"The truth will set you free," John 8:32

How many times have you heard this quote in Church and just took it in without any real thought or questioning? I know I have and just accepted what I was being told.

How many political ads have you seen or heard about the upcoming Presidential Election? One news station will state a fact and another station will report the exact opposite; both claiming to tell the "truth." So what do we believe about so many important issues? How can we find the truth?

One subject that will be a "hot topic" in the next election is the abortion pill. I have done a lot of research on this topic and will try to impart the truth so you can become more knowledgeable about this important topic. I'd like to warn you that some of the information I will share with you is graphic may be upsetting.

I researched information from Planned Parenthood and the Guttmacher Institute, two very pro-abortion organizations as well as information from The Cleveland Clinic and Live Action, a pro-life organization founded by Lila Rose. I wanted to get both sides of the story.

First, the pro-abortion side. Medication abortions, (abortion pill), now account for 63% of all abortions. These organizations as well as the Cleveland Clinic state that medication abortions are safe and very effective at "ending the pregnancy."

This is how a medication abortion takes place. A woman will get a prescription from her Doctor or other health care professional for two different kinds of pills. The first pill is called mifepristone with the second pill called misoprostol. She may also be able to get the pills online or by a telemed appointment with a Doctor.

The FDA and Cleveland Clinic state that the pills can be taken up to 10 weeks or 70 days since the last menstrual period, however, Planned Parenthood is known to give the pills to women who are 11 weeks pregnant. The woman takes one pill of mifepristone which stops the release of progesterone, the hormone necessary to maintain the interior of the uterus. Without progesterone, the uterus cannot support the baby. If the woman changes her mind at this point and wants to keep her baby, she can receive additional progesterone which can often reverse the abortion and the baby will be saved.

Two days after the mifepristone pill, the woman takes four misoprostol pills that cause the cervix to soften and the uterus to contract. The woman will have very hard contractions and pass a lot of blood and clots. Planned Parenthood warns that the clots can be as large as a "lemon;" that being the baby. This will usually last between 2 and 6 hours before the "tissue" passes, however, it can take longer. Side effects can be nausea, severe bleeding, infection, sepsis, diarrhea, irregular heart beat, stomach irregularities, and depression.

The woman is to see her Doctor or health care worker two weeks after the abortion to make sure that the abortion is "complete" and that no tissue remains. If so, she will have to have medical intervention, often going through the pill regime again or receiving a D and C surgical procedure.

I have talked with women who have medically aborted their babies and they said that the experience was "horrible", and " the worst thing I ever experienced." That is because they had to dispose of the fetus themselves by flushing the baby down the toilet. This is causing the women to suffer greatly. Yet, this is being promoted as a safe way with few complications to have an abortion.

So, if a woman can have a medical abortion up to 70 days since her last menstrual period, what does a developing fetus look like at that time? The baby measures between 3.2 cm and 4.3 cm and weighs about 5.7 grams. The baby is now able to swallow fluid and is able to move all his or her limbs. The liver, kidneys, lungs, and intestines are now fully formed and functional. Fingers and toes move easily and are no longer webbed. Digestive juices and urine are now being produced. All the vital organs and major body parts are formed and smaller features such as fingernails and even hair begin to appear. In addition, tooth buds are continuing to form under the gums. The heart has been beating since day 21! And yet we are told that this is just a "bunch of cells", or " tissue."

The Birth Company at the Portland Hospital.

I have tried to present to you the "truth" about the abortion pills and what the procedure entails. I hope this truth will inspire you to share this with others. Please go to the Liveaction.org website to learn more. My fear is that safeguards will be removed and the pills will become available as over the counter medications. Teens and women will take these without proper instruction or knowledge about what to expect and we will have more wounded women, struggling to deal with this tragedy.

Christ assured us that He will be with us always and that His grace and mercy will set us free. Let us embrace this promise and learn the truth about these critical issues.

May Christ bless you and your families.

Judy