Planned Parenthood Loses Major Lawsuit Against Former Director: Today, we will be interviewing Abby Johnson. Abby is from the movie “€œUnplanned”€ and she is a former Planned Parenthood director. She is now a major advocate for life and will be sharing with us some updates on what is happening with Planned Parenthood.

Air Date: 09/30/2019

Guest: Abby Johnson

On-air Personalities: David Barton, Rick Green, and Tim Barton

Listen:

Download: Click Here

Transcription note:  As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast. Transcription will be released shortly. However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers. Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times. We apologize in advance.

Faith And The Culture

Rick:

Welcome to the intersection of faith and the culture. This is WallBuilders Live! Where we’re talking about today’s hottest topics on policy, faith, and the culture, always doing that from a Biblical, historical, and Constitutional perspective.

We’re here with David Barton, America’s premier historian and the founder of WallBuilders. Also, Tim Barton, national speaker and President of WallBuilders, and my name is Rick Green. I’m a former Texas state legislator, national speaker, and author. You can find out more about all three of us at our website. 

Wall Builders 

It’s called Wallbuilders.com. Wall Builders, think architecture but not the kind of wall you might be thinking of, but WallBuilders.com.

WallBuilders comes from a scripture in Nehemiah it says arise and rebuild the walls that we may no longer be a reproach.

If you think about it, back then if you didn’t have the outer walls you were weak as a city. In fact, you wouldn’t survive you’d be run over without question. 

Today, it’s the foundational principles. If you don’t have a good strong foundation of principles; if you don’t have good structures in place for your culture, and society, you’re going to lose that society. 

That’s why David Barton, 30 years ago, started WallBuilders to rebuild the foundations; to rebuild, and bring back the principles of liberty that made America the greatest nation in history. 

That’s what we’re about here at WallBuilders. Check us out at of Wallbuilderslive.com for the radio program. And then check out Wallbuilders.com our main web site for some great tools for yourself, your family, and others. Get equipped and inspire them to be good citizens and help preserve freedom for future generations. 

Support WallBuilders

We also ask that you support the program itself when you’re on either those websites. When you see that donate button if you would click on that, and look at making a one-time donation or a monthly donation. Becoming one of our supporters that makes this program and the rest of our ministry possible. 

Abby Johnson, Unplanned

Alright, guys, Abby Johnson will be with us later in the program.

She’s the one from the movie, Unplanned. She was the Planned Parenthood director from College Station. 

Her story is absolutely amazing. She’s become a great advocate for life, and so she’ll be with us to talk about another Planned Parenthood director where these kinds of miraculous things have been happening to win. 

We talk about cases all the time lower-level court cases, legislation being passed across the country. That’s all good pro-life legislation, but there’s a lot of other things happening as well.

The Founding Fathers Really Did Believe In The Right Of The Unborn Child

Tim:

Yeah, there really are. For the last many weeks if not for the last several years, we’ve been talking about all the pro-life victories that have been going on. 

Something that’s been happening at state levels where every year we do our state legislators conference. We have legislators coming in from around the nation, and we’re one of the groups that are helping encourage some of these traditional values. 

One of them being pro-life; which we recognize is an unalienable right. The Founding Fathers even identified in the Declaration; that the first of all the unalienable rights was the right to life. 

The founding fathers really did believe in the right of the unborn child. 

You have guys like James Wilson who wrote about the unborn child.

James Wilson, Founding Father

David:

 And who is James Wilson?

Tim: 

Oh, good point. James Wilson was a signer of the Declaration. He was a signer of the U.S. Constitution. He was a member of the very first Supreme Court appointed by George Washington himself. So James Wilson is pretty significant founding father; involved in pretty much everything we did in early America. 

He was the guy who gave lectures at the time the very first law schools that were ever done. He helped teach at those early law schools. From his lectures, they took and made the very first law books that were given to these law students in America. 

One of the lectures he gave was about how laws in America protect the rights – the life of the unborn child. 

This is actually in his law book which is kind of a crazy thought to think about, even back then they were dealing with this issue.

He Was Talking About The Rights Of The Unborn Child in 1971

David:

Yeah, he was giving these lectures in 1791. So I mean he’s talking about the rights of the unborn child in 1791 –

Tim:

So, well before you could have a sonogram, before there was 3-D technology that you could see these images what was happening. 

We have some really incredible stuff now and technology, even back then they recognize that this was an unborn child – not just a fetus, not just tissue. No, this is a child. 

Many States Have Now Been Upholding The Rights Of Unborn Children

Well, many states have now been upholding and defending the rights of unborn children; passing laws to do that. 

Some of the things we’ve seen as an outgrowth of these laws are that in many states, Planned Parenthood clinics have been having to close for various reasons. 

Either they couldn’t uphold the standards, they couldn’t have enough doctors, there weren’t many people coming in anymore – lots of positive things with the pro-life movement. 

An Abortion Worker Became A Whistleblower At Planned Parenthood

But among it, there’s been many negative things for Planned Parenthood. Actually, there was an article that came out that has some more negative news for Planned Parenthood. It deals with an abortion worker essentially, somebody who was helping run a clinic, who realized that some of the things that are happening the clinic weren’t good. 

She essentially becomes a whistleblower and Planned Parenthood’s upset. 

The whole surrounding issue is something that is very negative for Planned Parenthood, and they’re actually losing a lot of money on this situation.

Rick:

Nobody better to tell us about this story than Abby Johnson herself. 

Unplanned, The Movie

By the way, Unplanned is a great movie for people to watch if you really want to see what’s happening in the abortion industry, and you want to see a miraculous turnaround.

Tim, you mentioned the abortion worker in this case that ended up in this lawsuit with Planned Parenthood. 

Hundreds of abortion workers have left the abortion industry because of Abby Johnson’s story and the movie. There’s just good stuff happening all over the place on the pro-life front. 

Abby Johnson when we return. You’re listening to WallBuilders Live.

This Precarious Moment Book

David:

This is David Barton. I want to let about a brand new book we have called This Precarious Moment: Six Urgent Steps That Will Save You, Your family, and Our Country. Jim Garlow and I have co-authored this book and we take six issues that are hot in the culture right now. 

Issues that we’re dealing with, issues such as immigration, race relations, our relationship with Israel, the rising generation Millennials, and the absence of the church in the culture wars, and where American heritage is our godly heritage. We look at all six of those issues right now that are under attack and we give you both Biblical and historical perspective on those issues that provide solutions on what each of us can do right now to make a difference. 

These are all problems that are solvable if we’ll get involved. So, you can grab the book This Precarious Moment and find out what you can do to make a difference. This Precarious Moment is available at WallBuilders.com.

Great Testimonies Are Coming Out Of Unplanned

Rick:

Welcome back. Thanks for staying with us here on WallBuilders Live. Abby Johnson is with us. Abby, thanks for your time today. Thanks for coming on.

Abby:

Of course. So glad to be on.

Rick:

Our topic is actually about the other director and the lawsuit out of Arizona, and all that but I got to tell you congrats on the success of Unplanned. Not just the movie’s success but all of the great testimonies that are coming out of it – lives saved. I mean, it’s been a phenomenal year for you.

Abby:

Yeah, it’s been a really good year. From the very beginning, we just prayed that a lot of lives would be saved; that people would come to know the Lord, and God really answered our prayers. He’s always faithful. So it’s been pretty amazing to be a part of that.

Rick:

That’s awesome. Very glad to see it. 

Love seeing the lives change; powerfully done. Your story is amazing, and as a fellow Texan, I’m just thankful for you – a tea sip, I apologize.

Abby:

Well, you know. It’s alright. 

Rick:

While I was at law school, UTSA, every weekend at 8:00 a.m. just so you know. Couldn’t handle the crazies in Austin. So I came here, that where all my buddies were so, I’mOKk.

Hope you’ll stay on for the interview thought.

Abby:

I’ll stay on now. 

Rick: 

All right. 

Listen to a similar story to yours, and for our listeners that that may not be familiar with you – we’ve had you on before and told your story many times. In addition to that, we encouraged people to go watch the movie Unplanned. 

But as a former Planned Parenthood director, just a miraculous story of what happened to you there at ANM, and now that clinic is closed. Just so many great things that God’s been doing through your life.

Myra Rodriguez Was Wrongfully Terminated

Kind of almost a mirror story, I guess, tell us about the gal out of Arizona; what happened there, and this lawsuit that just an incredible victory as well.

Abby:

We were contacted by a woman named Myra Rodriguez. She told us that she had been wrongfully terminated from Planned Parenthood. She had been a director of a center in Arizona actually three centers in Arizona, and had started speaking out about things that were going on inside the clinic. 

A physician was just being incredibly negligent with the patients, women were hemorrhaging, they were getting infections. So, she started talking to the chief medical officer, the CEO, and they basically became very retaliatory against her. 

They fired her because of it because she started complaining. 

She Came Back Into Her Faith

She had told them that if they did not get a hold of this rogue physician that she was going to take it to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Abortion Federation because of that threat. They ended up firing her. 

Through that process, she came back into her faith: started walking with God again, became pro-life, and realized the wrong that she had participated in the abortion industry. 

She really wanted to show Planned Parenthood that she wasn’t going to take it anymore. She was going to demand better for herself, and for the women that go into that facility, and so ended up taking them to court. 

It Was A Two-year Long Process 

It was a two-year-long process. And they went through deposition after deposition. She had an amazing Christian attorney who was representing her. 

In the end, Planned Parenthood tried to settle with her twice. 

The first time they offered her money. She said I’m not interested in money. I’m interested in exposing you. 

They ended up coming back with more money. I guess they figured if we offer her enough we can buy her silence. (They) Came back with more money. She said still not interested. 

The second time though with the amount of money that they offered, which is about $250,000, they told her that she would have to sign a gag order. She said, I don’t want your money, and there’s no way I would ever sign a gag order. I want people to know what is taking place it at this facility. 

Refused it. Went to trial. Had two weeks in trial, and her attorney did not suggest an amount for the jury to come back with. 

(He) just said you’ve seen what has happened, you have seen what Planned Parenthood has said, you have heard their admissions under oath, and now it’s up to you to make a decision and render judgment. 

They came back with a guilty verdict for Planned Parenthood and awarded Myra $3 million.

 That’s Unusual For An Attorney To Not Suggest An Amount

Rick:

Now now that’s s that’s unusual for an attorney not to suggest an amount. That was pretty shrewd on his part to say you guys have seen what has happened here, you come up with a number.

Abby:

Yeah. I guess it was a sort of a Holy Spirit moment for him. He just like I’m just going to let them make the decision because it was never about money for Myra. 

She didn’t care if they came back with the dollar. I mean, what had been exposed was enough for her. So we ended up purchasing all of the court transcripts for our organization. 

We Are Going to Release Some Of The Information To The Public

We ended up purchasing all the transcripts and we are going to be releasing some of that really telling and damning information out to the public about what was admitted inside of court.

Rick:

Wow. That’s great. That’s good to hear. Amen. 

Wonderful victory all the way around. 

How surreal was it for you to see her story unfold, and there was a little bit of deja vu there?

We Were Honored To Be Able To Walk WIth Her On That Journey

Abby:

You know it was really amazing. We were also honored to be able to walk with her on that journey.

 Of course, I know what it’s like to face Planned Parenthood in a courtroom. I know how daunting and how scary it can be. 

We had staff that went down to be with her during the trial. I know how scary it is, how exhausting it is. It really did sort of take me back to that moment. 

To be honest, it was a little emotional for me to remember how exhausting that process was, and to realize that I know exactly what she was feeling in that moment, and how scary it is. But also just trusting that God was greater, and he really showed up in that courtroom.

Her Story Sounds Similar To Yours

Rick:

Yeah.

In the movie, Unplanned, that comes across just your realization of I’m taking on a billion-dollar organization here that is very vindictive. 

It sounds like her story sounds similar to you. 

You had been a hero to them, they had given you awards all that stuff. Then as soon as you start wanting troops to come out, they turn pretty vicious on you and it sounds like they did the same thing to her.

Abby:

Yeah. The crazy thing is that Myra also won their Employee of the Year Award.

Rick:

No kidding. 

Abby:

Yeah, I’m like that must be a curse, right? I need to talk to every Employee of the Year from Planned Parenthood because I think I could get them to leave.

Abby:

I love it. 

Speaking of that, especially for our listeners that that maybe haven’t heard one of our interviews with you, what is the number now of Planned Parenthood employees that have left after seeing the movie Unplanned or through your ministry?  

I mean it’s been hundreds, right?

550 Workers Have Left The Industry Through Our Ministry

Abby:

Yeah. We have 550 workers who have left the industry through our ministry. It’s been pretty miraculous to watch.

And Then There Were None

Rick:

That is amazing. And Then There Were None, that’s the name of your organization. The website Abb Johnson.org, is that still the easiest place to get to you? To see the information and get the movie and all those things?

Abby:

Yeah they can do it there. 

They can also go to abortionworker.com which is our ministry page.

Unplanned Is Available On DVD

Rick:

Excellent. The movie is now available on DVD, right? So you can get it to online? 

Abby:

It is. 

Rick:

People should get this and show it in their church. Have a special evening for this. It’s a powerful movie. You got to show what it’s all about. It changes lives and it changes hearts. 

Anybody that thinks they’re not sure if abortion is wrong or it’s murder or any of those things; you need to see this movie Unplanned.

Just your story, Abby, it’s just awesome how God redeemed you and what he’s doing through your life now. 

I was shocked. 

I had Ashley on the back when the movie was about to be released, and I didn’t know her story. I mean what God did through Ashley Bratcher and with her mom and all of that. 

It’s just so cool to see what God’s doing.

 God bless you for being available to him and reaching so many lives.

Lives Are Being Changed

Abby:

Of course. Yeah. Thanks. It’s truly it’s an honor to just sort of be an instrument for him. You’re right; lives are being changed. 

Our culture being changed. We see our culture shifting and just to know that all of us have just a small hand, it’s really just something that’s honorable.

Rick:

Amen. AbbyJohnson.org is the website. 

Abby, thanks for coming on. Let’s get you back again soon. 

Abby:

OK, I’d love it. 

Rick:

Stay with us folks. We’ll be right back with David and Tim Barton. 

Biographical Sketches 

Hi friends! This is Tim Barton of WallBuilders.This is a time when most Americans don’t know much about American history or even heroes of the faith. I know, oftentimes as parents, we’re trying to find good content for our kids to read.

If you remember back in the Bible, the Book of Hebrews it has the Faith Hall of Fame, where they outlined the leaders of faith that had gone before them. Well, this is something that as Americans we really want to go back and outline some of these heroes not just of American history, but heroes of Christianity and our faith as well. 

I wanted to let you know about some biographical sketches we have available on our website. One is called, “The Courageous Leaders Collection” and this collection includes people like Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Francis Scott Key, George Washington Carver, Susanna Wesley, even the Wright brothers. 

There’s a second collection called, “Heroes of History” in this collection you read about people like Benjamin Franklin, Christopher Columbus, Daniel Boone, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, the list goes on and on. 

This is a great collection for your young person to have and read. And, it’s a providential view of American and Christian history. This is available at WallBuilders.com.

We Just Had A String Of Victories For Life

Rick:

Welcome back to WallBuilders Live.

Thanks to Abby Johnson for joining us today. We’ll have links where you can learn more about the Unplanned movie and also And Then There Were None, Abby Johnson’s ministry. 

David, Tim great news out of Arizona. This is just a great victory another defeat for Planned Parenthood. We just had a string of victories for life, and against the folks that have killed.

I’ve lost count on Planned Parenthood’s number. The number of babies that have died at the hands of Planned Parenthood. But it’s the largest abortion provider in the country.

It Is Great To See Some Of The Support For Planned Parenthood Going Away

Tim:

Yeah. Even hearing they’re losing which is very positive but the fact that they now have to give up money. It means that’s less money they can give towards these abortion mills as they are. 

And even though three million seemed like a pretty big payout for the budget of Planned Parenthood, it is not that large. 

One of the great things we’ve seen is that there have been states that have said hey we’re not going to use our state dollars going to Planned Parenthood because if you’re doing abortions; that’s not what we want to provide, that’s not what we want to sponsor. President Trump is taking some moves in that direction as well.

It really is great to see some of the support for Planned Parenthood going away. But in the midst of that, some of the truth is being exposed about who they are, and what they do. 

This Is Not A Friendly Organization

This is not a friendly polite organization. 

This is a very brutal dark organization, who does some of the darkest things happening in America with murdering children. Their argument is they’re not children yet because they’re not born. 

Well, some of them are partially born as you are killing them. Just very grotesque. 

On the flip side, there are so many praised reports. 

Abby mentioned 500 plus of these abortion workers have left because of what God has been doing through Abby, her ministry, and the movie Unplanned. Incredible that people’s eyes are being open to seeing the truth, and they’re walking away from an industry that has historically been so destructive to America – as a whole, as a nation but obviously unborn children.

They Have A Real Dislike For People With Biblical Faith

David:

Well, I think part of it too is they’re walking away. This really does explain why there is such an antipathy toward people of faith, people of biblical faith by Planned Parenthood. 

I mean they just have no absolutely no, you can say they have a real dislike for people of biblical faith because when their life is changed when they come back to faith as in the case of Myra here, I mean Planned Parenthood’s in real trouble. 

So what keeps Planned Parenthood going is people who don’t take the Bible seriously.

I don’t know how to explain this. 

This is one of the most I don’t know it’s almost an enigma because with Myra if she was you know the kind of making this trek back. 

Here she is working at Planned Parenthood. They are killing babies. But her whistleblowing was because she was really genuinely concerned about the health of the women at Planned Parenthood. While they’re killing babies, (she was) still concerned about the health of the women, and went after a rogue physician. 

She Was Genuinely Concerned About The Health Of The Mother

And so I mean it’s like wow, how do you do that? You kill a baby but at the same time you really genuinely concerned about the health of the mother. 

It’s part of the problem, kind of heart tug, that she had that helped bring her back to God. But you know as Abby said, this has been a real faith journey for Myra too. 

Now, she’s kind of where Abby is; she’s come out on the other side as a strong believer. She’s got her feet under her.

It’s an amazing testament. You can really understand why Planned Parenthood doesn’t like people of genuine religious faith that take the Bible seriously.

Rick:

OK, guys a quick break. We’ll be right back folks for our final segment today. You’re listening to WallBuilders Live.

Moment From American History

This is Tim Barton with another moment from American history. The Second Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees to every individual the right to keep and bear arms, has been targeted for years now by those who are determined to dismantle the individual right to self-protection. 

Opponents argue that “Only the militia, the military, and law enforcement are to have and use firearms.” But, those who wrote the Second Amendment strenuously disagreed, including Founding Father Richard Henry Lee, a signer of the Declaration, a president of the Continental Congress, and one of those who actually framed the Second Amendment.

He declared, “To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.”

For more information about Richard Henry Lee and the history of the Second Amendment go to WallBuilders.com. 

Rick:

Welcome back. Thanks for staying with us here on WallBuilders Live. Ok, guys, this is our final segment got just a few minutes left today. 

This is a great victory out of Arizona, but I just want to encourage people to check out the movie on Unplanned because what’s happening with these abortion workers coming out of that industry. Their hearts are being changed. 

It’s making it more difficult for Planned Parenthood as Tim was saying not only the money part of it, but the staffing part of it makes it harder for them to perform so many abortions across the country. There just continues to be more and more pro-life victories for us.

550 Employees Leaving Planned Parenthood, That’s An Astounding Miracle 

David:

Well as Abby pointed out, and I was kind of floored like you are 550. I mean that’s from the movie, that’s from the ministry, that’s what she does in reaching out but still, 550 employees leaving Planned Parenthood. That’s an astounding miracle all by itself. 

The other thing I thought was really pretty cool was the fact that in the trial they did not ask for a specific amount of money because that was not what Myra was after. 

She wanted to see some right done here in a wrong situation.

They sued on what they sued for but then they just kinda left the amount up to the jury, and the jury clearly thought that there was some real wrong done here because that’s a substantial amount that they gave. 

So, I thought that was another good thing that that indicates a genuine faith change that’s happened with Myra is; I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing it because this is right and wrong we’re looking at it.

It’s An Issue Of Right And Wrong

Rick:

In fact, most of the issues that we tackle here at WallBuilders Live is an issue of right and wrong. It’s taking that biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective to analyze what’s happening. 

Sometimes there’s an issue like this one, where you just know in your gut immediately the laws of nature, and nature’s God telling you that this is evil that this is wrong.

Hopefully the same response we would have had to slavery or would have had to Nazi Germany, and the attempts to exterminate the Jewish people.

Hopefully, we would look at that and say that’s wrong; that’s evil, that should not be. 

We should not allow that to happen. 

It’s Right And Wrong On The Issue Of Abortion

Today, it’s beginning to happen that people are looking at the issue of abortion in the same way, and they see the taking of that life. 

In the movie Unplanned, it shows you that little baby trying to escape the abortionist and escape that death. It totally changes Abby Johnson’s heart in Unplanned.

She sees that it is a taking of life. It is evil. It is wrong, and the movie does a powerful job of just seeing that epiphany moment when her heart has changed.

As a result, she begins this ministry, And Then There Were None. 

This movie Unplanned comes out, and now we’ve had just over 500 that have left the abortion industry, and discovered as David was saying this is wrong. 

This is an issue of right and wrong. And this is wrong. 

Thankfully this case out of Arizona, a great victory. Hopefully, this will lead to more and more coming out of that industry, and realizing how wrong it is. 

And we can finally remove this evil from our land.

You Can Make A Difference

Folks, this is has been a tough program perhaps to listen to. I encourage you to watch the movie Unplanned. As tough as it is to watch, become a champion for life become a champion for freedom in this nation. 

You can make a difference. 

Just look at how many people are making a difference across the country by getting engaged to be a part of it. 

We Want To Inspire You To Make A Difference

We want to help equip you. We want to inspire you to make a difference. Keep you encouraged. 

Listen to our program Monday through Friday, and you’re going to constantly find positive stories and uplifting stories of what’s happening when people are engaged out there in the culture, and the difference that they’re making. 

We really appreciate you listening. The founders gave their lives their fortunes and their sacred honor. Giving up your life today is most often just giving of your time, giving part of your life each week, looking for a way to invest in freedom, and be a part of the solution. 

Giving your fortune is invested in good candidates out there, investing in good causes. 

Sacred honor is speaking up. Speaking truth no matter what people are going to say about you; that you’re willing to speak truth. Do all three of those things, and you’ll be part of the solution to save our nation.

We greatly appreciate you listening today. You’ve been listening to WallBuilders Live.