Pro-Life Movie “Unplanned” Reveals Haunting Truths About Abortions: A movie that the left doesn’t want you to watch because it will absolutely impact the way you view abortions. Tune in now to hear why Abby Johnson’s life was completely changed after what she saw in the abortion operation room.

Air Date: 03/27/2019

Guest: Ashley Bratcher

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

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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 what Wallbuilders Live where we talk about the day’s hottest topics on policy and faith in other areas of the culture. But we always address these things from a biblical historical and constitutional perspective. We’re with David Barton. He’s America’s premier historian and the founder of Wall Builders. Tim Barton is with us national speaker and pastor and president of wall builders and my name’s Rick Greenham a former Texas legislator.

Check us out at while Wallbuilderslive.com and also wall buildersdot.com are two websites. Lots of great information and resources for you there and also that very important Donate button. That’s your chance to contribute to the program, and that helps us to spread this good news across the nation and equip and inspire your fellow Americans to help restore America’s Constitution.

David, Tim, later in the program. We actually have an actress that’s going to be with us she is playing the part of Abby Johnson in a new movie coming out just a couple of days called unplanned. It is gonna open this Friday. This weekend is opening weekend, and it is an amazing story. And if you guys remember we had Abby on. It’s been a few years, but she’s got an incredible pro-life story.

Introducing Unplanned

David:

Yeah, I do remember Abby and having her on, and she was really kind of a one of the first really publicized kind of breaks and the dam so to speak over the silence surrounding Planned Parenthood and what they did.

People thought they were pretty good organization whatever. And then Abby comes out and says now can do this anymore. Here’s who they really are. Here’s what they really do. And then after Abby, there was really kind of a rush, it seemed like of a number of people coming out and saying, Yep that’s them, and I’m leaving too. But Abby story was really pretty amazing.

Planned Parenthood

Rick:

Yeah I mean she, for her. I mean you’re talking from the inside. She was there for years working for Planned Parenthood. There”€™s actually you know not far, about an hour and a half from my house, College Station area. I guess two hours from my house so this is a Texas Planned Parenthood that she’d been there for years. If I remember right, Some like 20,000 abortions that she had you know been there for.

And so you know she definitely was part of the abortion business, and something changed; it was a dramatic moment for her. She was more of a front office person she was actually back there, in you know participating in the abortions and then she

David:

Was she a clinic director or was she just part of the administrate. I think she was director when she.

Rick:

You’re right. She may have been the actual director. Yeah, yeah you’re right she started in administration. She ended up running it, but she wasn’t like a medical personnel. In other words, she wasn’t in the room typically. And then all of a sudden she was asked to do that. They asked her to assist with an ultrasound-guided abortion. It was a 13-week old baby, and she watched in horror as it fought for its life. She could literally see the baby fighting against the instruments in the hand of that abortionist. Man when she tells the story, it’s just incredible.  I mean God just immediately struck her with conviction and in that moment, and she went from being you know participating in these thousands of abortions to becoming extremely pro-life and an outspoken advocate against abortion. So that dramatic transformation actually became a dramatic message to people across the country as someone that had been on the other side. It’s kind of like you, of course, we all know we’re good friends with Carol Everett. It’s kind of like Carol’s story right? I mean she was an abortionist. She owned clinics and for her to then for God to get a hold of her; she’s been one of the greatest testimonies in America. One of the best parts of the pro-life movement and convincing people of how evil this is because she was on the other side. And that’s exactly what God’s done with Abby.

Unplanned The Movie

David:

Well and the movie too has now received an R-rating because of that very ultrasound part you’re talking about I’ve talked to people who have gone, and there were there for the early screenings. They asked him to help get the word out about the movie, and they were absolutely not only transfixed but transformed by the 28 or however many seconds it is.

They actually show the ultrasound footage and show that you know this is not a blob of tissue we don’t know of any mass on your arm that runs away from a scalpel coming after it, but you’re watching on the sonogram, and go oh my gosh this little baby is fighting for its life.

Tim:

And with that being said, they still they’ve not done this to be a movie that as parents you should go, oh my gosh that’s evil to show this we need to stay away from it. It actually is done in a way that I mean as tasteful as you can present what this is. Yeah right. That they don’t do that. The graphic details and yet it does very much unfold. I mean we actually had an interview talking about that the movie Gosnell. We went and exposed some of the violence in the graphic nature that was there, and it does expose the violent, graphic nature what an abortion is but not a real and graphic way. In as tasteful of a way as you can do it but still very emotionally, compelling and emotionally moving.

It Is A Compelling Movie

David:

So it is a compelling movie that the folks I’ve talked to a man that they are just telling everybody that they know you’ve got to go see it. You have to see we didn’t know. You have to see, and so really as a compelling movie you know.

Special Guest – Ashley Bratcher

Rick:

One more thing about her story before we have our guest on by the way the guest is Ashley Bratcher. She’s the actress actually playing Abby Johnson in this movie.

One of the things that I did not remember was when she left Planned Parenthood and started speaking out they actually suited her. They tried to prevent her from being able to tell the story, try to claim you know non-disclosures and all this stuff. They ended up with you know a gag order.

The other side does not want this movie to be seen or this story to be told because they know it changes heart when people know what really happens when they realize it is life as you said, David is not a blob of tissue. It is life, and that’s really the heart of this debate most people that say, I’m okay with abortion I might not do it myself, but I’m okay with other people doing it’s because they’re telling themselves it’s not life yet. It won’t be life until it’s six months or it won’t be life until it’s out of the womb.

When you see these sonograms, and when you see the tech through the technology we have now that even at six and eight weeks you can see those parts. And in 10 and 12 (weeks) you can see that baby beginning to move in there and fight like it does in this movie.

It changes hearts and the abortionists and the Planned Parenthood folks. They lose the culture, they lose the argument. That’s why this next generation is becoming so strongly pro-life. So this movie is gonna play a great role in that.

Again it’s out this weekend. So we should go. Opening weekend because that helped send a message to all the folks making movies. So check out you go to unplannedfilm.com. That sounds like the film wasn’t planned.

I’m not sure that was the best website choice. But anyway unplanned film.com is where you go to find out where it is playing close to you. Quick break we’ll be right back.

Ashley Bradshaw here is with us she’s playing Abby Johnson in the new movie Unplanned. You’re listening to WallbuildersLive.

 

Moment From American History

This is Tim Barton from WallBuilders with another moment from American history. American Patriot Paul Revere road to alert Americans of the impending arrival of the British. But he also sought patriot leader Samuel Adams and John Hancock to warn them that the British were seeking their execution.

Adams and Hancock were staying with the Reverend Jonas Clark in Lexington. When they asked Pastor Clark if his church was ready for the approaching British, he replied, “€œI’ve trained them for this very hour. They will fight and, if need be, die under the shadow of the house of God.”€

Later that morning 70 men from his church, and several hundred British in the first battle of the War for Independence. As Pastor Clark affirmed, “€œThe militia that morning were the same who filled the pews of the church meeting house on the Sunday morning before.”€

The American church was regularly at the forefront of the fight for liberty. For more information on this pastor and other Colonial Patriots go to WallBuilders.com.

Rick:

Welcome back to WallBuilders Live. Thanks for staying with us.

Ashley Bratcher is with us. She”€™s staring in the new movie Unplanned. Of course, we’ve had Abby Johnson on the program in years past. The movie’s gonna be amazing and Ashley we appreciate you coming on to tell us about it.

Ashley:

Of course, I’m happy to be here.

Ashley Bratcher – Her Story

Rick:

So you’ve got your own amazing story, and we’ve told our audience a little bit about the movie, and they’ve heard from Abby before.

Of course, this is actually coming right out of our home state of Texas here. She was at an abortion clinic there in College Station.

But as an actress what was it, that drew you to the movie. This you knew would be a controversial type of movie. What made you decide to do it?

Ashley:

Well, when I first auditioned, and I learned that Abby was a real person I mean just a couple of pages of I had. I knew that she’d work at home, but that was pretty much all I knew about her. And after I auditioned, I was compelled to look her up. And when I did, I was blown away by her testimony. And I just thought, wow this is a story that needs to be told. And I want to be a part of it.

It would not leave me. It was in my heart I was that this was my story to tell. I just kept praying and praying and praying, and God was faithful.

Rick:

I read your article about the day you read the script and I mean it wasn’t just a little bit of movement. You had a really serious reaction to reading the script.  I guess it changed your perception and opinion of abortion or just, I mean where were you before that prior to reading the script.

Ashley:

I was one of what I’d call a middle of the road pro-lifer. In the sense that I’d say, Well I’d never have an abortion then I don’t have a problem with another woman choosing to do something different. To be honest, that’s really being pro-choice. And after hearing Abby’s testimony and reading the script, I just thought, whoa, I have been so blind. I think that the reason I had the opinion I had before was because I really had no idea what was happening during the abortion procedure.

Planned Parenthood Does A Really Great Job Of Campaigning

Planned Parenthood does a really great job of campaigning and saying, oh this is just a clump of cells, it’s just fetal matter. When in reality we know that’s not the case. I mean science backs life from the moment of conception.

It is a unique individual with its own DNA that has predetermined what your eye color is your hair color is that you know elements of your personality. And to me, that’s a tiny little life that we should be protecting.  

Rick:

As you made the movie, what was it? Well, actually let’s just jump ahead to your story because you know this blew me away when Mark told me about you, and thee call you got from your mom. I guess you were in the middle of filming when she called you.

Ashley:

Yeah I know I’ve been on set for four days. I didn’t have a lot of time to tell people where I was because I got a phone call. I had to get on a plane and five hours. I hit the ground running in Oklahoma. We were in just chaotic pre-production trying to scramble because we were only a few days out from shooting and I was in wardrobe changes, hair and makeup of all sorts of conversations for pre-production.

On the fourth day of being on set. My mom called name, and I started telling where I was and what I was doing, but I was very hesitant and cautious because she had told me she’d had an abortion when she was in high school, and I didn’t want her to think that I judged her because I knew where she stood. I didn’t want her to think I loved her any less.

This movie wasn”€™t about that because it’s not it’s about love and forgiveness and mercy and grace, and as I started to explain Abby’s story to her she became incredibly emotional. I could feel her spirit crushed.

She said to me, Ashley I need to tell you something that I’ve never told you before. Well, you don’t know is that when I was 19, I was in the clinic for the second time and I had my name called. I went back. I was on the table being examined by a very pregnant nurse, I got very sick to my stomach. I knew that I couldn’t go through with it. And I got up, and I told her I couldn’t do it. And I walked out, and I chose you.  

Talk about being overwhelmed with emotion. I had no idea. I had just stepped into this role to tell what I believed to be one of the greatest pro-life stories of our time.

I had no idea that I had a story of my own that I almost never had the chance to live this life. Just minutes seconds away from not being here. For me, it was proof that God had really planned my steps from conception. And it empowered me, and it gave me courage and confidence to step forward in the role, and it really has brought healing to my relationship with my mother as well.

What Do You Hope People Will Get From The Movie?

Rick:

Wow, that’s powerful. What do you hope people will get from the movie?

Ashley:

I think the first thing that I hope happens is when they walk out of the theater, they have a conversation. This is not a movie that you just see, and you walk out, and you go about your day.

This is a movie that is going to provoke some serious thought. You’re not gonna be able to walk out and say, I no longer know. This movie takes you behind the scenes and gives you a firsthand insider account of what’s going on. It shows what abortion really is.

When you leave the theater, the audience is going to have to make a decision where they stand. Whether it”€™s wow I had no idea, and now it’s time for me to do more. And to really be vocal about where I stand. Or even if it means leaving the theater still pro-choice and saying, well that’s how it is.

I mean that’s a pretty bold statement to say, but if you can walk out and still agree with it, then you are going to have to be accountable for that. And that’s what’s going to happen when people walk out, they have to make a choice.

Rick:

You know I should have said too, I work with a lot of young people in the kind of 16 to 25 age range.

The Life Issue

We talk about the life issue. I sometimes ask them, you know having been born after 1972 and knowing that you’re part of the generation that a lot of your new folks that would have been your friends and people you’d have been around are being aborted, and it could have been you. I mean, how does that perception change your position on it for you; that you came face to face with that. I mean it wasn’t just theoretically could have been you;  it almost was you. That is quite a story to be able to tell people and to make it real.

Ashley:

Like I said incredibly overwhelming. It”€™s so true, it could happen to any of us. That could have been any of our story and what’s so incredible about me sharing my testimony is that complete strangers have reached out to me on Instagram, Facebook. Sent me the most beautiful messages they”€™ve never shared with people that they’ve had similar experiences. They’ve kept it to themselves for years and years and years and carried this burden. And I’ve been honored to have them share their stories with me.

 

Rick:

Well if you would please for our audience tell your mother thank you for choosing life because her choice not only gave you life. It is now gonna have an impact and potentially save thousands and thousands perhaps even more lives.

So her decision that day is having a tremendous impact on the next generation.

Thanks for what you do. Thanks for doing the movie and thanks for being willing to share your story with us today.

 

Ashley:

Of course. Thank you so much for having me.

 

Rick:

That’s Ashley Bratcher. The movie is out now March 29, first day in theaters. Make sure you make it support this movie go opening weekend. Stay with us folks.

Be right back with David and Tim Barton.

Moment from American History

David:

This is David Barton with another moment from America’s history.

In the case Aberdeen vs. Shemp, the Supreme Court ruled that the Bible could no longer be an independent textbook in public school curriculum. Would our Founding Fathers have agreed? Benjamin Rush certainly would have disagreed. Benjamin Rush was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and he was a leading educator of the day. In fact, he was the first Founding Father to call for free public schools.

Benjamin Rush declared the great enemy of the salvation of man, in my opinion never invented a more effective means of extinguishing Christianity from the world than by persuading mankind that it was improper to read the Bible in schools. The Bible should be read in our schools in preference to all other books. In the view of Founding Father Benjamin Rush, the Bible was the textbook of preference for public schools.

For more information on God’s hand in American history, contact wall builders at 1 800 8 rebuild.

 

Rick:

Welcome back to WallBuilders Live.

Thanks for staying with a special thanks to Ashley Bratcher for coming on and joining us to talk about the movie Unplanned where she’s gonna be playing Abby Johnson. David, Tim the story alone is incredibly powerful but while the story behind the story Ashley’s own story that came to light as she was making this movie, pretty remarkable.

Ashley”€™s Story And Unplanned

Tim:

Yeah, I thought it was interesting you know hearing the unfolding. You can just feel the tension and the drama when her mom calls. In the realness of what she’s having to go through to explain to her mom. I mean it’s the feelings you can”€™t tell her it was wrong. I don’t want to offend my mom, I don’t wanna hurt her feelings. I want her to know I love her. I don’t want her to feel like  I’m judging her but this is a movie, and then it”€™s just so incredible to find out that the character you’re playing in exposing what Planned Parenthood does and where unborn children really are children, and it’s life, and there’s value. You’re trying to preserve life and then find out that your mom was in the facility getting ready to have you aborted and then you have been spared. Now you are in the very movie that’s exposing the same thing your mom went through.

I mean, that”€™s just absolutely amazing how it’s full circle. It is such a cool testimony of God’s protection and redemption of her life and of the family in this scenario.

David:

I thought what was really significant too, in addition, that that transformative story that happened in the mist was that she said, yeah I’m personally pro-life but you know if somebody wants to have an abortion that’s OK. That’s their choice. And she said I guess I was a pro-life moderate and she says as it turns out that really is pro-choice. And I thought that’s a significant point as a lot of people think, well I wouldn’t do it, but I’m not gonna judge others it would.

What Pro-Life Really Is

Tim:

And interesting that she thinks that’s what pro-life is right. She thinks I can identify as life. I value life.  I mean if somebody else wants to kill the child that’s I think it’s OK for other people to kill. I just personally wouldn’t do it. And then you realize the hypocrisy of that position. Wait a second, I can’t really think it’s bad if I think it’s okay for other people to do it. I guess I’m not really pro-life.

And it’s interesting that the way culture portrays things when a lot of what we think is reality is based on how we feel or what we want instead of what’s actually true reality. You see, how it would be easy for young people to be very confused about something that’s been very convoluted for them where it’s portrayed, hey you know what, It’s okay for you to feel this but you can’t tell somebody else what they can and can’t do. You can’t impose your beliefs on somebody else. It’s like when you know if it’s murder, I don’t support anybody murdering if it’s a human life. I don’t support anybody being able to take that human life.

And in America, this is where it should be fundamentally different because we believe in protecting life. We believe that the very reason government exists is to protect the life of its citizens including those that have not yet been born. So very interesting to hear kind of her her revelation that, wow I really thought I was pro-life I wasn’t, but I am now.

Abortion And Slavery

David:

You know one of the thing, and I want to use this analogy, and the left will hate it, and they hate it every time they hear this from anyone.

But having studied as much of history as we have and having been is as actively involved in current issues as we are.

I have no difficulty making the analogy comparison of slavery and abortion. I can take what pro-abortion people say today, and if you did not know who they were and I inserted the word slavery instead of abortion, you would think I was reading something that the civil war. Or I can take the slavery people and the anti-slavery people from civil war. Take out the word slavery and insert abortion and you would think that was people today.

Part of the thing in the Civil War was Look I don’t own a slave, but if the culture wants to own slaves, that’s up to them. That’s their choice, but I’m not personally going to own a slave. Well, you know what, you’re actually pro-slavery at that point in time.

You may not own a slave, but you’re helping a culture enslave and damaged millions of lives. That’s the same rhetoric that is used today. Just switched the words slavery and abortion and nothing has changed in a one hundred and fifty years as far as the mentality behind it. That”€™s where Tim was explaining, I can say I’m pro-life but if I tolerate it and anybody else well you’re actually pro-abortion.

You’re allowing abortion to go. If you believe it takes a human life, we believe slavery enslaves a human being, not something less than a human being. It’s the same analogy today.

Germany and Anti-Semitism

Rick:

I’ll take you one further on that one Dave. In fact, I thought you were gonna, when you started saying the other side hates this analogy: I thought you were going to say this and it’s very analogous to what if you were in the 1930s, 1940s Germany. And you’re saying, well I’m not anti-Semitic but you know if Hitler’s gonna kill the Jews I’m not going to stop him.  Even if you supported in some way, if you were in Germany, the government but you weren’t for the actual killing of Jews but yet you supported the government that was doing it.

That’s the same thing a lot of people do today when you vote for a pro-abortion elected official, and you say, well I’m pro-life, but this is a good person or this person is going to bring home the bacon to my district or whatever it is. You’re actually supporting that activity of abortion just as if, that”€™s why I think Bonhoeffer quotes are so applicable to today because you’re being silent in the face of evil that’s evil itself.

I know we’re going to get a lot of hate mail over both of these analogies, but it’s actually true. Frankly, in Germany, one might be more applicable because it’s the taking of life not just the abuse of life but actually the taking of a life which is what abortion is.

Equipping Young People to Think

Tim:

And Rick even as we’re discussing this: one of the things that that is very evident as we talk to young people is that oftentimes they lack the critical thinking to see where some of these thoughts and ideas lead. Where they say, no I mean who am I to impose my beliefs on somebody else if somebody else wants to do something and they don’t see the connection. If you just follow thoughts to their logical conclusion, we would often come up with different ideas because we realize that some of the things we thought were good ideas, weren’t good ideas.

Young people aren’t equipped with the critical thinking, with the problem-solving ability in modern education. That’s not something that they’re being challenged to be thinkers in modern academia.  

Leaders Training Program

That’s why as we’ve started our leadership training program in the summer with WallBuilders we do two-week sessions. We bring in students 18 to 25-year-olds from all around the nation. So kids that have just finished high school, kids in college, young professionals who are out of college. Maybe they’re in law school or grad school or whatever they’re doing. We bring them in and say, hey let’s just think through some things. Let’s look at what the founding fathers did. Let’s see what it says. Let’s go back to the Bible.

We do these apologetics and critical thinking for faith in America, for the Constitution, for actually American exceptionalism for. For the free market as opposed to socialism which is very popular right now.

We just go through a litany over two weeks of getting into original documents of what does the Bible say of why do we think this is true. Can we defend this position well? What’s the flaws in this position? We challenge people to be thinkers because when you’re thinkers, you will often come up with the right solution, the right ideas, the right position.

Patriot Academy

In most cultures, without challenge thinking. The same thing we do in the Patriot Academy. All summer long rookies as you’re all over the nation doing Patriot Academy and the largest one is in Texas which we are are a part of the Texas Patriot Academy.

You’re bringing in students from all over the nation, and you’re teaching them how to be leaders how to be critical thinkers.

Once we’re thinking right then how do you stand up and be a leader? We talk about how you can get involved in your community how you can get involved politically and what you can do to help people that are involved in the office.

Maybe you want to run for office, but these are two programs where we really help do equipping for young people to be difference makers. To be critical thinkers, not be misled and so if you’re listening and thinking you know what I would love more information, you can go to WallBuilders.com or even WallBuilders Live.

We can put links there for these programs but Wallbuilders.com you can find out more about the leadership training program.

You can go to RickGreen.com, find out more about Patrick Academy. Although I know Rick Patrick Academy is a  website as well. But these are both programs you can find out more about.

Maybe you’re listening you’re going look, I’m 65, and I love what you guys are doing. I’m not quite that same age range, but you know what you probably can help sponsor somebody to come. Maybe there’s somebody in your church, maybe somebody at your work. You are going, this is where they need to be. You could be their sponsor this summer. Help them get to a place where they can be equipped with information that will help them be leaders of the next generation and ultimately change American culture and American lives.

Change your community, but you can find out more at WallBuilders.com or RickGreen.com.

 

Rick:

If you want to see the next generation go the right direction, you got to raise up leaders in that generation that have the ability as Tim saying to critically think, and then be able to persuade their peers.

That’s what we’re doing with these two leadership programs, and you can be a part of it today by going to Wallbuilders.com making that contribution. Getting somebody sponsored to go to the program and if you’re interested hit those Websites that will have links to today.

Don’t miss the movie this weekend it’s called Unplanned.

You can check which theaters have it in your community by going to Unplannedfilm.com.  

We’ll have a link today at Wallbuilderslive.com. Thanks so much for listening to WallBuilders Live.