"A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
-Vladimir Lenin, architect of the Soviet Union

If there's one thing Big Abortion loves to do, it's spread lies about pregnancy help centers. Most of these falsehoods are simply restatements of the same lies trumped up several years ago, repackaged, microwaved, and dished up as a new piece of "investigative journalism," which is neither investigative nor journalistic in nature.

Watching the zombie-like existence of these lies, there are at least five lies spread about pregnancy help organizations (PHOs)—or CPCs, the outdated moniker favored by our opponents—we wish were true.

1. "CPCs are often located near clinics that provide abortion services."

To be fair, it is true that some PHOs are located near abortion clinics. But, with around 2,500 pregnancy centers in the U.S. compared to only about 600 abortion clinics, it's getting harder and harder for a PHC to locate itself near an abortion clinic. Still, we estimate that about half of U.S. abortion clinics have no PHC located next or even near to them. If it were true that every abortion clinic had a PHO next door, women facing with unexpected or difficult pregnancies would have more options than just abortion.

The funny thing is, any time this "charge" is made by an abortion apologist, it's as if they expect the reader or audience to shudder in dismay at this "deceptive" practice. To avoid future misunderstanding, let's make it clear: We are indeed going after the same woman as the abortion industry. The only difference lies in what we offer and why.

Motivated by compassion for the mother and her child, a PHO offers life-affirming help and accurate information to help a mother make the best decision she can, most often covering her cost entirely. Motivated by profit, an abortion facility offers to take one life, while endangering another, all for financial gain.

2. "CPCs Say Abortion is Dangerous."

A Sept. 2014 article at RH Reality Check included the following charge:

Extensive dissemination of scientifically inaccurate information was reported by undercover investigators. Common misinformation provided by CPC volunteers included claims that abortion is a dangerous procedure, that abortion causes breast cancer, and that abortion causes emotional and psychological trauma.

This is probably the most repeated lie about PHOs. It's based on the presuppositions that abortion isn't a dangerous procedure, abortions don't have anything to do with breast cancer, and those who've had abortion never experience emotional or psychological trauma.

While abortion would still be a problem, we wish abortions didn't kill or harm women who sought them, (Kermit Gosnell anyone?) expose them to greater risk of breast cancer, or often result in deep regret and mental anguish. Denying this truths and repeating that PHOs are lying about them is truly insulting to the millions of women—and men—who have firsthand knowledge of the truth. Furthermore, it prevents those who would otherwise be warned from dealing with the truly dangerous reality of abortion.

3. "CPCs are facilities that exist to prevent people facing unintended pregnancies from accessing abortion services."

If only. PHOs can't "prevent people... from accessing abortion," nor do we try. Sadly, abortion is a legal right—still until birth in many states—and fully accessible to those who can pay for them. As those who know all too well the realities of abortion (many within the pregnancy help community know from firsthand experience), we wish we could prevent others from experiencing the heartache, danger, or long-term impact that follows such a permanent decision.

But, since our convictions are colored by our compassion, PHOs take the time with each woman to create an environment where she can see all of her options, including parenting, making an adoption plan, and, even, abortion. An informed decision is the best decision. We firmly believe that the healthiest decision for all involved is a life-affirming one.

4. "CPCs hide that they're almost entirely funded by national anti-choice umbrella organizations..."

If PHOs are hiding this, they're doing a much better job of it than abortion zealots could ever dream. That's because they must be hiding it from us—Heartbeat International, Care-Net, NIFLA, and everyone else representing their life-giving work.

Fact is, the overwhelming majority of funding for PHOs comes from individuals who value life-affirming outreach. The community members know well that the government does very little (if anything) to champion the life of its smallest citizens, or respond generously to help lives and lifetimes we will probably never know or see (this side of heaven).

And this generosity doesn't just pour in, but requires diligent fundraising efforts to ensure missional budgets are fulfilled. Wouldn't it be so much easier if, as the report states, PHOs were "entirely funded by" an umbrella organization? As an alleged "umbrella organization" ourselves, we wish we had the type of resources to be able to do just that!

5. "There are more than 4,000 CPCs across the country."

But who's counting? Well, we are. Heartbeat International's Worldwide Directory of Pregnancy Help is the most comprehensive list of pregnancy help organizations anywhere. We count just shy of 2,500 pregnancy help organizations in the U.S., and closer to 2,800 if you add the pregnancy support focused Birthright centers as well.

Of course, we wish there were another 1,000+ places for women and men to access compassionate care and meaningful services to ensure that every woman felt loved and supported during her pregnancy.

In fact, maybe that's not a bad five-year goal...

by Jor-El Godsey, Vice President, Heartbeat International
Nov. 7, 2014

by Jay Hobbs, Director of Communications and Marketing
Oct. 24, 2014

With the last dollar of its $25,000 crowdsourcing campaign spoken for, All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center is one step closer to opening its doors in Bloomington, Indiana.

And the moment that happens, abortion enthusiasts' long-held hopes will have come true. Finally, finally, there will be a fake, deceptive pregnancy center in operation.

You see, All-Options is abortion crusaders' best attempt to muddy the waters of the 2,500 true pregnancy help locations serving U.S. women and families with accurate information, compassion, and hope.

Heralded by the radically pro-abortion RH Reality Check as a "first-of-its-kind" (apparently in the same respect that a possumburger stand would be first of its kind), All-Options is a classic case of, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

That is, since countless and repeated campaigns have failed to cast pregnancy help organizations as a lurking, deceptive enemy, the opponents of life have switched tactics and joined our ranks. To them we say, welcome.

Breaking the "Monopoly"

The story of All-Options starts with Backline, a pregnancy "Talkline" established to parody pregnancy helplines such as Option Line® that frontline life-savers have been answering since the late 1960s.

Backline's founder, Grayson Dempsey, earned her chops with Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America, and has since moved on to her present gig at RH Reality Check—whose webpage, incidentally, includes an ad for a particularly gauche fundraising event called, "Tacos. Beers. Abortion."

Now looking to further the cause of aborting boys and girls everywhere, All-Options seeks to break the existing "monopoly on supporting parents and people who are continuing their pregnancies."

"It's time to reclaim the pregnancy center model in the spirit of true all-options counseling," the organization told supporters on its CrowdRise.com campaign. While there is much for pregnancy help organizations to emulate from the cutting-edge campaign itself, there's just not much truth in the idea that "the pregnancy center model" is something for abortion zealots to "reclaim."

Grammar lessons aside, truth is never threatened by fabrication. That's why we welcome All-Options, and we celebrate the great work God will do in spite of their best intentions.

Truth and the Power of Choice

We are confident, that as Executive Director J. Parker Dockray and her team seek to "reclaim the pregnancy center model in the spirit of true all-options counseling," women will continue to reject abortion as unwanted, just as they do every day in pregnancy help organizations all around the world.

The fact is, most mothers have abortions not because it's legal, but because they believe they have no other choice. Empowered with true choice by the compassionate staff and volunteers at pregnancy help organizations, an estimated 90 percent of women served choose life for themselves and their children.

No pregnant mother should feel so alone and hopeless that she ends her child's life through abortion. That's why Heartbeat International's pregnancy help organizations provide true compassion, support, and real choice for the mother, her family, and the community.

Ulterior motives aside, if All-Options is about that same mission, then they may need to stock up on more material supplies like diapers and bottles than they're expecting.

(Of course, All-Options will do its work with one arm tied behind its back, since the $25K does not include a dime toward ultrasound equipment—a curious oversight by an organization ostensibly looking to provide insight into "all options.")

As such, All-Options has some catching up to do, with well over half of Heartbeat's affiliate pregnancy resource centers already offering free ultrasound services to women who are wrestling with the often-harsh realities surrounding an unexpected or difficult pregnancy.

What about "listening?"

Included in All-Options' "New Vision of Support" is the poignant, if unoriginal, statement, "Sometimes it seems like everyone has an opinion about what you should do, and it's hard to find someone who will just listen." (emphasis original)

To sit with a woman and truly listen to her, hearing her story and validating her as a person, is essential to the woman-centered peer counseling pregnancy help organizations have been committed to for over 40 years.

In fact, truly listening to a woman and helping her to see all of her options are keys to Heartbeat International's foundational volunteer training resource, The LOVE Approach™, which has sold over 17,000 copies since it was first introduced in 1994.

Listening to a woman, helping her to see her options and recapture a healthy vision of herself, and empowering her to walk forward in hope—this goes to the very core of why Heartbeat International, our network of frontline life-savers, and 24/7, 365 pregnancy helpline, OptionLine® exist.

So, welcome to the game, All-Options. You have so much to learn. Don't worry, though: We'll keep an eye on you.

Did you hear the one about the lawyer who traveled overseas and taught a bunch of U.S. military families how to better serve women facing unexpected pregnancies?

Fair enough, there’s not much promise for a joke in that question, but you have to admit, the latest Heartbeat International international training does sound a bit peculiar when you first hear about it.

The story took place October 25, when Ellen Foell, Heartbeat’s legal counsel, taught a day-long session of The LOVE Approach™ to a group of 28 staff, volunteers, and potential volunteers at Heartbeat Crisis Pregnancy Center in Ramstein, Germany.

The center, under the direction of Carrie Beliles, primarily serves U.S. military personnel and their families stationed at Ramstein Air Base, home of the 86th Airlift Wing and headquarters of U.S. Air Forces Europe.

“It was the first time teaching this material, so I really didn’t quite know what to expect,” Foell, who has been with Heartbeat International since 2012, said. “God really put two things on my heart that I tried to express to the group: The first was to encourage them to embrace their unique, God-given giftedness, and the second was to allow themselves to be released to really exercise that giftedness as they sought to serve women coming to the center.”

“It really was great to watch this group wrestle through how to apply The LOVE Approach to the real situations involving real human beings they are dealing with every day.”

While the majority of attendees were Americans connected to the military community in Ramstein, one participant came from another part of Germany with the hope to launch a pregnancy help organization in another part of Germany.

According to Heartbeat International’s Worldwide Directory, there are currently 114 pregnancy help organizations in Germany, although Heartbeat Crisis Pregnancy Center is the only Heartbeat International affiliate.

“These servants learned how to handle a great tool, and that was encouraging to see,” Foell said. “I was really impressed by the cross-section of ages and generations, and thrilled to see the seeds of more pregnancy help organizations being planted in Germany.”

Foell was joined by Heartbeat International Vice President Jor-El Godsey, who keynoted the center’s annual banquet and facilitated a meeting with European pro-life leaders during a three-day span Oct. 24-26 in Ramstein.