Weekly News

It's still not too late for Religious Christmas Cards, $7.50 for ten, classic art cards, proceeds support Campaign Life and the Euthanasia prevention Coalition.

Tired of trying to find excellent Christmas cards with solid Christian meaning that mark the real reason for the season? Then look no further, Campaign Life Coalition NS are offering "Classic Art Christmas Cards". In purchasing cards from CLCNS, you'll be supporting our pro-life efforts in Nova Scotia.

To ensure you receive them in time order early by calling Ellen today at: (902) 861-1982. The cards are in Classic Art style and are of famous Christian paintings. They are done on quality paper with a gloss finish.

As I said before, I like to praise worthy and deserving people. And one of the most praiseworthy & deserving people in Canada is Susan Martinuk . She has been a voice crying in the wasteland of liberal Canada for as long as I can remember. And she still courageously, yea almost superhumanly, soldiers on. She is one of a mere handful of brave Canadian journalists daring to speak out boldly on social/moral issues - from a Christian worldview, to boot.

Her latest essay, here below, is one of the most incisive, thoughtful, concise, well-researched and readable pieces on this evil man I have read so far.

Let’s talk about sex - that’s the tag line for Kinsey, the recently released bio-pic that revolves around one man’s passion to study sex and his supposedly heroic struggle to tear down societal borders on every type of sexual expression.

Okay... so let’s talk about sex. Most specifically, let’s talk about the sex that was either not mentioned in the film or was granted only an obscure allusion. As with many biographies, the real story about Kinsey lies in what isn’t told to the audience.

Dr. Alfred Kinsey was a zoologist whose sexual curiosity led him from studying the morphology of gall wasps to becoming a supposed ‘expert’ on the American sex life. To dispel what he saw as widespread ignorance about sexuality, he carried out face-to-face interviews with thousands of individuals to determine every minute detail of their sexual histories. His conclusions were considered the first ever scientific studies of human sexuality and were published in two controversial volumes, Sexual Behaviour in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behaviour in the Human Female (1953).

The erotic and liberating conclusions of his first book were devoured by the mainstream. In fact, many consider Kinsey to be the father of the sexual revolution that transpired in the following years and even Time magazine touted Kinsey’s name as "an acceptable synonym for sex."

But Kinsey’s popular support was not shared by the scientific community, which had serious criticisms about his research methodology, or lack thereof. Over the years, numerous scientists and groups such as The American Statistical Association, The US National Research Council, and The Lancet journal have exposed most of Kinsey’s research as fraudulent and empirically worthless. Some colleagues (including Paul Gebhard, who is depicted in the film) now admit that the data was improperly attained and evaluated.

To prove that sexual activity covered a broad range, Kinsey sought out groups that participated in specific sexual acts such as prisoners, sex offenders, pedophiles, prostitutes and homosexuals. He then wrongly extrapolated the data obtained from these specific subsets to the general population.

Despite these blatant errors and the fact that his theories have never been proven nor his data replicated, Kinsey’s research has had a lasting impact on the sexual mores of society. According to Hollywood, that is his legacy.

But Kinsey did far more than that and his true legacy is his hideous attempt to use science to validate/justify pedophilia.

Key claims in his 1948 book (that are not mentioned in the movie) are that all children are sexual from birth and that sexual activity in children (including babies) is natural and healthy. According to Kinsey, if it weren’t for religious oppression and draconian cultural taboos, the proper expression of a child’s sexuality would be evident.

Kinsey came to this conclusion in two ways: One, by conducting unspeakable experiments on children and, two, by interviewing pedophiles on their experiences while raping children.

Kinsey wrote, "It’s difficult to understand why a child, except for it’s cultural conditioning, should be disturbed at having its genitalia touched... or disturbed at more specific sexual contacts."

That’s not scientific research -- that’s the intentional rape and sexual abuse of children. That’s illegal. And his interpretation of children’s reactions to his experiments as orgasms is remarkable on as a measure of his delusion.

The rest of the data came from pedophiles -- including one who is briefly shown in the movie. In other words, the data is based on the distorted perceptions of pedophiles who believed that the children they were raping actually enjoyed the activity! Gebhard says much of the data from pedophiles was taken "with a grain of salt," yet Kinsey still deceptively presented it as scientifically-obtained data.

The real story about Kinsey isn’t what he did; it’s how he did it. That’s an important distinction, even if it was ignored by Hollywood. After all, if the movie told Kinsey’s real story, it would be nothing but a horror flick about child molestation.

The brutal 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student, wasn't an "anti-gay hate crime" at all, it appears. ABC's "20/20" aired a report Friday showing that the crime actually began as a robbery attempt within a subculture of illegal drug use, to which both Shepard and his killers belonged. Pro-homosexual groups have exploited Shepard's death to argue for "hate crime" laws, which punish allegedly discriminatory thoughts of criminals in addition to their actual actions. And because the crime occurred shortly after pro-family groups (including FRC) had launched the "Truth in Love" ad campaign to publicize the fact that a homosexual orientation can be changed, groups like the pro-homosexual Human Rights Campaign actually blamed the pro-family movement for creating "a climate . . . of intolerance" that led to Shepard's death. The new evidence does not make Shepard's murder any less heinous. FRC was one of the first groups to condemn it. All violent crimes should be vigorously prosecuted and punished--regardless of their motivation--without giving special protections to some victims of violence over other victims. But we should question a pro-homosexual movement that relies on mythology rather than truth to argue its case.

Church Leaders to Challenge Target Stores For Banning Salvation Army's Red Kettles

To: National Desk

Contact: Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council , 202-546-8329, 703-447-7686 cell

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /Christian Wire Service / -- The National Clergy Council, NCC, representing more than 5000 conservative Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox and Protestant church leaders, is asking to meet with Bob Ulrich, chairman and chief executive office of the Target Corporation.

NCC would like to bring three members of their executive committee to meet with Bob Ulrich to share their concerns with the decision to ban the Salvation Army's Red Kettles from Target's retail stores.

Dependent upon the outcome of this meeting, the National Clergy Council may use its influence to ask people of faith to refrain from purchasing items from Target stores.

"The Salvation Army's Red Kettles are a powerful part of the true meaning of Christmas. They provide a means for holiday shoppers to give a Christmas gift to the less fortunate and those in need.

"Target Corporation's decision to ban the Red Kettles sends an unmistakable message of hostility toward people and organizations of Christian faith. For more than one hundred years the Salvation Army has demonstrated itself to be a trustworthy charitable organization. Yet now the retail giant, Target Corporation, has publicly questioned the Salvation Army's place in our nation's Christmas traditions.

"The Salvation Army is a humble, servant-minded organization. They are not activists. They will not defend themselves, but we will." -- Rev. Rob Schenck (pronounced SHANK), president of the National Clergy Council.

The National Clergy Council is a leading supporter of individuals and organizations exercising their right to acknowledge God.

Mr. Schenck is available for further comment at 202-546-8329 or mobile 703-447-7686.

The preceding was forwarded to you by the Christian Communication Network.

You can always find the latest pro-life and pro-family press releases at www.ChristianWireService.com

To no longer receive CCN's postings of pro-life and pro-family press releases, email info@earnedmedia.org with the message "REMOVE PRESS."

Christian Communication Network
2020 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20006
202.546.0054
www.ChristianWireService.com

A final showdown in Parliament over the definition of marriage is now likely to occur early in 2005, Canadian Press reported Wednesday.

Next Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada is scheduled to hand down a landmark ruling on whether or not draft federal legislation legalizing same-sex marriage is constitutional. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler told the Ottawa Citizen that if the bill receives the court's stamp of approval, he plans to move "with all deliberate speed" to introduce it in Parliament "in the new year."

The haste at which the court reached its decision was unexpected. Normally, it averages about six months between hearing arguments on a case, crafting a judgment, and translating it into French and English. In this case, oral arguments involving a record number of interveners - including Focus on the Family Canada - were heard just two months ago.

"I am very surprised. I was really anticipating it sometime after Christmas," Barry Bussey, a lawyer for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada, told the Toronto Star. The Adventists, as well as other religious organizations , had urged the court to protect their freedom to marry only heterosexual couples in accordance with their beliefs.

The announcement from the Supreme Court comes just days after the Liberal, NDP and Bloc Quebecois members of a Commons committee ruled that Bill C-268 - a private member's bill from Conservative MP Rob Moore calling for the retention of the traditional definition of marriage - could not be voted on. That decision, says Sudbury Star columnist Claire Hoy, was "hypocrisy" on the part of those claiming to be "champions of tolerance."

"It's not that [they] simply voted against this bill. It's that they voted against giving the Commons as a whole a chance to even express their views on it. Some tolerance," he wrote.

New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord could soon be receiving cards from people in the province that have nothing to do with the Christmas season. Canadian Press reports that critics of the province's new sex education curriculum for Grades 6 to 8 are urging parents who feel it is too explicit to let Premier Lord know by sending him a Christmas card.

Julie Gomes, one of the campaign's organizers, says they want Premier Lord to realize that concerns about the program are widespread. "We're hoping that, seeing all this documentation from parents and grandparents and just people in the community who are concerned, he'll get on board, not just as a political figure but as a father [of two children]," Gomes told CP.

Mary Thurrott, Executive Director of the Christian Action Federation of New Brunswick , says there is not enough emphasis in the curriculum on abstinence. "There is no idea of restraint taught to children," she told the Daily Gleaner . "It creates unhealthy curiosity. It is over-exposure - too much, too soon."

Thurrott says the curriculum should teach children about the parts of the body, but instead tries to restructure their values and beliefs. "We're not saying don't have sex education," she said.

Umbilical cord blood, now used mostly to treat children with leukemia, could save thousands of adults with the disease each year who cannot find bone marrow donors, two large studies indicate. A European study found that those who got cord blood were just is likely to be free of leukemia two years later as those who got marrow. A United States study looking at three-year survival yielded results almost as promising.

Leukemia patients often undergo radiation or chemotherapy to kill their cancerous white blood cells, a treatment that wipes out their immune systems, too. To restore their immune systems, doctors give these patients an infusion of bone marrow or umbilical cord blood, both of which contain stem cells capable of developing into every kind of blood cell.

Cord blood offers an important advantage over marrow that makes it particularly valuable for use in transplants: its stem cells are less likely to attack the recipient's body. That allows a wider margin of error in matching up donors and recipients.

Up until now, though, cord blood has been considered suitable only for children because each donation has only about one-tenth the number of stem cells in a marrow donation.

The two new studies, published yesterday in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that is not a serious impediment. In the European study, involving 682 patients, about a third of both those who got matched marrow and those who got cord blood that did not quite match their own tissues were alive after two years. In the American study of 601 patients, about a third of those who got matched marrow were leukemia-free after two years, compared with about one-fifth of those who got cord blood or unmatched marrow.

Both studies were based on records from transplants in the late 1990's and early 2000's.

Using cord blood could improve the odds of getting a transplant for the 16,000 American adult leukemia patients each year who cannot find a compatible marrow donor, said the leader of the United States study, Dr. Mary J. Laughlin of Case Comprehensive Cancer Center in Cleveland.

Still, Dr. Nancy Kernan, assistant chief of marrow transplantation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said cord blood transplants in adults should be done only as part of studies to look at and improve their effectiveness.

Public cord blood banks, where blood drawn from umbilical cords and placentas at birth is kept frozen, need to quadruple their supply to find a match for every leukemia patient who needs one. With four million births a year in this country, and most cord blood thrown away, that should not be a problem, once more public money comes into play, doctors said.

A federal Institute of Medicine committee is already looking into the best way to set up a national cord blood supply and is scheduled to complete its report in March.

"I know our committee will consume this study avidly," said Kristine Gebbie, chairwoman of the group.

Singapore is desperate for BABIES. Twenty years ago Singapore was trying to reduce the birth rate. Now they are trying to raise it. New policies include an increase in maternity and child care leave, cash incentives to new mothers and cutting the civil services working week by half a day to give parents more time with their children. Might we humbly suggest that they forbid killing unborn babies as another smart move?

South Korea is AGEING. Ten years ago the mean fertility index, i.e. the number of children a woman has in her lifetime was 1.67. Last year it was 1.19. A minimum of 2.1 is now needed to replace current population. South Korea's rate is among the lowest in the world.

World Population is CRASHING. The US Census Bureau has released a report "Global Population Profile: 2002." It notes that the world's population growth rate, 2.2% in 1963, was 1.2% in 2002. "Census Bureau projections show this slow down in population growth continuing into the foreseeable future.

We predict that the fertility level for the world as a whole will drop below replacement level before 2050." In 1990, the average woman in the world gave birth to 3.3 children. By 2002 it was 2.6.

Steven Mosher, President of Population Research Institute said, "As birthrates fall into the cellar, it's time for the US government to stop spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars each year on programs designed to lower even further the number of babies born. The USAID's office of population should be shut down, so should the UNFPA. All population monies should be shifted to pro-natal programs. Otherwise, this looming threat of global depopulation will become a devastating reality." In addition, in December, the United Nations population division released its report, which included predicting that the population of the world will soon spiral downward from its current 6.3 billion to 2.3 billion by the year 2300.

(Dear Jerry Novotny, OMI at lifeissues.net:) Your web site has been reviewed on CatholicCulture.org -- and has earned the "Triple Excellence Gold Award: for excellence in Fidelity, Resources, and Usability". Last month, nearly 30,000 visitors looked at site reviews at CatholicCulture.org.

CatholicCulture.org is known among committed Catholics for its unwavering faithfulness to the teaching Magisterium of the Catholic Church. This faithfulness is represented in our site reviews. Visitors to our site, particularly registered users and donors, will be able to access your site review by searching and browsing through our reviews.

4. Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Allows Paralyzed Brazilian To Walk, Talk Again

(New Website: National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing.)
http://www.noparh.org/. Founded in 1990, the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing, Inc. networks researchers and psychotherapeutic professionals working in the field within the U.S. and abroad, consults on the formation of post-abortion support services within secular and religious settings including Project Rachel, provides training for care providers, maintains a national "800" referral line for those seeking assistance in reconciling an abortion experience, publishes the International Post-Abortion Support Services Directory, produces and vends audio, video, and printed materials, maintains an annotated book list, tracks support group models, and sponsors the Healing Vision conference at Marquette University. Healing Vision is the only international conference on abortion's aftermath and its resolution.

ITEM #1. India drops bill to enforce 2-child norm

The Indian government has dropped legislation that would have disqualified candidates for parliamentary office if they had more than two children.

The bill had been proposed as a means of enforcing India's family-planning policies, which strongly encourage parents to limit their families to two children. But pointing out that the legislation would be "tantamount to coercion," federal health minister Anbumani Ramdoss said that his government will withdraw the bill.

However, several of India's states have already enacted similar laws to ban those with more than two children from contesting village and municipal elections. The laws also regularly deny housing loans, government jobs, and university admissions to those families.

Read at CWN: http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=33612

ITEM #2. Japan: More effort urged to curb youth drug use

The man was 17 when he took speed for the first time, experimenting with a high school friend by inhaling the amphetamine in smoke form.

Little did he know that event would lead the way to prolonged drug abuse. Now 21, he has experienced a wide range of narcotics, including Ecstasy, marijuana, magic mushrooms and tranquilizers.

"I took Ecstasy for a high when I went to clubs. When I smoked marijuana, it seemed everything I ate tasted good, and it sometimes made me fall into a trance," he recalled, adding that he took tranquilizers regularly over the past year.

Read article at The Japan Times:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20041123f1.htm

ITEM #3. The Harmful Effects on Children of Exposure to Pornography

(LifeSiteNews.com) - In recognition of World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse (Nov. 19), the Canadian Institute for Education on the Family (CIEF), has released a research paper, titled: The Harmful Effects on Children of Exposure to Pornography

Quoting numerous scientific studies, the paper demonstrates a strong correlation between exposure to pornography and subsequent deviant sexual behaviour by children. Canadian society has become an increasingly pornographic society in recent decades with disturbing implications for the children raised in it. The explosive growth of the Internet over the last decade and the freely available pornography to be found on this new medium pose an additional significant public health and safety threat to children, the study demonstrates.

The research paper shows that "...exposure to pornography is counterproductive to the goal of healthy and appropriate sexual development in children." The paper concludes that legislation and regulation are needed to protect children from exposure to pornography from traditional sources (television, magazines, etc.) and new criminal code provisions are required to meet the challenges posed by pornography on the Internet.

See the full report at: http://www.cief.ca/research_reports/harm.htm

ITEM #4. Non Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Allows Paralyzed Brazilian To Walk, Talk Again

(LifeSiteNews.com) - Brazilian scientists have successfully transplanted adult stem cells into a woman's brain, facilitating her recovery from a brain hemorrhage that left her paralyzed and unable to talk.

Maria da Graca Pomeceno, 54, had bone marrow stem cells taken from her pelvis and injected into her damaged brain. Local television broadcasts showed her walking up stairs and talking.

Hans Fernando Dohmann, director of Rio's Pro-Cardiaco Hospital, said that hers was the first reported successful treatment of this condition, but that trials with 14 more patients are in the works. "We are still at a stage where we are focusing on the safety of the procedure and trying to avoid potential side effects. The next phase will be to test the treatment's effectiveness," he told the AFP.

Dohmann said, however, that he also supports the use of embryonic stem cells, which have had vastly less success than adult stem cells, praising proposed legislation tabled by the Brazilian Senate that would legalize the unethical research.

ITEM #5. Abortion Approval Jumps in Australia

(LifeSiteNews.com) - Australians are currently almost twice as likely to approve of abortion as compared to the results of a similar survey conducted only 14 years earlier, according to a 2001 report released Tuesday.

Fifty-eight percent of Australians in 2001 said abortion should be readily accessible to women, versus only 39 percent in 1987, according to an Australian Institute of Family Studies report: Diversity and Change in Australian Families.

The increased support for access to abortion was noticed equally between women and men, whereas support dwindled with rising age of those surveyed.

"Almost 70 per cent supported abortion if there was a serious defect in the baby but only 42 per cent supported abortion in the case of a woman wanting the abortion because of the low income of her family," the report said, according to Australia's theage.com.

The report release coincides with debate in the Australian parliament over whether increased restrictions should be placed on access to late-term abortions, or a restriction of Medicaid funding for abortion should occur. Prime Minister John Howard, however, emphasized last week that there would be no cabinet debate on the abortion issue.

See the related LifeSiteNews.com report: Australian Prime Minister Howard Says No Debate on Abortion Restrictions:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04111504.html

ITEM #6. Judge Upholds Living Will Over Wife's Pleas

The living will of a 73-year-old man who is hospitalized and on life support must be respected, a judge ruled Tuesday, despite his wife's pleas that he be allowed to live.

Hanford Pinette can no longer communicate and is unaware of his medical condition, which includes chronic failures of his respiratory, circulatory and renal systems, according to medical experts.

In 1998, Pinette signed a living will stating that death would be preferable if he was faced with a terminal illness and incapacity. Officials with Orlando Regional Healthcare, which runs the Lucerne Hospital, say they have no choice but to follow his wishes, and allow him to die with dignity.

But also in 1998, Pinette gave his wife durable power of attorney over his affairs, including decisions on health care. Alice Pinette insists her husband of 53 years can communicate and wants to live.

For article, go to Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4634543,00.html

ITEM #7. AIDS spreading fast in Asia

A United Nations report says AIDS is spreading alarmingly fast in Asia. The World Health Organization and UNAIDS have released their annual AIDS Epidemic Update. The report says nearly 40 million people now have HIV and it estimates that 3 million people will die from AIDS-related complications this year.

The head of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations, Don Baxter, says women now make up about 60 per cent of new HIV infections. "Part of the issue of all of that is the need for the empowerment of women and the challenging of heterosexual men's feelings of rights for unprotected sex with women and with any woman they choose in some cultures," he said.

HIV is spreading most swiftly in Eastern Europe and in Asia, particularly India, China and Papua New Guinea, while sub-Saharan Africa is still the worst hit region. Mr. Baxter says Asia may soon surpass sub-Saharan Africa as the world's worst hit region.

Read article at Yahoo News: http://au.news.yahoo.com/041123/21/rv8c.html

ITEM #8. Japan: Lack of action here gives human-trafficking low profile

Public awareness of human-trafficking is low in Japan because of slow government action and a lack of legislation that directly addresses the problem, according a draft report by the International Labor Organization obtained Wednesday.

The report, "Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in Japan," was compiled by the ILO Office in Japan. It primarily focuses on the experiences and conditions of human-trafficking victims.

Nearly one-third of the 81-page report is dedicated to case studies based on interviews with victims and diplomatic personnel from the places they were brought from.

The study shows how they are recruited, brought to Japan and forced to work in the sex industry under yakuza control. It also reports on the physical and mental effects the crime has on the victims and how they are treated by governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Japan.

See The Japan Times:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20041125a4.htm

ITEM #9. I aborted my handicapped baby

I have often wondered what mothers think and feel who undergo the induced-labor abortion procedure.

The circumstances of these abortions are different. The babies are wanted, usually aborted only because doctors have discovered they are handicapped. Pregnancies are well along into the second or third trimester when moms feel their babies kick and hiccup and have bonded with them. Names have been picked, nursery themes have been chosen, and life plans have been altered to make room for this little one.

COMMENT: The terrible advice and misinformation given by the priest in this article caused so much later anguish for the poor mother. This is one of the reasons I wrote my recent article "Theory and Consequences - "The Case against Premature Induction Deliveries of Babies with Anencephaly and other 'Anomalies Incompatible with Life'"

(Online at: http://www.wf-f.org/04-2-PrematureInduction.html) after Fr. Norman Ford wrote an article defending premature induction for babies with anencephaly in NCBC's Ethics and Medics. It is just outrageous that people just assume that mothers only experience relief after aborting a child with a serious disability. (Nancy Valko, RN)

For article, go to WorldNetDaily:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41631

ITEM #10. Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Cooperating in Evil

Jesus Christ taught His disciples that one must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (cf. Mt 5:48). This teaching involves more than the mere avoidance of evil actions; it requires of the Christian a serious asceticism rooted in prayer, fasting and the cultivation of the virtues.

The practice of Christian faith has always forbidden the direct and deliberate performance of evil acts. These, called sins, violate the law of God, whether revealed in Sacred Scripture or in one's "heart" or conscience (cf. Rom 1:20-32). The Christian faith strictly prohibits the doing of evil even if good can come from it (cf. Rom 3:8).

Given that we are to seek out holiness and moral perfection as followers of Christ, and given that we may not do evil even if good may result, the question still remains, "How far (if at all) can a person cooperate with the evil that another person has done?" Can such cooperation ever be morally justified? That these are not mere academic questions is evident from daily life. Most recently, President George W. Bush's decision to allow federal funding for research on existing stem cell lines obtained by means of the destruction of human embryos raises once more - as several Catholic bishops, including our own Bishop Loverde, have noted - the issue of cooperation in evil.

Baby Body-Parts Trafficking:
http://babypartstrafficking.org/html/august2001/August2001Article1.html

ITEM #11. Bishop Sgreccia Warns of U.N. Statement on Cloning

(Zenit.org) A U.N.-approved statement on human cloning is virtually "useless," warns a Vatican official. Bishop Elio Sgreccia, vice president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, commented on the statement, proposed by Italy and approved last Friday at the United Nations, which prohibits the creation of "human life through processes of cloning and all research oriented to obtaining such a result."

The nonbinding statement invites countries to adopt restrictive laws on the matter. It also calls for the establishment of a group of experts to work on what will be the United Nations' formal statement on cloning. The group will meet for this purpose in February, and the written text will then be submitted for a vote by member countries. The statement adopted Friday uses the term "human life" instead of "human beings," referring to the embryos that cloning creates.

Bishop Sgreccia, in an interview on Vatican Radio, warned that the decision represents "a weakening of the initial position, because it has become a simple, nonbinding statement."

"Verbally what is said turns out to be ambiguous because the term 'human life,' which replaces that of 'human being,' is vague and even -- I would say -- useless, because a cell could also be 'human life,'" he said.

"This expression that Italy suggested is, practically speaking, neither exact nor indicative," Bishop Sgreccia said.

He added: "Formally there is a difficulty to admit cloning, but one also sees a strong determination to treat the reproduction processes as processes disconnected from human dignity and the human embryo as an experimental object."

The United Nations has avoided deciding, for now, whether to ban all cloning, opting instead for a statement of principles that will guide the debate when it resumes in February. In October, the two-day U.N. debate on the prohibition of human cloning ended without reaching a decision in the juridical committee of the General Assembly.

Countries agreed on prohibiting human cloning for reproductive purposes, but they split on whether to allow the cloning for purposes of medical experimentation. Costa Rica had presented a resolution supported by 62 countries -- and backed by the Holy See -- requesting total prohibition, since any kind of cloning implies the elimination of human embryos. For its part, Belgium presented a different resolution, seeking to allow so-called therapeutic cloning. Twenty-two countries favored this position, as did U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The debate became especially intense at the height of the U.S. presidential campaign, as incumbent George Bush favored the first prohibition proposal, while John Kerry supported the second. Diplomatic sources said that the discussion on a convention for worldwide prohibition of cloning was deliberately postponed until after the Nov. 2 U.S. elections.

ITEM #12. Ageing Australians will cost $2.2 trillion over 40 years

Australia's ageing population will cost $2.2 trillion over the next 40 years if nothing is done, a new draft Productivity Commission report warns.

The average age of Australians is steadily rising because people are living longer and having fewer babies. This means there will be fewer people in the workforce and paying tax compared to those who have retired and continue to use government services.

The draft report, to be issued today, said the expected effects of this were even worse than had been predicted in Treasurer Peter Costello's Intergenerational Report in 2002.

It said that more than one in four Australians would be 65 or older by 2044-45, double the present ratio.

"Population ageing will accelerate over the next few decades in Australia, with far-reaching economic implications. It will contract Australia's workforce and economic growth, at the same time that burgeoning demands are placed on Australia's health and aged-care systems," the report said.

For article, read The Canberra Times:
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news¼class=national&category=general%20news&story_id=353051&y=2004&m=11.

Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)

Dolly Scientists Apply for Human Cloning License. Despite previous promises that he would never clone human beings, Ian Wilmut, the scientist who cloned the sheep Dolly, has applied for a license from UK's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority to begin cloning human embryos. Wilmut wants to create cloned embryos who have motor neuron disease in order to study the disease's progression. Each embryo would be allowed to live about six days before being destroyed. If approved, the team plans to begin work around Easter.

"Cosmetic Neurology" may be just around the corner. While normal, healthy students take drugs like Ritalin to help them study for exams, we may soon see more and more healthy people taking drugs to make them "better" people. Doctors writing in the journal Neurology offered examples of what they are calling "cosmetic neurology" -- the taking of drugs or treatments to enhance their brains. Among the examples of what they soon expect us to see include commercial pilots taking Alzheimer's drugs to enhance attention and memory; the administration of beta-blocking drugs to blunt the effects of emotionally traumatic events; and the performance of transcranial magnetic stimulation to improve the mood of those having an off day.

If killing of human life is not involved, why be upset? The management of a Marie Stopes Abortion Mill in Perth, Australia, has arranged to have a seven-foot wall (more than two meters) erected between their institution and a neighboring childcare center. The reason for this is women coming for abortions were upset by the sound of children playing.

God Bless

Jerry Novotny, OMI

"The Holy See opposes the cloning of human embryos for the purpose of destroying them in order to harvest their stem cells, even for a noble purpose, because it is inconsistent with the ground and motive of human biomedical research, that is, respect for the dignity of human beings." (Position paper of the Holy See: U.N. General Assembly Debate).

1. Human cloning should be banned: Prof Wolpert
2. Poverty and drugs lead women to jail
3. New book makes kids PRO-LIFE
4. Genetic engineering "flaws" form of stripping right to life
5. Ecuador Ministry of Health Pulls Morning After Pills off Pharmacy Shelves
6. Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Allows Paralyzed Korean Woman to Walk Again
7. Dutch Doctors Admit to Euthanizing Babies
8. AP abortion poll misleads respondents
9. Schools barred from telling parents of abortion
10. Costly Cloning Isn't a Cure-All
11. Do YOU know what is happening to YOUR kids and grandkids?

("NEW" ARTICLES POSTED RECENTLY at http://www.lifeissues.net)

I'm recently semi-retired and attempting to get the world to slow down and think about the misuses of science and technology before it's too late to turn back. Genetic engineering is moving along at breakneck speed, with an eye to the final destination, but little regard to what gets run over along the way. The Nochimera.com site has been created to provide information and allow discussion about these subjects.

ITEM #1. Human cloning should be banned: Prof Wolpert

Human reproductive cloning should be banned, as the child born out of the process has a high probability of being abnormal, Lewis Wolpert, professor of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London said in Hyderabad on Saturday.

The gene therapy which entails introducing genes to cure genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, carries risk as does all new medical treatment, he said while delivering a lecture on "Is Science Dangerous?" to mark the foundation day of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Read at HindustanTimes.com:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1125623,00040006.htm

ITEM #2. Malaysia: Poverty and drugs lead women to jail

"The typical Malaysian female offender is neither the hard-core criminal nor a perpetual offender. The female offender rate is also not increasing faster than the male offender rate.

"Female offenders are mainly young offenders with little or no formal education. They are also unemployed or poor. They fit the theory that poverty, drugs and petty or non-violent crimes are major factors contributing to female criminality." In presenting the overall picture of female prisoners in Malaysia, Teh says they fit into an economic marginalization thesis suggesting that women commit crimes because of poverty and financial problems.

Angel in the Waters is a simple, non-confrontational book that will make young children decidedly pro-life long before they ever hear the word "abortion."

(Just last week our proofreader, Nora, was proofreading Angel in the Waters online when her three-year-old daughter turned away from a cartoon show, saw a page of this book on the computer screen, and demanded that Nora read the whole book to her right then!)

While the United States has condemned and battled ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, Sudan and other nations for humanitarian purposes, our society is teetering on the brink of condoning genetic cleansing here at home. In fact, there is not much resistance or opposition to the concept of killing imperfect babies or of stripping people with disabilities of their civil rights, including their right to life.

Advancements in biotechnology and genetic engineering and testing have opened the door for a new avenue for discrimination against people with disabilities. Medical professionals are using improved medical techniques, including amniocenteses, to test for certain genetic "flaws" and disabilities in embryos created in vitro before implantation and fetuses during the early months of pregnancy.

Often, when an embryo is found to have a disability or to carry an undesired gene, it is discarded. Women pregnant with "affected" babies are being offered, and even pressured to accept, abortions by medical professionals because these professionals assume that these women will not want to have disabled babies.

ITEM #5. Ecuador Ministry of Health Pulls Morning After Pills off Pharmacy Shelves

(LifeSiteNews.com) - The Ecuadorian Ministry of Health has ordered the removal of abortifacient "morning-after" pills off pharmacy shelves on the grounds of a "prescribed fault" in its pricing. The decision comes while pro-lifers in the tiny South American country, work to have the pill banned completely. Director of Health of the coastal province of the Guayas, Robert Blum, said that the pill sold under the brand name, Prostinor 2, "does not have authorization to be sold."

On November 15, the physicians association of Ecuador joined in the Ecuadorian Catholic Bishops' conference efforts to have the pill banned completely because of its abortifacient effect. Luis Sanchez, President of the Medical Federation of Ecuador said, "The morning after pill cannot be classified as a contraceptive method because by its very nature it acts against something that has already been conceived."

Bishop Antonio Arregui, Vice President of the Bishops Conference of Ecuador, said, "What is being sought here by the sale of these products is the introduction into Ecuadorian society of a certain insensitivity to what amounts to an attack on human life."

Planned Parenthood International has worked to insinuate the contraceptive mentality into Ecuador through its affiliate, Asociaci-n Pro-Bienestar de la Familia Ecuatoriana, which works primarily through 150 annual 'sex education' workshops for adolescents. Ecuador is 91.53% Catholic and still retains a 3.6% fertility rate.

ITEM #6. Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Allows Paralyzed Korean Woman to Walk Again

(LifeSiteNews.com) - A 37-year-old South Korean woman, paralyzed 20 years ago as a result of a spinal injury, is walking again. Hers is the first recorded recovery of a spinal injury from the use of stem cells – her doctors used umbilical cord-blood stem cells.

The AFP reported that Hwang Mi-Soon shed tears as she took her first steps before a group of reporters Thursday, using the help of a walker. "This is already a miracle for me," Hwang said. " I never dreamed of getting to my feet again." She stood up out of her wheelchair and shuffled a few paces back and forth.

"We have glimpsed at a silver lining over the horizon," Chosun University medical school professor and researcher Song Chang-Hoon said. The new treatment has yet to be confirmed and duplicated, but may mark a new era in spinal cord injury treatment, he said. "We were all surprised at the fast improvements in the patient."

The AFP also reported that there is rarely any host immune rejection of umbilical cord-derived stem cells, unlike embryonic cells, which may actually form into tumors after being injected.

"It is just one case and we need more experiments, more data," another researcher, Oh Il-Hoon, said. "I believe experts in other countries have been conducting similar experiments and accumulating data before making the results public."

Non Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Allows Paralyzed Brazilian To Walk, Talk Again.

(LifeSiteNews.com) - A report out of the Netherlands, the first nation to legalize euthanasia, revealed that a Groningen hospital is admitting to euthanizing babies.

The country, in the process of drafting guidelines for the practice of euthanizing people incapable of making the decision for themselves, heard from Groningen Academic Hospital last month that they had already been carrying out the grizzly practice since at least 2000. That year five children, experiencing what doctors claim was "pain from incurable disease or extreme deformities," were killed.

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Executive Director, Alex Schadenberg, said that this is not new news. "The British Medical Journal revealed, already in 1997, that eight percent of all infant deaths in the Netherlands are from euthanasia for fetal anomalies. This is clearly eugenic euthanasia, and has nothing to do with having a terminal illness," he said.

"The 2001 law made euthanasia legal only for consenting persons above the age of 12 and for children under 12 with parental consent," Schadenberg pointed out. What is new is the proposal to eliminate an age restriction and the need for consent for persons who are unconscious or unable to make the decision for themselves. "The reason it is eugenic euthanasia, is because these babies are being killed not because they are going to die, but because they are going to live."

The law states that euthanasia can be carried out on anyone who experiences unremitting suffering. "Clearly the only suffering many of these children will experience is that of being seen as abnormal, and no other," Schadenberg emphasized.

"The slippery slope in the Netherlands has descended already into a vertical cliff," American attorney and author Wesley J. Smith told the AP. He is the author of Forced Exit: the Slippery Slope from Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder.

A recent Associated Press survey showed a surprisingly large percentage of Americans in favor of upholding the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion decision, but the poll question itself was misleading, telling respondents Roe legalized abortion only in the first three months of pregnancy Ð rather than throughout the entire nine months.

California schools cannot inform parents if their children leave campus to receive certain confidential medical services that include abortion, AIDS treatment and psychological analysis, according to an opinion issued by the office of state Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

The opinion was prompted by resistance from teachers unions and groups such as Planned Parenthood to a Sacramento-based lobby group's efforts to help schools enact a "parent-friendly" policy requiring parental notification and consent in the wake of "medical emancipation" statutes that allow students to confidentially seek medical help off campus.

Previously it was understood that schools were allowed to enact confidentiality policies, but now the state's top lawyer is saying they are required.

Of the small number of Americans who have any idea what therapeutic cloning is; the majority likely believes it essential for stem-cell therapies to succeed. That is not necessarily true.

Therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, will not be the route to successful stem-cell therapies, many scientists say. In fact, if therapeutic cloning were vital, it would make stem-cell therapies prohibitively expensive.

[Note: Child pornography is now quite literally epidemic around the world -- and that includes the USA. It is often perpetrated by those known and trusted by the families. Below please find an excellent article from a St. Louis newspaper. Copied below that are just a few of the almost 2300 articles on child pornography from the most current national and international newspapers. They represent merely the tip of the iceberg. This is true sexual dysfunction -- on a global scale, and the victims are our kids. -- Dianne N. Irving, Ph.D.]

One in four women and one in six men have been sexually abused by age 18. As chilling as those statistics are, one other statistic will freeze your soul -- the sexual abuse is likely to be perpetrated by someone the child knows.

ic Wales, ÊUK - Dec. 1, 2004. ... Mr. O'Marah. "Either because they have stumbled on child pornography or related to meeting dodgy characters in chat rooms. "Of the...

Cadillac News, ÊMI - Dec. 1, 2004. He was sentenced Monday to two concurrent sentences of 28 to 72 months in prison (219 days credited) for the child pornography charges and one concurrent ...

The Inquirer, ÊUK - 8 Nov 2004. SYDNEY POLICE are in trouble with local schools after emailing Internet images of child pornography to 1,800 schools. According ...

WOOD-TV,ÊMI - 23 Nov 2004. (Muskegon County, November 23, 2004, 12:20 pm) A township treasurer in Muskegon County is behind bars after being charged with possessing child pornography...

1. Pray that all may have the courage to be God's presence in society and support those who have been deemed "unworthy of life".

2. Or by mail donation: Saint Kolbe Foundation, 25108 Marguerite Parkway, #B-250, Mission Viejo, CA 92692-2400, U.S.A.

The first of two prayer vigils will take place on Dec 12th, 3 PM St. Anthony's on Windmill Road in Dartmouth. There will be a Service for the unborn with petitions to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The second will also be on Dec 12th, a Prayer and Candlelight Vigil at 7PM in the Victoria General Hospital's South Parking Lot. Refreshments will be served at St. Mary's Basilica afterwards.

Cake and Card sales are not going well this year, so if you are interested in helping out or to purchase cakes or cards, call Ellen at 861-1982.

This is the time of year we traditionally celebrate the birth of the Infant Christ. It is a reminder of the dignity and value, which we should place on each human life.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, the Supreme Court of Canada will release its opinion on the validity of gay marriages. It is, likely, a foregone conclusion that the Supreme Court will favorably support gay marriages. This will make the struggle more difficult, if not impossible without the help of those for whom the definition of marriage has been protected as being between one man and one woman. It may sway a lot of people who respect and trust the political process and the Supreme Court.

Herm

Enshrine Marriage in the Constitution
Enshrine Marriage Canada Seeks to Protect Marriage

To: National and International Desks
Contact: William Gairdner: (416) 533-5124

TORONTO, Dec. 8 /Christian Wire Service/ -- "Canadians should refuse to acknowledge the moral validity of any law that attempts to redefine marriage. Instead, they should enshrine the historic definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman in Canada's Constitution," said William Gairdner, PhD, Chairman of the Steering Committee and Chief Spokesperson for the newly created ENSHRINE MARRIAGE CANADA (EMC).

Today Gairdner, a former Olympic athlete, retired businessman and accomplished author joined four other prominent Canadians - Rabbi David Novak, Douglas Farrow, Richard Bastien and Susan Martinuk - to launch EMC as a campaign to amend Canada's constitution to protect the historic definition of marriage.

The Government of Canada has indicated its intention to change the historic definition of marriage from "the union of one man and one woman" to "the union of two persons." Justice Minister Irwin Cotler has referred the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada and a decision is expected tomorrow.

EMC Steering Committee member, University of Toronto Professor David Novak, urged Canadians to take action in defense of marriage in the face of attempts to destroy "an ancient institution that has served women, men, and children since the beginning of human civilization".

"The Canadian people have never called for alteration of their most important social institution," said Steering Committee member Douglas Farrow, McGill University Professor, and co-editor of the recently published book Divorcing Marriage (McGill-Queen's University Press).

Richard Bastien, EMC Steering Committee member and founding member of the Quebec journal Egards, said, "When governments seek such change because of court decisions, they are abdicating their responsibilities as elected representatives".

"There needs to be a public debate of this issue," said EMC Steering Committee member Susan Martinuk, well-known Vancouver freelance columnist and speaker. "That debate has not occurred, and governments seem determined, by deferring to unelected courts, to prevent its occurring."

Opinion polling has shown Canadians don't want to change marriage. EMC Chairman Gairdner said, "Canadians obviously believe marriage is an institution that must be strengthened and protected. To ensure this happens, we need to act now."

---------------------

Enshrine Marriage Canada
Backgrounder
December 8, 2004

What is EMC?

EMC is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, secular organization with a single objective: to coordinate a national campaign to enshrine the traditional legal definition of marriage in the Canadian Constitution. When that campaign is successful, EMC's mission will be completed.

The Problem

Marriage, as the union of one man and one woman, is an institution of the most profound importance for society and indeed for civilization itself, because it bridges the divide between the sexes and provides a secure environment for the procreation and protection of children.

But in Canada the institution of marriage is under attack. The imposition of "same-sex marriage" by provincial courts in many Canadian provinces has deepened the crisis that already faces traditional marriage. Instead of defending the institution of marriage, however, federal and provincial governments have opted to cede much of their responsibility to the courts. This course subverts parliamentary supremacy and contravenes the will of the majority of Canadians.

The courts have asked that marriage be redefined as "a union of two persons." This loose definition fails to recognize some of the most important features of the institution of marriage, thereby rendering the term meaningless. Under the new definition, marriage in Canada will no longer be specifically directed, so far as law and public policy are concerned, to the welfare of children.

The Solution

EMC recognizes and celebrates the essential role marriage has played and continues to play in civilizations around the world, and deeply laments all recent attempts to undermine it.

This fundamental social institution precedes all states, all courts, and all governments, and cannot rightfully be subjected to such alterations as the Government of Canada now proposes to make. EMC was created with one purpose in mind: to halt the continued erosion of marriage by enshrining in our Constitution the definition that is already implicit there, the definition Canadians have always taken for granted. Namely:

Marriage is a union of one man and one woman.

While enshrining this definition of marriage will not guarantee a full renewal of Canada's marriage culture, it is a necessary starting point. It will guarantee the right of Canadians to work together in building a society that affirms the husband-wife-child relationship as the basic building block of civilization. This is in the best interests of all Canadians, including those who choose a mode of life other than marriage. EMC invites all citizens to join in this effort to defend marriage.

Biographies of EMC Steering Committee Members
December 8, 2004

William Gairdner

William Gairdner has been a Professor of English Literature at York University, a successful businessman, and an Olympic athlete. He is the author of eight books, including The Trouble With Canada (1990), The War Against The Family (1993), and Constitutional Crack-up (1994). He was also the managing editor of a landmark historical book, Canada's Founding Debates (1999). His most recent work is entitled The Trouble with Democracy (2001).

David Novak

David Novak holds the J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish Studies, as Professor of the Study of Religion and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. He is a member of University College and of the Joint Centre for Bioethics. A Fellow of the American Academy for Jewish Research and the Academy for Jewish Philosophy, he has also served on the International Advisory Board convened by the Government of Poland for the future of the Auschwitz-Birkenau site. David Novak is the author of many books, including The Election of Israel: The Idea of the Chosen People, Natural Law in Judaism and its sequel, Covenantal Rights.

Douglas Farrow

Douglas Farrow is Associate Professor of Christian Thought at McGill University. He taught formerly in the UK at King's College, University of London. He is a frequent contributor to Canadian newspapers as well as to scholarly journals, and is author or editor of several books, including most recently Divorcing Marriage: Unveiling the Dangers in Canada's New Social Experiment (2004), and Recognizing Religion in a Secular Society: Essays in Pluralism, Religion and Public Policy (2004).

Susan Martinuk

Susan Martinuk is a Vancouver-based freelance columnist and speaker on public policy issues and current affairs. Her weekly column has appeared on The Province's editorial pages for the past eight years. She hosted a Vancouver talk-radio show for five years and has contributed to the National Post, the Ottawa Citizen, the Calgary Herald and Reader's Digest.

Richard Bastien

Richard Bastien spent over thirty years in public service for the Government of Canada, most of that time with the Department of Finance. He consults nationally and internationally on economic matters, and helped to establish the new Quebec quarterly journal of cultural criticism entitled Egards.

For further information contact the Enshrine Marriage Canada campaign, contact us at Enshrine Marriage Canada, PO Box 59039, Toronto, Ontario, M6R 3B5, tel: (416) 533-5124, fax: (416) 533-0703.

Statement by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in the Reference on Marriage

1. The members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) welcome the strong affirmation by the Supreme Court of Canada today in its decision on the marriage reference in which it indicates that “The protection of freedom of religion afforded by s. 2(a) of the Charter is broad and jealously guarded in our Charter jurisprudence” (paragraph 53). We are pleased that religious officials are protected “from being compelled by the state to perform civil or religious same-sex marriages that are contrary to their religious beliefs” (paragraph 60), and that this judgment confirms that freedom of religion also prevents “the compulsory use of sacred places for the celebration of such marriages” (paragraph 59).

2. The Catholic Church will continue to celebrate the sacrament of marriage as the union of a man and a woman. We expect freedom of conscience and religion to be respected by federal, provincial and territorial governments, so that no one is compelled to act contrary to his or her beliefs.

3. We note that the Supreme Court did not address the fourth question regarding the opposite-sex requirement of marriage, thus inviting Parliament to decide.

4. We continue to affirm that marriage is a loving, life-giving partnership between a man and a woman. Its purpose is the good of the couple and the procreation and education of children – and thus necessary for the survival of society. As the committed and stable relationship of a man and a woman, marriage is basic to the stability of society and family life. In so far as it is a social institution, marriage is concerned with the common good, not individual rights.

5. The forum for discussion now moves from the courts to Parliament where the government has promised to introduce legislation. We urge Members of Parliament to have a full, informed and vigorous debate on this issue, and we ask there be a free vote so that all members may vote according to their conscience.

6. As pastoral leaders of the Catholic community in Canada, we intend to be part of this debate. We encourage all Canadians to participate in the forthcoming debate in any way that they can and to make their views known to their representatives in the House of Commons and Senate. In particular, we call on lay Catholics, especially those who have the experience of marriage, to play an active role in this debate. It is vital that Canadians take the time to have a wide-ranging dialogue on this foundational institution in which the next generation is created and nurtured.

To View the new 4d Sonogram by GE Click HERE How did our NS Member of Parliament vote in the last parliament ? Did he or she vote to define Marriage as one man and one woman? *Did they support pro-life legislation when presented?* Find out More by going to www.clcns.com/mpvotes (Click Here)	Click Menu Item for More Information
	Archbishop T. Prendergast comments of the NS Supreme Court decision on Same-sex marriage . Click Here What can be done? Click here
	Two thirds of Canadians support legal protection for the unborn.
	Pro-life Pilgrimage, March for Life, Photos Click
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