Image: Jeveleth I don't think anybody appreciates being tricked. I don't think anybody likes being manipulated and I don't think anybody thinks vulnerable people deserve to be emotionally abused when they seek help about a difficult and potentially life changing situation. Telegraph reporters recently investigated a crisis pregnancy centre and found that counsellors were spouting complete untruths designed to frighten people into continuing their pregnancy. You have probably heard some of these before, that abortion leaves you infertile or unable to carry a pregnancy to full term. That abortion will somehow give you breast cancer (I assume the science behind that is boobs have their own moral code and will turn on you) post termination. But had you heard that abortion can cause "an increased statistical likelihood of child abuse". Also if you have an abortion you will smell funny and are statistically more likely to touch dogs in odd ways.
What's really sinister about this is is that I do think the counsellors who tell people these such things (and the might as well crack out that dog fact I just made up - it's about as credible as the child abuse statistic) and have chosen to work at an independent centre rather than the NHS sincerely believe they are being informative. In spite of the fact this is, essentially, supposed to be medical advice they're happy to leave the science part to...well I just don't know. Correlation and causation in their world are happily interchangeable and statistics seems to be just a word you use to mean "that's what I heard".
Which is why these are the only places you will ever hear someone seriously discuss a disorder unrecognised by any medical body, called Post-Abortion Syndrome, which crisis pregnancy centres equate to PTSD.
Which is why these are the only places you will ever hear someone seriously discuss a disorder unrecognised by any medical body, called Post-Abortion Syndrome, which crisis pregnancy centres equate to PTSD.
| Brook's Simon Blake OBE commented on the findings in the Education for Choice and Brook report on crisis pregnancy centres that "I was saddened to read in this report many extensively documented examples of misleading, inaccurate and emotionally manipulative information disseminated by so-called 'crisis pregnancy centres '(CPCs)." | Correlation and causation in their world are happily interchangeable |
According to Brook's investigation into these centres 5 counsellors shared their religious beliefs, which leads me to another peculiar and manipulative thing anti-choicers do. Often an openly Christian (I use that term loosely) anti-choice group (Jesus was pretty anti-compassion turns out, not a lot of people know that) will employ the Bible verse Jeremiah 1:5 to be clear that God knows the blastocyst in your womb: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you". Let's talk about this. First of all it's important that you know how the rest of that passage goes. It continues: "and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
Does that sound a little specific to you? We aren't all prophets, if we were we wouldn't also be warned to beware false prophets in the Bible. We'd be high fiving each other and making jokes about preaching to the converted and just generally waiting for the second coming whilst wearing those 'I'm glad my mommy didn't abort me' T-shirts
Therefore it irks me to see it used in this different context. In fact, it makes you wonder what lengths people who willingly present Bible verses out of context with the intention they will be misinterpreted will go to. I mean, forgive me, but that strikes me as immoral. There are plenty of affectionate passages regarding God's love for individuals, but they pick this one concerning Jeremiah because it focuses on life even before conception.
I suppose I don't need to wonder, reading through the Telegraphs list of 'facts' provided by crisis pregnancy centres, presented here with conflicting scientific evidence from medical professionals.
David Burrowes, Conservative MP for Enfield-Southgate, told the Telegraph: "There's certainly a role for independent advice services...I think we need to get away from the stereotypes and recognise that we need more, not less, advice and support for women and it shouldn't be the sole preserve of BPAS."
That's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But we need more factual and helpful advice and support for women. Crisis pregnancy centres either need incredibly strict monitoring or to be clear that they are anti-choice. Or better yet closed down for scaremongering and exploiting the vulnerable.
Squeamish Kate
Does that sound a little specific to you? We aren't all prophets, if we were we wouldn't also be warned to beware false prophets in the Bible. We'd be high fiving each other and making jokes about preaching to the converted and just generally waiting for the second coming whilst wearing those 'I'm glad my mommy didn't abort me' T-shirts
Therefore it irks me to see it used in this different context. In fact, it makes you wonder what lengths people who willingly present Bible verses out of context with the intention they will be misinterpreted will go to. I mean, forgive me, but that strikes me as immoral. There are plenty of affectionate passages regarding God's love for individuals, but they pick this one concerning Jeremiah because it focuses on life even before conception.
I suppose I don't need to wonder, reading through the Telegraphs list of 'facts' provided by crisis pregnancy centres, presented here with conflicting scientific evidence from medical professionals.
David Burrowes, Conservative MP for Enfield-Southgate, told the Telegraph: "There's certainly a role for independent advice services...I think we need to get away from the stereotypes and recognise that we need more, not less, advice and support for women and it shouldn't be the sole preserve of BPAS."
That's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But we need more factual and helpful advice and support for women. Crisis pregnancy centres either need incredibly strict monitoring or to be clear that they are anti-choice. Or better yet closed down for scaremongering and exploiting the vulnerable.
Squeamish Kate
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