Thirty-One...and the like

If Thirty-One, a company based on Proverbs 31 and therefore gaining a huge following of evangelical women, wants to support a variety of organizations that fund Planned Parenthood, the nation's number one abortion provider, then you know I will have something to say about it.


Please read this blog from Bound4Life.

Thirty-One claims they simply want to support “HER”...which I assume to mean all women in general.  So, why doesn't this “Christian” company pursue causes like The American Heritage Girls, Concerned Women for America, any number of thousands of crisis pregnancy care centers, Bridges to Motherhood programs, ministries that help girls in other countries, etc. Really, the list goes on and on. Did Thirty-One just not want to think too hard about who to support? Girl Scouts, Komen for the Cure, YWCA...these are no-brainer feminist/women's organizations (please tell me they have not linked arms with N.O.W.). A little research could find them plenty of unquestionable women's organizations that don't have ties to the abortion industry. I certainly can understand an oversight. However, even after Thirty-One has been made aware of their associations, they continue to defend them. (http://www.thirtyonegives.com/partners.html)

No doubt, the idea of withdrawing their support from such high-profile groups such as the Girl Scouts may bring the dreaded wrath of the liberal left media. Let us not quickly forget the recent outrageous Komen/Planned Parenthood debacle. Sure, it's easier to disappoint the conservative side...we're a little nicer in our response. The abortion-driven left will DESTROY you.  So, Thirty-One, please choose you this day whom you will serve. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.” (Mt. 6:24) As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Jsh. 24:15)...and not Planned Parenthood....however indirectly it may be. If I give you money and you give it to the YWCA and they give it to Planned Parenthood, then what's the difference?  

“And Elijah came to all the people, and said, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' But the people answered him not a word.” (1 Kings 18:21)

Give us a straight answer.  Don't try to appease; it won't work.  And don't word it "just so" thinking you can fool us.  You cannot serve two masters.  

“For do I now persuade men or God: Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” (Gal. 1:10)

My latest letter to Thirty-One:

Hello,

Can you please tell me if Komen is among the Thirty-One Gives partners?  

I know you are aware of the concern by many Christians and pro-lifers that some of your Gives partners are associated with Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider.  While Komen is not listed on your website, I have receive information from Bound4Life stating that you are partnered with Komen.  I would like to verify that with you.  

Certainly you are aware of the recent Komen/Planned Parenthood debacle.  This is no small issue and many women who stand for life refuse to stand with Komen.   I am one, and I know a plethora of others.  

I hope Thirty-One will research well its partners and their associations with Planned Parenthood.  I understand Thirty-One to be a Christian company.  Is that true?  If so, many are trusting you to not associate yourselves with anything having to do with the murder of 3000+ unborn babies per day.

I appreciate your response.  I think you make a beautiful and quality product.  However, I must know the answers to these questions so I can make a decision of whether or not to support Thirty-One.

Thank you.

Very sincerely,

Kori Peterson

Willful Ignorance.

Is it still considered sin even if you don't know you are doing it?

Yes.

• In Judges 14, Samson kills a lion. Later on, he comes upon the carcass again and a swarm of bees have inhabited it, so Samson eats the honey. He gives some of the honey to his parents...though they don't know where it came from. According to Jewish Law (Lev. 11:27), touching the carcass of a dead animal was forbidden.
• In Genesis 20, Abraham asks Sarah to pose as his sister and not his wife. Subsequently, she is taken by the king.  God in his grace “knew the integrity of [Abimelech's] heart,” (Gen. 20:6) and caused him not to touch Sarah. But Abimelech confronts Abraham and says, “...you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin...” (Gen. 20:9. emphasis mine.)

Clearly if Abimelech had taken Sarah, he would have been sinning...even if he was ignorant of it. So it is with us. Just because we don't know about sin when we commit it doesn't make it any less a sin.

Granted, we all undoubtedly often sin unknowingly. I don't want to trivialize a very real situation. During the atonement, known and unknown sins (Lev. 16:30) were accounted for and washed away. God certainly knows “the integrity of our hearts.” Just make sure that there is integrity in your heart when you are ignorant of your own sins.

Should I go on sinning that grace may abound? Certainly not! (Romans 6:1)

However, I contend that many WANT to be ignorant and work hard to remain so - for the purpose of continuing to live their lives unwittingly irresponsible for those things they don't know about; and so they don't have to give up something they really like. Yes, like a cookie (Girl Scouts) ...or a bag (Thirty-One).

I understand that people don't want to sacrifice their comforts. I understand that people don't want to give up something they really like. But I refuse to justify such behavior.

Choosing to not acknowledge something just so you can live your complacent, comfortable life is selfish and harmful. I'm sure that German citizens during World War II felt it would be better to be ignorant and apathetic than to be in-the-know and therefore under a sense of duty to do the right thing. But this did nothing to help the Jews or the “undesirables.”

So, we today, willingly turn a blind eye to the horrors of mass infanticide, and to those who “indirectly” support it...so we can live our posh lives without being bothered with the unpleasantries of not having the latest material possession that we want. And so we unwittingly and ignorantly sin...shirking responsibility while 3000+ babies die because of our silence every day.

Walk worthy of your calling.

Be blessed and whole,