillville and Bloomington.

Sister Diane Carollo, director of the Office for Pro-Life Ministry for the Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, criticized the program.

"They deserve coal in their stocking, not money for lethal gift certificates," she told the Associated Press.

Mike Fichter, president and CEO of Indiana Right to Life, was also critical.

“The tragedy is that almost 6,000 fewer children will be celebrating a first Christmas this year because they were aborted in Planned Parenthood's Indiana clinics,” he remarked.

Comments: 13

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Fr Chris Townsend
South Africa 12/03/2008 12:30 AM EST

I wonder if making a fuss of this won't give them the publicity they love. I like the idea of giving the equivalent to Pregnancy crisis centre.

Published by: Stephanie Baker
Eugene, OR 12/03/2008 12:22 AM EST

Alas, unlike a lot of you, I have done work for Planned Parenthood. When someone comes in and has a pregnancy test, the packet that they are given with information includes both information about adoption and abortion.
They just don't assume to know what is the right choice for any individual.
Not all Planned Parenthoods across the country offer abortion. Some just offer other health services. The one near me doesn't because it's a service that generally loses money and there are other local providers. (my point is that it is not the big money maker that you're seeming to suggest)

It is one thing to disagree with abortion, but I'm tired of people insulting the hard working people at Planned Parenthood.

Published by: Leo Petit, M.S.C.
Center Valley, PA 18034 12/02/2008 06:58 PM EST

We pro-life people are numerically few and money-poor compared to PP, but wealthy and powerful in Jesus the Christ, in Yahweh our God! We're little David with his slingshot. PP is Goliath, evil enemy of the people chosen by God. We know how the war will turn out, who will come out victorious!

Published by: Belen
Argentina 12/02/2008 06:02 PM EST

yeah, the perfect gift for christmas... give your loved one a wonderful abortion certificate, that will really make her happy and healthy!! For the love of God, these people are just evil. They definitely deserve more than just coal in their stocking

Published by: Margaret
Baltimore MD USA 12/02/2008 05:21 PM EST

Planned Parenthood should be ashamed of themselves FOR SHAME ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD.

Published by: james
ohio 12/02/2008 04:56 PM EST

This latest idea herolds a new low in moral decline. However I think most if not all this contention about 'abortion' can be resolved if a method could be established whereby the holy sacrament of baptism could be administered comprehensively at the moment of birth?

Published by: Jamika
United Kingdom 12/02/2008 04:33 PM EST

Incredible.. "Gift certificates." How can these people stand up straight when they spin the truth so often?

Published by: Pam
Longmont, CO, USA 12/02/2008 02:06 PM EST

How low can they go? Gift certificates in support of "The American Holocaust".

Why doesn't the church demand priests speak out more loudly and profoundly on this grave matter? Why is the subject so taboo at masses?

From another perspective, why isn't adoption sponsored by planned parenthood as an alternative? Is it because they are still stuck in the '70's Zero Population Growth scam or is it because they're partners in crime, the adoption agencies, would lose their piece of the "blood" money pie?

Why should qualified parents of modest means have to pay tens of thousands of dollars to adopt an unwanted child. Why should such children who will be loved and cherished by a childless couple be so deprived?

No other organization but the Church can stem the tide of this state sponsored legalized murder and it starts with educating the parishioners.

Published by: Peter Nelson
Pine Island 12/02/2008 01:14 PM EST

Talk about the slaughter of the innocents!

Published by: Geremia
Arizona 12/02/2008 01:08 PM EST

God help us!

Published by: Raymond Peringer
Toronto, Canada 12/02/2008 01:07 PM EST

No one will ever accuse Planned Parenthood of good taste. In this season of lights, they offer the gift of death. That's to be expected from the world's largest abortion mill.

Published by: Mike F.
Kansas City, MO, USA 12/02/2008 12:54 PM EST

Wow, that's pretty sick.

Giving a certificate to cover part of the cost of avoiding new children or killing them... to give as gifts during the celebration of the birth of the Child Jesus.

Sorry, you KNOW the upper management of Planned Parenthood LOLd for hours when this was suggested. They probably delight in the irony.

Why is there not a greater outcry over this? Can you imagine truck stops offering certificates for 'free showers' for people to give as Hanukah gifts?

What you hear is the thunder of laughter from Hell.

Published by: Laura Miller
Carroll, Ohio, USA 12/02/2008 10:00 AM EST

Let's decide to make a gift of LIFE to a mother and child this year: Please contact your local pregnancy resource center today to learn how you can make someone's life better. God bless.

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