5 things "Gosnell" teaches us

The shocking movie that teaches viewers the horrors of abortion and provides an inside look at the lucrative industry that disguises itself as “women’s choice” has received tremendous opposition – and for good reason. Once a person watches Gosnell, that person is left with two choices: admit the industry needs to be shut down for good or walk away with a more hardened and cold heart. It’s a movie that demands a response. It’s a story that will not let you walk away from it. The lessons contained within that movie cry out for change. They demand action.

1) Money blindness – The abortion industry is willfully blind because of cash flow. When law enforcement serves the search warrant on Gosnell’s house, the rolls of cash and numerous deeds to property reflect an industry that only sees green. Depending upon the age of the child, abortion procedures can range from $765-$3,000 according to statistics. Based on the average cost of the procedure, an estimated $438 million is spent annually on first trimester abortions and $393 million is spent on late term abortions. The results in the United States abortion industry racking up an estimated $831 million through abortion services alone, according to Abort73.com. Abortion giant Planned Parenthood admits to performing over 300,000 abortions annually, averaging 37 abortions per hour and 1 abortion every 97 seconds. The cost of Planned Parenthood abortions range from $390-$1,500.

2.) A purpose and plan – God promises us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a plan for us. He tells us in Isaiah that he knew us before he created us in our mother’s womb. Each child created in the mother’s womb was created by God himself, therefore each one has a purpose. The distasteful, disrespectful, and outright shocking disregard for human life shown in the Gosnell case reflects the disregard for life the abortion industry holds. The photo of Baby Boy A, that rocked the court trial and essentially handed the case to the prosecution, reflected that even that child – though only taking a few breaths in this world – had a purpose. His purpose, his legacy, perhaps was changed because he was murdered. But, God turned it into something good and used his death, his short life, to send a murdering abortionist to prison. God also used that little boy to touch and change the heart of a pro-choice lawyer. What could he possibly do with your life if you let him?

3.) One person army – Blogger Molly Mullaney set out for the truth. While trying to obtain information, researching, and investigating, Molly came across valuable information the prosecution did not know existed. She continued her quest for truth, sharing the information with the district attorney and investigators, ultimately leading them to the photo of Baby Boy A which won the case for them. Molly’s statement at the end of the movie speaks volumes as to how far the media has fallen from what it initially was supposed to do. She said she was not trying to help the DA, she was just searching for the truth – no matter if the truth lined up with what she believed or not. What if we all felt that way? What if we all just simply searched for truth, no matter if it supported what we believed or not?

4.) Photo power – We live in a world of photos. In a society where cellphones are used as our personal camera, we live in a society where we have to expect to be flooded with images from food, animals, children, and random buildings. But, a photo carries power if it contains the right images. It tells a story. Photos tell your story. They tell my story. One photo told the story of Baby Boy A’s brief, yet valuable, life to the jury and they listened. It was a story they would not soon forget. It’s a story you will not forget. The photo made Baby Boy A more than a name, more than a number, more than something on a piece of legal paper. The photo made Baby Boy A come to life. It made him a person. It put a face, a little body, to the generic name. When a photo of empty courtroom benches, reserved for media professionals, hits the internet via a blogger it sparks a media circus that almost forces news coverage of the trial. What if Molly would not have taken that photo? What if she would not have posted it on her blog? What if she would have sit in her seat and thought "that's none of my business. It's not my problem?"

5.) Satan’s lies – Let’s face it, the abortion industry and those who support it claim they are doing it to help people. That’s just simply a lie. There is nothing Dr. Gosnell did that helped women or children. The heartless response by the nurse during Grand Jury testimony regarding “people die” during procedures, and the cold-blooded answer the abortionist provided during trial about removing the “gray matter” (brain) from the baby before removing the body from the mother’s womb simply shows the disregard for the child being human. Satan lies and says it is to help people, but how is it helping? Between 1970-2014 the Center for Disease Control reports nearly 44.5 million legally induced abortions were performed. How is killing 44 million children helping anyone other than those profiting from it? There are not 44 million mothers who needed an abortion because of medical reasons. There are not 44.5 million women who were raped and got pregnant who chose abortion. That’s a small fraction of the number. That’s almost twice as many people dead than the Holocaust (6 million Jews, 17 million deaths overall) and slaves who died during slavery (10.5 million) combined. Let that sink in for a moment and see if you’re stomach does not turn.

The New York Times refuses to review the movie, NPR refused advertisements calling Gosnell an abortion doctor, Facebook rejected multiple ads for the movie, and very few media outlets would offer reviews or coverage of the movie – much like the initial stages of the arrest and court proceedings. But, it’s a movie – a message that will not be silenced and has now sparked an immense fire that will not easily be quenched. Catholic speaker, author, and media consultant Teresa Tomeo calls the movie a “must see”. I agree.