By Tony Perkins

Women are used to Planned Parenthood preying on them – but praying on them? That’s a new approach altogether. After a string of celebrity endorsements, Planned Parenthood insists it got the ultimate one: God’s. Obviously, Cecile Richards’s group is always looking for new ways to justify abortion. But the Bible? That’s a step too far, even for them.

In a new “Pastoral Letter to Patients,” America’s biggest abortion business (the same one that launched a 40 Days of Prayer for Choice) makes the stunning suggestion that most faiths support the decision to kill an innocent unborn child. “The truth is that abortion is not even mentioned in the Scriptures – Jewish or Christian – and there are clergy and people… from all denominations who support women making this complex decision.”

The word “abortion” may not be mentioned (for the record, neither is drunk driving, marijuana, voter fraud, and human cloning), but I think we’d all agree the subject was covered in a little thing called the Ten Commandments. What’s more, the Bible is replete with references to the sanctity of life and our creation in the image of God. David reminds us that we were “fearfully and wonderfully made,” “knit together in [our] mother’s womb.” Jesus tells us he came – not so that we might have abortion, but “life – and life more abundantly.” Is Planned Parenthood so desperate for business that it has to spiritualize the murder of tiny children? Woe, Isaiah says, “to those who call evil good and good evil.”

And according to Planned Parenthood, there are plenty who are willing to. “Though your reasons may be complicated and private,” the letter reads, “you’re not alone. As religious leaders from a number of religious traditions, we’re here to support you in your decision… If you’d like to speak with a clergyperson, your local Planned Parenthood health center can refer you to someone who will be supportive of you and your decision.”

It’s almost like a TV ad. Hurry – abortion apologists are standing by! Unfortunately, that’s not the role of the church. God’s leaders are called to preach the Word, not hand out permission slips excusing people from it. Is there grace and forgiveness? Absolutely. But only for a repentant heart. These days, even the church is becoming a target of this radical secularization, where morality is open to interpretation. We’ve seen it happen with premarital sex, same-sex “marriage,” and now abortion.

And while lightning hasn’t struck Planned Parenthood headquarters, the group is getting shocked by the latest closures. Thanks to a wave of pro-life legislation, clinics are turning off the lights in at least five clinics across Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Iowa. Too stubborn to comply with safety standards, these clinics are shutting their doors for good in a couple of the most liberal states in America. Now, if we could just get Congress to close its taxpayer-dollar funding stream…