British comedian John Oliver says he has created his own crisis pregnancy center in an apparent attempt to ridicule religious groups running similar facilities that he says are mostly aimed at convincing women not to get an abortion.
On Sunday's episode of his show "Last Week Tonight," Oliver contended that the main purpose of crisis pregnancy center is "talk women out of terminating a pregnancy."
The late-night show host said he had set up the crisis pregnancy center for a skit and reportedly filed paperwork for it in New York last week. He then unveiled a van marked "Vanned Parenthood," which is operated by his TV wife Wanda Jo (played by Rachel Dratch).
In the skit, Oliver and Dratch, discuss the messages that they will share with visitors to their center.
Oliver claimed that they can tell the visitors "whatever dubious information comes into our heads."
"I tell women if they get an abortion, it'll make a ghost baby that will haunt your hoo-haw forever." Dratch said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She went on to note that she is not legally required in New York to acquire training in order to operate an ultrasound machine.
When Oliver asked Dratch how she feels about birth control, she replied: "I do give out condoms, but I tell people they're 0 percent effective. Because I cut the tops off these suckers. Lets you blow the Holy Spirit right on through."
Just before the skit, Oliver claimed in a segment that crisis pregnancy centers do not offer advice on contraception. He also complained about the practice of parking mobile clinics outside abortion centers.
The comedian remarked that he was pleased that his crisis pregnancy center is tax-exempt and could be eligible for government funding.
"This is all perfectly legal and there is absolutely nothing stopping us from parking outside an abortion clinic tonight and haranguing people in the morning. And frankly, there really fu**** should be," he said, as reported by Faithwire.
Some states have introduced legislation in an attempt to force pro-life facilities to provide information on abortion.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging a California law that required pregnancy centers to post signs informing clients about the availability of contraception, abortion and pre-natal care.
California contended that the law is required to let women from low income backgrounds know about their options, but the centers argued that it forces them to disseminate a message with which they disagree.
The justices appeared to side with the centers, saying the law seemed to be targeting only "pro-life clinics." The anticipated ruling from the high court could also affect similar measures in Hawaii and Illinois.
