The comments below the fold were made on a Catholic-oriented blog, with the intent of reasoning with people who mistakenly think they are abortion opponents.
Disclosure: I am NOT an abortion opponent. I definitely respect the right of a woman to decide what is best for her body and family. So, understand that the comments take the viewpoint of an abortion opponent who has allowed reason to trump ideology, so as not to alienate the people to whom it is directed.
This is a difficult dilemma for abortion opponents, but the truth is, Planned Parenthood prevents as many as 500,000 abortions a year. While it performs 305,310 abortions a year, it PREVENTS 800,000 unwanted pregnancies through its educational and contraception programs (Source: Guttmacher Institute). Guttmacher is an abortion rights advocate. However, its research is generally regarded as reliable, even by abortion opponents.
According to the numbers offered in the above post condemning Planned Parenthood, only about 13,000 of those 800,000 unwanted pregnancies would result in adoptions. As many as 787,000 of those unwanted pregnancies - again, according to the figures here - would result in abortions.
Therefore, it can reasonably be argued that Planned Parenthood's programs prevent a net 482,000 abortions every year.
So, you have to ask yourself whether you sincerely want to reduce abortion by overwhelming numbers, or you want to hang on to an ideological identity, a brand if you will, that genuinely objects to the idea of abortion, but in real numbers of lives lost, defeats its own purpose.
It's a difficult dilemma for abortion opponents, and a great number, perhaps most, reading this will dismiss the numbers in favor of sticking with a comforting and familiar idea that, while noble in theory, is fallacious in reality.
Abortion is your enemy. Planned Parenthood is your enemy, or is not, depending upon how rationally you view the issue.
Of course, predictably, many of the faithful will focus on the act of abortion itself, rather than the overall effect of Planned Parenthood's programs in general.
As always, the difficult decision is yours to make.
Note: I used their own numbers, intended to condemn Planned Parenthood, to defend it.