The Ugly Truth of Unplanned

How can it be that abortion is gaining ground in some states in America when recent movies like Gosnell (2018), Living Waters’ 7 Reasons, and Pure Flix’s Unplanned (releasing today) are exposing the horrors of the procedures and the corrupt nature of providers? Ignorance.1 Often innocent ignorance and even, sadly, willing ignorance. Dare a pro-choice friend to see Unplanned with you this weekend—or watch any of the movies mentioned above.

Deception through ignorance is what prompts many of these women to allow someone to do this to their bodies and babies. The truth is withheld from them, and oftentimes, later, when the woman becomes aware of what she’s done, the woman is filled with regret and changed forever. This is not healthcare for women! The truth needs to shout louder than those who would shout over it without really knowing what abortion is and does.

Changing Minds?

Can going to see such a movie change someone’s mind? The very imagery (though in Unplanned, it only simulates what actually goes on in every abortion clinic daily) that changed the mind of ardent pro-choice advocate and accoladed Planned Parenthood Clinic Director Abby Johnson is the pinnacle of the film. Mounting reasons build throughout most of the film as Abby remains willingly ignorant, but this one scene is powerful enough to change everything. While blood is shown, as abortion is a violent procedure, the most disturbing part—and what changed Abby’s mind—is eerily silent and monochromatic.

Interviews with Abby, as well as the ending of the movie, indicate how remorseful she is at having been involved in the deaths of over 20,000 babies at her clinic. Wouldn’t she have wanted to have seen what she saw sooner? Don’t we have the obligation to get the truth to those who are supporting this abuse of women and ignorantly calling it healthcare?

The film was recently given an R rating (Restricted—no one under 17 admitted without an accompanying parent or guardian) because of disturbing, bloody images. But even without those images (though there are only a few), abortion is more violent than any rated-R movie—yet it is a surgical procedure legal for girls under the age of 17 and without parental guidance or permission that cruelly ends the life of another human being. Even though Unplanned is not an evangelistic, apologetics film and we certainly advise parents to be discerning what their children can see (and there are a few other aspects that might be concerning for parents2), we highly recommend this movie to anyone who has been exposed to the arguments for abortion—and, sadly, younger and younger children are.

Get Encouraged

While Abby’s route to redemption was much longer than she and her family would have wished, her story gives us hope. People can change their minds. She was also helped by kind and peaceful picketers outside her clinic. And, there was the encouraging statistic given that 75% of those who schedule procedures think twice when they see people outside the clinic urging them not to harm their bodies and their babies.

Abby herself has been harmed by abortion. She had chosen differing procedures for two of her own babies, not fully realizing what she was doing. She had help from friends in the pro-life community to find healing for that and the other thousands of babies she feels personally responsible for. Abby lives with that regret, but she has asked forgiveness from a loving and merciful God. After watching the film with friends who might be pro-abortion, believers can offer them practical and spiritual advice, and, to hurting women who have had an abortion, give them emotional help as they tell them about the forgiveness and healing available through Jesus Christ.3

Find out more about the Pure Flix movie, releasing in theaters today, at UnplannedFilm.com. The ugly truth must come out.4

See Ken Ham, AiG CEO, interview Michael Scott, CEO of Pure Flix, and hear his passion for getting this powerful story and the horrors of abortion exposed.