Ken Ham castigates group for using Hurricane Harvey to raise funds for 'emergency' abortions

Residents use boats to evacuate floodwaters along Tidwell Road east Houston. | Reuters/Adrees Latif

Famed creationist Ken Ham has castigated a group that is raising money to provide "emergency" abortions for survivors of Hurricane Harvey.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Ham, the CEO of creationist ministry Answers in Genesis, linked to a Fox News report about the abortion funding campaign launched by the Austin-based Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity for the survivors of Hurricane Harvey.

"So, support this particular Hurricane relief fund and help mothers murder their children in the womb," Ham commented, adding: "Sad, evil world."

The fundraising campaign was launched by Lilith Fund last week for those affected by the storm who are seeking abortions. In a recent interview with The Christian Post, the organization said that it does not cover the full cost of abortion for women, but $50 to $75 will be offered to some patients who can prove financial need.

Amanda Williams, the group's executive director, pointed out that many abortion clinics in Houston are temporarily closed and have canceled appointments.

"All people deserve the rights and resources they need to live safely, freely, and with dignity and support," she said, adding that the appointment delays caused by the storm could increase the cost of abortions for some women as clinics charge more money for patients who are further along in their pregnancy.

The fundraising campaign has also been criticized by some conservative media outlets, such as The Blaze, which argued that Texas has more pressing issues to deal with than collecting money for abortions.

Meanwhile, the Texas-based abortion provider Whole Woman's Health has announced that it will be offering free abortions to those affected by the storm.

"We're providing no-cost abortions for patients affected by Hurricane Harvey for the month of September," the abortion provider wrote on Facebook on Friday.

Whole Woman's Health said that it is working with abortion advocacy groups to provide with financial assistance, including help with travel and lodging cost, to women who are seeking abortions.

Pro-life advocate Abby Johnson, who once worked for Planned Parenthood, noted that her former employer did the same thing when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. She said she thought at the time that free abortions would be a "fantastic idea," but she now realized how wrong it was.

"I remember thinking that we were really doing something so heroic...doing something to help these women who had lost everything," Johnson said.

"I now realize that we were preying on these families in their most desperate time of need. We didn't offer to help them find housing, food, clothing, or anything else...just a way to kill their unborn child at 'no cost.' Sick," she added.