By Jim Sedlak
Part I of a two-part series. Part II will follow on Monday.
Anyone on the front lines of the pro-life movement knows that the number one killer of preborn babies in the United States is the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its 48 affiliates across the country. At one time or another, just about every activist against Planned Parenthood has been accused by it of “trying to force your religious beliefs on the entire community.”
In fact, Planned Parenthood itself is doing exactly what it is accusing us of doing. It is actively trying to force its religious beliefs on society. The religion that Planned Parenthood pushes is generally referred to as “Humanism.” In a companion piece to this article [which we will also publish at all.org on Monday], we will examine in depth the actual beliefs of humanism based on their manifestos, but here we will simply document all the leaders and high-level supporters of Planned Parenthood who have received awards from the American Humanist Association for spreading their philosophies.
AHA routinely gives out annual awards to those individuals who have been active in spreading the Humanist religion. To those who may disagree that Humanism is just a philosophy, we simply point to the fact that AHA has gone to great lengths over the years to make sure its philosophies are recognized as a religion. For example, in April 2014, as the result of a lawsuit, the United States Army agreed to change its faith code to include “Humanism” as a valid choice for members of the service.
To illustrate the degree to which Planned Parenthood is involved with the spread of the religion of Humanism, consider the Humanist recognition of the following officials and supporters of Planned Parenthood:
- Margaret Sanger (founder and president, 1916-1962) received the Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association in 1957.
- Alan F. Guttmacher, MD, (president, 1962-1973) was a signer of the 1973 Humanist Manifesto II.
- Faye Wattleton (president, 1978-1992) received the Humanist of the Year award in 1986.
- Gloria Feldt (president, 1996-2005) received the Humanist Distinguished Service Award from the American Humanist Association in 2003.
- Cecile Richards (president, 2006-2018), founder of the Texas Freedom Network whose website was hosted for many years by the Humanists of Houston, a member organization of the American Humanist Association.
- Albert Ellis (member, Planned Parenthood leadership committee) received the Humanist of the Year award in 1971.
- Mary Calderone (medical director of Planned Parenthood, cofounder of SIECUS) received the Humanist of the Year award in 1974.
- Betty Friedan (member, Planned Parenthood leadership committee) received the Humanist of the Year award in 1975.
- Isaac Asimov (member, Planned Parenthood leadership committee) received the Humanist of the Year award in 1984.
- Lloyd Morain (member, Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood) received the Humanist of the Year award in 1994.
- Tom Davis (head of Planned Parenthood’s Clergy Committee) wrote Sacred Work: Planned Parenthood and Its Clergy Alliances in 2005. In the Forward to the book, the Reverend Carlton W. Veazey, president and CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, described Planned Parenthood as a “secular Humanist organization.”
- Bill Nye (identified by Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest as “our favorite guy” in October 2015) received the Humanist of the Year Award in 2010.
- Gloria Steinem (founder of Voters for Choice, which became the Planned Parenthood Action Fund) received the Humanist of the Year Award in 2012.
- US Representative Jared Huffman (who promotes Planned Parenthood of Northern California) received the Humanist of the Year Award in 2020.
These and many more instances clearly show the tie between Planned Parenthood and the members of the American Humanist Association.
Jim Sedlak is executive director of American Life League, founder of STOPP International, and host of a weekly talk show on the Radio Maria Network. He has been successfully fighting Planned Parenthood since 1985.