The issue of abortion is a political hot potato—probably more so now than ever. Many pro-choice advocates see abortion as a last-resort birth control of sorts. But is it? Pro-life Christians argue that abortion is much more than a political issue; it’s a moral one. And it’s an issue we can’t afford to ignore.
This past Friday, Pure Flix’s Unplanned tackled that issue head-on as it released in theaters. The movie highlights the abortion debate in a spectacular way as it tells the true story of Abby Johnson, who was at one time a clinic director for Planned Parenthood, where she was named employee of the year in 2008. She says she helped orchestrate 22,000 abortions. But when she was called in one day to help perform an abortion, her life changed.
I watched the film about a month ago during a prescreening. Not only did the acting impress me, but the story itself was gripping yet believable. I share more of my personal thoughts in my “Strang Report” podcast, which you can listen to by clicking here or scrolling down.
Over the weekend, Unplanned ranked as the fifth highest-grossing film, making $6.1 million. This is impressive considering the fact that every major television network except Fox News Channel refused to show advertising for the film. Just to give you an idea of how biased the media was against this pro-life movie, take a look at this list of networks that banned Unplanned ads: Lifetime, the Travel Channel, the Cooking Channel, HGTV, the Food Network, Discovery, Hallmark Channel and USA Network.
And not only that, but Unplanned received a surprising R-rating, and many are asking why. The film contains no sex, no cursing, no gun violence—nothing that normally deserves such a rating. The only possible explanation is that abortion is violent. If this R-rating reveals anything, it shows that deep down, human beings know abortion is much more than a routine surgery. I think if people were truly honest with themselves, they would agree that killing a fetus in the womb is murder.
That’s what happened for Johnson. She was a pro-choice feminist who was determined to help women, which she thought included providing them abortions. But watching an unborn baby on the sonogram screen fight for its life before being sucked out of its mother’s womb piece by piece one day made Johnson question everything she thought she knew about the abortion industry. A week later, she resigned from Planned Parenthood. Now, she runs a ministry called And Then There Were None, which helps abortion workers transition out of the industry and into life-promoting careers.
Johnson recently wrote a thoughtful and inspiring article about Unplanned on Fox News, which I believe will be worth your time to read. She urges people to see the film because even though her story runs contrary to the popular beliefs touted on mainstream media, it’s still her story and she knows it’s true. You can click here to read the article.
For me, it’s sad to know that in many states, a 16-year-old girl can get an abortion without her parents’ knowledge, but she can’t see this R-rated pro-life film without parental consent. It goes to show just how upside-down things are in this country right now.
And if you need further convincing, just look at the controversy that surrounded Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam not too long ago. He publicly shared that if a child survived an abortion and was born alive, he would advocate to keep the child comfortable while the doctors and parents discussed whether they would kill the baby or not. And these words came from a pediatrician.
Northam’s beliefs shocked many people. And yet the outrage that followed his murderous speech was minuscule compared to the rage that followed when a photo surfaced of him and a friend in dressed in racist costumes at a high school party. Though the outrage against his racist past was just, I find it disheartening that his current beliefs on abortion didn’t horrify people to the same extent.
But even though our culture has numbed itself to the evil of abortion, I believe God is raising up people who speak the truth, who create movies like Unplanned and who reach out in love to those wrestling with what to do with their unwanted pregnancies. All life is sacred from the moment of conception to the moment of death. And we must stand for it—no matter what.
If you agree with me, share this article with your friends on social media and be sure to see Unplanned in theaters. Brings your friends with you to see it. And if you want to hear more of my thoughts on the film, click on my podcast below.
Stephen Strang 
