According to the boycott list from Life Decisions Incorporated, a number of companies are said to contribute to Planned Parenthood. And Microsoft is included on that list. But why target companies that support Planned Parenthood? Isn't Planned Parenthood a good and helpful organization? In some ways, it can be. But.... their major business focus is the promotion and execution of abortions. Would it not be possible for a company to contribute to Planned Parenthood and not earmark the money for abortions at Planned Parenthood. Technically, on paper, you can. Here is what a representative from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said about their contributions to Planned Parenthood. Thank you for contacting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and for sharing this information with us. We appreciate the opportunity to hear your concerns regarding the Foundation's funding of Planned Parenthood. The foundation believes that reproductive health is central to ensuring the health of women and children, and we have a sizable reproductive health program that focuses on improving access to contraceptives; research on new contraceptive technologies; and new approaches to reducing maternal illness and death. We do not fund abortion services. We invite you to visit our Web site periodically at www.gatesfoundation.org for information about our programs. Please accept our best wishes. Sincerely, (contact name omitted) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (By the way, this is a standard response to the question of supporting Planned Parenthood given by many companies that support it.) The following is a position that Focus on the Family takes in response to that line of thinking... Thank you for writing to Focus on the Family. We appreciate the vote of confidence implied in your inquiry regarding whether it is possible to fund Planned Parenthood without supporting abortion, and we welcome the opportunity to share our perspective. Rhetoric aside, Planned Parenthood is primarily focused on advancing the abortion industry. As such, all contributions designated to their organization are, in essence, backing their principal goal. Even if a donation is earmarked for a social program independent of abortions, the gift frees up other funds that can then be directed towards their more alarming activities. In fact, we have difficulty rationalizing the decision to underwrite any Planned Parenthood endeavor. Not only do their efforts foster an anti-child mindset, the associated "interventions," such as condoms, provide a false sense of security when it comes to protection against disease and unwanted pregnancy (not to mention the emotional ramifications of engaging in pre-marital and extra-marital sex). Moreover, when an unexpected pregnancy occurs, Planned Parenthood benefits by encouraging and then performing the subsequent abortion. In summation, the organization has created an insidious and lucrative scheme behind the thin guise of "reproductive health," and anyone concerned with the sanctity of human life would do well to avoid subsidizing their work. Again, thanks for contacting us. We trust this reply has been helpful. Grace and peace to you! (contact name omitted) Focus on the Family So there you have it. Any contribution to Planned Parenthood is a contribution and support for abortion, regardless if your contribution is not earmarked for abortions. Therefore, there is a motivation to boycott Microsoft. And that is the focus of ProLifePC.com. Last update: September 2008 |
