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Catholic
Bishops Ask Parliament to Defeat Euthanasia Bill! By-Election Cumberland, Colchester Riding, Nova Scotia Wilberforce Conference, Ottawa,
Nov 13, 14th, Alex Schadenbery, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Center speaks about "End of Life Issues" and Bill C384 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Hall, Saturday, November 28th, at 2 PM |
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News Ticker provided by
LifeSiteNews.Com
- 40 Days For Life Wraps Up In Seven Cities November 13, 2009
- Canadian Nurse For Life - Increasing The Network! November 15, 2009
- Catholic Social Services Will Go If D.C. Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage November 12, 2009
- Chinese Women With Abortions Have Increased Breast Cancer Risk November 11, 2009
- Europe Needs Children, Institute Affirms November 12, 2009
- Euthanasia Physician Suicide Update November 13, 2009
- Here Is A Way To hold Pro-Abortion Catholics Politicians Accountable November 12, 2009
- Korean Doctors Opposed To Abortion Start Group November 13, 2009
- LifeIssues.Net Newsletter #448 November 8, 2009
- LifeIssues.Net Newsletter #449 November 15, 2009
- Lithuania Rejects EU Meddling November 12, 2009
- Maine Churches Threatened Over Marriage Support - November 12, 2009
- Massive School Closures In Ontario Imminent Due To Low Birth Rate November 12, 2009
- Physician-Assisted Suicide Up For Debate And Other News From United Family Canada November 13, 2009
- PRI Weekly Briefing; Whats Next For Pro-Life Movement In Health Care Reform November 11, 2009
- Report From Ottawa - November 15, 2009
- The Interim November 13, 2009
- Very Important View On Geriatric Care November 12, 2009
News Archives.htm from 2003 to the present.
1. 40 Days For Life Wraps Up In Seven Cities November 13, 2009As 40 Days for Life campaigns across Canada drew to a close November 1, representatives in Winnipeg reported that as many as 15 babies' lives may have been saved.
It has been reported that a baby has been saved by the 40Days for Life vigil in Halifax.
2. Canadian Nurse For Life - Increasing The Network! November 15, 2009
Please forward to your friends especially those in the nursing profession, or those aspiring to become nurses. We need you, we need your voice; we need your care. – HHW
Hello everyone,
It’s been exciting and encouraging to see the growth in membership to Canadian Nurses for Life in just one month! Since the launch of our website and by making our presence known at the National Pro-life Conference in Saskatoon, more and more nurses are joining our network. We hope that Canadian Nurses for Life will continue to grow as we work together to defend our first human right: the right to life.
We thank all those who have participated in writing letters and signing petitions to Members of Parliament urging them to vote against Bill C-384 and to put an end to the implementation of euthanasia. Our voices must continue to be heard! If you have not yet sent a letter to your MP, there is still time. Please visit for sample letters and to remain informed about this issue. You will also find attached the latest update on Bill C-384 by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.We also encourage you to share your testimony and stories (click here). This is one way we can learn from and support one another in our efforts to defend life more effectively in our workplace. With this, we hope to begin a blog where Canadian nurses can dialogue about their struggles and victories relating to the life issues.
Diane Gagne, a registered nurse who works in triage, shared her story with us of when she declared her pro-life views in her workplace for the first time. Diane not only led by words but also by action. She was inspirational when she refused to take part in referring pregnant women to abortion upon the request of a doctor.
Diane shared: “…It was the first time that I declared that I was Pro-Life and it felt great! I was also very surprised to discover that there were many other health care professionals who were also Pro-Life. It is not something that we talk about within our work environment. I became a Nurse to care for all in a loving and compassionate manner. It was important for me to be able to identify my beliefs and work within that framework.”
Together we will renew the core values of our profession! Please remember:
- Continue to spread the word about our network and encourage others to register through our website: Register Here!
- For students: if you are interested in attending the Pro-life Medical Student’s Forum (November 20th-22nd) in Calgary, please contact us by November 11th!
For Life,
Theresa Zettel, and Renee Schmitz
Co-directors
info@canadiannursesforlife.caSee also: Report From Ottawa
3. Catholic Social Services Will Go If D.C. Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage November 12, 2009
From KofC Headline Bistro
Catholic Social Services Will Go if D.C. Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
A Washington, D.C., City Council committee voted Tuesday to move a same-sex marriage bill on to the full council, but shot down language that would have protected faith-based private businesses or nonprofits. The bill has some exemptions for churches.
Susan Gibbs, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., said Catholic Charities of Washington will likely be the first victim of the policy.
"To contract with the city, to provide official services with the city," she said, "we would have to certify that we promote and recognize same-sex marriage, and we can't do that."
Catholic Charities offers services to about 68,000 residents of the capital, including food, shelter, health care and legal assistance.
Eric Hall, religious liberty attorney for Rothgerber, Johnson and Lyons, said three years ago, Catholic Charities of Boston had to give up its adoption services after battling Massachusetts over same-sex marriage.
"I do have a concern" Hall said, "that more and more religious charities will stop providing these services that have been part of the American fabric since our founding."
Gibbs said Catholic Charities will continue to provide essential services with its own money, but will not bow to pressure to endorse gay marriage. She expects that will prompt a lawsuit."With this bill, the council is telling faith groups, 'You can practice your faith at church services and in your religion classes, but when you walk out the door you've got to stop'," she said. — Steve Jordahl
4. Chinese Women With Abortions Have Increased Breast Cancer Risk November 11, 2009
Study: Chinese Women With Abortions Have Statistically Significant 17% Increased Breast Cancer Risk / Scientist Argues Researchers Underestimated Risk
Dear Friends:
Don't expect breast cancer unawareness groups to tell women about the latest abortion-breast cancer studies published this year showing that Chinese and Turkish women who have abortions have a statistically significant increased breast cancer risk. Abortion industry feminists are among the leaders of the cancer fundraising industry. Radical feminists had never shown an interest in breast cancer before the 1980s. Perhaps not coincidentally, that's when conclusive evidence emerged that abortion and the pill raise breast cancer risk.
See our press release discussing the latest Chinese study (below).
Sincerely,
Karen Malec
Coalition on Abortion/Breast CancerPress Release
Contact: Karen Malec, 847-421-4000
Date: November 12, 2009Study: Chinese Women With Abortions Have Statistically Significant 17% Increased Breast Cancer Risk – Scientist Argues Researchers Underestimated Risk
Chinese researchers Peng Xing and his colleagues conducted a case-control study in Northeast China examining reproductive factors associated with subtypes of breast cancer. They found a statistically significant overall odds ratio of 1.17 (17% increased breast cancer risk for all subtypes combined) among women with induced abortions. [1]
Earlier this year, a Turkish study reported a statistically significant 66% increased risk for women with abortions. [2] Both studies show that, when honest research is conducted outside the control of the U.S. National Cancer Institute and other Western governmental agencies or organizations tethered to abortion ideology and politics, the truth emerges that abortion raises risk. Studies reporting no abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link were proven in medical journals to be stupendously flawed (fraudulent). [3-13]
"The Chinese and the Turkish studies are relevant considering the debate over government-funded abortion through healthcare reform," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer. "Government-funded abortion means more dead American women from breast cancer."
American researchers say Chinese studies on the ABC link exclude the possibility of a flaw called "report bias" because abortion isn't stigmatized in China. [14] Communist officials forcibly abort women after first full term pregnancy (FFTP), so Chinese women are considered reliable reporters of their abortions.
Professor Joel Brind (Baruch College, City University of New York) maintains that Chinese studies underestimate the risk of abortion because of its high prevalence in China. Commentary
Xing et al. found an increase in risk associated with having more children (multi-parity) among women who delayed FFTP and never breastfed. Commentary
Regarding breast cancer subtypes, the numbers of women within the subgroups are so small that no conclusions can be reached.
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:
1. Xing P, Li J, Jin F. A case-control study of reproductive factors associated with subtypes of breast cancer in Northeast China.” Humana Press, e-publication online September 2009. Available Here
2. Ozmen V, Ozcinar B, Karanlik H, Cabioglu N, Tukenmez M, et al. Breast cancer risk factors in Turkish women – a University Hospital based nested case control study. World J of Surg Oncol 2009;7:37.
3. Lanfranchi A. The abortion-breast cancer link revisited. Ethics and Medics (November 2004) Vol. 29, No. 11, p. 1-4. Available Here
4. Furton E. Editorial. The corruption of science by ideology. Ethics and Medics (Dec. 2004) Vol. 29, No. 11, p. 1-2. Available Here
5. Schlafly A. Legal implications of a link between abortion and breast cancer. J Am Phys Surgeons2005;10:11-14. Available Here
6. Lanfranchi A. The science, studies and sociology of the abortion-breast cancer link. Research Bulletin 2005;18:1-8. Available Here
7. Lanfranchi A. The breast physiology and the epidemiology of the abortion breast cancer link. Imago Hominis 2005;12(3): 228-236. Available Here
8. Brind J. Induced Abortion and Breast Cancer Risk: A Critical Analysis of the Report of the Harvard Nurses Study II. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (Summer 2007) Vol. 12, No. 2, p. 38-39. Available Here
9. Lanfranchi, A. The federal government and academic texts as barriers to informed consent. J Am Phys Surg (Spring 2008). Available Here
10. Brind J. Breast cancer in relation to abortion: results from the EPIC study. Int J Cancer. 2008 Feb 15;122(4):960-1.
11. Brind J. California Teachers Study report on incomplete pregnancy is flawed. Contraception 2009;Mar;79(3):240.
12. Brind J. The abortion-breast cancer connection. National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly Summer 2005; p. 303-329. Available Here
13. Brind J. Induced abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer: A critical review of recent studies based on prospective data. J Am Phys Surg Vol. 10, No. 4 (Winter 2005) 105-110. Available Here
14. Sanderson M, Shu X-O, Jin F, Dai Q, Wen W, Hua Y, Gao Y-T, Zheng W. Abortion history and breast cancer risk: results from the Shanghai breast cancer study. Int J Cancer 2001;92:899-905.
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.
Click here to make tax-deductible, credit card donations. Donations can be mailed to:
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
P.O. Box 957133
Hoffman Estates, IL 60195The IRS recognizes the Coalition as a 501(c)3 organization.
For Further Information:
5. Europe Needs Children, Institute Affirms November 12, 2009
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Prevention Institute
Polycarp Research Institute
This newsletter can be viewed online by clicking here.
Click here to view past new articles.Zenit.org: http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-27535#>ZE09111212
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-27535?l=englishEurope Needs Children, Institute Affirms
Warns of Dark Future Due to Low BirthratesBRUSSELS, Belgium, NOV. 12, 2009 (Zenit.org). – Europe is immersed in an unprecedented demographic winter, with a bleak outlook and a catastrophic future, according to the Institute for Family Policies, which presented a report to the European Parliament on Wednesday.
According to the report, "the aging population, critical birthrate, escalating abortions, the collapse of marriage, the explosion in family breakups and the emptying of homes are the main problems of Europeans."
"Europe is at an historic crossroads: It either makes a real and integral pledge for the family, maternity and childhood, or maintains the insufficient aid that has caused the present bleak outlook with catastrophic prospects in the near future," said Eduardo Hertfelder, president of the institute, during the presentation.
The data shows how the indicators of population, birthrate, marriages, family and home breakups have worsened over the last 28 years.
People who are older than 65 already outnumber by more than 6.5 million children under age 14, and every year fewer children are born.
Moreover, according to the IFP, there is "a collapse of marriages, with increasingly fewer marriages and more broken ones – one million divorces a year – and with homes being emptied; two out of every three European homes have no children."
Obvious consequences
The president of the IFP affirmed that this "is causing evident effects, both in the economic as well as the social dimension."
He explained: "In the economic dimension, there is an increase in public spending because of the aging population, with an increase in investments dedicated to pensions and health expenses. Expenses that, added to the effects caused by the fall in public earnings due to the deficit of the birthrate can end by causing the reduction/elimination of social loans and, in the end, the bankruptcy of the welfare state."
In regard to the social effects, Hertfelder observed that "a de-structured society is emerging with great intensity because of family breakups, with increasingly solitary homes, with growing individualism and a loss of values and references that make social cohesion possible."If the tendency is not halted, by 2050 the European population will have lost 27.3 million people, one out of every three persons will be older than 65 and only one out of every eight persons will be younger than 15, while the average age will be 46.7.
In regard to abortion, the IFP spoke of an "explosion" – 28 million abortions in the EU since 1990, making it the first cause of mortality in Europe.However today, the presenters added, "Europe increasingly allocates less money to the family: Aid destined to families not only has fallen by up to 2.1% of the GNP over the last 10 years, but in addition it has diminished its weight in relation to social expenses, scarcely reaching one euro per person."
A "growing awareness" is necessary, Hertfelder affirmed, and "both the [European] Commission as well as the [European] Parliament promoting support for the family, maternity, and the conciliation of labor and family life as the answer to the demographic winter."
On the Net: More information on the Institute for Family Policies and the full
report (in Spanish): http://www.ipfe.org/.6. Euthanasia Physician Suicide Update November 13, 2009
Great News
We appear to have won in New Hampshire. A committee of the New Hampshire legislature rejected the bill to legalize assisted suicide by a 14 to 3 vote. This is a significant victory. Our people informed and persuaded politicians in the Democrat controlled legislature to reject assisted suicide. This does not mean that the bill is completely dead, the legislature might reject the recommendation of the committee and approve the bill, but considering the lopsided vote at the committee level, it is unlikely that the bill in New Hampshire will be approved.
Margaret Dore from Washington State and the team (which includes the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition) was instrumental in the success in New Hampshire. Thank you Margaret and others.
The next victory will be in Canada.
Bill C-384, the bill that would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada is scheduled to receive its second hour of debate on Tuesday, December 1 at 5:30 pm with the vote on December 2.
You still have time to send a hand-written letter to members of parliament opposing Bill C-384. For information and sample letters see…
Steve Passmore, a disability rights advocate who was born with cerebral palsy, will once again protest Bill C-384 on the date of its debate – December 1 from 4 - 5:30 pm. People with disabilities and all people of good-will should join him in person or spirit.
We are once again selling Classic Art Christmas as a fund-raiser for our work. The cost for the cards is $7.95 per package or 3 packages for $20 + shipping. Order Classic Art Christmas cards here…We are also selling dark and regular roast premium coffee in 1 pound bags. The cost for the coffee is $7.95 per bag or 3 bags for $20 + shipping. Contact us at: 1-877-439-3348.
We are co-hosting the Wilberforce Weekend – this weekend. This will be an excellent leadership development event.Donations or membership ($25) in the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition can be made by contacting the office at: 1-877-439-3348 or through PayPal. We need more support to finance our effort.
Alex Schadenberg
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
1-877-439-3348
euthanasiaprevention@on.aibn.com7. Here Is A Way To hold Pro-Abortion Catholics Politicians Accountable November 12, 2009
Without A Doubt
Dear Congressman Kennedy
By Bishop Thomas J. TobinDear Congressman Kennedy:
“The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” (Congressman Patrick Kennedy)
Since our recent correspondence has been rather public, I hope you don’t mind if I share a few reflections about your practice of the faith in this public forum. I usually wouldn’t do that – that is speak about someone’s faith in a public setting – but in our well-documented exchange of letters about health care and abortion, it has emerged as an issue. I also share these words publicly with the thought that they might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.
For the moment I’d like to set aside the discussion of health care reform, as important and relevant as it is, and focus on one statement contained in your letter of October 29, 2009, in which you write, “The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” That sentence certainly caught my attention and deserves a public response, lest it go unchallenged and lead others to believe it’s true. And it raises an important question: What does it mean to be a Catholic?“The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” Well, in fact, Congressman, in a way it does. Although I wouldn’t choose those particular words, when someone rejects the teachings of the Church, especially on a grave matter, a life-and-death issue like abortion, it certainly does diminish their ecclesial communion, their unity with the Church. This principle is based on the Sacred Scripture and Tradition of the Church and is made more explicit in recent documents.
For example, the “Code of Canon Law” says, “Lay persons are bound by an obligation and possess the right to acquire a knowledge of Christian doctrine adapted to their capacity and condition so that they can live in accord with that doctrine.” (Canon 229, #1)
The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” says this: “Mindful of Christ’s words to his apostles, ‘He who hears you, hears me,’ the faithful receive with docility the teaching and directives that their pastors give them in different forms.” (#87)
Or consider this statement of the Church: “It would be a mistake to confuse the proper autonomy exercised by Catholics in political life with the claim of a principle that prescinds from the moral and social teaching of the Church.” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2002)
There’s lots of canonical and theological verbiage there, Congressman, but what it means is that if you don’t accept the teachings of the Church your communion with the Church is flawed, or in your own words, makes you “less of a Catholic.”
But let’s get down to a more practical question; let’s approach it this way: What does it mean, really, to be a Catholic? After all, being a Catholic has to mean something, right?
Well, in simple terms – and here I refer only to those more visible, structural elements of Church membership – being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals; that you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish; that you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly; that you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially.
Congressman, I’m not sure whether or not you fulfill the basic requirements of being a Catholic, so let me ask: Do you accept the teachings of the Church on essential matters of faith and morals, including our stance on abortion? Do you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish? Do you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly? Do you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially?
In your letter you say that you “embrace your faith.” Terrific. But if you don’t fulfill the basic requirements of membership, what is it exactly that makes you a Catholic? Your baptism as an infant? Your family ties? Your cultural heritage?
Your letter also says that your faith “acknowledges the existence of an imperfect humanity.” Absolutely true. But in confronting your rejection of the Church’s teaching, we’re not dealing just with “an imperfect humanity” – as we do when we wrestle with sins such as anger, pride, greed, impurity or dishonesty. We all struggle with those things, and often fail.
Your rejection of the Church’s teaching on abortion falls into a different category – it’s a deliberate and obstinate act of the will; a conscious decision that you’ve re-affirmed on many occasions. Sorry, you can’t chalk it up to an “imperfect humanity.” Your position is unacceptable to the Church and scandalous to many of our members. It absolutely diminishes your communion with the Church.
Congressman Kennedy, I write these words not to embarrass you or to judge the state of your conscience or soul. That’s ultimately between you and God. But your description of your relationship with the Church is now a matter of public record, and it needs to be challenged. I invite you, as your bishop and brother in Christ, to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion and repentance. It’s not too late for you to repair your relationship with the Church, redeem your public image, and emerge as an authentic “profile in courage,” especially by defending the sanctity of human life for all people, including unborn children. And if I can ever be of assistance as you travel the road of faith, I would be honored and happy to do so.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas J. Tobin,
Bishop of Providence8. Korean Doctors Opposed To Abortion Start Group November 13, 2009
Korean doctors opposed to abortion start group
Western Confucian
Gynob
That's thename of the "Korean group of dozens of obstetricians in their 30s and 40s [who have] launched a movement against abortion" — Group wants abortion laws enforced. "Abortion is prohibited in Korea except for exceptional cases," the article reminds us. "But the prohibition has hardly made a dent in the number of terminated pregnancies."
The group’s spokeswoman, Choi Anna, pictured on the left, "she intends to promote an anti-abortion movement until the practice is entirely wiped out of the country despite threats to her life by other private obstetricians who say her activities are bad for business."
She "confesses to once having profited from abortions at her hospital" and says, "Doctors performing abortions say they are ashamed to tell their families what they do."
"When I opened my hospital seven years ago, I wanted to treat patients suffering from sterility, my expertise, but a major portion of my patients were those wanting abortions." she says. "I washed my hands countless times after abortion surgeries. In Korea, abortion is the easiest choice for pregnant women, regardless of their wealth, religion or educational background. But post-abortion trauma is gigantic.""We are thinking of implicating ourselves [for past abortions] since abortion has a five-year statute of limitation," said Dr. Choi. "My fellow doctor Shim Sang-deok says our movement may bear fruit after he is imprisoned."
9. LifeIssues.Net Newsletter #448 November 8, 2009
Greetings from LifeIssues.net
Dear Friends for Life,
Important Study – Breast Cancer Risk: A statistically significant new study at the Istanbul Medical Facility and Magee-Women's Hospital reports a 66% increase in breast cancer risk among women who had any abortions. (Reference: Ozmen et al. Breast cancer risk in Turkish Women, World Journal of Surgical Oncology 2009 7:37.)
Amnesty International runs wild again with immature and false statements, the latest being "abortion is a human right". Not only has this previously honorable organization flipped and become pro-abortion, now it has been publicly criticizing Poland for denying women "access to abortion." It demands that abortion be recognized as a "human right."Important Statistics – Abortion leads to more maternal deaths. Let's look at the hard reality. Contrary to conventional wisdom, recent developments have shown that countries with legal abortion have higher maternal death rates, e.g. the African nation of Mauritius, with one of the continent's most protective laws for the unborn, also has the lowest maternal mortality rate. In contrast, Ethiopia, which recently legalized abortion, has a maternal death rate 48 times higher than Mauritius.
In South America, the lowest mortality is in Chile, which protects unborn life in its constitution. The highest is Guyana with a rate 30 times higher than Chile. Guyana has had abortion on demand for a decade and a half. Nicaragua has been the target of massive international lobbying, including cuts in funding, e.g. from Sweden and others. Nicaragua statistics show a decline in maternal death rates since the law was tightened up in 2006. Another example is Asia. Nepal, with no restrictions on abortion, has the highest maternal mortality. Sri Lanka, which is very protective of the unborn, has a maternal mortality rate fourteen times lower than Nepal.
God Bless, Jerry Novotny, OMI
(Quote) If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. – G.K. Chesterton
LifeIssues.Net Newsletter #448 – November 8, 2009
Table Of Contents:
1. Pro-Life Group Calls For Boycott Of Cosmetics Company Using Aborted Fetal Cells
2. Over-40 Mothers In UK Spark Rise In Aborting Of Down Syndrome Babies
3. Pope Says Access To Food Is Part Of Right To Life
4. Hippocrates And Christian Medicine
5. Birth Control Pill At 40
6. Abortion Practitioner Admits "Yes I Am" Killing Unborn Children During Abortions
7. Aborted Fetal Material Used In Anti-Wrinkle Cream
8. UK Assisted Suicide: Public Prosecutor Declares Some Lives More Worth Protecting Than Other Lives
9. Numbers Show Cohabiting Hurts
10. When Pregnancy Goes Awry: Ectopic Pregnancies
11. Violence Against Christians Is Spiking, Especially In Pakistan.
12. Chinese Babies Stolen By Officials For Foreign AdoptionFocus On America: "Obama Officially Endorses Abortion-Funding Health Care Bill" – With a new statement released today from the White House, President Barack Obama finally officially put his imprimatur on the House health care bill that contains massive abortion funding. Obama has previously been criticized for saying he wanted no abortion funding but lobbying for the bill. Now, with the new statement from his administration, Obama is officially on record supporting the bill, HR 3962, and its abortion funding components.
Item #1. Pro-Life Group Calls For Boycott Of Cosmetics Company Using Aborted Fetal Cells
The organization Children of God for Life released a statement on Tuesday blasting the pharmaceutical company Neocutis for using cells harvested from an aborted fetus in the development of anti-aging creams. The pro-life group is calling for a boycott of the company's products. Debi Vinnedge, the executive director of Children of God for Life, lambasted the company for their disregard for life, saying, "It is absolutely deplorable that Neocutis would resort to exploiting the remains of a deliberately slaughtered baby for nothing other than pure vanity and financial gain. There is simply no moral justification for this."View full article at EWTN
Item #2. Over-40 Mothers In UK Spark Rise In Aborting Of Down Syndrome Babies
Rising numbers of women choosing to have children later in life have brought a sharp increase in Down Syndrome pregnancies, new UK research has revealed. The number of Down babies conceived in the UK has soared by 71 per cent in the last 20 years, recent figures show, as more women delay starting a family. But prenatal screening means doctors are detecting more of the affected babies earlier, and are aborting most of them. This is why the number of babies born with Down Syndrome in Britain has stayed fairly constant at around 750 a year, though it's fluctuated from year to year by around 20 per cent.The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, highlight the risks that older mothers run. The proportion of mothers over 35 doubled between 1989 and 2006, from 6 per cent to 15 per cent, and the number of those over 40 is rising even faster.
View full article at Family and Life
Item #3. Pope Says Access To Food Is Part Of Right To Life
"To guarantee persons and nations the possibility of overcoming the plague of hunger means to ensure their concrete access to healthy and adequate nourishment," the Vicar of Christ affirmed. "It is, in fact, a concrete manifestation of the right to life, which, though solemnly proclaimed, often continues to be far from full realization".
View full article at Family and LifeItem #4. Hippocrates And Christian Medicine
Comment: When we question what is happening today, it is helpful to remember what just a decade or two ago was considered sacred in medicine: the physicians' pledge to "do no harm" and to never administer any lethal medication. Compassion was relieving suffering, being with the patient through it, but not relieving suffering by relieving the patient of their life! Now we are told by imposters calling themselves "bioethicists" that it is "ethical" to kill the patient in order to relieve suffering, even if the patient did not request it! The lie inherent in the pretense of "caring" by those who impose death is transparent to all who remember what caring really is. – Ron PanzerView full article at nbccenter.org
Item #5. Birth Control Pill At 40
A few days ago, our country marked a pivotal milestone in the history of the American family. Forty years ago, on September 4, 1969, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared the new birth control pill to be "safe" for use by women to regulate births. Forty years later, the true safety of oral contraception is still in question, mostly because the issue of birth control remains mired in politics and in the control of special interest groups who have an enormous financial and ideological interest in making sure the pill is deemed safe for use.View full article at NYT
Item #6. Abortion Practitioner Admits "Yes I Am" Killing Unborn Children During Abortions
The late-term abortion practitioner at the new abortion center in Dallas has admitted in a shocking interview that he kills unborn children during abortions. Curtis Boyd is one of the few abortion practitioners to admit what he is doing, but he has no qualms with his job.See the full article at LifeNews.com
Item #7. Aborted Fetal Material Used In Anti-Wrinkle Cream
"It is absolutely deplorable that Neocutis would resort to exploiting the remains of a deliberately slaughtered baby for nothing other than pure vanity and financial gain, stated Executive Director Debi Vinnedge.”There is simply no moral justification for this."Article is located at LifeIssues.net
Item #8. UK Assisted Suicide: Public Prosecutor Declares Some Lives More Worth Protecting Than Other Lives
In other words, if a despairing mother had help with suicide because her 18-year-old was run over by a bus, the policy states that punishing the crime would be in the public interest. But if the mother-or the young man's best friend for that matter-assists his suicide because he has quadriplegia caused by the bus accident-it may not be in the public interest to prosecute that assisted suicide. Thus, this official document creates an explicitly invidiously discriminatory public policy that holds the lives of people who are healthy and able bodied as having greater value-and hence, are more worthy of protecting-than the lives of people with serious disabilities or the dying. That's an astonishing abandonment of the most weak and vulnerable in society.Article can be found at First Things
Item #9. Numbers Show Cohabiting Hurts
Cohabiters also are more likely than married couples to enter and leave relationships, regardless of the presence of children. Thus, unwed childbearing and single parenting become more common. A massive 2006 British study, for instance, found that nearly half of cohabiting parent couples had split up by their child's fifth birthday; in Norway, children of cohabiters were found to be more than twice as likely to face parental breakup compared with children of married couples.View entire text at The Washington Times
Item #10. When Pregnancy Goes Awry: Ectopic Pregnancies
Human pregnancy begins whenever a sperm unites with an egg inside the fallopian tube. The newly-minted embryo must then travel along the fallopian tube during the next few days before finally implanting into the wall of the mother's uterus.In rare instances, the embryo will fail to reach the uterus, and will instead implant in the fallopian tube along the way, which is a very narrow tube not designed to support a pregnancy. Such "tubal pregnancies" are highly risky, because the wall of the tube can stretch only a limited amount before it will rupture from the increasing pressure of the growing fetus, possibly resulting in the death of both mother and child.
Whenever an embryo implants in the wrong place, whether in the fallopian tube or in another place like the abdomen, such a pregnancy is called "ectopic" (meaning "out of place"). Ninety-seven percent of all ectopic pregnancies occur within the fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancy is one of the leading causes of maternal sickness and death in the United States, and presents a formidable challenge to the physician who is trying to help both mother and child.View entire text at The Pilot
Item #11. Violence Against Christians Is Spiking, Especially In Pakistan.
Christians in Pakistan are feeling increasingly insecure after several violent attacks by Muslim extremists in the past two months. In one case, eight Christians were burned to death by a Muslim mob after reports that the Muslim holy book, the Koran, had been desecrated. Growing Talibanization of the country and a blasphemy law in place for two decades make non-Muslims, especially Christians, easy targets for discrimination and attacks, Christian and human rights activists say.View entire text at The Washington Times
Item #12. Chinese Babies Stolen By Officials For Foreign Adoption
The man from family planning liked to prowl around the mountaintop village, looking for diapers on clotheslines and listening for the cry of a hungry newborn. One day in the spring of 2004, he presented himself at Yang Shuiying's doorstep and commanded: "Bring out the baby." Yang wept and argued, but, alone with her 4-month-old daughter, she was in no position to resist the man every parent in Tianxi feared."I'm going to sell the baby for foreign adoption. I can get a lot of money for her," he told the sobbing mother as he drove her with the baby to an orphanage in Zhenyuan, a nearby city in the southern province of Guizhou. In return, he promised that the family wouldn't have to pay fines for violating China's one-child policy. Then he warned her: "Don't tell anyone about it."
View entire text at Los Angeles Times
You Can Change Society:
1. Be Informed: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Visit Lifeissues.net Website for insights into current Life Issues. All prior email Newsletters Archives are located online.
2. Pray Daily: for the courage to be God's presence in society and to strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.
3. Become Involved: Several years ago Fr. Jerry created a project entitled, "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia". It is a project which appeals for donations to help finance plane travel for lectures and seminars to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is placed on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Universities, Parishes, Hospitals and Family/Pro Life related groups. The lectures place emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Life Issues Trends and Challenges". In October, Fr. Jerry will be in Pakistan for 2 weeks. November in Malaysia.For information about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group in Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp.
To become a supportive Missionary participant for this Asian project, kindly send your donations 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).
Get a weekly dose of clear thinking: subscribe to our free Lifeissues newsletter! Sign up on main page of www.LifeIssues.net. Pass this free service to your friends and various groups.
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 (or) jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp.
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.Back to Top
10. LifeIssues.Net Newsletter #449 November 15, 2009Greetings from LifeIssues.net
Dear Friends for Life,
(Human Experiment) Embryonic Stem Cells may eventually kill a young boy. In Israel, a nine-year-old boy was treated with fetal embryonic stem cells in 2001, 2002, and 2004. These were injected into his brain and the fluid that surrounded it. The hope was to cure his neuro muscular disease, Ataxia Telangiectasia. Tragically, four years later, multiple tumor growths were found in his brain and spinal cord due to this injected tissue. Prognosis is not good. Writing in U.S. News and World Report, its editor, the well-known Dr. Bernadine Healy, denounced the experiment. She called the use of embryonic stem cells "obsolete because of their proven dangers" and pointed to the major "wins" of adult and cord blood stem cell research.
(Reality) Adult Stem Cells cure disease, not Embryonic. Adult stem cells, not embryonic stem cells, work best. New research published in the Medical journal, Nature, reports on experiments in mice. Research in the Carnegie Institute's Department of Embryology has learned that there is a set of genes active in adult muscle stem cells which repair muscle damage. This suggests a possible treatment for Muscular Dystrophy and muscle injuries.
(Reality) The Journal of Translational Medicine, April Issue, reports a preliminary study that examined the use of the adult stem cells retrieved from a patient's own fat tissue. These showed promising results in combating the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. This may hold promise also for treating other autoimmune diseases.
God Bless, Jerry Novotny, OMI(A Thought) "It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." – Mother Teresa
LifeIssues.Net Newsletter #449 – November 15, 2009
Table Of Contents:
1. US Bishops Release Proposed New Directive On Nutrition, Hydration
2. Not Optional: Human Rights
3. Babies 'Cry In Mother's Tongue'
4. The Powerful New EU: A Setback For Democracy
5. Let's Wake To Somber Sufferings Of Children
6. How To Include Aging Population In The Technology Revolution
7. Fathers Gain Respect From Experts (And Mothers)
8. Remember That Elderly People Are A Gift, Not A Burden
9. Low Birth Rates Put Hundreds Of Schools At Risk Of Closing
10. Dementia Drug Use 'Killing Many'
11. Amnesty International Pushes "Gay Marriage" Down Under
12. The Economist Swings 'Round On Population'Focus On Asia: "IWA In Romania Raises Funds For Sumatra Quake Victims" – The International Women`s Association (IWA) in Romania recently organized a charity event to raise funds for victims of the powerful earthquake which hit Sumatra last September 30.
Item #1. US Bishops Release Proposed New Directive On Nutrition, Hydration
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a proposed new directive on providing nutrition and hydration for patients in a "persistent vegetative state." The current directive reads:There should be a presumption in favor of providing nutrition and hydration to all patients, including patients who require medically assisted nutrition and hydration, as long as this is of sufficient benefit to outweigh the burdens involved to the patient.
The proposed new directive reads:As a general rule, there is an obligation to provide patients with food and water, including medically assisted nutrition and hydration for those who cannot take food orally. This obligation extends to patients in chronic conditions (e.g., the 'persistent vegetative state') who can reasonably be expected to live indefinitely if given such care.
View full article at Catholic CultureItem #2. Not Optional: Human Rights
Many were shocked last February when Secretary of State Clinton said that pressing China about its human rights abuses "can't interfere" with more important things-like "the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis." Even the Washington Post was shocked; its editors said Clinton's comments were "misguided." But now it seems that Clinton was only stating what was to be official Obama administration policy.View full article at BreakPoint
Item #3. Babies 'Cry In Mother's Tongue'
German researchers say babies begin to pick up the nuances of their parents' accents while still in the womb.View full article at BBC News
Item #4. The Powerful New EU: A Setback For Democracy
If France suddenly ceased to exist as an independent state, would that qualify as big news – a story that belonged on the top of the headlines? Well in a sense that's what happened this week. With the final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty on November 3, France – along with the other 26 nations of the European Union – became a small partner in a very large new enterprise. When the treaty takes effect on December 1, Europe will have a single president with sweeping new powers. The individual member-states will retain their own parliaments and their own executives, but they will have a new boss.View full article at Catholic Culture
Item #5. Let's Wake To Somber Sufferings Of Children
If the official UNICEF 2009 report on child protection is not authoritative enough, then a candid thumbnail sketch of children subject to the most extreme forms of exploitation and violence known to mankind should add enough authenticity to ring the bell, alarm bell that is, to wake adults up to the somber sufferings of their innocent juniors.View full article at China View
Item #6. How To Include Aging Population In The Technology Revolution
While technology has opened newer avenues for youngsters and working adults, the same doesn't hold true for the aging population.See the full article at Little About
Item #7. Fathers Gain Respect From Experts (And Mothers)
It used to irk Melissa Calapini when her 3-year-old daughter, Haley, hung around her father while he fixed his cars. Ms. Calapini thought there were more enriching things the little girl could be doing with her time. But since the couple attended a parenting course – to save their relationship, which had become overwhelmed by arguments about rearing their children – Ms. Calapini has had a change of heart. Now she encourages the father-daughter car talk.Article is located at NYT
Item #8. Remember That Elderly People Are A Gift, Not A Burden – Archbishop Nichols
Elderly people are "not a burden but a gift", says Archbishop Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The Archbishop of Westminster's comments came as research into the quality of care provision in the Catholic community found that we'll need 150 per cent more care home places to cope with the ageing population over the next decade.Article can be found at Family and Life
Item #9. Low Birth Rates Put Hundreds Of Schools At Risk Of Closing
Ontario will see an unprecedented number of school closings unless the province updates its funding models to account for the ever-shrinking school-age population, a report by an education advocacy group has found Ontario will see an unprecedented number of school closings unless the province updates its funding models to account for the ever-shrinking school-age population, a report by an education advocacy group has found.View entire text at The Globe and Mail
Item #10. Dementia Drug Use 'Killing Many'
Needless use of anti-psychotic drugs is widespread in dementia care and contributes to the death of many patients, an official review suggests.View entire text at BBC News
Item #11. Amnesty International Pushes "Gay Marriage" Down Under
Activist organization Amnesty International is putting its weight behind an Australian bill seeking to legalize "same-sex marriage" in that country, claiming that "internationally recognized" non-discrimination norms dictate such a result.View entire text at C-FAM
Item #12. The Economist Swings 'Round On Population"
The message is finally getting through: the population bomb has fizzled out and fertility is falling nearly everywhere in the world.View entire text at MercatorNet.com
You Can Change Society:
1. Be Informed: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Visit Lifeissues.net Website for insights into current Life Issues. All prior email Newsletters Archives are located online.
2. Pray Daily: for the courage to be God's presence in society and to strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.
3. Become Involved: Several years ago Fr. Jerry created a project entitled, "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia". It is a project which appeals for donations to help finance plane travel for lectures and seminars to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is placed on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Universities, Parishes, Hospitals and Family/Pro Life related groups. The lectures place emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Life Issues Trends and Challenges". In October, Fr. Jerry will be in Pakistan for 2 weeks. November in Malaysia.For information about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group in Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp.
To become a supportive Missionary participant for this Asian project, kindly send your donations 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).Get a weekly dose of clear thinking: subscribe to our free Lifeissues newsletter! Sign up on main page of www.LifeIssues.net. Pass this free service to your friends and various groups.
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 (or) jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp.
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.11. Lithuania Rejects EU Meddling November 12, 2009
To view a web version of the Friday Fax, click here.
Friday Fax – Volume 12, Number 48
C-FAM SUBSCRIBE ARCHIVES RESEARCH DONATEDear Colleague,
We report today on the Lithuanian Parliament pushing back against the radicalism of the European Parliament. It is over the question of homosexual propaganda and the sovereign rights of states.
We also report on the increasingly meddlesome Amnesty International. Now they are telling Australia they have treaty obligations to legalize same sex marriage. Bunk and lies.
Spread the word.
Yours sincerely,
Austin Ruse, PresidentLithuania Fights Back Against EU Resolution Favoring Homosexual Propaganda – By Austin Ruse
(Washington, DC C-Fam) The fight over homosexual propaganda in schools taking place between the Lithuanian and European Parliaments escalated this week with the Lithuanian Parliament (Siemas) calling on its government to file suit against the Europeans in the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU). The argument began with passage of a Lithuanian “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” which prohibits promotion of homosexual, bisexual, polygamous relations” among children under the age of 18. Read more…
Amnesty International Pushes "Gay Marriage" Down Under – By Piero Tozzi
(New York C-Fam) Activist organization Amnesty International is putting its eight behind an Australian bill seeking to legalize "same-sex marriage" in that country, claiming that "internationally recognized" non-discrimination norms dictate such a result. In a submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee of Australia's Senate, Amnesty's Australian affiliate contends that laws limiting the right to marry to opposite-sex couples amounts to "arbitrary discrimination" in contravention of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Read more…
Facebook; Google; Twitter; Myspace; LinkedIn; www.c-fam.org
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Editor in Chief – Austin Ruse
Managing Editor – Piero Tozzi
Assistant Managing Editor – Hannah Russo
Chief Correspondent – Samantha Singson
Contributors – Susan Yoshihara / Katharina RothweilerCopyright © 2009 Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.
12. Maine Churches Threatened Over Marriage Support November 12, 2009
From CitizensLink, Focus on the Family.
Maine Churches Threatened Over Marriage Support – by Nima Reza, reporter
Opponents of Question 1 call on activists to turn churches in to the IRS in an attempt to revoke tax-exempt status.
Gay activists are encouraging people to report churches to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for supporting the effort to restore one man, one woman marriage in the recent election. According to the Maine Marriage Equality Web site, churches should be singled out for IRS investigation and possible revocation of the tax-exempt status.
The site provides information on how to file a complaint with the IRS, complaint forms, and address and fax information for the government entity.
Ken Graves, senior pastor at Calvary Chapel in Bangor, said they welcome the challenge.
"We know what the law is, what we're allowed to do," he said. "We've acted within the context of the law. We've directly consulted the ethics commission here in the state of Maine with regard to our political involvement."Graves said they must stand up for biblical values.
"We just refuse to be held hostage, and held silent with the threat of the removal of our tax-exempt status," he said. "It's not the most important thing."
Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), said his group is offering free legal assistance to any church that becomes a target of the IRS.
"Churches and pastors have a right to support or oppose legislative efforts directly," he said, "as long it constitutes an insubstantial part of what they do overall."He said the threat by homosexual activists is baseless.
"The IRS has established very clear guidelines and procedures on this issue," he said. "Supporting traditional marriage through a ballot initiative never even comes close to the threshold under the IRS rules."
For More Information: Learn more about the threat to Maine churches.13. Massive School Closures In Ontario Imminent Due To Low Birth Rate November 12, 2009
Education/Parental Rights:
A new report from the education advocacy organization People for Education reveals that up to 335 Ontario schools face closure in the next three years because of declining enrolment, which stems from the province's low birth rate. According to the organization, 172 elementary and secondary schools will close or are recommended to close by 2012, up from 145, which they reported in May. Another 163 schools are currently under review. Read full story.
Visit www.UnitedFamilies.org
Sanctity of Life:
Physician-Assisted Suicide Up For DebateCurrently up for debate in Parliament, Bill C-384 would change the criminal code to allow for physician-assisted suicide. Doctors could administer a speedy and painless death if a terminal patient was lucid, aware of all other treatment options and had made two written requests. Read full story.
Education/Parental Rights:
Massive School Closures In Ontario Imminent Due To Low Birth RateA new report form the education advocacy organization People for Education reveals that up to 335 Ontario schools face closure in the next three years because of declining enrollment, which stems from the province's low birth rate. According to the organization, 172 elementary and secondary schools will close or are recommended to close by 2012, up from 145, which they reported in May. Another 163 schools are currently under review. Read full story.
Why You Don't Hear Harper Say "God Bless Canada" Anymore
As Prime Minister Stephen Harper inches closer toward a majority government, he has erased all religious references from his public speeches, hoping to broaden his appeal to those Canadians who cringe at even the very thought that religious could play any roll. Read full story.
Human Dignity Is Indivisible…
15. PRI Weekly Briefing; Whats Next For Pro-Life Movement In Health Care Reform November 11, 2009
Dissension in the ranks of Democrats over abortion may slow passage of the health care bill but, despite what you may read, it is by no means dead in the U.S. Senate.
Steven W. Mosher
What's Next for the Pro-Life Movement in Health Care Reform?
by Steven W. MosherBy twisting the arms of freshman Democrats nearly out of their sockets, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, at the end of the day, managed to eke out passage of HR 3962, her health care reform bill. But her five-vote victory was so narrow that some pundits are now opining that the Senate version of the bill is dead. Don’t count on it.
With the President, Pelosi and Reid all pushing for some kind of health care legislation, the struggle against Obamacare is far from over.
The Left is furious at San Fran Nan for allowing a vote on the Stupak Amendment, which passed by a wide margin with bipartisan support. Its wide margin of passage makes Planned Parenthood and other abortion supporters even more determined to hold the line in the U.S. Senate, where they have the support of the majority of Democrat Senators and the two Republican Senators from Maine. They will seek to keep abortion in the Senate bill, then win in conference, and then count on Pelosi to deliver a party-line vote—this time without amendments allowed—in the House. As I say, the battle to keep abortion out of the bill is not over. Complacency could cost the lives of many babies.
For the moment, however, the pro-life movement can justly take pride in its political strength. Politicians are nothing if not realists, and they have just been treated to the spectacle of both Pelosi and the President caving in to pro-life pressure from within their own party. Notwithstanding their strident support of federally funded abortions, and despite the anger that their action generated among a large part of the Democrat base, they backed down.
I have no doubt that they will be back, quietly inserting abortion funding in conference and then counting on party loyalty to carry the day, but this will take time.
In the meantime, we must continue to oppose any health care reform that violates the rights of health care workers to freedom of conscience, or which denies the elderly the level of medical care they are accustomed to receiving, with the ultimate aim of reducing their number. (Think “Do not resuscitate.”) Nor should we agree to give permanent federal status, funding, and protection to Planned Parenthood, as the current bill does. Our goal must be to defund the abortion machine entirely.
I believe that the AARP has alienated much of its membership by backing this bill, given that it is today’s seniors who will sacrifice their quality of care to pay for this health care extravaganza. One may say the same about the American Medical Association, the majority of whose independent entrepreneurs do not want to be turned into government drones, forced to deny needed treatment to their patients by faceless bureaucrats. Both of these organizations will undoubtedly see their membership rolls shrink in the future.
As for the American public in general, there is growing skepticism about many aspects of this legislation. Needed reforms such as setting limits on court awards and increasing insurance competition and portability are given short shrift in the legislation. At the same time, its 2,000 pages create dozens of new bureaucracies to decide what kinds of treatments are available and to whom. Even those who are not pro-life have serious doubts about this legislation on such grounds, polls show.
Still, a bill will probably emerge from the Senate at some point. Pro-life Senators will probably even propose an amendment similar to that proposed by Bart Stupak and Chris Smith in the House. But simply banning abortion funding, although a necessary step, is far from sufficient to redeem this huge, indigestible monstrosity of a bill. Still, there will be many chances to propose, advocate, and fight for pro-life improvements during the process of the Senate deliberations and final passage, and the pro-life movement must be engaged every step of the way.
Pro-lifers must decide now if making modest improvements to Obamacare will produce a bill they can live with. I, for one, am not sure how many amendments would be necessary to clean up the bill so that its provisions no longer threaten unborn babies and infirm elderly. A Stupak Amendment is clearly not enough. It includes no conscience protection, and does nothing to prohibit hastening death (see story). Other shortcomings abound. The House bill, for instance, permanently funds pornographic sex education for all students. It sets up an Institute of Medicine to study and make recommendations about Medicare, which may be the Trojan Horse to introduce rationing into the health care system (see story).
When the Senate finally passes a bill, both it and the House bill will be sent to a conference committee. The conference committee will consist of both Senators and Congressmen and will be chosen by the leadership of both parties in the House and Senate. The committee’s job will be to forge the two bills into one, called the reconciled bill.
Here’s where things get dicey (again). The conference committee, which will be dominated by Pelosi and Reid appointees, will have an enormous amount of discretion. It could report out legislation that bears little resemblance to that previously passed by the two houses. The reconciled bill could contain abortion coverage, for example, even if neither the House nor the Senate bill contained this provision. Or it could have a “public option” inserted, or stronger penalties for employers who do not have insurance for their employees. One insider with decades of experience in Washington puts it bluntly: “Anything can happen in a conference committee!”
The reconciled bill will then go to the House and the Senate to be voted on. This time, no amendments will be allowed. Congressmen must vote yea or nay. You can imagine the kinds of pressure that will be put on the Democrat majority to vote the party line.
This final vote will probably not occur until Christmas, a time when many Americans will be focused on faith and family.
I do not intend to sit out the debate in the Senate, or be distracted from our goal of protecting the sanctity of life. We will continue to urge amendments to improve the bill.
At the same time, I can tell you candidly that, no matter how many amendments are passed, I do not believe that this legislative monstrosity serves the interests of unborn babies, or the elderly, or the rest of us.
I, for one, do not want any part of Obamacare.
Steven W. Mosher is the President of Population Research Institute.
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The pro-life Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending human rights abuses committed in the name of "family planning," and to ending counter-productive social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of "overpopulation." Find us at www.pop.org.RI, PO Box 1559, Front Royal, VA 22630 USA Phone: 540-622-5240
16. Report From Ottawa November 15, 2009
There have been an incredible number of changes and articles over the past few days concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.
First: Francine Lalonde (Bloc MP) has now traded her date for the second hour of debate on C-384 twice. C-384 is the bill that would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. The original date for the second hour of debate was Monday Nov 16. A couple of days ago we learned that she had traded with another Bloc MP to move the date back to Nov 19. Yesterday we learned that she traded with another Bloc MP to move the date back to Tuesday, December 1 at 5:30pm with the vote taking place on December 2nd. The protest by disability rights advocate Steven Passmore will now be on December 1st from 4:00 to 5:30 pm.
I can only guess that she is attempting to get more time to find support for her bill. The information that we have indicates that C-384 will be strongly defeated. She may have also wanted to distance herself from the date of Harold Albrecht’s (Cons MP) motion 388 which is on the topic of internet suicide predators. Harold has received all party support for his motion that attempts to clarify the criminal code with relation to internet suicide predators.
M 388 has received its second hour of debate today (Nov 5) and is tentatively scheduled to be voted-on Wednesday, November 18.
Hon Stephen Fletcher (Cons MP) sent an article to the newspapers a few days ago explaining why he intends to abstain from the vote on C-384. Fletcher is a cabinet minister from Manitoba who is a C4 quadriplegic after a car accident 15 years ago that severed his spinal chord in his neck. Fletcher wrote an article that said, life first, but he still wants the option in rare circumstances where euthanasia would be legal. Fletcher wrote that he cannot support C-384 because of how it is written but cannot vote against C-384 because he supports limited euthanasia.
I met with Fletcher yesterday and I must say that he is an amazing man. He has overcome insurmountable challenges to achieve both the ability to do what he is doing today as well as his political acumen which has thrust him into a significantly important role in the Canadian government. The meeting was cordial and we were able to discuss where we disagree and where we agree. I hope to meet with him again soon in order to establish common ground.
The Quebec College of Physicians has called for the legalization of euthanasia in Canada. There reasoning is wrong and there position is wrong. They are saying that because people are already dying from overdoses and because people are already being sedated with the intention of causing there death, that Canada needs to legalize euthanasia.
First, it is not euthanasia to use large doses of analgesics to kill pain so long as the actions and the intentions are oriented to killing the pain and not the patient. Guidelines exist to in the proper use of morphine and the abuse of morphine, even someone who supports euthanasia or not, should oppose the abuse of morphine and other analgesics.
Second, the proper use of sedation is not euthanasia. To sedate a person in order to stop the pain is a good act and should not be confused with euthanasia. To abuse palliative sedation and the drugs that are used to accomplish that end is euthanasia when it directly and intentionally causes death. Once again, someone who supports euthanasia should oppose the abuse of drugs that occurs when sedation techniques are done to directly and intentionally cause death.
It appears to me that the Quebec College of Physicians is suggesting that because some physicians abuse the use of analgesics and because some physicians abuse the technique of sedating a person therefore we need to protect the physicians by legalizing euthanasia.
I am also very suspicious of the timing of the response of the Quebec College of Physicians. They are attempting to affect the debate on C-384. You need to know that the Canadian Medical Association has also expressed their concern with the statement of the Quebec College.
On the international stage the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is working with Margaret Dore, elder law attorney in Washington State, to organize a "push-back" meeting in Seattle on Friday December 4th. This meeting is by invitation only, for more information contact our office at: 1-877-439-3348.
A recent newspaper report in the UK credited the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition for influencing the public debate on assisted suicide in the UK. They made claims such that we have offices in the UK, Canada and California (California would be nice) and that we have influenced the online polls and the debate through letters to the major newspapers and media. They stated that we are powerful lobby. I sent a letter to them (that was not printed) thanking them for the compliment but questioning where the offices in the UK and California are located. Nonetheless our success is being used in the UK now by Dying with Dignity to attack our opposition to assisted suicide. I guess they need to attack the enemy, by any and all means, when they can’t win the debate.
The reality is that the support for Euthanasia and Assisted suicide is wide but thin.
There is very little public pressure to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide outside of the academic or "elite" circles. This has become a pet issue of the wealthy and the so-called academic class.
The recent environics poll proves that as a fact. It showed that 61% of Canadians supported euthanasia but only 25% strongly supported it. The majority of respondents were concerned that the elderly would feel pressured to accept euthanasia and a strong majority were concerned that people would be euthanized without their consent. When asked about priorities, 69% thought that the government should make it a priority to improve palliative care while 18% thought that the legalization of euthanasia was a priority. For more information...
We need to maintain the pressure on members of parliament. Next week the MP’s will be on a break and will be available in their home riding offices. If you haven’t spoken to your MP yet please do it. You will be surprised how interested they are in this issue right now.
I have been speaking to many MP’s over the past few days and they all expressed that hand-written letters are treated far more seriously than other forms of communication. Please sit down today and write a hand-written letter to your MP. We have sample letters with the address for MP’s on our website.
You can still order Stop Bill C-384 postcards for $10 for 100 cards by e-mail
Have you become a fan of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition on Facebook yet?
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is selling Classic Art Christmas Cards as a fundraiser. You can order the cards online.
The cost for our successful campaign to defeat Bill C-384 has been exponential. We need more people to support us with donations or by becoming a member ($25) of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. Donations and membership can be made through PayPal by credit card by calling the office at: 1-877-439-3348 or by check by mailing to Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Box 25033 London Ontario N6C 6A8
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director17. The Interim November 13, 2009
http://www.theinterim.com/
This paper was founded by Campaign Life Coalition Canada and continues today with separate management and Canada's outpost for news concerning Life and Family.
Enjoy! – HHW18. Very Important View On Geriatric Care November 12, 2009
See here for an interesting case study presented by Baltimore psychiatrist Dr. Paul Ruskin.
Visit Mark Pickups blogspot for interesting views on life. Mark is disabled (triplegic) with advanced multiple sclerosis. – HHWI was recently cleaning out old files in my filing cabinet and came across the following. I don't remember where it came from or the source. – MP
Dr. Paul Ruskin of Baltimore (MD) is a geriatric psychiatrist. He presented the following case to a group of nursing students:
"The patient I will discuss is a white female. She neither speaks or comprehends the spoken word. Sometimes she babbles incoherently for hours on end. She is disoriented as to person, place and time. She shows disregard for her physical appearance and has to be assisted in her own care. She must be fed, bathed by others. She is incontinent and has to be changed and bathed. Her sleep pattern is erratic. She awakens in the middle of the middle of the night and her screaming awakens others. Most of the time she seems friendly and happy. However, several times a day she becomes agitated without any apparent cause and screams loudly until someone comes to comfort her."
Dr. Ruskin asked the nursing students their feelings about caring for such a patient. He heard words like "hopeless," "depressed," and "frustrated." He told the nurses he cared for this patient and thought they would enjoy it too. Then Dr. Ruskin passed around a photograph of his six month-old daughter. After the laughter subsided he asked why it is so much more difficult to care for a 90 year old female with the same symptoms than for a 6 month old female.
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