What we should learn from Komen and Planned Parenthood

The culture war over the life of the unborn has been on full display the last three weeks. On Jan. 31, it was reported Susan G. Komen for the Cure had decided to end grants to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the country's No. 1 abortion provider. Three days later, the world's leading breast cancer charity cried, "Uncle," after a public relations and media onslaught orchestrated by Planned Parenthood. In the last 10 days, the battle over the Obama administration's "contraceptive mandate" -- which requires employers to pay for birth control methods, including ones that can cause abortions -- has intensified.

Before we go too far down the road regarding the Komen controversy, I think it is important for every American believer to read what Russell Moore wrote for Christianity Today on what we should learn from Planned Parenthood's successful, strong-arm tactics. Here are some comments I think are especially pertinent:

We don't need a Christian foundation to compete with the merchants of death. We don't need one more coalition with enough signatures to counter the threatened boycotts of the abortion rights peddlers. And we sure don't need to sell bumper stickers with a line drawn through a pink ribbon.

What we need, first of all, are churches who recognize that this isn't all that surprising. Mammon is a jealous god, and he's armed to the teeth. We need to create the kind of counter-culture that constantly shines the light of Christ wherever these false gods exist in our own affections. And then we need to demonstrate what it means to believe that a person's life consists in more than the abundance of his possessions.

Let's stop highlighting how God "blesses" the millionaire who tithes. Let's stop trumpeting the celebrity football players and beauty queens as evidence of God's blessing. Let's show that God has blessed us in a Christ who never had a successful career or a balanced bank account, but who was blessed by God with life, and with children that no one can number, from every tribe, tongue, nation, and language.

You may read Moore's entire commentary here.