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1. 2007 Conference In Moncton To Feature Fun Events! - April 15, 2007
Moncton Right to Life is hosting the 2007 national conference next
October 25 to 27 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Moncton, New Brunswick. Here is the latest news from conference organizers about what to look forward to:
· Besides a host of 13 top speakers, our 2007 national pro-life conference will feature a number of special activities
· Since Moncton is situated by the Atlantic coast, and nearby Shediac is the "lobster capital of the world," Thursday morning will feature a 2.5-hour seaside cruise around beautiful Shediac Bay, with onboard lobster lunch. The boat is heated and sheltered from the elements, the crew will regale us with lobster tales, so come on board! Expected cost approximately $60. Limited seating.
· For early bird registrants (by Sept. 25), you will have a chance to win a cold pack of Atlantic lobster for you to bring back home (6 or more lobster, $100 value)!
· Since Moncton and region is home to a large Acadian population, our conference will have a certain Acadian flavour. The world-famous Acadian folk choir Les Jeunes Chanteurs d'Acadie will perform on Friday evening. The nearby (walking distance) spiritual centre for Acadians, the Notre Dame de l'Assomption Cathedral, will be the site of daily masses for pro-life intentions.
· Another special activity is the Friday prayer vigil at nearby Georges Dumont Hospital, one of two hospital abortion sites in New Brunswick.
/Weather note:/ Fall is one of the most beautiful times to visit the
Maritimes. Typically lots of sun, and our fall colours are spectacular!
2. Chrétien States 'Charter
Inspires World' - April 17, 2007
25th anniversary of repatriation marked - Janice Tibbetts, CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2007
OTTAWA - The Charter of Rights and Freedoms has been a proud Canadian product in the nation's mission to export justice worldwide, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said Monday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the repatriated Constitution.
"We are looked upon by the world," Chrétien, one of the architects of the 1982 Constitution, told a dinner at the University of Ottawa.
Chrétien, who was justice minister in the Trudeau cabinet when the charter was adopted as the centerpiece of the Constitution, said the Canadian blueprint has served as a model for other countries and has inspired the likes of Nelson Mandela in South Africa, who wanted a bill of rights for his people.
Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien addresses a dinner to honour the 25th anniversary of the Charter of Rights in Ottawa on Monday.
The Canadian Press
Chrétien described the charter as a "tremendous story of evolving." He told reporters later that the charter has led to rights he could never have predicted 25 years ago.
The charter, signed on Parliament Hill during a blustery April 17 in 1982, gave judges the power to not merely interpret laws, but to strike them down if they were found to violate any of the established rights.
They include freedom of religion, expression and association, the legal right to life, liberty and security of the person, and the right against unreasonable search and seizure. Equality guarantees, including freedom from discrimination based on age, sex, race or disability, came into effect in 1985.
The charter has shaped the lives of Canadians on major issues such as abortion, health care, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, the death penalty, division of assets in divorce, language rights, police powers and aboriginal issues.
© The Edmonton Journal 2007
3. Christian Government Website Launched - March 29, 2007
March 29, 2007 - Today a new website was launched which will be
used to educate about, and advocate for, Christian government. Visit us at www.christiangovernment.ca.
Initially the purpose of this website is to help sell the provocative new must-read
book for social conservatives, "State vs. Church: What Christians Can Do
to Save Canada from Liberal Tyranny."
You can read the introduction of the book as well as the endorsements for the
book on our website.
You can also sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter.
Please note that the regular price for the book is listed on the website, but
due to publication delays, our pre-publication discount offer will now remain
in effect through to April 7. If you haven't taken advantage of this offer yet,
I encourage you to do so. Remember there is a full 100% money-back guarantee
if you are not satisfied with the book for any reason.
The pre-publication discounted prices for the book are $18 (plus $3 S&H)
for the paperback and $22 (plus $4 S&H) for the hardcover.
But, since we have the website set up now for the regular price, in order to
benefit from the sale price, I need to ask you to pay by cheque or money order
and to send your payment to us at: "State vs. Church"; Tim Bloedow;
PO Box 7; Russell, ON; K4R 1C7
I do hope you find the material that we are providing valuable. I look forward
to hearing from you.
Thank you for your patronage.
- 30 -
For more information:
Contact Timothy Bloedow at: timothy@christiangovernment.ca
or at: 1-613-482-1790
4. Coalition Berates American Cancer Society For Withholding Cancer Evidence - April 12, 2007
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., April 12 /Christian Newswire/ - The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer notes an American Cancer Society report showing that cancer deaths declined slightly in 2003 and 2004. [1]
Karen Malec, president of the Coalition, commented, "There would be fewer cancer cases and deaths if women had been told the truth in the 1980s when conclusive evidence became available showing that breast cancer is associated with combined (estrogen plus progestin) hormone replacement therapy [2], combined oral contraceptives [3,4,5,6], and abortion." [7,8,9,10,11,12]
The Society expects 40,460 female deaths due to breast cancer and 240,510 total breast cancer cases for 2007.
The Society misleads women about abortion-breast cancer research. Its website says, "Several studies have provided very strong data that induced abortions have no overall effect on the risk of breast cancer." [13]
It does not report that a scientific review in 2005 concluded that these studies are seriously flawed and cannot be used to dismiss the larger body of evidence supporting an abortion-breast cancer link. [8] No scientist has challenged these conclusions.
"We call on the Society and other cancer businesses to put their
priorities in order," said Malec. "Women's lives and cancer prevention
are more important than making money, doing cancer walks, and protecting the
abortion and pharmaceutical industries."
The Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, give funds to Planned Parenthood, ostensibly for cancer screening, but Planned Parenthood is known for moving funds to the abortion side of its business.
Malec argued, "More abortions and sales of hormonal contraceptives mean more cancer cases. It's unthinkable that groups that claim to want to eradicate the disease would help fund a cancer-causing organization, especially when the funds could be directed to legitimate health organizations."
"As far as breast cancer is concerned, the risk- reducing effect of
full-term pregnancy has been well- known literally for centuries, and is universally
acknowledged...It is hardly difficult to connect the dots here: Having an induced
abortion leaves a woman with a higher long-term risk of breast cancer, compared
to not having the abortion; i.e., compared to childbirth." [14]
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.
References:
References can be found online at:
http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/press_releases/070412/index.htm.
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=msruu5bab.0.6svvu5bab.tuqepibab.948&ts=S0240&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abortionbreastcancer.com%2Fpress_releases%2F070412%2Findex.htm.
5. CWA Says Study Debunking Abstinence Is Flawed - April 13, 2007
WASHINGTON, April 13 /Christian Newswire/ - A just-released report claims that
abstinence programs are ineffective. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., is a
Washington-based think tank that blatantly states that their research is conducted
in order to "support decisions" about "social policy problems."
Clearly, their report on abstinence programs is timed to affect funding.
Their findings are flawed and raise questions in two separate areas.
First, the findings about abstinence programs are based on a flawed design.
The Mathematica study targeted children who were in abstinence programs from
ages 9-11. Those children were not evaluated until five years later. The targeted
children were too young to absorb the abstinence message, and there was no follow-up
to the original abstinence message. This basic flaw in the study design invalidates
any findings in the report.
Second, the real issue is the values that are taught in the programs. Abstinence
programs teach teens the value of abstaining from sex at least through high
school. Ninety percent of parents agree with this message. Abstinence programs
teach teens that sex should be reserved for marriage. Again, 90 percent of parents
support this message. Finally, abstinence programs teach teens that sex involves
commitment, love and intimacy; qualities most likely to be present within marriage.
Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, Director and Senior Fellow of Concerned Women for America's
Beverly LaHaye Institute, stated, "The left sees no difference between
their message and ours, but there are major differences. Comprehensive sex education
is not values based. Yet, sex involves values - especially the values of commitment,
love and intimacy. If values are omitted, the teaching implies that casual teen
sex has no lasting consequences as long as the teens use a condom."
Crouse added, "Comprehensive sex education programs teach that casual
sex is 'no big deal.' That myth has caused sexually transmitted diseases to
skyrocket among the nation's teens. That myth has aided in making drugs for
depression the most prescribed medicine for teens. That myth has increased teen
suicide as well as alcohol and drug abuse. The consequences of casual sex have
been disastrous for the nation's teenagers. Only since the broader implementation
of abstinence programs have we seen a downturn in sexual activity, teen births
and teen abortions. There are now 15 evaluations documenting the effectiveness
of abstinence education. This new study by Mathematica holds no water in the
wake of the overwhelming evidence that abstinence education produces positive
results."
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's
organization.
6. CWA Sues FDA Over Unlawful Approval Of Morning-After Pill - April 13, 2007
Coalition of medical professionals and family groups ask court to reverse FDA's
decision
WASHINGTON, April 13 /Christian Newswire/ - A lawsuit was filed yesterday in
Federal Court seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) unprecedented
approval of the morning-after pill, Plan B, as both non-prescription and prescription
based on the age of the buyer.
The lawsuit was brought by the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons
(AAPS), Concerned Women for America (CWA), Family Research Council (FRC) and
Safe Drugs for Women. The suit argues that the FDA committed numerous violations
to approve the drug due to extreme political pressure exerted specifically by
Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA).
CWA President Wendy Wright said, "The FDA buckled to pressure to do something
it has never done before - make a high dose of a drug available without a prescription
when a low dose of the same drug requires a prescription. The agency skirted
laws and regulations put in place to ensure drugs are safe and effective, relenting
under undue pressure from political operatives."
The lawsuit makes the case that:
· The data submitted by Plan B's owner did not establish that it is safe or effective. The owner did not test the effects of taking a high dose of hormones during puberty. The FDA did not consider the safety effects on women of all ages, missing medical checkups and counseling that is necessary for the conditions in which Plan B is used. It misleads consumers regarding Plan B's efficacy, leading to unintended pregnancies.
· The trials to test how well consumers understood the label directions showed that consumers do not understand it well enough to self-medicate with Plan B. Fully one-third of women of all ages did not understand that Plan B cannot be used as a regular form of birth control. The label is misleading and does not provide the legally required disclaimers to delineate what it can and cannot do. This makes Plan B particularly unsafe for young women and girls because they do not understand that Plan B does not replace traditional and more effective birth control, and they may take it too often.
· The FDA lacks authority to approve the same drug for both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription-only distribution.
· The FDA lacks authority to approve distribution based on the buyer's age.
· The FDA lacks authority to approve "behind-the- counter" - a drug that is neither fully OTC nor prescription only.
· The FDA approved Plan B for non-prescription use without conducting the necessary rulemaking required by the Administrative Procedure Act and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
· The sudden reversal by FDA and Commissioner von Eschenbach had the distinct appearance of resulting from improper political pressure exerted by Senators Clinton and Murray who made clear that they put "holds" on von Eschenbach's confirmation until he acted on Plan B.
· The FDA's approval ensures that girls will have unsupervised access to Plan B even though FDA has found that Plan B is unsafe for girls without medical supervision, as denoted by the fact it is prescription- only for those under 18.
· The FDA failed to require Plan B's owner to comply with the Pediatric Research Equity Act which protects children and adolescents.
This lawsuit seeks to reverse the FDA's decision, placing Plan B back where it belongs: as prescription- only. Barring that, the suit seeks to require a rulemaking procedure to address the legal questions raised.
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
7. Federal Chairman Has Gloomy Outlook - April 1, 2007
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=34&idarticle=7544
Ben Bernanke warns Senate committee that baby boomers' retirement plans will place huge burden on the economy and the next generation: demography is destiny.
Thursday, January 18, 2007 - Martin Barillas http://www.speroforum.com/site/author.asp?AUTH_ID=39
Chairman Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said today on Capitol Hill that lawmakers have waited too long to take into consideration the fact that baby-boomers will begin to reach retirement age in 2008. "If early and meaningful action is not taken, the US economy could be seriously weakened" said Bernanke at his inaugural appearance before the Senate Budget Committee, "The longer we wait, the more severe, the more draconian, the more difficult, the objectives are going to be. I think the right time to start was about 10 years ago."
Sounding like a warning cry, Bernanke proclaimed, "We are experiencing what seems likely to be the calm before the storm" and "Unfortunately, economic growth alone is unlikely to solve the impending fiscal problems." Retiring Americans over the next few years will mean massive costs in welfare and social security retirement benefits. Bernanke also said that US retirement entitlements would climb from about 8.5 percent of the US gross domestic product (GDP) to 15 percent by 2030.
Ranging in to field of soothsaying, Bernanke said "Dealing with the resulting fiscal strains will pose difficult choices for Congress, the Administration and the American people" and that future generations would bear the cost of social security schemes in a bleak economic environment. Bernanke said that this budgetary "crisis" threatens US living standards should Congress fail to act on funding shortfalls for Social Security and Medicare.
Bernanke refused to "support of defend or oppose" specific spending or tax plans, saying "tax cuts don't pay for themselves" and their impact depends on their nature.
However without changes, Bernanke said, the United States will run large annual deficits and ever increasing debt to support programs such as Medicare. The current national debt could climb to levels not seen since the Second World War. "A vicious cycle may develop in which large deficits lead to rapid growth in debt and interest payments" and lead to a "fiscal crisis."
With 78 million baby boomers about to retire, a flat fertility rate, and upward life expectancy, not even a doubling of the current immigration rate can solve the looming crisis, he predicted. Bernanke did suggest that Congress should look to simplifying the current Federal tax code and adjusting the nation's health care plans.
Copyright © 2007 Spero.
8. Fewer Hospitals Performing Abortions - April 11, 2007
Today's Family News http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/ - April 11, 2007
The number of hospitals in Canada that perform abortions is falling, according
to a study
http://www.chrgonline.com/news_detail.asp?ID=65502
by a national pro-abortion group called Canadians for Choice (CFC).
As the /Ottawa Citizen/ reported, the study found that only 15.9 per cent of general hospitals - or about one in six - offered abortion services in 2006, down from 17.8 per cent in 2003. And most of those lay within 150 kilometers of the U.S. border.
As a result, the study claims, women living in the more northerly parts of the country are forced to endure limited options and hardships when seeking abortions.
In Ontario, for example, only 33 out of 94 hospitals performed abortions in 2006 - and of these, only one hospital was located north of the Trans-Canada Highway.
CFC executive director Patricia LaRue said this means many women have to drive up to 14 hours to obtain an abortion. "The travel is really demanding on these women's lives," she told the /Citizen/. "Many have to hire a babysitter, pay for a bus or take time off work."
LaRue attributed the decline in abortion accessibility in part to a lack of trained abortionists, noting that Canada's medical schools are not required to teach physicians how to perform abortions.
The study also revealed, according to LaRue, that "Many hospital workers were either judgmental or very misinformed" when asked about what their facility offered by way of abortion services.
But while abortions may be becoming less accessible, that does not appear to have had any significant impact on the number of abortions performed in Canada.
According to Statistics Canada
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060315/d060315c.htm,
in 2003 - the most recent figures available - 103,768 abortions were performed,
down from 105,154 in 2002 - a decline of just one per cent.
In fact, the true number of babies aborted could well be much higher. As LifesiteNews.com
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07040306.html
recently noted, "Accurate statistics are now hard to come by, many
surgical abortions are likely not recorded as such and chemical
abortions are not tallied in the statistics."
The 22 clinics across Canada that perform abortions were not included in the study.
9. Grassroots Pro-Life Effort Calls For Monthly Nationwide Participation - April 6, 2007
WASHINGTON, Apr. 6 /Christian Newswire/ - A grassroots nationwide monthly effort is taking place today, Friday, April 6th 2007. The project, called MonthlyCallForLife.com, encourages Pro-Life people to contact their representatives on the first Friday of every month in order to ask them to oppose abortion and human killing research.
Information is available on the website which helps locate the proper representative, what they might want to say to them and when to call.
Peter Shinn, founder of MonthlyCallForLife.com stated:
"MonthlyCallForLife.com was created so that the people of America could speak up regularly for the first right which is declared in the Declaration of Independence, namely the 'Right to Life', without which we cannot have 'Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness'. On the first Friday of every month, we unite and 'Call for Life' to help bring an end to abortion and challenge the culture of death.
MonthlyCallForLife.com is a grassroots project growing in America, without corporate funding or donations, to help the unborn."
Peter Shinn is the Technical Director for NationalProLifeRadio.net, the founder of ProLifeNews.tv, which is the largest nationwide Multimedia Pro-Life News source and ProLifeUnity.com. He is also the Program Manager for Faith and Action Live, the weekly radio and Internet TV broadcast for Faith and Action, which is broadcast from our nation's Capital.
To contact Peter Shinn for more information or interviews please call 703-787-8723
or send an E-Mail to:
contact@monthlycallforlife.com.
10. Hospitals Must Provide Euthanasia - April 18, 2007
The duty to die is not only for the patient who is depressed or needing medical
support but the duty to kill is also for the physician. A physician who believes
that effective alternatives to euthanasia exist and is unwilling to abandon
his patients by killing them will be ignored as a religious extremist under
this regime.
The culture of death leaves no room for dissent or concern for the vulnerable,
the only consideration is the "freedom" to die.
How can the Belgium government ensure that the most vulnerable in society are
being protected, when the "right to die" stops being an exception
but in fact becomes the rule of law?
Can anyone be assured that the person with a disability or other vulnerable
person who wants to live will be respected when the physician who refuses to
kill is not respected?
Alex Schadenberg, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
E-Mail: info@epcc.ca
Belgian News
Hospitals Must Provide Euthanasia - 18 April 2007
BRUSSELS - The Flemish liberals Open VLD want patients in all government-funded
hospitals to have the right to euthanasia if they so choose.
The hospital should make provisions for this option if a patient comes up against
opposition from a physician who on principle refuse to perform euthanasia.
This proposal is included in the draft version of the party's electoral platform
presented on Wednesday.
The philosophy behind the proposal is that it is not enough that the ethical
achievements not be reversed during the next legislative term, but that they
are also effectively put into practice. The government must therefore monitor
that institutions, which receive government funding, are actually enforcing
the law.
The Flemish liberals do not object to physicians having the right to refuse
to perform euthanasia, but in such cases the hospital itself must ensure that
the patient's request is carried out by another doctor.
Copyright Expatica News 2007
11. How Radical Activists Invaded, Conquered America's Newsrooms - April 10, 2007
/Could this be Canada too? hhw/
New book exposes pressure groups shaping U.S. press coverage
WASHINGTON, April 10 /Standard Newswire/ - Media bias has been explained, dissected, rationalized, debated and studied.
But a new book by a veteran newspaper editor and Internet pioneer says one explanation for it has never been appropriately addressed before.
In "Stop the Presses! The Inside Story of the New Media Revolution," WorldNetDaily.com founder Joseph Farah, a former top editor at major-market newspapers, says he witnessed an invasion of the newsroom by radical activist groups posing as high- minded journalism associations.
Farah names names - such as the Society for Environmental Journalism and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association - and cites statements from the pressure groups themselves.
"I wrote 'Stop the Presses!' as a unique effort to explain the
institutional problems we see in the establishment press today from the perspective
of an insider - someone who witnessed this takeover of America's newsrooms,"
says Farah. "But I also witnessed and participated in the antidote - the
New Media, with all of its increased competition and the many fresh voices it
welcomes to the national debate."
Stop the Presses! explores this issue and many others, including:
· Farah's first-hand account of his efforts at launching WorldNetDaily.com,
the largest independent news source on the Internet
· His battle for survival during the Clinton administration, which audited
his news agency and used taxpayer funds to maintain dossiers on him.
· A brief history of the free press that explains what a uniquely American
concept it is
· A look at the role of Google, a search engine company Farah deems to
be "evil"
· The impact of Matt Drudge and the way he and those who have followed
him have changed the media forever
· The key role WND played in defeating Al Gore's presidential ambitions
in 2000
· The Middle East as a case study in international media distortion
The book debuts today with major front-of-store promotional display in Barnes & Noble, as the selection of two major monthly book clubs and with the endorsement of Farah's friends, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.
Limbaugh said: "Joseph Farah was not just 'present at the creation' of the new media revolution, he helped instigate it. 'Stop the Presses!' is a fascinating and freewheeling look at how a harmonic convergence of politics, personalities and technology has forever changed the way Americans interact with their government, their fellow citizens, and the world."
Coulter weighed in: "WorldNetDaily's Joseph Farah is uniquely qualified to tell the real story of the 'new media revolution.' After all, he helped start it. This Patrick Henry of the internet will have you hoisting a Sam Adams in celebration."
12. Japan Promoting Adoption Over Abortion - April 1, 2007
Spero News
Japan promoting adoption over abortion
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idarticle=8120
Japan is emulating India in launching "public cradles against abortion": a hospital in Kumamoto has a "baby box" for mothers to leave their unwanted babies.
Asia News - Saturday, February 24, 2007
http://www.speroforum.com/site/author.asp?AUTH_ID=147
Japan has also set up "public cradles against abortion". Following India, which last week launched a "cradles scheme" against abortions and foeticide of girls, the Japanese Health Minister approved a decision taken by a hospital in Kumamoto to have a "baby box" for the public.
Hospital officials said the box was intended to ensure absolute privacy for those parents who wanted to abandon their newly born babies. The "box" is an incubator, which is always working and monitored by a nurse of the hospital. Babies can be put there through an opening in the hospital wall.
According to officials of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the proposal "does not violate any law but should be supported because it protects the safety of unwanted babies."
Clearly, they added, from a legal point of view, the hospital would have to answer for the safety of the children. All the same, "the government will do everything possible to help through adoption and tax reduction campaigns"..
13. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #317 - April 01, 2007
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
An essential argument for those wanting over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill to teens is that it will reduce pregnancies and abortions. Here is what happened in Britain. We note that the morning-after pill has been available in England over-the-counter to young teenage girls for the last five years. During this time abortion rates have risen in the fifteen to forty-four age groups from 11 per 1,000 women in 1994 to 18 per 1,000 in 2004. Abortions have risen from 186,300 in 2001 to 194,400 in 2005.
In spite of this fact, a high court in Chile has approved the right of the government to distribute the morning-after pill to minor teenagers without the parent's knowledge or consent.
In addition, a meta-analysis of 23 published reports conducted in ten countries has been reported in the prestigious journal, Obstetrics and Gynecology. It demonstrates that the morning after pill does not reduce pregnancy rates or abortions. It concluded, "Increased access to emergency contraception pills does enhance its use, but has not been shown to reduce unintended pregnancy rates." The authors noted, "No study has shown that increased access to this method reduces unintended pregnancy or abortion rates on a population level." They concluded that the use of this bill "Is unlikely to produce a major reduction in unintended pregnancy rates no matter how often women use it."
Kindly share this knowledge with your friends and students.
God Bless, Fr. Jerry, omi
(A Thought:) Who is abortion good for? Women who abort are three times more likely to report symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder compared to women with unintended pregnancies who deliver (Journal of Anxiety Disorders). Women with a history of induced abortion are three times more likely to use illegal drugs during a subsequent pregnancy (British Journal of Health Psychology).
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #317 - April 01, 2007
Table Of Contents:
1. Reproductive Rights: Embracing The Lie
2. The Dark Side Of Population Control
3. India: Two Steps Forward, One Backward
4. HIV Infections On The Rise In Asia
5. Breastfeeding Alone Cuts HIV Risk
6. UN Officials Draft Document Re-Interpreting 29 International Law Rights To
All Include Homosexual Rights
7. Abortion And Embryo Manipulation Tools Of Economic Progress Causing Society's
Death
8. Thinking Outside The Egg, Scientists Propose Interspecies Cloning
9. Prenatal Screenings: Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome Speak Of Joys,
Sorrows
10. Cloning Doubletalk
11. Pope: "Demographic Profile" Shows Europe Soon To "Take Its
Leave From History"
12. Kansas Bishops Launch Education Campaign On Immorality Of Embryonic Stem
Cell Research
Focus On Asia: 132 million in Asia 'face starvation'. Warming may cut harvests by 30% in 2050s. Grain harvests in the Asian region will drop by as much as 30 percent, leading to skyrocketing food prices and the starvation of 132 million people in Asia in the 2050s, if fossil fuels continue to be consumed at the current rate, according to a report of the Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)
http://www.worldpress.org/link.cfm?http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/20070329TDY01001.htm
Item #1. Reproductive Rights: Embracing The Lie
Recently, I read a press release on Reproductive Rights and African-American
Women by abortion advocate Ipas. We all too often hear of women's organizations
talk about women's rights and reproductive freedom. I found it interesting because
while Ipas was ranting about the reproductive choices of black women being almost
non existent...I found myself thinking about the facts regarding African Americans
and abortion.
Fact: Since 1973, MORE THAN 44 million unborn children have been legally killed in this country - of those killed almost 15 million of them where black.
View full file at Christian Newswire:
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/456442374.html
Item #2. The Dark Side Of Population Control
According to China's State Population and Family Planning Commission, "by
2020 some 30 million Chinese men will not be able to find wives." If these
thirty million men were a country, they would be one of the forty most-populous
countries in the world. This inability to find wives, in the commission's words,
"may lead to social instability."
View full text at BreakPoint:
http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=6239&zbrandid=420&zidType=CH&zid=1279886&zsubscriberId=136625765
Item #3. India: Two Steps Forward, One Backward
A government report released as part of an extensive national family health
survey has come as a rude shock for a state long regarded as progressive. It
placed Tamil Nadu high on a list of states where wife beating is common.
View full text at IPS News:
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36843
Item #4. HIV Infections On The Rise In Asia
The number of people in Asia infected with the AIDS virus threatens to double
over the next five years unless governments do more to stop the spread of HIV,
officials said Friday.
About 8.6 million people are infected in Asia with HIV.
At the current level of inadequate response, it is expected this number will rise to about 20 million in the next five years," the independent Commission on Aids in Asia said.
View full text at The Conservative Voice:
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8O6FU780&apc=9020
Item #5. Breastfeeding Alone Cuts HIV Risk
Exclusively breastfeeding until a baby is six-months old can significantly reduce
the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission, an African study says.
View full text at BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6507309.stm
Item #6. UN Officials Draft Document Re-Interpreting
29 International Law Rights To All Include Homosexual Rights
At the Human Rights Council in Geneva this week, a radical homosexual umbrella
group released a homosexual rights document authored by several UN human rights
officials that claims even the youngest children are capable of discerning their
sexual identity. It adds they should be given governmentally protected free
reign to express that identity.
See the full article at LifeSite:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/mar/07032906.html
Item #7. Abortion And Embryo Manipulation Tools
Of Economic Progress Causing Society's Death
Abortion and embryo manipulation in the name of science are tools used in the
relentless search of economic progress, but far from making society go forward,
they destroy its values. These accusations are made in a statement released
by the Bishops' Conference of Korea, which calls on the government to give priority
to fundamental values and the protection of human dignity, neglected in their
view in the name of economic development. One of the consequences of this situation
has been the lowest birth rate in the world, and especially the destruction
of human values, which have been replaced by a culture of death.
Full Article at AsiaNews.it
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8861&size=A
Item #8. Thinking Outside The Egg, Scientists Propose
Interspecies Cloning
Currently, the few scientists actively pursuing human cloning are hobbled by
a nearly non-existent human egg supply. And each researcher will need thousands
of them.
"Getting eggs from women is the bottleneck to cloning," Cibelli said. "An alternative would be welcomed."
All three U.K. teams aim to get around that bottleneck by taking DNA from patients sick with a disease like Alzheimer's and fuse it with cow eggs that have had all their genetic material removed. The hope is that the human DNA will trick the eggs into thinking they're pregnant, beginning development.
After about five days of growth, the cloned embryos would be destroyed and the stem cells extracted. The stem cells would be grown in their labs and the researchers could look for the onset of diseases, study their development and test experimental drugs on the cells.
Comment: Of course, we embryonic stem cell research opponents are just a bunch of alarmists! --Nancy Valko, RN
View full article at USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2007-03-22-animal-cloning_N.htm
Item #9. Prenatal Screenings: Parents Of Children
With Down Syndrome Speak Of Joys, Sorrows
Like other 14-year-olds, Grace Mehan enjoys playing sports, hanging out with
her friends, going horseback riding and acting.
She also has Down syndrome.
Her father Tom Mehan, of Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Webster Groves, said the blessings the family has received since her birth have been abundant. He said his daughter's life is filled with value - a life that others should value as well.
View entire text at ReviewOnline:
http://www.stlreview.com/article.php?id=12598
Item #10. Cloning Doubletalk
Senators Dianne Feinstein and Orrin Hatch have just introduced Senate Bill 812,
which explicitly legalizes human cloning and - since a shortage of human eggs
is currently impeding human cloning research (one egg is needed for each attempt
at cloning) - the bill also authorizes researchers to pay women to undergo egg
procurement.
And if the purpose of the legislation wasn't bad enough, there's its name: Feinstein and Hatch mendaciously named S. 812 the "Human Cloning Ban and Stem Cell Protection Act of 2007."
How can a bill to legalize human cloning be instead called a ban? Through the time-tested method of disingenuous legislating - the bogus definition. Here's a rarely discussed truth: Key words and terms in legislation mean only what a bill's authors say they mean, rather than their actual definitions. If a dung beetle was defined in legislation as a butterfly, for the purposes of that bill, the dung beetle would be a butterfly. Which is essentially what S. 812 does. It defines the term "human cloning" inaccurately and unscientifically so that Feinstein and Hatch can pretend their bill will outlaw human cloning.
View full text at Weekly Standard:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/441vfewj.asp
Item #11. Pope: "Demographic Profile"
Shows Europe Soon To "Take Its Leave From History"
Europe's rejection of its traditional Christian identity is leading to its imminent
disappearance from the world stage, Pope Benedict XVI said in an address to
a congress of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community
(COMECE) on March 24.
"[I]n demographic terms, it must unfortunately be noted that Europe seems set on a path that could lead to its exit from history," Pope Benedict XVI stated at the event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome on March 25, 1957, which formed the foundations of today's European Union.
Read full article at LifeSite:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/mar/07032606.html
Item #12. Kansas Bishops Launch Education Campaign
On Immorality Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
The Catholic bishops of Kansas have launched a campaign to help the public understand
the moral and ethical problems associated with embryonic stem cell research.
The initiative was taken in response to increasing pressure for state laws approving
research into human cloning and embryonic stem cell techniques.
The bishops commissioned a stem cell education video, available at http://saintmaxworldwide.org/ that offers a "clear and concise guide" to the debate over research using human embryos. Entitled "The Science of Stem Cells: Finding Cures and Protecting Lives," the 12-minute video explains underlying facts in the stem cell debate largely missing from media coverage, including the failure of embryonic research to produce any cures from disease, the facts of human cloning, and the success rate of ethically-acceptable adult stem cell research.
See the full article at LifeSite:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/mar/07032002.html
Get Involved:
1. Pray Daily that we all may have the courage to be God's presence in society and strongly support those who have been deemed "unworthy of life".
2. Be Informed at Lifeissues.net website: http://www.lifeissues.net.
3. Become A Missionary For Human Life: "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia" is a project, which appeals for donations to help finance travel expenses for talks to undeveloped countries in Asia. Fr. Jerry's lectures this year will emphasis "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Life Issues, Trends and Challenges". For Lectures in Asia: contact Fr. Jerry. To become a supportive Missionary for Human Life in Asia, kindly send your donations directly to: Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI; LifeIssues.net, Editor; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072 (or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824)
Contact Editor:
Jerry Novotny, OMI; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; Tel/Fax:
088-843-0406; E-Mail: jerry@lifeissues.net
Contact Assistant Editor: Mr. Marlon Castillo Ramirez; Author of Book: "The Sights and Soul of Life"; E-Mail: mcr4lifeissues@gmail.com
Websites by Editor:
English LifeIssues Site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese LifeIssues Site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI Site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html.
14. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #319 - April 15, 2007
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
Shocking News: On April 11th the U.S. passed S.5 legislation, only two votes
short of a two-thirds majority, which is required to override a veto. S.5 would
mandate federal funding of the type of stem cell research that requires the
killing of human embryos.
Commenting on the Senate's action, Douglas Johnson, legislative director for
the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), said: "The congressional Democratic
leadership is again engaged in political demagoguery, making claims for embryonic
stem cell research that go far beyond any evidence. Not a single human patient
has yet been helped by stem cells obtained by killing human embryos. Meanwhile,
many thousands of human patients have been helped with other types of stem cells,
obtained in non-controversial ways that do not require harming human embryos."
Some Good News: the UN Treaty on Disabled is signed. This Treaty had been four years in negotiations. Pro-abortion forces had attempted and fiercely fought to put in "reproductive health." Pro-life forces just as vigorously resisted it. The General Assembly has now given final approval to a treaty that will protect the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. It also includes the right to life of disabled newborns and should "substantially improve the lives of peoples with disability throughout the world," said Jean Head, the grand lady lobbyist for International Right to Life Federation, Inc. and the National Right To Life Committee. Mr. Peter Smith, representative to UN for SPUC and the International Right to Life Federation reported, "Fifteen national delegations made good interpretive statements on the controversial term 'sexual and reproductive' which is often falsely interpreted to include abortion." He observed that strong pro-life statements came from the USA and the Holy See. "These interpretive statements mean that no one can claim that the Disability Convention includes a right to abortion under these terms."
God Bless and have a nice weekend.
Fr. Jerry
(A Quote:) "...The deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of his life is always morally evil and can never be licit either as an end in itself or as a means to an end... the use of human embryos or fetuses as an object of experimentation constitutes a crime against their dignity as human beings who have a right to the same respect owed to a child once born, just as every person. - Evangelium Vitae, March, 1995.
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #319 - April 15, 2007
Table Of Contents:
1. S. Korea Reports 175 New HIV/Aids Cases In First Three Months Of 2007
2. Pakistan Battles HIV/Aids Taboo
3. Word Games And Pornography
4. Family For Life
5. Sold As Slaves, Children Are Cheaper Than Animals
6. Belgian Researcher Discovers Widespread Euthanasia For Terminally Ill Babies
7. Australian Research Reveals Link Between Abortion And Domestic Violence Against Women
8. Canadians Apologize To World For Pushing Legalization Of Homosexual "Marriage"
9. Natural Family Planning - Is It Scientific? Is It Effective?
10. On Getting Old
11. IVF And The Conjugal Act
12. Pope Says Rich Nations "Plundered" Third World
Focus On Asia: "New Hope For India's Abandoned Children" :: India, notorious for its "gendercide" against girls, is relaxing its rules on adoption to save more children from lives of abuse and misery. There are more than 11 million abandoned children in India. The streamlined process could help to change the culture that has seen millions of girls killed in infancy or before birth. The government has encouraged more "street cribs" -- where mothers can leave their babies anonymously -- to give unwanted daughters a chance. If it is successful, it will mean there are even more baby girls to find families for. Because of a stigma against adoption and infertility, Indian couples tend to want only babies whose skin colour matches their own. (Daily Mail, April 8)
Item #1. S. Korea Reports 175 New HIV/AIDS Cases
In First Three Months Of 2007
The number of new HIV/AIDS cases in South Korea reached 175 in the first months
of the year, but the figure was down 8.9 percent from a year ago, the nation's
disease control agency said Wednesday.
The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in its quarterly HIV/AIDS assessment report that 92.6 percent of the new infections were found among males. Infections among foreigners stood at 18.
Source: Yonhap News, Seoul, April 11, 2007.
Item #2. Pakistan Battles HIV/AIDS Taboo
Nearly 4,000 people with HIV/Aids have reported at treatment centres around
Pakistan. The figure is a fraction of the total number of Pakistanis with the
virus. A UN AIDS report last year said that between 80,000 and 140,000 people
were infected. Pakistani officials say a low detection rate and stigma associated
with the disease were hampering the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients.
View full text at BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6539437.stm.
Item #3. British Internet Cop Says He Has No Interest
In 'Adult Entertainment'
If you think Mr. Gamble was saying there's nothing wrong with pornography in
which the performers are adults, you're right. That, of course, is what the
porn industry wants you to believe. It seems they would like to expunge the
word "pornography" from the language. So "child pornography"
becomes "child abuse," even though it's a given that child pornography
is a specific kind of child abuse; and hardcore pornography that does not depict
actual children becomes "adult entertainment" involving "consenting
adults," never mind the portrayals in it of rape, incest, bestiality, sadomasochism,
sex with "school girls," excretory activities and so on.
Coming from the pornographers, this line of doublespeak is to be expected. But from a top cop in the business of protecting children from pornography and predators on the Internet it is worrisome, to say the least.
View full text at Morality in Media:
http://www.moralityinmedia.org/index.htm?reviewOfTheNews/vfrd0407.htm.
Item #4. Family For Life
Like all Catholic parents, we strive to provide all our children with a solid
formation in the Christian faith. While parents might disagree on the exact
amount of "sheltering" that needs to take place, clearly during our
children's formative years it's crucial to maintain some control over their
environment and activities. Yet when our children become adults in their own
right, we can't exercise the same type of control. We desire good things for
our adult children, but we can't make decisions for them.
View full text at CERC:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/marriage/mf0090.htm.
Item #5. Sold As Slaves, Children Are Cheaper Than
Animals
Poverty and lack of education are some of the causes behind child trafficking
in India. Children who are sold end up toiling on farms, as waiters or sex workers.
View full text at AsiaNews.it:
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8946&size=A.
Item #6. Belgian Researcher Discovers Widespread
Euthanasia For Terminally Ill Babies
Belgian babies suffering from incurable diseases are being quietly put to death
by their doctors, often with their parents' approval, a researcher from the
University of Ghent has discovered.
See the full article at CWN:
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=50481.
Item #7. Australian Research Reveals Link Between
Abortion And Domestic Violence Against Women
There is a direct link between domestic violence and a woman's decision to have
an abortion, according to Australian researchers. A study carried out by the
Mother and Child Health Research of La Trobe University showed that women who
reported having an abortion in teens and early twenties were three times more
likely to have suffered from some sort of abuse from their partner than women
who did not have an abortion. Dr Angela Taft, co-author of the study, said:
"The take home message is that if we want to reduce the rate of abortion
and unwanted pregnancy in Australia, especially among teenagers, we need to
reduce violence against women. Also healthcare providers and pregnancy counselling
services should ask women seeking terminations about their experiences of partner
abuse and if necessary, refer them to supportive agencies." SPUC
Full Article at LifeNews.com:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07040407.html.
Item #8. Canadians Apologize To World For Pushing
Legalization Of Homosexual "Marriage"
Canadians who recognize the destruction to the traditional family which Canada
has abetted throughout the world have issued an apology on behalf of all Canadians
to world leaders and peoples. The apology to be delivered to world leaders and
to be brought to the World Congress of the Family taking place in Warsaw, Poland,
apologizes for the negative effects that Canada's same-sex "marriage"
legalization has been having on other nations.
Full Article at LifeNews.com:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07041110.html.
Item #9. Natural Family Planning - Is It Scientific?
Is It Effective?
Natural family planning is planning for achieving or preventing a pregnancy
by the timing of intercourse. By observing and recording certain natural symptoms
and bodily changes that occur in a woman's menstrual cycle and using the information
as a guide, a couple can learn to identify the fertile and infertile phases
of the menstrual cycle. If the couple wishes to achieve pregnancy, they can
be aware of the best days for this to occur. If the couple wishes to avoid pregnancy,
they should abstain from intercourse or genital contact during the fertile or
risk period of the cycle. Natural family planning for preventing pregnancy is
also referred to as "periodic abstinence." The World Health Organization
(WHO) defines periodic abstinence as voluntary avoidance of intercourse by a
couple during the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle in order to avoid pregnancy.
View entire text at LifeIssues.net:
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/kla/kla_06nfp_effective1.html.
Item #10. On Getting Old
Ask a group of young people what kind of life they have their hearts set on:
a life that is ever changing and ever new, one packed with excitement, or a
life that is routine, unexciting, repetitive and ordinary? The prospects of
the latter are terrifying to most of them.
But a life that is ever new and exciting, whatever that might turn out to be, is one that is open to anything but the possibility of love; for a life characterized by the splendour of genuine human love cannot be anything but long, difficult, routine and ordinary.
View entire text at CERC:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/marriage/mf0089.htm.
Item #11. IVF And The Conjugal Act
In 1987, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the direction
of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, issued an instruction titled Donum vitae. In it,
the Congregation outlined the magisterial teaching on reproductive technologies.
The focus of the instruction is on the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF),
which the Congregation argues is inherently illicit.
Assuming that no embryos are destroyed during IVF, why is it immoral for a loving
couple to undergo such a procedure? In the section that deals with this question,
Donum vitae states:
The moral relevance of the link between the meanings of the conjugal act and
between the goods of marriage, as well as the unity of the human being and the
dignity of his origin, demand that procreation of a human person be brought
about as a fruit of the conjugal act specific to the love between spouses.
Further, "such fertilization [IVF in the scenario under question] is neither in fact achieved nor positively willed as the expression and fruit of a specific act of the conjugal union." From these quotations, one draws the conclusion that IVF does not comport with the dignity of the created being from the moment of his origin. Thus, IVF is illicit, even in cases where care is taken not to destroy embryos.
Read full article at Ethics and Medics:
http://www.ncbcenter.org/em/0704-1.aspx.
Item #12. Pope Says Rich Nations "Plundered"
Third World
Rich countries bent on power and profit have mercilessly "plundered and
sacked" Africa and other poor regions and exported to them the "cynicism
of a world without God," Pope Benedict writes in his first book.
The Pope also condemns drug trafficking and sexual tourism, saying they are signs of a world brimming with "people who are empty" yet living among abundant material goods.
Read full article at Reuters:
http://today.reuters.com/misc/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2007-04-04T113841Z_01_L04223253_RTRUKOC_0_US-POPE-BOOK.xml.
Get Involved:1. Pray Daily that we all may have the courage to be God's presence in society and strongly support those who have been deemed "unworthy of life".
2. Be Informed at Lifeissues.net website: http://www.lifeissues.net.
3. Become A Missionary For Human Life: "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia" is a project, which appeals for donations to help finance travel expenses for talks to developing countries in Asia. Fr. Jerry's series of lectures this year emphasis "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Life Issues, Trends and Challenges". Inquire about "no-cost to your group" Lectures (including travel) to anyplace in Asia: contact Fr. Jerry. To become a supportive Missionary participant for Human Life in Asia, kindly send your donations directly to: Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI; LifeIssues.net, Editor; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; (or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824)
Contact Editor: Jerry Novotny, OMI; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; Tel/Fax: 088-843-0406; E-Mail: jerry@lifeissues.net.
Contact Assistant Editor: Mr. Marlon Castillo Ramirez; Author of Book: "The Sights and Soul of Life"; E-Mail: mcr4lifeissues@gmail.com.
Websites by Editor:
English LifeIssues Site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese LifeIssues Site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI Site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html.
15. Major Conference On Euthanasia And End-Of-Life Issues - April 26, 2007
Today's post is to bring your attention to a major conference on euthanasia and end-of-life issues being held in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), May 25 -26, 2007. This top-flight event is being co-sponsored the Caritas Health Group, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, St. Luke Physician Guild and the Christian Medical Dental Society.
I am very excited with how this well-rounded conference has come together. As the conference poster states it will be:
"An all-inclusive conference that provides awareness, cautions (re: the slippery slope, discusses good alternatives and affirms the Hippocratic tradition in medicine to "do no harm.""
Indeed, an impressive array of speakers from Canada and the US have been assembled. This includes some Canada's finest medical, legal, Christian (evangelical and Catholic) and political thinkers. American lawyer, author and bioethical commentator, Wesley Smith and Bobby Schindler (brother of Terri Schiavo) will also deliver addresses.
I highly recommend this conference as a must-attend for anyone concerned about euthanasia and end-of-life issues. For more information or to download a registration form, go to: www.eeoliconference.com, telephone: 1-(780)-455-5249, E-Mail: eeoli@shaw.ca.
Mark Pickup, Advocate For North Americans With Disabilities & Founder of
HumanLifeMatters; 4417-51 Street; Beaumont; AB; Canada; T4X 1C8; Tel: (780)
929-9230, E-Mail: HumanLifeMatters@shaw.ca.
16. Make Plastics Found In Recalled Pet Food Linked To Deaths - March 30, 2007
WASHINGTON - Recalled pet foods contained a chemical used to make plastics, but government tests failed to confirm the presence of rat poison, federal officials said Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration said it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food, as well as in wheat gluten used as an ingredient. Cornell University scientists also have found the chemical, sometimes used as a fertilizer, in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating the company's wet food.
Click Here For a List of Pet Food Brand Names Subject to Recall.
Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of cat and dog food earlier this month after animals died of kidney failure after eating the Canadian company's products. It is not clear how many pets may have been poisoned by the apparently contaminated food, although anecdotal reports suggest hundreds if not thousands have died. The FDA alone has received more than 8,000 complaints.
17. Mandated HPV Vaccinations Pose Challenge To Parental Rights
- March 27, 2007
Dear Friend of the Family,
Despite the eradication of many diseases, the 21st century is a difficult time for parents, grandparents and others entrusted with the care and guardianship of children. We must be constantly vigilant as national and international trends challenge our rights to oversee the nurturing and care of our children.
Front and center today is the attempt by state governments in the United States to mandate Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations for young girls, directly challenging parental rights. On Tuesday, the Conservative Government of Canada included in its budget proposal $300 million for these vaccinations. The proposal calls for each province or territory to determine whether or not vaccinations would be mandatory or voluntary.
Let's set the stage for this controversy. In June 2006, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended HPV vaccinations for girls ages 11 and 12. Last month, Texas Governor Rick Perry set off a firestorm of controversy when he issued an executive order mandating that all females entering the sixth grade receive the vaccine, with some exceptions, for the prevention of HPV. Many parents were furious, and Texas House Bill 1098 was introduced in an attempt to overturn the executive order.
More than half of U.S. states are now attempting to mandate or legislate vaccination requirements for girls as young as 11.
HPV can only be contracted through sexual activity and is America's most common sexually transmitted infection. The virus is most frequent among U.S. women in their early 20s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease causes genital warts, cervical dysplasia and occasionally cervical cancer. The infection typically disappears within two years, and most infected people don't even realize they have the virus. This vaccination addresses just four of the more than 100 types of HPV.
There was a time when vaccinations served the public interest in an attempt to prevent polio and other diseases contracted through no fault of their own. Now we see governments attempting to force vaccinations upon people for behavior, which can be prevented. The HPV vaccine does not prevent all forms of cervical cancer, but it may give a false sense of security while encouraging risky behavior.
Mandating vaccinations for this disease is a very troubling attack on parental rights. It clearly undermines parents' authority to determine their children's health care and it inhibits their ability to encourage positive child behavior. Many parents fear that requiring the vaccination, like compulsory "safe-sex" education, sends the wrong message to students.
Vaccinations may give a false sense of safety leading to higher sexual activity, risking disease and pregnancy. Furthermore, vaccinations are not necessary for every girl, many of whom abstain sexually until marriage and will not be subject to the risk of STDs. Certainly, when government requires a vaccination to prevent a disease that can be completely avoided by abstinence it undercuts the importance of abstinence programs that are also government funded.
The vaccinations are costly, approaching $1,000 in some regions. Of valid concern to parents is the fact that the only vaccine currently approved, marketed by Merck under the name Gardasil, has not been tested for pre-teens. The attempt to fast-track this drug for marketing raises significant ethical questions. Taxpayer-supported public schools could punish students for non-compliance and incur resulting legal actions. Mandatory vaccines would result in windfall profits for Merck.
Two prominent organizations are calling for restraint on mandatory vaccinations:
· The American College of Pediatricians is opposed to "any legislation, which would require HPV vaccination for school attendance. This would amount to a precedent-setting action that trespasses on the right of parents to make medical decisions for their children as well as on the rights of the children to attend school. Most 9-12 year old children are not sexually active; many have not entered puberty. Forcing a parent to forsake his/her better judgment and discuss this information with the child would be inappropriate and unnecessarily intrusive."
· The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), a leading vaccine safety and informed consent advocacy organization, is urging state legislatures to investigate the safety and cost of mandating Merck's HPV vaccine for all pre-adolescent girls before introducing legislation amending state vaccine laws. NVIC reports that testing of the drug resulted in numerous health problems, including loss of consciousness, seizures, arthritis joint pain and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
The National Conference of State Legislatures carries a complete list of legislative action on HPV vaccines. Check your state and contact your lawmakers to voice your concerns about the problems with forced vaccinations.
Additionally, parents may want to consider discussing human sexuality with their children in a way that is consistent with their family's values at a time they deem appropriate. Parental involvement is highly important in an era when schools often portray human sexuality to children in ways that families find inappropriate.
Sincerely,
Carol Soelberg, President
United Families International - www.UnitedFamilies.org
In NS it was announced last week in the Halifax Herald that the Government of NS is considering a vaccine program using Gardasil in our schools. The article even suggested 5 year olds. This has to be a major concern for all of us. It seems to have the overtones of a Planned Parenthood philosophy. The more they try to fix the problem the worse it seems to get.
18. Marriage Uncensored Aims To Be 'Culturally Relevant' - April 15, 2007
By Michael Ireland, Assist News Service
Marriage Uncensored co-host Dave Currie, with his wife Donalyn.
MARRIAGE UNCENSORED, a unique Canadian TV show, was launched when someone donated
a year of airtime on a local cable station to Family Life Canada.
The Langley, BC based ministry, which operates through Campus Crusade for Christ, started the program in an effort to provide creative programming for the family in the local Vancouver viewing area. The program is now aired on the CanWest Global network across Canada, and on PBS in the U.S.
The program is presented as a talk show, showcasing various guests interacting with 'family coach' Dr. Dave Currie and co-host Christie Rayburn. Guests this season have included radio personality Laura Schlessinger; Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages; Henry Cloud, author of Boundaries and Integrity; Bill and Joyce Harley, authors of His Needs, Her Needs; Bill and Pam Farrel, authors of Red Hot Monogamy; Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn, authors of For Men Only and For Women Only; and Emerson Eggerichs, author of Love & Respect.
"There is no other show like Marriage Uncensored on television today," asserts Janice Nikkel, one of the program's producers. "We seek to be entertaining, educational and 'uncensored.' The show isn't about white picket fence issues, but we try and cover the difficult issues - real issues families might face on their journey; and we seek to offer practical support, with specific ways to get through those areas."
The aim of the program, Nikkel says, "is to help build strong marriages. Two-thirds of our shows are about marriage issues, one-third are about parenting. We strive to be culturally relevant for audiences outside the church."
Topics range from talks about sex, parenting, kids, teens and
relationships to dating, infidelity, and even losing a child. Some of
the show titles include: 'Marital Mayhem - Stupid Things Couples Do'; 'Sexual
Addiction - Does Your Husband Have a Secret?'; 'Shell Shocked - Waking up to
the Realities of Marriage'; and 'When Bad Things Happen to Good Marriages'.
"We seek to provide information and tips that will help couples
anticipate and hopefully prevent potential problems," Nikkel continues.
"For those seeking help on a current issue, we offer remedial help to our
viewers. In addition, we offer support on our website through a monthly e-zine.
We also have an online area to ask Dr. Dave any question. For those seeking
additional support, we have also set up an online mentoring relationship with
trained mentors."
Like any relationship, says Nikkel, marriage takes work. "In marriage you bring two people together who have different personalities, backgrounds, complexities and other unique needs. Multiply this with baggage from their family of origin, and you have a recipe for lots of potential problems . . . Failure to deal with problems that do crop up is asking for a major blow-up."
Aimed at the 30-something crowd who are busy juggling the demands of raising kids, careers and trying to keep their marriages together, Marriage Uncensored seeks to be a source of real hope with real answers. The half hour show is designed to be engaging, open and almost raw - thus uncensored - in its discussion of family-related issues.
"We aren't afraid to tackle any issue, be it abortion, broken marriages, pornography, sexual anorexia, affairs," says co-host Currie. "We cover all the difficult ones within a marriage, and how to face them."
Other topics include: raising great kids, having good manners, the
effect of media on families, issues teenagers face, and even great sex in marriage.
When faced with marital struggles, or other crises, some people might not go to marriage counseling or seek help at a church, but they will watch television or go to the Internet for help. Currie says he hopes the show can "improve what goes on in the four walls of your house. We maintain over and over again that you will never regret putting your marriage and family first."
The overall purpose of the program, he states, is to provide worthwhile, biblically
based material for an audience that is outside the church. "Our goal is
to help people achieve healthy families. It is the tip of the spear into the
culture to build a relationship of trust with the people, so we can help them
further in their personal lives and their relationships."
When asked if the show is relevant to those with good marriages, Currie says: "Most relationships have complications. I think . . . a person [who says] a good marriage doesn't have problems is either drunk or dead. A good marriage is one where we can work through problems in a reasonable, fair and short order. If you try to avoid conflict, you end up avoiding the relationship - and thus each other."
He adds: "Every relationship is permeated with some levels of conflict - albeit, some more difficult than others - because of families of origin, personal baggage, et cetera. But the bottom line is: all marriages will go through some stages of conflict at different seasons of the marriage. The failure to anticipate that there will be problems and the failure to deal with them properly when they do come up are some of the biggest [reasons] why marriages have problems.
"People get education on how to drive cars. They even take a course to get a boating license. But they can get a marriage license without taking a course on how to have a great marriage. Our argument is that they need to get help in just building a good marriage."
Asked why successful marriages can be so difficult to achieve, Nikkel responds: "High expectations." She adds: "The more you put into working at your marriage, the higher value you will place on it. There aren't as many good role models today, and Marriage Uncensored wants to be a resource they can use."
Asked how long he sees himself as the director of Family Life Canada, Dr. Currie quickly states: "Until I see a decline in the number of divorces in this country."
April 12/2007
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19. New Book Discredits Lost Tomb Of Jesus - April 6, 2007
The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Book Discredits Documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus"
A new book says The Lost Tomb of Jesus documentary was deceptive to its viewers and illusory to the scholars that worked on the production.
FORT MYERS, Fl., Apr. 6 /Christian Newswire/ - New evidence surrounding The Lost Tomb of Jesus including personal interviews by leading scholars consulted in the film, suggest the 2,000 year old Jerusalem tomb is NOT the Jesus of Nazareth's final resting place. In the new book, The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Scholars Chime In, Don Sausa reviews all of the claims, math, and the 'evidence' of The Lost Tomb of Jesus, to simply answer one question: Is it fact, or fiction?
The documentary that aired on March 4th, 2007 and the companion book, The Jesus Family Tomb, come from science fiction director James Cameron, controversial journalist Simcha Jacobovici, science fiction author Dr. Charles Pellegrino, and textual scholar Dr. James Tabor.
The book's findings suggest that some plausible explanations were
conveniently ignored in the documentary, such as the different types of family
relationships Jesus and Mariamne ("Mary Magdalene") could have had.
For instance, they could have been father and daughter, paternal cousins, half
brother and sister, or grandparent and grandchild.
"Our review of the evidence, DNA findings, statistical analysis, and personal interviews of the experts used in the film clearly show that the claims are largely based on speculation and hype," said Don Sausa.
For additional information on the news that is the subject of this
release (or for a sample review copy), contact Don Ariel at
support@thevisionpress.com
or visit www.JesusTombReview.com.
Book distribution date is April 16, 2007, ISBN 0978834690. Author is available
for interviews.
/About author: Author and speaker, Don Sausa, is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, an organization that promotes biblical scholarship. He has studied biblical history for over 10 years, and is an ordained elder for the Fort Myers Ortiz Church./
20. Population Research Institute Responds To Attack By Left-Wing Members Of European Parliament - April 19, 2007
MEDIA ADVISORY, April 19 /Christian Newswire/ - On March 28, 2007, Ellen Sauerbrey,
Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, received
a letter signed by 19 EU politicians urging her to withdraw from this year's
World Congress on Families, to be held in Warsaw, May 11-13. The politicians
cited the supposedly "extremist and intolerant views held by some participants
and attendees" as reasons why she should stay away, going on to attack
Population Research Institute and its President, Steven W. Mosher, by name.
The EU parliamentarians took issue with PRI and Mosher for speaking openly
of Europe's demographic decline, and wrongly assert that PRI "claims that
Muslims are to blame." They quote, as an example of this so-called "extremism,"
a statement from PRI's website: "These immigrants, particularly Muslim
ones in Europe, are too many and too culturally different from their new countries'
populations to assimilate quickly, and they are contributing to the cultural
suicide of these nations as they commit demographic suicide."
"We stand by our statement that Europe is facing demographic catastrophe,"
says Mosher. "Anyone looking at the falling birthrate in countries from
Ireland to Russia cannot help but conclude that present-day Europeans are committing
a kind of national suicide." The passage quoted by the EU politicians does
not blame Muslims as such for Europe's demographic collapse, Mosher points out.
"Europe's decline is obviously not caused by Muslim immigration,"
Mosher said. "Rather, high rates of Muslim immigration are a consequence
of Europe's decline. The workers have to come from somewhere. And since they
come from a very different culture, they will obviously be harder to assimilate."
Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey's appearance at the Congress will help Europe
face up to the grim realities of demographic decline, Mosher said. "We
welcome the wrong-headed and probably barren politicians who signed this misleading
letter to join us at the conference," he added. "They might learn
something."
The World Congress of Families convenes on May 11- 13, 2007 at the Palace of
Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland. For more information, visit www.worldcongress.org.
The Population Research Institute (PRI) was founded in 1989 by Fr. Paul
Marx, OSB, PhD and is dedicated to: (1) ending human rights abuses committed
in the name of "family planning", (2) opposing outdated social and
economic paradigms premised on the myth of overpopulation, (3) informing the
public about the social and economic benefits of moderate population growth,
and (4) promoting pro- natal and pro-family attitudes and policies worldwide.
Steven Mosher was named President of PRI in 1995 by Fr. Marx and is continuing
his legacy. Autographed copies of Hegemon are available through the Population
Research Institute for $24.95, plus $5 for shipping and handling.
P.O. Box 1559 - Front Royal, VA 22630 - USA TEL: (540) 622-5240 - FAX: (540)
622-2728 - E-MAIL: pri@pop.org - WEB:
www.pop.org
21. President Remarks After Meeting With Parochial Education Leaders And
Parents - April 13, 2007
WASHINGTON, April 13 /Christian Newswire/ - The following text is of remarks
by President Bush after meeting with parochial education leaders and parents:
Roosevelt Room - 1:45 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Spellings and I have just had the privilege of talking
to some of our country's leading educational entrepreneurs. We had the privilege
of talking to parents whose lives have been positively affected by our Catholic
school system. One of the great assets in the United States is the Catholic
schools, which oftentimes educate the so-called hard to educate - and they do
so in such a spectacular way.
The question is how do we make sure that this important asset is sustainable?
How do we make sure that our Catholic schools meet the needs of parents, like
Patricia, meet the expectations of some of our educational leaders, like Ben.
And one way is for the federal government to provide opportunity scholarships
for parents, so that they can redeem that scholarship at a school of their choice.
We've got such a program like that here in Washington, D.C. It's been a very
successful program, and Congress needs to make sure it gets fully funded. If
any congressman doubts the utility of a program, all they've got to do is speak
to Wendy Cunningham, whose daughter takes advantage of this special funding
for people, that enables her to say "My school isn't meeting the needs,
therefore I'd like to make another choice." A parental choice is a very
important part of educational excellence. And one way to make sure that that's
the case is not only to fully fund the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship, but to
provide these kinds of scholarships for school systems outside of Washington.
For example, we just heard from Margaret Dames who has got a marvelous school
program in Bridgeport, Connecticut. And it seems like it makes sense to me for
a parent in Bridgeport to be able to have the same kind of opportunity that
a parent here in Washington, D.C. has. Congress needs to reauthorize the No
Child Left Behind Act, as well. We want all schools to be excellent. We want
every school, public or parochial, to meet expectations and to give our children
the skill sets necessary to realize the great promise of the country.
One thing is for certain, if you're interested in educational excellence, you can look at the Catholic schools in the United States of America, because they provide it - and for that, this country is very grateful.
Thank you all for coming, appreciate your time.
END 1:48 P.M. EDT
22. Stopping The Abortion Juggernaut - April 5, 2007
PRI Weekly Briefing
5 April 2007
Vol. 9, No. 13
Stopping the Abortion Juggernaut - by Carlos Polo
After the partial legalization of abortion in Colombia, the international pro-death movement expected a domino effect throughout Latin America. Monica Roa, the Colombian front man for the Center for Reproductive Rights, hurriedly visited Argentina, Peru, and several other nations to propose legislation similar to that, which passed in Columbia. Giddy from their success in Columbia, the international abortion groups had every expectation of subverting the legal protection of the unborn in country after country.
As usual, they underestimated the Central Americans, Nicaragua in particular. Nicaragua last year abolished the sole exception of "therapeutic abortion," and continues to move away from legalized abortion. Not only that, but its strong defense of Life is serving as the catalyst for renewed opposition throughout Latin America to abortion. The result is that the momentum has shifted, and the supposed domino effect is now occurring in the opposite direction. Just last month the Chilean Congress rejected a "therapeutic abortion" bill in record time.
The abortion lobby seems to expect long-established legal systems to simply collapse before their misinformation campaign. But this isn't happening. Instead, they are increasing being defeated by a popular outcry.
Unlike Spain, where pro-choice health officials lied about women's health issues, the prompt action of the Chilean Congress destroyed any opportunity for a pro-death PR campaign. Compare this with Columbia, where a slick PR campaign fooled the public into accepting cleverly worded pro-choice tenets long enough for pro-death legislation to be passed. But you can't fool all the Latinos all of the time. The fact is, more and more citizens of Latin American countries are aware that they are being lied and manipulated on these issues, and are refusing to compromise. That's why there is a reverse domino effect.
This reverse domino effect may also be affecting Latin American presidential elections, where two anti-American candidates, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia, opposed to abortion and population control have been elected. The election of these Leftist populists has alarmed neighboring countries. There is no other explanation for the abysmal failure of candidates Lopez Obrador in Mexico and Ollanta Humala in Peru. In Peru, the open support Chavez was catastrophic for Humala's cause.
The European Union and other donors are threatening to cut aid to the poor country of Nicaragua if abortion isn't legalized. This shouldn't surprise us, since it is the practice of the Left everywhere to abrogate democracy when it suits them. When that fails, they seek to overturn decisions made by elected legislators through unelected judges by filing a flurry of lawsuits.
The focal point of the current struggle is the Supreme Court of Nicaragua. Radical feminist organizations, in conjunction with IPAS (the principal entity behind the infamous hand-held suction abortion machine), have argued that the law abolishing "therapeutic abortions" is not constitutional. On March 8, pro-abortionists barraged the Nicaraguan judges with a mass media campaign. They held public meetings in the streets and published in two paid ads in La Prensa, the most important newspaper in Managua, the capital city. These meetings and ads featured the tired lie: Abortion must be legalized or women will die. One ad was paid for by the Inter-American Development Bank, a division of the World Bank, by the foreign aid ministries of the UK, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, and by the embassies of Germany, Austria, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, China and Sweden. All this pressure on little Nicaragua because the people there value life.
But if their support of abortion was more insistent this time, it was also much more subtle. Their ad focused less on failed rhetoric about "reproductive rights" than on emphasizing the purported goal of "stopping violence against women." Nicaragua's total ban on abortion, La Prensa declared in another ad, was the real violence being committed against women. The "international" storm troopers also mentioned the CEDAW committee and their support for its recommendations to the state of Nicaragua on violence against women.
Pro-life forces massed at the Supreme Court on March 21. The judges in Nicaragua accepted, as is customary, testimony from the Catholic Church. Dr. Roberto Sanchez, a respected jurist who may himself soon join the Supreme Court, testified that the law that abolished "therapeutic abortion" did not violate any constitutional principle. Rather, he said, it corrected a contradiction between the Constitution and the Civil Code of Nicaragua, the latter of which asserts that unborn babies are persons and enjoy several explicit rights.
In other testimony, Dr. Rafael Cabrera completely debunked the argument of the pro-abortion feminists, that therapeutic abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother. Dr. Cabrera, gynecologist, presented a chart listing all the emergency medical situations that are used to claim that abortions are needed "to save women's lives." He explained each one in turn, clearly and convincingly demonstrating that a doctor with current technology is always able to offer his patients - born and unborn ones - the choice of life.
Dr. Erwin Rodriguez, a famous gynecologist whose students constitute the majority of practicing gynecologists in Nicaragua today, also presented testimony. At the end one of the judges, a well known pro-abortion feminist and unreconstructed Sandinista, asked Dr. Rodriguez about the "hard case" of terminal cancer. "Wasn't an abortion necessary then" she asked him. Dr. Rodriguez showed that it was impossible for a woman to conceive in those circumstances.
All the while, the ordinary people of Nicaragua worry about the threat of international agencies and donor nations to cut off aid unless they sacrifice their little ones. How much does it cost to have sovereignty for a small Latin American country?
23. Television Viewers Treated To Rare Pro-Life Messages In April - April 15, 2007
"House" Features Life-affirming Message
A recent episode of the weekly program /House/ delighted pro-life viewers by casting the unborn child in a special role featuring 4D ultrasound and footage from an in-utero surgery in which the baby in the womb extends his hand and engages with the surgeon. The actual video footage can be seen on YouTube by going to: www.youtube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzZLkNidWZ8.
Pro-lifers will recognize the footage as a re-enactment of Samuel Armas' in-vitro surgery to correct a problem associated with spina bifida. A photographer quickly snapped a photo as Samuel reached out of the womb and is seen grasping the surgeon's hand. This picture has been widely circulated and has touched many hearts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzZLkNidWZ8.
A story by Dave Andrusko written about the episode can be read at: http://www.lifenews.com/nat3026.html.
24. UN Special Rapporteurs Attack Religion - April 12, 2007
Volume 10, Number 17
Dear Colleague,
You may not have heard of a Special Rapporteur before. They are special agents of UN bodies whose job it is to rove the world and report on how governments are enforcing human rights documents. These Special Rapporteurs are about as radical as you can get. We report today on two of them and their efforts to attack religion and promote radical sexual ideas at the Human Rights Council. The Human Rights Council should cancel the mandate of Paul Hunt and Yakin Ertuk.
Spread the word.
Yours sincerely,
Austin Ruse, President
UN Special Rapporteurs Attack Religion, Promote Radical Rights at Human Rights Council - By Samantha Singson
(NEW YORK - C-FAM) At the recently concluded Human Rights Council (HRC) meetings in Geneva, several UN Special Rapporteurs presented annual reports that undercut religion as a defense against radical feminism, promote a radically expansive view of homosexual rights, and have the effect of discrediting national sovereignty.
Special Rapporteur Yakin Erturk who covers Violence Against Women said that in the coming year she would be placing special emphasis on sexual orientation. In this year's report Erturk calls for States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination Against Women to remove any reservation based on religion. Ertuk said any such reservation can only be viewed as "incompatible" with the Convention and contrary to the rights of women.
Erturk also told the Human Rights Council that abstinence-based programs for combating HIV/AIDS "reinforce ideologies of men's control over women's sexuality (however they may be culturally framed) and thereby contribute to the perpetuation of the root cause of many forms of violence against women."
UN Special Rapporteur on Health Paul Hunt asked the HRC to call for the "right to health" a highly controversial and vague term into which is packed much of radical sexual policy. He said there are many ways to promote a right to health including "through the case law of bodies with responsibility for interpreting human rights."
Hunt announced at a meeting during the Commission on the Status of Women in March that the majority of his reports "dealt with the sexual and reproductive health of girls." He said one of the goals of his work as Rapporteur was to teach children about sex without talking about reproduction, asking, "If adults bury sexuality in the term 'reproduction', how will children understand? So I talk about sexual health rights."
UN Special Rapporteur is a title given to individuals working on behalf of the United Nations who bear a specific mandate from the former UN Commission on Human Rights to investigate, monitor and recommend solutions to human rights problems. Special Rapporteurs are called to be "of high moral character" and act with "integrity, independence and impartiality." They have three-year mandates, which are renewable for three years.
The position was a source of controversy at the HRC meeting.
Conservatives at the HRC meetings told the Friday Fax that there was interest
among delegations to terminate the mandates of Rapporteurs who overstep or abuse
their mandates to push personal agendas, and there was interest in doing away
with some of the positions all together. They noted that 9 of the 37 Rapporteurs
authored the "Yogyakarta Principles" which promote homosexual rights
as international human rights, and also noted that three special Rapporteurs,
including Paul Hunt, are members of the pro-abortion NGO Center for Reproductive
Rights' (CRR) Expert Litigation Committee.
The Human Rights Council deadline for determining whether to continue mandates for special Rapporteurs is June 18th. Copyright 2007 - C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute).
Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.
25. U.S. Supreme Court Upholds "Partial Birth" Abortions Ban - April 18, 2007
U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling upholds a law banning what some call "partial birth" abortions.
Watch the latest video now on CNN.com. Access at http://CNN.com. CNN - The most trusted name in news.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aPpyqGiTGYTo&refer=home
`Partial Birth' Abortion Ban Upheld by Top U.S. Court (Update1) - By Greg Stohr
April 18 (Bloomberg) - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a nationwide ban on ``partial birth'' abortion, marking a shift on the high-profile issue and underscoring the impact of President George W. Bush's two high court appointments.
The justices, voting 5-4, refused to invalidate the 2003 law even though it lacks an exception for cases posing a risk to the mother's health. The court also rejected claims that the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act is so vaguely worded it would force doctors to forgo a commonly used, constitutionally protected abortion technique for fear of prosecution.
The decision heralds a more receptive approach toward abortion restrictions from a court that in 2000 overturned a similar Nebraska law. Bush's appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, helped turn the tide in today's case, joining Justices Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
The court stopped short of overruling the 2000 case, Stenberg v. Carhart, saying the federal statute was narrower in key respects than the Nebraska law. The majority also left open the possibility that doctors could ask a judge for permission to use the disputed procedure for particular medical conditions that pose a health risk to the mother.
The law, which has never taken effect, is the first federal abortion restriction since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision established the constitutional right to end a pregnancy. The case didn't challenge the validity of Roe.
The measure outlaws procedures in which a fetus is partially removed from the mother before being killed. Although the law is aimed primarily at a procedure known as intact dilation and extraction, or intact D&E, critics faulted the statute for not tracking the medical definition of that technique.
Intact D&E is a relatively rare technique used by some doctors in the second trimester of pregnancy. The vast majority of U.S. abortions are performed during the first trimester.
In signing the measure into law in 2003, Bush said that ``a terrible form of violence has been directed against children who are inches from birth.'' Doctors who violated the law face as much as two years in prison.
Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, John Paul Stevens and David Souter dissented.
The cases are Gonzales v. Carhart, 05-380, and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood, 05-1382.
26. Vaccine Update From Life Canada - April 15, 2007
We invite you to forward this E-Newsflash to anyone who might be interested in these news items
/Vaccine Update/
British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer has informed one of our members that the infant vaccine Pediacel, the ethical alternative to Pentacel, will be available in Canada after all by mid to late 2007. In a letter dated March 27, 2007, Dr. Kendall says that "all Canadian provinces and territories including BC will be using Pediacel in the routine immunization program". This is good news for parents who were concerned that immunizing their children with the abortion-tainted vaccine Pentacel was a form of cooperation with the immoral act of abortion. Now parents can, in good conscience, protect their infants against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus Influenzae B.
LifeCanada wishes to thank everyone who responded by writing to their provincial health ministers and health officers. You deserve some of the credit for this decision.
27. Wal-Mart USA Promises To Stock Abortion Pill Plan-B In All Stores, No Exceptions - April 10, 2007
Planned Parenthood claims victory after legal intimidation through army of lawyers and key political allies in state governments - By Peter J. Smith
NEW YORK, April 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Planned Parenthood is claiming another victory today in its decade-long war with Wal-Mart saying the retail giant will revise its policy over emergency contraception and mandate that its pharmacists distribute Plan-B "without delay," and "without judgment."
Planned Parenthood Federation of America claims to have received today a survey from Wal-Mart that guarantees customers "will now receive their prescriptions or over-the-counter products in store without discrimination (no harassment or lectures)."
Wal-Mart had announced previously in March 2006 that its pharmacies would stock the emergency contraceptive Plan-B, but back then allowed its pharmacists the right to conscientious objection and to refer customers to other pharmacies that would fill prescriptions for Plan-B.
The new policy revision means pharmacists will all be forced to provide emergency contraception (EC), whose high hormone doses act as an abortifacient by making the womb inhospitable to an embryo before implantation.
"This is a huge victory for women's health and for Planned Parenthood's campaign for accessible birth control," PPFA President Cecile Richards said in a press statement. "We're pleased that Wal-Mart has changed its policy to meet the real-life health care needs of women and families.
"With its new and improved policy, Wal-Mart joins other women-friendly pharmacy chains like CVS, Eckerd and Medicine Shoppe, RiteAid and Walgreens. Our Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol will continue to focus on getting more major retailers to follow in Wal-Mart's footsteps - including Target, Giant, Safeway and Winn Dixie, which have a long way to go."
However, Wal-Mart's policy changes are due more to the bludgeoning power of Planned Parenthood's legal hit squads more than its grassroots "Pill Patrol" and "Fill My Pills Now" volunteers, who survey pharmacies about availability of EC and refusal policies.
Since 1997 Planned Parenthood has waged a vicious struggle to force Wal-Mart to provide abortifacient emergency contraception, threatening to boycott Wal-Mart for refusing to distribute Preven, the EC then in vogue. While Planned Parenthood has never managed to get significant grassroots support for a boycott, it has resorted instead to legal intimidation through an army of lawyers and key political allies in state governments.
In February 2006, the Massachusetts Pharmacy Board - at behest of 3 women, Dr. Rebekah Gee, nurse and midwife Julia Battel, and Katrina McCarty - ordered Wal-Mart to carry emergency contraception Plan-B in its pharmacies thr
