Monica is a very strong individual. She carries herself with class, dignity, compassion, and assurance of the truth. She has a very compelling story, one that involved a lot of adversity that made her into the person she is today. She’s definitely a woman that we can all look up to, youth can aspire to be like, and definitely use her life as proof that choosing life has the greatest rewards. Her life has taken many turns, but the one thing that stands out to me is her own reckoning with the truth. She started off working with the gay community. Her story of rubbing a man's feet due to his immense pain and near insanity as he laid in bed, dying from AIDS, was something I'll never forget. She was then indoctrinated into the Planned Parenthood family in Austin, Texas, and trained by one of the leading Pro-Abortion advocates in the country. She was a Title X (family planning) Training Manager and volunteer educator for Planned Parenthood. Her job was to educate people as young as 12 years old about sex and risk reduction. She rose up the ranks of one of the best public health training centers in the nation, but her journey was not all about just that. Monica experienced an unplanned pregnancy, in which she decided to abort her son. If it wasn't for a close friend being excited that she was blessed with a baby boy during a phone call, she might have gone through with it. Instead, she decided, "... that my child’s life was more valuable than my comfort. I was willing to face controversy, conflict and shame for the sake of my child’s life. I instantly became a mama bear and I was determined to have my child and proudly raise him myself." She faced not only the fear of raising this child on her own, but also the shame that came with announcing it to her family. It wasn't until she was teaching at a conference to a bunch of 12 year olds, that the reality of the truth really started to settle in on her.
She began to question Planned Parenthood's methods, and started asking herself "Is this what kids really want?". She soon found out the truth when a 13 year old girl asked a specific question in regards to sex, Monica responded, "Have you ever considered not doing the sexual activity that you say you don't like? Do you know that you don't have to have sex at all?" The young girl responded, "Ma'am, no one has ever told us that." The classroom of 12 year olds started talking among themselves and decided to avoid sex because it wasn't what they wanted at that age. They made an informed choice that protected their hearts and bodies. As Monica questioned more and more things, she began to realize (through Planned Parenthood) "serving the marginalized meant only “meeting them where they’re at,” and then just leaving them there." She began to speak up, questioning the Pro-Abortion message, and thus was told that she no longer belonged there. Monica's journey isn't the typical story. She's been on both sides of these modern day, controversial issues. But it was her questioning, listening to her conscience, seeking out the truth, that led to her leaving the industry and starting her own non-profit organization that now equips parents with the necessary tools and education to raise healthy, well-rounded families. She is now a pro-life, pro-family advocate with the determination to expose the falsehoods and misrepresentations that sex education has evolved in our society, harming not only our children, but everyone vulnerable to these lies. Her goal is to encourage parents to “Reclaim Parenthood” and become their children’s greatest advocates and educators. Her organization provides resources that help equip families and strengthen family trust and confidence.
Monica is a gifted speaker and a person that has found truth because she questioned what didn't seem right. Her stories will be ones that stay with me throughout my journey on this project. She is definitely a strong woman, one that I will listen to every time she speaks. For more on Monica Cline, former Title X PP Training Manager, public speaker, Pro-Family and Pro-Life advocate and educator, mother of one, and founder of the non-profit organization It Takes a Family, you can visit her web site here, .
Here are some of her answers to the questions I asked her:
Describe your involvement with choice and abortion. How has it affected you?
I was a comprehensive sex educator for over 10 years. I was trained by the gay community and Planned Parenthood. My parents taught me that a Christian God existed, but I did not have a foundational Christian teaching to guide me, so I accepted the moral relativism of the culture. Choice and freedom of expression were highly valued which meant that we accepted all truth, if it did not harm, judge, shame or limit a person. This meant that we did not judge recreational sex or abortion at any age. This ideology dresses itself in compassion and acceptance, but in reality it is void of moral and ethical values which leads to the dehumanization of all parties involved, including the pre-born baby. The truth is that when one is steeped in that culture and God’s moral truth is absent, the individuals cannot see their wounds or the humanity of the pre-born baby. All is subjective and what you feel is true reins.
I taught CSE, but I also lived by it and eventually faced my own unplanned pregnancy. I knew that abortion was a sad experience, but I didn’t understand why. I saw my friends who had had an abortion, or several, and witnessed them wallow in sadness before the abortion and then retreat for several days after the abortion. I cared for them, but we never spoke of the sadness. Why were we sad if it was just a clump of cells and not really a child? Why were we sad if we were simply making a healthy choice to live our best lives? It’s because deep inside we knew what had happened. We knew a child had died, and the father did not care and the hope for family was gone…at least for now. So, there I was facing my own unplanned pregnancy. I didn’t know what to think except to schedule an abortion. That’s what CSE teaches you. If your sexually active outside of marriage, then use barrier methods, hormonal birth control, get tested and treated for STDs and have an abortion. I scheduled my appointment and then called my best girlfriend from college. I told her I was having an abortion, but instead of affirming my decision, she celebrated. Then she began to imagine and describe what my child would be like and look like. The color of his or her skin, the texture of his or her hair…if she were a girl would she have my big brown eyes and my determined personality. As she celebrated and described my child I began to think to myself, “why am I not celebrating?” Then I remembered that my parents would be so ashamed and angry with me, but then it occurred to me, “Am I really going to kill my child because my parents will be angry with me or ashamed?” That sounded ridiculous. I decided that my child’s life was more valuable than my comfort. I was willing to face controversy, conflict and shame for the sake of my child’s life. I instantly became a mama bear and I was determined to have my child and proudly raise him myself.
Where did you find strength to get through the rough parts of your journey?
The rough part of my journey began after I became a Christian, which is not a bad thing, but rather to be expected. After having my son I faced depression and my relationship with his father was frail. I sought answers from the world but found a void in the new age rituals and false healers. But one day I realized that God was with me, protecting me and I knew I needed to know Him. I went to the only Christian church I knew of. On that day I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. My life changed after that. God took the scales from my eyes and I began to see the harm that CSE was nurturing in vulnerable communities. It was the same harm that I was inflicting on myself prior to having my son. The more I grew in Christ the more my job became difficult for me. I was implementing sex education into the community and it was harming more than helping. I witnessed the unhealthy relationships, broken spirits, desperate behaviors that our CDC evidence based interventions could not and did not address. The core issues leading to disease and unplanned pregnancy were being ignored. I began to question our methods and our laser focused approach to promoting sexual promiscuity and abortion. My questions were not met with enthusiasm to improve our approach, but rather I was told that if I was not pro-choice then I didn’t belong there. It was the first time that I realized that the people who had mentored me were close minded and would have supported me aborting my son. My greatest inner conflict was when I was asked to teach children comprehensive sex education. The young girls were just entering middle school and already Planned Parenthood was guiding them toward being sexually active. I became angry, as the Holy Spirit convicted me about what I was asked to do. Confused as to what I should do I prayed. Then I chose to accept the job, but decided to do it God’s way. I helped those young girls asses their lives, hopes, and dreams through basic open ended questions and listening skills. We talked about obstacles that would keep them from achieving their dreams and they identified unhealthy relationships, teen pregnancy, and disease. I then asked them what they needed to do to overcome those obstacles and they answered, “don’t have sex as a teenager.” As they watched me affirm their very insightful conclusion, I saw their little shoulders drop and relax. Their faces glowed as sweet smiles grew on their faces. These girls just wanted to be young girls with their hopes and dreams. They didn’t want the pressure of sexual activity. We discussed ways they could support each other in their decision to reserve sexual intimacy for marriage. I left that Planned Parenthood conference feeling at peace and full of joy knowing that these girls were guided toward making the healthiest decision for themselves. Then I quit my job.
If you could go back and change one thing about your life, what might that be?
I wouldn’t change anything about my life. I recognize that God’s work in my life has uniquely qualified me to speak into the lives of those who have chosen to have believed in the lies of the sexual revolution, had sex outside of marriage, experienced unplanned pregnancy, or abortion. My past has equipped me to shed light on a dark world and share the path to a healthier life. I am a determined woman and I plan to share what I know and what God has taught me, to strengthen families across our nation. I want to strengthen and equip parents to be the leading voice in their child’s life from a Biblical worldview.
What would you say is the biggest misconception people have about abortion?
Abortion is not a means to freedom, opportunity or an escape from poverty. Abortion enslaves the woman in grief, depression and poverty of spirit.
Would your advice be any different for someone thinking about having an abortion vs. someone that's already experienced one?
I would focus on listening to her and counseling her based on her circumstances and state of mind and heart. If she had already experienced an abortion I would give her an opportunity to share about that experience.
Describe how your view on Abortion has evolved up till now?
I was never a pro-choice activist, but I always supported “a woman’s right to choose.” I basically didn’t have a stance on abortion, and just accepted abortion as a necessary option in some cases. Many people who support abortion believe they are being compassionate and want to “save” young women from the burden of motherhood, single-motherhood and poverty. But I overcame all those barriers. Motherhood was not a burden, single motherhood strengthened me and although I was not financially wealthy, I was rich in family because I had my son. I realized that if I could overcome these barriers, then other women could as well. We need to speak hope, and support one another through unplanned pregnancy. I believe my pro-life position was strengthened when I witnessed what 1st trimester abortion would look like. When I had scheduled my abortion it would have occurred at 13 weeks. I had never thought about what that would be like for my son. I watched Dr. Levatino’s video of a 1st trimester abortion and witnessed what would have happened to my son had I gone through with the abortion. I was shocked, grieved, angry and finally I just cried. I asked God to forgive me for every considering abortion and thanked Him for stopping me. This is when I became a strong pro-life activist.
If there is one truth about abortion that you could speak into the lives of all people, what would that truth be?
The abortion industry wants women and especially women of color to believe that we can’t make it. They say that single motherhood is too hard, we will neglect our children and live in poverty, so we shouldn’t become mothers. They dangle “freedom” through abortion as our saving grace. I am living proof that a woman can successfully and lovingly raise her son on her own, and not live in poverty. Motherhood is what strengthened my character and I found true empowerment and freedom.
Any final words?
I have found that my most challenging circumstances brought the greatest long lasting blessings. If you find yourself with an unplanned pregnancy or other crisis, get help from the pro-life community. People who believe in the value of life will always speak hope into yours and you will be blessed. Be patient, choose life and you will reap great blessings.
Notice how she smiles and her face lights up when she talks about her son…..