In the wake of the public release of three disturbing undercover videos that exposed Planned Parenthood’s possible sale of the body parts of aborted babies—including the latest released just yesterday—the Tennessee Pastors Network (TNPN, www.tnpastors.net) is urging all churches and morally responsible organizations to become educated about where the funds in their pension plans and investments actually go.

 

“Unfortunately, abortion in America is a big and deadly business, and many U.S. companies are directly or indirectly funding the abortion giant Planned Parenthood,” said TNPN President Dale Walker. “While efforts are under way to defund Planned Parenthood, which we strongly support, government money is not the only way the agency pays for abortion services. Many private companies and organizations also give directly to Planned Parenthood, and churches and their congregants must make sure that none of their investments are tied to these firms that are funding the gruesome business of abortion.

 

“Our mission at the Tennessee Pastors Network is to help churches fall in line with biblical obedience and offer a solution and a challenge in every situation. Even the most disturbing headlines may in some way affect our churches,” he continued.

 

Walker added that the importance of biblical investing takes on a sense of urgency when organizations and corporations support activity that goes against God’s Word—either directly or indirectly—such as the atrocities that recently surfaced at Planned Parenthood.

 

“Churches, Christian companies and all morally responsible organizations are duty-bound to clean up their own house, and that certainly includes where and how we invest our money,” Walker said. “Not only is this our responsibility, but the entire premise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is that God’s people must turn from our wicked ways. Knowingly investing and seeking a profit in companies that advance evil is itself evil. The hammer of God’s judgment will continue to fall on America until we take a hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves, ‘Where are we sinning against God and take corrective action?’”

 

TNPN encourages churches to conduct research about their investments, through qualified financial professionals or online research, such as two resources that recently came to light since the Planned Parenthood videos were released: the Daily Signal and 2ndVote.com.

 

“In an age when technology allows all of us—including churches—to be educated about companies that directly or indirectly fund the abortion or related industries, we must act,” Walker added. “The Tennessee Pastors Network is calling on all churches and morally responsible organizations to promptly and carefully review their investments and pension plans to ensure that they are in no way contributing to the killing of nearly 60 million babies since 1973.”

 

Locally, Tennessee Rep. Diane Black and 80 original cosponsors introduced H.R. 3134, the “Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015,” which would immediately halt all sources of federal funding to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for a one-year period, according to LifeNews.com.

 

Black, a Tennessee Republican and a nurse for more than 40 years, told LifeNews that the shocking videos provide even more reason to ensure that Planned Parenthood does not receive any taxpayer dollars.

 

“The legislation has the support of 80 original cosponsors and would place an immediate moratorium on all federal funding of Planned Parenthood for the span of one year while Congress conducts a full investigation into the organization’s activities,” Black said.

 

In the first video that stirred the national controversy, which was released by the Center for Medical Progress on July 14, Planned Parenthood senior executive Dr. Deborah Nucatola discussed the sale of fetal body parts with actors portraying buyers from a “human biologics company” over lunch. In a second video, released July 21, Dr. Mary Gatter, president of Planned Parenthood’s medical directors council, is seen negotiating the price of aborted fetal body parts, stating that she wanted “a Lamborghini.” A third video released July 28 highlighted a technician who said she worked for a company that partnered with Planned Parenthood to harvest fetal tissue, Fox News reported.

 

To interview Pastor Dale Walker from the Tennessee Pastors Network or a representative of the American Pastors Network, contact Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, ext. 102, or Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com.