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1. Canadian Same-Sex 'Marriage's Real Goal Is To Abolish All Marriage Says Author - September 25, 2006
Says Canadians "being played for a bunch of fools by your legal-political elite"
September 25, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a National Review Online article this past February, U.S. author/researcher Stanley Kurtz charged that Canadians still don't get it that the legal change to the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples is part of an overall strategy to completely abolish marriage in Canada.
The Tories promised motion to re-visit the same-sex marriage issue in Parliament is about to be introduced this October or November and yet many religious and other groups and pro-marriage Canadians are perceived by pro-family leaders as again making only weak, half-hearted efforts to support the motion. The Stanley Kurtz article may help Canadians become more aware about the severe consequences of losing the vote on that motion and the vote on any following bill to re-instate the traditional definition of marriage.
Kurtz starts his article by noting the mid-January 2006 Justice Department study that called for the decriminalization and regulation of polygamy.
With that in mind he follows: "And even that is only part of the story. Canadians, let me be brutally frank. You are being played for a bunch of fools by your legal-political elite. Your elites mumble a confusing jargon to your face to keep you from understanding what they really have in mind."
Kurtz continues with some very brief but explosive quotes from a 2001 Law Commission study, "Beyond Conjugality," that questioned whether there should even be any continued legal privileges and obligations for marriage after gay 'marriage' is legalized.
Even though the 2001 report was made public he says, "nobody got it. Everyone noticed that a government commission had backed same-sex marriage. But few recognized, grasped, or could bring themselves to take seriously, the central thrust of Beyond Conjugality: that after the legalization of same-sex marriage, Canadian marriage itself ought to be abolished."
The plan is so obvious says Kurtz. "It's like this. The way to abolish marriage, without seeming to abolish it, is to redefine the institution out of existence. If everything can be marriage, pretty soon nothing will be marriage."
The most worrisome part of all this, according to Krutz, is that despite the obvious evidence, "The Canadian public cannot bring itself to believe that the abolition of marriage is the real agenda of the country's liberal legal-political elite."
Polygamous Muslims and Mormons fit right into the strategy, says Kurtz, only to politically justify further changes, which would have as their ultimate real goal the elimination of all marriage.
See the complete Kurtz article with all his evidence and reasoning The Conspiracy to Abolish Marriage in Canada http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/060925a.html
See also Stanley Kurtz's article Beyond Gay Marriage
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/002/938xpsxy.asp
2. Changing Names, Changing Perceptions - October
19, 2006
At the recent World Federation of Right to Die Societies
conference in Toronto (Sept 7 - 10) a presentation was made concerning polling
that had been done in the US concerning terminology that was considered more
acceptable by the general public.
Clearly identified in the polling data was that the term
suicide must not be used because it included negative connotations concerning
actions that many people consider morally wrong. When the term assisted suicide
was dropped for aid in dying or assisted dying the support for the same act
increased.
The following articles simply represent the fact that
the Oregon State government has been convinced that support for assisted suicide
in their state will increase on a state-wide and national basis if they simply
change the terminology.
People need to be concerned that the constant word smithing
by euthanasia advocates will result in greater support for the same act that
people have regularly voted against in plebiscites throughout the US. The idea
is that if you think that something that you perceive to be wrong is something
else then you can fool some of the people to support it.
In other words assisted suicide ceases to be assisted
suicide if you stop calling it 'assisted suicide'.
What's next?
Alex Schadenberg
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
'Assisted-death' wording stirs debate - The Statesman
Journal, Oregon, October 17, 2006
Oregon DHS will stop referring to practice as suicide
The Oregon Department of Human Services no longer will use the phrase "physician-assisted suicide" when referring to the state's unique law.
But the new phrase "physician-assisted death" could be as controversial as the old one.
People on both sides of the debate about Oregon's Death with Dignity Act have
been arguing about what to call the practice since 1994, when voters approved
the law.
Advocates of the law and patients thinking about asking for a lethal prescription have said it is offensive to use the word "suicide."
Before her death in August, Charlene Andrews of Salem told the National Press Club, "Please do not call it suicide. That is an insult to my fight against cancer. With cancer, we know when there are no treatment options."
Andrews died without lethal medication.
Mike Gander of Salem took care of his son and mother-in-law while they were dying. He said this debate about words is similar to the one regarding abortion.
"It's like using the terminology 'choice' when it comes to abortion," he said. "No one wants to use the word 'abortion'; they want to use the word 'choice.' But the terminology - whether accurate or inaccurate - still results in the same thing. 'Physician-assisted death' is the same as suicide."
Compassion & Choices, a national group that supports patients who want to use Oregon's law, formally asked the agency to review its wording in light of statute's language.
Oregon Department of Human Services officials said the name change better reflects the agency's role as a neutral party that collects data and provides information.
The statute says, "Actions taken in accordance with (Oregon's Death With Dignity Act) shall not, for any purpose, constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing or homicide, under the law."
"This will be a sea change because how you speak of things strongly influences how you think of them," said Kathryn Tucker, the director of legal affairs for Compassion & Choices.
Gayle Atteberry, the executive director of Oregon Right to Life, said the language change is "outrageous."
"They have changed it to a euphemism to make it more palatable,"
she said. "Do they think it is going to make it easier for people to kill
themselves?"
3. Conservative Government Bringing Common
Sense to Public Finances - September 26, 2006
For Immediate Release - Ottawa, Ontario
The decision by the Conservative government to cut back
on some of the egregious abuse of taxpayers' money is a great relief.
Canadians over the years have been more heavily taxed than any other country
in the industrialized world. The Conservative government has apparently now
decided to do something about it. This action is long overdue as literally billions
of dollars have been wasted on programs and activities that not only are ineffective,
but also have promoted agendas, which most mainstream Canadians, reject.
REAL Women is especially pleased that the Status of Women's
budget will be reduced by $5 million in these cutbacks. This is a good start,
and we hope that the Status of Women will eventually be eliminated entirely,
since it does not represent "women", but only represents the ideology
of feminists. That is the Status of Women was established in 1973 under Prime
Minister Trudeau and over the years, it has funded feminist groups to serve
as agents of change, never recognizing that other women have different views
and have no wish to be represented by these feminist organizations.
REAL Women was also delighted that the budget cuts included the elimination of the troublesome Court Challenges Program. This Program was supposedly established to fund "disadvantaged" groups, but instead, it has constantly funded only left of centre organizations and by way of this abuse of the taxpayers money has carried out social restructuring by way of the courts. The promotion of social changes by way of judicial fiat funded by the Court Challenges Program has resulted in the bypassing of the democratic process of public debate in Parliament. In fact the Court Challenges Program was a profoundly undemocratic use of taxpayers money to restructure society, with the public being deprived of having any input in these changes. The elimination of the Court Challenges Program will go a long way to promoting democracy in Canada.
Finally, REAL Women was pleased that the Law Reform Commission was eliminated
in the budget cutbacks. The Commission was established to make recommendations
for the improvement and modernization and reform of federal legislation. However,
the Commission's recommendations were not rooted in legal principle, but rather
were rooted in the personal bias and perspective of the appointed Commissioners.
As a result, the Commission became notorious for its promotion of the agendas
of special interest organizations only. Moreover, the Commission's recommendations
reflected the opinions of no one but the Commissioners themselves, and its recommendations
served as a platform for the left wing to launch their programs and perspectives.
All in all, the budget cutbacks announced by the Conservative government were
an excellent start in the Government gaining control of our national agenda
instead of allowing it to be dictated by special interest groups.
Contact Person:
C. Gwendolyn Landolt
(905) 731-5425, 787-0348
Diane Watts
(613) 236-4001
MR 11-06
4. Forensic Pathologist Needed - September 30, 2006
Hi Friends:
I am looking for a Forensic Pathologist, for a case in the US involving some evidence here in NS. The call came from Dr. Carmie Scime, whom some of you might know. Carmie was and still is a pathologist in Hamilton, Ontario; he contacted me looking for help here in Nova Scotia. If anyone can help me please e-mail me as soon as you can.
Herm
5. Grand Parade At 1pm And Then On To Province House - Sunday November 5, 2006
Dear Friends,
" Let us not become weary in doing good for
at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians
6:9
I want to encourage you to let your voice be heard
once again on the Sunday shopping issue. Let God hear your voice in prayer and
then please join in the demonstration of people concerned for retail workers
and their families in this Province. As Christians we know that God has commanded
us to set aside a common day for rest because we need it, not only for our personal
revitalization, but also as a society.
Please pass this message of opportunity on to others.
Your fellow servant in Christ,
Pastor Paul Francis
Spread the word:
Grand Parade at 1pm and then on to Province House for the finale. Grand Parade will feature speakers from interested parties (not all confirmed yet). These interest groups include:
Independent Food Store Association, Flea Market owner, Labour Union Representative, Green Party Member, Church representatives, etc. This list will be a lot longer as the days go by. We hope to have MLAs to argue their point as well. Of course, there will be no point in doing any of this if we do not get the support from the public.
It is imperative that the media is informed prior to the rally. This means that we ALL must contact our local and provincial papers en masse.
We must begin this activity immediately. We believe that the best way to get our message across is to capitalize on the fact that our government has betrayed Nova Scotians.
Contact everyone you know and ensure that Nova Scotians make the trip to Halifax in order for this protest/rally to have an effect. There is strength in numbers.
Brian Willdey, Tony Lohnes and Stephanie Davidson: info@saveoursundays.ca
6. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #297 - November 3, 2006
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
Our beloved editor, Fr. Jerry Novotny is still in China doing missionary activities as part of his "Journey into the Heart of Asia". China reminds me of many wonderful things the world has known, but it also reminds me of the troubling scenario that China and India now face. In China and India, tens of millions of young men are unable to find wives.
When a society prefers sons to daughters to the extent found in parts of contemporary Asia, it will not only have fewer daughters but also create a subclass of young men likely to have difficulty finding wives and beginning their own families. Because son preference has been a significant phenomenon in Asia for centuries, the Chinese actually have a term for such young men: guang gun-er or "bare branches" - branches of the family tree that will never bear fruit. The girls who should have grown up to be their wives were disposed of instead.
Given that almost 40 percent of the world's population is in China and India, the likelihood of diminishing prospects for democracy, stability and peace because of the extremely low status of women in those societies will affect not only Asia but the world as well.
Let's pray that the prospects of peace, balance and harmony in Asia will prevail.
God bless,
Marlon Castillo Ramirez
Assistant Editor
(A Quote) "We are confronted with the slaughter of Eve, a systematic gendercide of tragic proportions... There are dozens of ways women come to a grisly end. Obviously, human rights and the legal protection of women is of crucial importance but it is only one component. There is also a cultural change that must operate... it starts in the womb. There are societies where male births are preferred, particularly if the number of births are limited. That's where abortion for gender reasons starts." - Theodore Winkler
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #297 - November 3, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. Catholics And Buddhists Together Against The Legalization Of Abortion
2. Bush Hits Hard At Gay Marriage
3. Nicaragua Congress Passes New Law Outlawing All Abortions
4. Aborted Babies Burn In Hospital Incinerator
5. B.C. Mother Of Conjoined Twins Refused To Abort Babies, Now Born Healthy
6. British Scientists Grow Human Liver In A Laboratory
7. Euthanasia? How Can A Secular Society Claim Anyone Is "Better Off Dead"?
8. Catholic Voters Group Defies Orthodoxy
9. Abortion Increases Mental Health Risk: Study
10. Group Objects To Abstinence Program At High School
Erratum: Item #7 of LifeIssues Newsletter series # 296 entitled "More women regret having abortion" did not have the right URL. For further detail kindly visit: Ms. Mstakes, (WorldNetDaily - Grants Pass, OR, USA). We apologize for any inconvenience this incorrect reference might have caused our esteemed readers.
Item #1. Catholics And Buddhists Together Against
The Legalization Of Abortion
For Cardinal Kitbunchu, it is tragic that mothers should want an abortion. Buddhist
monk explains there is no need to kill; all that is needed is to provide help.
Some Thai NGOs have proposed legalizing abortion, which they say is a women's
issue, not a moral issue. The prelate said that "Catholic doctrine strongly
opposes abortion since man was made by God in His image, and blessed him above
all other creature. Human life is the Father's most precious gift, valued and
full of dignity."
The proposal to legalize abortion came at a conference sponsored by Thammasat University's Faculty of Social Administration which brought together Thai NGOs to discuss abortion, "not as a moral issue, but one of human rights, an issue involving women."
Bishop George Yod Phimphisan, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand, said that "the Catholic Church cannot support abortion no matter what the reason. Abortion is the taking of a life, which is God's precious gift to mankind. Legal abortion will make the couple take less responsibility to their lives."
The same thing goes for Buddhists. "We, Buddhists," said Phra Mahamanoj, assistant monk in Suan Kaew Temple, "in a country where the majority of the people is Buddhist, firmly disagree with legal abortion and the destruction of life. If you do not want something to happen, don't do it".
If you want to see the full article, visit: http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=7620
Item #2. Bush Hits Hard At Gay Marriage
President Bush has for months cast the midterm elections as a choice about just
two issues: taxes and terrorism. Now, with polls predicting bleak results for
Republicans, he is trying to fire up his party by decrying gay marriage. "For
decades, activist judges have tried to redefine America by court order,"
Bush said Monday. "Just this last week in New Jersey, another activist
court issued a ruling that raises doubt about the institution of marriage. We
believe marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and should be defended."
The line earned Bush by far his most sustained applause at a rally of 5,000 people aimed at boosting former GOP Rep. Max Burns' effort to unseat a Democratic incumbent. In this conservative rural corner of eastern Georgia, even children jumped to their feet alongside their parents to cheer and clap for nearly 30 seconds _ a near-eternity in political speechmaking.
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples must be given all the benefits of married couples, leaving it up to the state Legislature to decide whether to extend those rights under the structure of marriage or something else.
View full text at Breitbart.com News: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/30/D8L390M80.html
Item #3. Nicaragua Congress Passes New Law Outlawing
All Abortions
Canada, other nations and UN threaten removal of aid money
(LifeSiteNews.com)
- Despite intense pressure from international feminist and population control
groups, Nicaragua's Congress voted today to significantly strengthen its legal
protections for the unborn.
If signed into law by President Enrique Bolanos, the measure will eliminate
a loophole that allowed an unborn child to be killed if three doctors certify
that a woman's "life or health" is at risk. The so-called "health"
exception terminology, which is almost always broadly interpreted, has opened
the door in other countries to virtually unlimited abortion-on-demand. Current
law also allows for the child to be killed if she has been conceived in rape.
The passed law would close both those exceptions.
It seems likely that Bolanos will sign the new changes into law. The Associated Press reported that Bolanos recommended not only that Nicaragua retain its prohibition of abortion, but that penalties against women and those who assist them be increased to 10-30 years in prison.
The full text of the story is available at: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/oct/06102604.html
Item #4. Aborted Babies Burn In Hospital Incinerator
Aborted babies are being thrown into the same incinerator used to burn hospital
rubbish, the News can reveal. Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge sparked outrage
after admitting its procedure for disposing of foetal tissue following termination
of an unwanted pregnancy of less than 24 weeks.
The hospital, which says it cannot afford crematorium fees, has stressed that the tissue is not burnt at the same time as rubbish.
One Cambridge woman was appalled after discovering her terminated foetus had been incinerated in the same furnace as rubbish. Addenbrooke's told the woman, who did not want to be named, that it had a policy of "sensitive disposal".
She said after the heartache of deciding to have an abortion she was mortified to find the hospital had used the same furnace they burn rubbish in to incinerate her terminated baby.
She said: "I am furious and very hurt. Imagine my horror when I discovered that my baby was incinerated in the same furnace as the hospital rubbish. "Why should people like me and my partner suffer more because of this dreadful policy?"
Michaela Aston, spokesman for pro-life charity Life, was appalled by the news.
She said: "The fact they are now disposing of human remains like they would any other waste product shows what society and this hospital has come to.
View full text at Cambridge News:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/2006/10/23/cadba259-efc8-417f-a16a-4f7dc9dac415.lpf
Item #5. B.C. Mother Of Conjoined Twins Refused
To Abort Babies, Now Born Healthy
(LifeNews.com) - A young
B.C. woman who gave birth to conjoined twin girls yesterday was repeatedly offered
an abortion by her doctors during her pregnancy.
Felicia Simms, 21, gave birth to the little girls by caesarian delivery yesterday at 34 weeks gestation, in a complicated surgery attended by a team of 16 doctors at the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre.
Despite being given just a 20 percent chance of survival, Krista and Tatiana emerged from their mother robust and crying, CanWest reported. The babies are joined at the top of their head, an extremely rare manifestation of a rare condition. Fusing at the head occurs only once in every two and a half million births.
View full text at LifeSiteNews: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/oct/06102605.html
Item #6. British Scientists Grow Human Liver In
A Laboratory
British scientists have grown the world's first artificial liver from stem cells
in a breakthrough that will one day provide entire organs for transplant. The
technique that created the 'mini-liver', currently the size of a one pence piece,
will be developed to create a full-size functioning liver.
Described as a 'Eureka moment' by the Newcastle University researchers, the
tissue was created from blood taken from babies' umbilical cords just a few
minutes after birth.
As it stands, the mini organ can be used to test new drugs, preventing disasters such as the recent 'Elephant Man' drug trial. Using lab-grown liver tissue would also reduce the number of animal experiments. Within five years, pieces of artificial tissue could be used to repair livers damaged by injury, disease, alcohol abuse and paracetamol overdose.
And then, in just 15 years' time, entire liver transplants could take place using organs grown in a lab.
See the full article at DailyMail.co.uk:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=413551&in_page_id=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=NEWS&ct=5
Item #7. Euthanasia? How Can A Secular Society
Claim Anyone Is "Better Off Dead"?
(LifeSiteNews.com) -
The growing push for euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada threatens the
foundations of the country, said B.C. palliative care expert Dr. Margaret Cottle,
replacing genuine compassion with an easy reliance on "rights."
"The concept of medical killing is predicated on the assumption that death is better," Dr. Cottle pointed out in a presentation to Members of Parliament in Ottawa last Thursday. "Yet there is not one shred of evidence that people are better off dead. Show me the evidence that the person is better off dead, that the quality of life is going to be better."
"Even people who don't believe in heaven or an afterlife claim death brings
peace--well, the onus is on those seeking change to prove the benefits of the
change. How can a secular society claim that people are 'better off dead'?"
View full text at LifeSiteNews: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/oct/06103109.html
Item #8. Catholic Voters Group Defies Orthodoxy
Just before Election Day 2004, a Wyckoff church distributed an article by the
archbishop during a Mass. His words caught some parishioners off guard. Newark
Archbishop John J. Myers wrote that stopping abortion was more important than
Iraq, national security and taxes. "I was dissatisfied," said Frank
McCann, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth's for 28 years. "Abortion is a serious
issue. I just don't believe it's the only issue."
But during an election in which religious conservatives opposing abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and gay marriage helped reelect George W. Bush, some Catholics said they heard few voices of dissent in the church. That may be changing.
A new group, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, is attempting to distribute 1 million voter guides for Tuesday's election that discourage Catholics from basing their vote on any one issue, including abortion. "Can one really claim to be pro-life and yet support the death penalty, turn a blind eye to poverty and not take steps to avoid war?" the guide asks. "Our church teaches that the answer to this question is no."
View full article at North Jersey:
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3JmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDEzMjYw
Item #9. Abortion Increases Mental Health Risk:
Study
New research out today suggests that having an abortion can increase the likelihood
of young women later developing some sort of mental health problem.
The research team, based at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Christchurch, New Zealand, undertook the study as part of a range of long-term studies of 500 young Kiwis from their birth in 1977.
View entire text at ABC News: http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1540914.htm
Item #10. Group Objects To Abstinence Program At
High School
A Loudoun County High School assembly, during which Christian comedian Keith
Deltano advocated the benefits of abstinence, has drawn criticism from one local
group.
Mainstream Loudoun, a local watchdog group that states its purpose as to preserve religious and personal freedom and pressed to maintain a separation between church and state, released its scorn in the form of an open letter to school board members and Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick. The group argued that Deltano's presentation to the entire Loudoun County High student body served as an argument against forms of contraception other than abstinence.
View entire text at Leesburg Today: http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2006/10/27/schools/edu22abstinence101906.txt
Action:
Pray that we all may have the courage to
be God's presence in society and support those who have been deemed "unworthy
of life".
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
Websites by Editor:
English site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html
7. Lifeissues.net Newsletter 294 - October 15, 2006
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (http://www.lifeissues.net/)
Dear Friends for Life,
Dr. Carlos Lima of Portugal has finally published research showing restored motor function and sensation in paralyzed quadriplegic patients. He has been using adult stem cells obtained from the lining of the patient's own nose. The study in The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine reported seven patients treated and improved. Since submission for publication he has treated 24 more patients.
Canada joins the ranks of killing their small babies by okaying Embryonic Research. For the first time ever, the Canadian Government has authorized embryonic stem cell research with taxpayer funds. It has authorized $523,000.00 for the project.
And here in Japan, the population declines. For some time now Japan's birthrate has been below replacement level. The latest being 1.25 babies per women in her lifetime in 2005. However, the increasing longevity of the population plus medical advances keeping people alive longer have combined to continue to slowly increase the total numbers. This has now apparently peaked and for the second year in a row the total population of Japan has declined.
God Bless, Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI
(A Thought) The truth of peace calls upon everyone to cultivate productive and sincere relationships; it encourages them to seek out and to follow the paths of forgiveness and reconciliation, to be transparent in their dealings with others and to be faithful to their word.
Lifeissues.net Newsletter 294 - October 15, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. DOJ: Betraying Aborted-Alive Babies?
2. Over-Attentive Families May Be Underrated
3. Man Isn't A Product, Says Cardinal Martino
4. Petitioning For Life
5. The Terrible Price I'm Paying For Teenage Sex
6. Experts: Junk Culture Is Killing Childhood
7. Scientists Backtrack On Embryonic Research Claims
8. Spain To Teach Children From Age 10 To Accept Homosexuality
9. Forget Same-Sex 'Marriage,' Costa Ricans Oppose Homosexual Civil Unions
10. New Website Details Thousands Of Violent Crimes By Abortion Supporters
[Website: NFP Only Online Physician's Directory] http://omsoul.com/nfp-only.php. We offer this Directory as a resource to women and couples who seek physicians practicing medicine in accord with traditional Christian principles. Natural Family Planning (NFP - Only Physicians do not prescribe, perform, or refer for contraception, sterilization, abortion, or in vitro fertilization. They promote Natural Family Planning for achieving or avoiding conception.
Item #1. DOJ: Betraying Aborted-Alive Babies?
In April 2004, a nurse named Abby made an appointment with Richard Collier of
the Legal Center for Defense to tell him of an incident she thought violated
the Born Alive Infants Protection Act.
Abby worked in the labor and delivery department of a major regional hospital in New Jersey. Abby told Collier about a baby boy who was aborted alive there earlier that year and placed in the "dirty room" until he died several hours later.
The attending nurse was so disturbed she described the event to Abby.
The boy was between 20-23 weeks old and aborted after a doctor noticed on ultrasound his limbs were not measuring properly. He told the mother the baby would be born with abnormal arms and legs and sword-like feet. The procedure of choice was induced labor abortion, wherein a pill called Misoprostol (a.k.a. Cytotec) is inserted in the mother's birth canal every 4-8 hours to irritate the cervix until it opens.
The abortionist may kill the baby beforehand by injecting a heart-stopping drug into the baby's heart through the mother's abdomen. Or the abortionist may not, anticipating the baby will die during the birth process or soon after.
In this case, the baby obviously was not killed inutero and survived.
Read article at WorldNetDaily: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52059
Item #2. Over attentive Families May Be Underrated
It's every physician's fear: the patient with the "involved" family,
relatives who watch over everything, question everybody and make a nuisance
of themselves. Yet, in today's world of rapid-fire medicine, such relatives
may be a patient's most important advocates.
The example that always sticks in my mind is personal. A relative of mine, Jeremy, was operated on by one of Harvard's leading pediatric surgeons. After the procedure, Jeremy never seemed to be able to catch his breath fully. "Not to worry," the surgeon briskly intoned. "Perfectly normal for a long procedure."
Fortunately, Jeremy's parents - both physicians - monitored him, especially
as his breathing grew more labored. When they insisted on speaking to a senior
doctor in the middle of the night, over the strenuous objections of the resident
physicians, it was just in time, as Jeremy required a breathing tube and barely
survived the ordeal.
Years later, a similar experience occurred with another relative of mine, Beth,
who had just been through a major abdominal operation. Beth's mother, a physician's
assistant, insisted on spending the night after surgery with her at the hospital.
Comment: I'm really glad to finally see this kind of article. For years, I have seen medical people become nervous over a potential lawsuit when families asked a lot of questions but I felt, in most cases, that this was a sign of caring rather than legal risk. I particularly remember one wife who wrote down the time, name of caregiver, medication etc. every time someone came into the room. The staff was freaked out. But after the patient was discharged, the wife wrote a thank you letter mentioning specific nurses or actions that made her grateful for her husband's care. - Nancy Valko, RN
View full text at New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/19/health/19case.html?ref=health
Item #3. Man Isn't A Product, Says Cardinal Martino
The social doctrine of the Church prefers to see "man as project and not
as a product," a Vatican official told a recent conference.
"Such a concept," said Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council, "marks the profound difference with tendencies of today's world, which with the legalization of abortion and the rapid development of technologies of reproduction, reflect a view in which the child is no longer considered a gift but a product of certain techniques."
Cardinal Martino was addressing the colloquium entitled "Defense of Life: a Mission for Catholic Social Teaching." The two-day event, organized by the Association Internationale pour l'Enseignement Social Chrétien and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, ended last Saturday.
During the final press conference, Cardinal Martino explained that the Compendium
of the Social Doctrine of the Church "seeks to demonstrate that the defense
of life in all its stages, from conception until its natural end, is a key argument
of the Church's social doctrine, because to defend life means to support it
in all its manifestations, in everyday life, in professional life, in the life
of relationships, a total defense of life."
"The social doctrine of the Church," he added, "is focused on the centrality of the human person and therefore service to the human person is clearly defense of life."
View full text at Zenit: http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=95191
Item #4. Petitioning For Life
The Web site of Ms. Magazine - yes, it still exists - is calling on readers
to sign a petition: "I have had an abortion. I publicly join the millions
of women in the United States who have had an abortion in demanding a repeal
of laws that restrict women's reproductive freedom."
Well, so much for the right to privacy. If Ms. readers hadn't had so many abortions, there might be more Ms. readers. As for the rest of us, here's a petition we could all sign: "I wasn't aborted."
Having narrowly escaped being aborted, I'd be the first in line.
View full text at CERC: http://catholiceducation.org/articles/abortion/ab0108.htm
Item #5. The Terrible Price I'm Paying For Teenage
Sex
At first glance, Kim Bresnehan, 36, is attractive and vivacious. She has the
confidence of a woman who has run her own business and travelled the world.
You'd never guess that her friendly personality hides a great sadness and a
sense of emptiness - what she calls a 'baby-shaped hole' - in her life.
Her story is a cautionary tale of teenage naivety and carelessness. A symptomless and silent disease she has no memory of contracting ultimately led to the destruction of her marriage and has apparently ended her dreams of having a family.
Kim doesn't know when, but at some point during her teenage years, she was infected with Chlamydia, the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted disease in Britain.
View full text at the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=403103&in_page_id=1879
Item #6. Experts: Junk Culture Is Killing Childhood
Britain's children are being poisoned by a "junk culture" of processed
food, computer games and over-competitive education, an influential group of
authors and experts warned on Tuesday.
In an open letter to the Daily Telegraph, 110 teachers, psychologists and children's authors - including the internationally acclaimed Philip Pullman and Penelope Leach, a leading childcare expert - called on the government to act now to prevent childhood being killed off altogether.
Forced "to act and dress like mini-adults", children are becoming increasingly depressed and experiencing growing levels of behavioral and developmental problems, they said.
"Since children's brains are still developing, they cannot adjust as full-grown adults can, to the effects of ever more rapid technological and cultural change," the letter said.
"They need what developing human beings have always needed, including real food (as opposed to processed "junk"), real play (as opposed to sedentary, screen-based entertainment), first hand experience of the world they live in and regular interaction with the real-life significant adults in their lives."
See the full article at MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14798692/
Item #7. Scientists Backtrack On Embryonic Research
Claims
Scientific researchers are now beginning the tedious task of altering the public's
expectations of the aims of human embryonic stem-cell research, deviating from
the primary goals of providing stem-cell therapies to cure diseases. In what
amounts to a bait and switch, these researchers, no longer promising immediate
theoretical cures for a myriad of diseases desired by a desperate public, are
now justifying the research by claiming that human embryonic cells are instead
marvelous research tools for investigating the mechanisms of disease rather
than actively curing them.
According to the New York Times, a number of scientists continuing medical research on human embryos admit that the inherent difficulties of developing stem-cells from human embryos for therapeutic use place any cures - if possible in the first place - years down the road.
View full article at LifeSite: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/aug/06081506.html
Item #8. Spain To Teach Children From Age 10 To
Accept Homosexuality
Spanish children as young as 10 will be taught pro-homosexual material as part
of a new school curriculum, the Telegraph reported Friday.
The socialist government revealed plans last week to include teaching about the homosexual lifestyle in the schools, emphasizing the normalcy of homosexual relationships. The general secretary for education, Alejandro Tiana, said the move was necessary because "children need to learn there are various types of families."
The inclusion of homosexual material in schools is the latest in a string of anti-family, anti-faith policies instituted by Premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Spain's law recognizing same-sex "marriages" was passed by the Zapatero government just over one year ago, despite strong opposition by much of the population. The law also permits adoption of children by homosexual couples.
The government has also authorized embryonic stem cell research, as well as relaxed the divorce laws.
View full article at LifeSite: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/06071701.html
Item #9. Forget Same-Sex 'Marriage,' Costa Ricans
Oppose Homosexual Civil Unions
September 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A strong majority of Costa Rica residents
are opposed to permitting civil unions for homosexual couples, recent poll results
have revealed.
Almost three quarters of all respondents to a survey conducted by the Universidad de Costa Rica, 71.4 percent, indicated they would not support allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions, according to a report by Angus Reid Global Scan, published today.
Only 16.4 percent surveyed said they would support civil unions for same-sex couples. 11.6 percent said they had no opinion.
The Supreme Court of Costa Rica ruled against a demand for the recognition of homosexual "marriage" in May 2006, saying the concept of marriage in the country's constitution was "understood to be between a man and a woman."
Chief Justice Luis Fernando Solano suggested at the time of the ruling that civil unions for homosexual couples would be a possible solution to the issue.
Costa Rica's Diversity Movement, a homosexual activist organization, discussed the possibility of legislation permitting homosexual civil unions earlier this month, reported Angus Reid.
The survey was conducted June 3 to June 20, 2006, consisting of interviews with 1,000 Costa Rican adults. The margin of error is 3 percent.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage - Costa Rican Supreme Court says No to Homosexual "Marriage": http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/may/06053004.html
Item #10. New Website Details Thousands Of Violent
Crimes By Abortion Supporters
September 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- Human Life International - the world's largest pro-life, pro-family civil
rights organization with over 90 affiliates in 75 countries around the world
- today announced the launch of its newest web-based informational resource:
http://www.prochoiceviolence.com/.
"This website exposes the pro-choice movement as the most violent political movement in United States history. In fact, we have documented over 7,000 acts of violence and illegal activities by those who support or practice abortion," stated Brian Clowes, Ph. D., senior analyst for HLI. "We have launched this site to expose this troubling truth and to draw attention to the fact that this violence is escalating at a very disturbing rate. Since 2000, there have been an astonishing 269 homicides and other killings committed by the pro-abortion movement."
ProchoiceViolence.com also exposes how the pro-abortion movement has systematically targeted minorities and had a devastating impact upon the African-American community. "Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was a known eugenicist who bragged about speaking before meetings of the KKK and at one time wanted the organization's slogan to be 'to breed a race of thoroughbreds,'" explained Clowes. "Sanger's vision has set the agenda for Planned Parenthood and much of the pro-abortion movement to this very day."
This fact was drawn into clear focus in the recent story that detailed how a Maine couple had abducted their 19-year old daughter, bound her hands and feet and were transporting her to New York for a late-term abortion simply because the child's father was black.
"This was not an act of compassion, this was not an act of concern and it was certainly not an act of love on the part of this couple from Maine," observed Clowes. "Abortion is one of the most violent acts known in the history of mankind and its acceptance into our otherwise civil society has served to breed more and more violence to the point where we are now witnessing parents who physically subdue and kidnap their own children in an effort to force them to abort their unborn grandchildren."
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
Websites by Editor:
English site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html
8. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #295 - October 22, 2006
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
A Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia will take me to China and Hong Kong the next several weeks. I have asked my Assistant Editor, Mr. Marlon Ramirez, in the Philippines to handle the next three newsletters. I will be back for the Nov. 19th issue. Thank you.
MIT stem cell expert slams therapeutic cloning.
A stem cell scientist from Massachusetts Institute of Technology visiting Australia last week made a vigorous attack upon the science and ethics of therapeutic cloning. Associate Professor James Sherley spoke with several MPs ahead of a vote in Canberra about legalizing cloning. He minced no words: "adult stem cell research is a viable and vibrant path to new medical therapies. Even calling them an alternative to embryonic stem cells misinforms the public. Why? Because embryonic stem cells provide no path at all."
Although Sherley also regards human embryos as human beings, with a right not to be experimented upon, he supported his ethical concerns with scientific arguments. First, if cloned animals notoriously have serious birth defects, cloned embryos must also have them, making tissues derived from them dangerous and ineffective.
Second, cloned embryonic stem cells normally form tumors when transplanted into adult tissues. Third, the continuous renewal and repair of tissue is the work of adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells might be able to replace adult tissues, but they will not replace the adult stem cells.
"Even the proposal to use cloned human embryos to investigate adult disease mechanisms has no scientific legs. The worth of such studies will be limited by the inherent genetic defects in cloned embryos and, fundamentally, diseases that arise in the adult are not likely to manifest until later in embryonic development, if at all before birth," he wrote in the Australian newspaper.
As the vote on the issue approaches, parliamentarians are being intensely lobbied and lectured by both sides of the debate. The result is still too early to call. However, the premier of the state of Victoria, Steve Bracks, has already vowed to legislate for therapeutic cloning, even if research in his state would not be eligible for Federal funding. Victoria is home to half of Australia's biotech industry, and Bracks fears a brain drain unless scientists get what they want. - Australian, Oct 12, 2006.
Slowly but surely the truth is coming out.
God Bless
Jerry Novotny, OMI
(A Quote) "In the moral and social sphere, evil takes on the countenance of selfishness and hatred, which is negativity; it can only be overcome by love, which has the positivity of generous and disinterested giving, even to the point of self-sacrifice." - John Paul II
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #295 - October 22, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. Abortion Rates in Youth Climb as Spain Declines
2. Children Are Only A Few Clicks Away From Being Exposed To Pornography on
MySpace.com
3. Australian Bishops Oppose Bill in Favor of Cloning
4. Boy in "Hopeless" Vegetative State Awakens and Steadily Improves
5. Shortage of Young Americans as Population Growth Slows
6. Japan: Child suicides prompt probe into bullying
7. Vietnam Government Issues New Fines Over Sex-Selection Abortions
8. Portuguese to hold abortion vote
9. Debate surrounds end-of-life health care costs
10. Swiss Euthanasia Group Demands Assisted Suicide for the Depressed
Website: National Institute of Marriage
http://www.nationalmarriage.com/home.asp.
It is the vision of the National Institute of Marriage (NIM) to significantly reduce the divorce rate in America, by enriching couples and equipping those who have the ability to impact couples within their care. We will actively participate in a restoration of God's design for marriage to its rightful place of honor; men and women experiencing thriving, life-long marriages through right relationships with God, self, and others.
Item #1. Abortion Rates In Youth Climb As Spain
Declines
(Fertility rate has halved in the 20 years of legal abortion)
(LifeSiteNews.com) - A new government study released Wednesday shows the rate of abortion has increased among Spain's young people in a country which already faces an impending demographic implosion.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, the National Institute for Statistics reports that abortions among women under 19 in Spain rose to 8.8 abortions for every 1,000 women, up from 5.5 for every 1,000 women in 1995. Spain with a fertility rate of 1.28 (2005) faces a worsening nightmare of demographic implosion with every increased incidence of abortion, especially among young people.
The government report confirms the findings of the Institute of Family Policy (IFP), which reported that in Spain approximately one in every six pregnancies ended in abortion, and one in seven abortions were carried out by women under 19. IFP also reported that the largest percentage of Spanish women aborting were under 24 in 2003.
According to IFP, abortion rates among the youth have risen concomitantly with the government's massive lobbying of "safe sex" programs and promotion of condom use over the years. Abortion has notably increased among younger age groups, who are the frequent targets of the government's campaigns.
Also, the presence of abortifacient "emergency contraception" in Spain since 2001 has neither slowed nor reduced Spanish abortions as many proponents of the abortifacient birth control have claimed. In the span of a decade, abortion rates climbed 72%, according to Spain's health ministry, to 84,985 in 2004, up from 49,367 in 1995. Meanwhile the fertility rate has halved in the 20 years of legal abortion, and for years has hovered somewhere between 1.07 (2000) and 1.28 (2005), far below the necessary replacement rate of 2.1.
While Spanish laws officially restrict abortion to situations involving rape, malformation of the baby, or threats to the physical or mental health of the mother, nearly 95.7% of all abortions are justified for concern for the mother's health, while 2.5% are for fetal deformity, and just 0.1% for rape.
Item #2. Children Are Only A Few Clicks Away From
Being Exposed To Pornography On Myspace.Com
Morality in Media has published an article by retired Detective Lieutenant Tom
Rodgers, describing the pornography problems he has observed on MySpace.com
while investigating complaints submitted to www.ObscenityCrimes.org.
In 2002, MIM launched the www.ObscenityCrimes.org website to provide citizens with a means online to report violations of federal Internet obscenity laws. MIM forwards these complaints to the Justice Department's Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section in Washington, D.C. and to U.S. Attorneys in each district where a report originated. To date, more than 60,000 reports from citizens in all 50 states have been submitted.
View full text at Christian Newswire:
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/637411061.html
Item #3. Australian Bishops Oppose Bill In Favor
Of Cloning
While everyone wants to find cures for disease and to alleviate suffering, this
cannot be done "by creating and then killing human life," the Australian
bishops said in opposition to a bill that proposes the creation of embryos for
research.
View full text at CNA:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=72182
Item #4. Boy In "Hopeless" Vegetative
State Awakens And Steadily Improves
A young boy, who had previously been diagnosed as being in a "persistent
vegetative state," has awakened from a 22 month-long coma and is breathing
on his own.
View full text at LifeSite:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/oct/06101001.html
Item #5. Shortage Of Young Americans As Population
Growth Slows
America's population reached 300 million this morning, but there is a shortage
of young people in this country. "Since 1975, the proportion of Americans
between the ages of 15 and 24, those who are about to enter or who have just
entered the workforce, has been in decline," said Steven Mosher, President
of the Population Research Institute (PRI). "In 1975, it was 18.7%. Today,
it is 14.2%.
View full text at Christian Newswire:
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/814321232.html
Item #6. Japan: Child Suicides Prompt Probe Into
Bullying
According to the findings released in September, there were 105 student suicides
in academic year 2005, a sharp fall from the peak of 380 in 1979, but since
the survey did not list suicides caused by bullying, some experts said it did
not reflect the changing situation in schools.
See the full article at The Daily Yomiuri:
http://www.worldpress.org/link.cfm?http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20061017TDY01005.htm
Item #7. Vietnam Government Issues New Fines Over
Sex-Selection Abortions
The Vietnamese government has issued new fines hoping to prevent sex-selection
abortions from continuing to prey on baby girls in the Asian nation. The country
has the same problem as other nations such as China, North Korea and India,
where boys are preferred and girls fall victim to abortions and infanticides.
View full article at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2652.html
Item #8. Portuguese To Hold Abortion Vote
Currently abortions are only legal in Portugal if a woman has been raped, if
her life is in danger, or if the baby has serious abnormalities.
But the governing Socialist Party is proposing that women should be allowed to choose an abortion up to the 10th week of pregnancy.
View full article at BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6067200.stm
Item #9. Debate Surrounds End-Of-Life Health Care
Costs
Comments by Ron Panzer: Cutting costs at the end-of-life, the last year of life,
or even earlier is a very real goal of those who are pushing the euthanasia/assisted
suicide and eugenics agendas. Savings can be quite significant, however I wonder
why they don't ask how much could be saved by cutting down on Medicare/Medicaid
fraud or unnecessary treatments given to those who are not at the end-of-life
simply because some physicians and hospitals earn more for every procedure/treatment
done, even if not really necessary. It is very "convenient" for society
to target those who do not have a voice and eliminate them to reduce costs.
There are many other ways of reducing costs.
It is true that some treatments are not helpful at the end-of-life, however what we are seeing is that patients are being coerced into hospice programs against their will and outright medically killed, way before their terminal illness would end their life! And that saves even more. The trend to limit care ideally pursued only when such treatments would be truly "futile," is appropriate, however the reality is that many, many patients and families are harmed by the denial of treatments in order to hasten the patient's deaths (which is really what is happening). - Ron P
View entire text at USA TODAY:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2006-10-18-end-of-life-costs_x.htm
Item #10. Swiss Euthanasia Group Demands Assisted
Suicide For The Depressed
(LifeSiteNews.com) - The Swiss
suicide organization that has helped to kill at least 54 British clients and
uncounted others from around Europe, is in a test case in the country's Supreme
Court arguing that people suffering from depression or who are "tired of
life" should be able to legally use the facility to end their lives.
Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, the Zurich-based organization said his group was seeking to overturn the Swiss law that allows them to assist only people with a terminal illness.
Following in the wake of the international conference of the Right to Die movement in Toronto earlier this month, the move has come as no surprise to euthanasia opponents, who say it has always been part of the plan to make assisted suicide and euthanasia legal for anyone who wants it.
Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of Canada's Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, who attended the conference, says Minelli's court battle is proof at last of the falsehood of the claim that the push to legalize euthanasia is about caring for people in distress.
Schadenberg said that Minelli's request for assisted suicide for the depressed is an admission that the euthanasia/assisted suicide movement is essentially a "death on demand culture."
He warned that the demand for changes in the law for terminally ill people "rationally requesting a peaceful death," are part of a larger "strategy of the death culture" and not the final goal.
"In fact euthanasia and assisted suicide have nothing to do with terminal illness or rational choices, but rather a demand for an unfettered ability to commit suicide," Schadenberg said. "What Minelli is admitting is that people should have the right to suicide assistance, even if they can't rationally consent or they aren't terminal," he concluded.
At the World Federation of Right to Die international conference in Toronto a debate was held on strategy between Canadian Derek Humphrey - considered a "radical" even among euthanasia campaigners - and Dr. Rob Jonquire of the Netherlands. Dr. Jonquire was opposed to the radical strategy of Derek Humphrey pushing for legalization on the grounds that it added to public suspicion as to the overall agenda.
Jonquire argued that a subtler method will be to have euthanasia legalized in the Netherlands for people who are "tired of living," using the language of compassion and caring.
Following the movement's strong anti-Catholic sentiments, Minelli blamed "religion" for stigmatizing suicide, attacking this "stupid ecclesiastical superstition" against suicide and euthanasia.
Schadenberg told LifeSiteNews.com that a leading theme of the Toronto conference was the movement's hatred for Christianity and Catholicism in particular which it sees as the only credible opposition to their goals.
Minelli, speaking to a group of Liberal Democrats in England, confirmed Schadenberg's thesis, saying, "We should see in principle suicide as a marvelous possibility given to human beings because they have a conscience... If you accept the idea of personal autonomy, you can't make conditions that only terminally ill people should have this right."
"We should accept generally the right of a human being to say, 'I would like to end my life', without any pre-condition, as long as this person has capacity of discernment."
A spokesman for English disability groups concurred with Schadenberg's analysis saying, "This confirms the suspicions of many disabled people that legalizing assisted suicide would be the start of a slippery slope that would lead to anyone, whatever their condition, being helped or even coerced into opting for death."
Read coverage in the UK's Telegraph: Depression is not a good reason to die
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2006/09/22/hsuicide22.xml
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage: Swiss Assisted Suicide Entrepreneur
Wants to Open Chain of Suicide "Clinics"
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/apr/06041807.html
Action:
1. Pray that we all may have the courage to be God's presence in society and
support those who have been deemed "unworthy of life".
2. Stay informed at Lifeissues.net website: http://www.lifeissues.net.
3. Consider participating with a financial donation to help pay travel expenses
for Fr. Jerry's Speaking Tours to poorer countries in Asia. (Purpose: Journey
for Life into the Heart of Asia. Series of lectures on "The Family at Crossroads:
Trends and Challenges".) Remaining 2006 schedule: November - China; November
- Hong Kong. Thanking you in advance for your active participation and making
this missionary project possible. Kindly send donations directly to: Fr. Jerry
Novotny, OMI;
LifeIssues.net, Editor; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072
4. All past issues of LifeIssues.net Newsletter available online. Click here:
http://lifeissues.net/newsletters/mojo.cgi?flavor=archive&list=lifenews&start=0.
(These newsletters are an extension of the Website.)
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
Websites by Editor:
English site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html
9. LifeIssues.net Newsletter #296 - October 27, 2006
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
Abortion, euthanasia, organ harvesting, cloning, and stem cell research force us to place a monetary value on human life and, in the process, dehumanize the very thing we once valued highly. Man's increasing inhumanity to his fellow being is a common theme that runs through modern fact and fiction.
As the world has progressed technologically, our spiritual understanding of life has failed to keep pace with new breakthroughs. Thus, even as scientists race against time to stake their claim as the first to clone a human being-and inevitability at some point in the future-we struggle to understand the moral dimensions of such actions.
Some people have dedicated their lives to fighting for the dignity and worth of every individual-whether in the courtroom, through the media or simply by making life-affirming decisions in their day-to-day existence. Whatever the path you choose to follow, we must all make a commitment to choose life and be advocates for the defense of life and the integrity of the family.
Let's pray for Fr. Jerry's missionary trip in China as part of his "Journey in the Heart of Asia."
God bless,
Marlon Castillo Ramirez
Assistant Editor
(A Quote) "We must stand equally against the spirit of our age in the breakdown of morality and the terrible loss of humanness that it has brought. It will mean especially standing for human life and showing by our actions that every life is sacred and worthwhile in itself-not only to us as human beings, but precious also to God. Every person is worth fighting for, regardless of whether he is young or old, sick or well, child or adult, born or unborn, or brown, red, yellow, black, or white." - Frances A. Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster (1984)
LifeIssues.net Newsletter #296 - October 27, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. UK Pharmacy Applauded For Upholding Muslim Pharmacist's Right To Refuse Early
Abortion Drug
2. Doctors: Finally, A Law That 'Gets It Right' On Abortion
3. Proposed US Bishops Document On Homosexuality Encourages Love The Sinner
But Hate The Sin
4. Politics Shouldn't Undercut Life Or Family, Says Pope
5. Oregon Under Fire For Changing "Assisted Suicide" Wording In Reports
6. Biologists Want To Drop The Word 'Cloning'
7. More Women Regret Having Abortion
8. Family Planning Counselors To Get Academic Credit
9. A Man Who Helped His Seriously Ill Wife Kill Herself Has Been Spared Prison.
10. Population Group: 300 Million Americans Not Enough To Sustain Economy, Elderly
Website: National Institute of Marriage
http://www.nationalmarriage.com/home.asp.
It is the vision of the National Institute of Marriage (NIM) to significantly
reduce the divorce rate in America, by enriching couples and equipping those
who have the ability to impact couples within their care. We will actively participate
in a restoration of God's design for marriage to its rightful place of honor;
men and women experiencing thriving, life-long marriages through right relationships
with God, self, and others.
Item #1. UK Pharmacy Applauded For Upholding Muslim
Pharmacist's Right To Refuse Early Abortion Drug
("Conscience clause" of Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's
ethics code cited)
(LifeSiteNews.com) - A Muslim chemist with the Lloyds pharmacy chain has refused to distribute the abortifacient Plan B medication, a decision supported by Lloyds management. Jo-Ann Thomas, 37, repeatedly asked the chemist to supply her with the pills but was refused, the Telegraph reported today. When she asked why, she was told he was a "deeply religious Muslim."
"I am a 37-year-old woman, not a daft girl who doesn't know what she's doing, and the chemist has no right to tell me whether I can or can't take the pill," Thomas said. "It's my choice, not his. It's his religion, not mine. He's a dispensing chemist and his job is to dispense drugs."
A spokesman for the Lloyds chain, which includes 1,300 UK pharmacies, apologized to Ms. Thomas for her inconvenience but said the pharmacist was well within his rights to refuse to hand out the "emergency" contraception, which may cause an abortion if conception has already occurred when the drug is taken.
Referring to the "conscience clause" of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's ethics code, the Lloyds's representative said, "It states that if supplying the morning-after pill is contrary to a pharmacist's personal, religious or moral beliefs they are entirely with their rights not to supply it."
In 2004 Lloyds defended a London pharmacist who refused to sell the morning-after pill to a female customer on the grounds of his Catholic faith. A spokesman told the Mirror that a pharmacist can refuse to sell a medication on moral or religious grounds as long as they refer the person to another pharmacy.
To express appreciation to Lloyds Pharmacy for upholding freedom of religion
and conscience:
http://www.lloydspharmacy.co.uk/home-page/talk-to-us.htm
Item #2. Doctors: Finally, A Law That 'Gets It
Right' On Abortion
(South Dakota legislation described as protecting child, mother and physician)
Finally there is a law that address abortion in scientific, medical and ethical perspectives - and gets it right, according to leaders of the 17,000-member Christian Medical Association.
"This law gets it right on every point," said Dr. David Stevens, CEO of the organization and family physician. "Some may challenge the law on ideological or political grounds, but when it comes to the law's scientific and ethical foundations, it is above reproach."
South Dakota's Referred Law 6, which was approved by state lawmakers last winter and signed into law by the governor, simply bans abortions. But it was referred to a vote of the people under the challenge procedures in that state and South Dakotans on Nov. 7 will be making a life-or-death decision on what pro-life organizers call the best legislative proposal on abortion since the 1973 Blackmun ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state limits on the fatal procedure.
Lawmakers in South Dakota spent months researching the issue before approving the ban, which was challenged by Planned Parenthood, the biggest provider in the U.S. abortion industry and recipient of $272 million in federal funds this year. It is the only provider of abortions in South Dakota.
View full text at World Net Daily:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52504
Item #3. Proposed US Bishops Document On Homosexuality
Encourages Love The Sinner But Hate The Sin
(LifeSiteNews.com) - In their
semi-annual meeting held in Baltimore in November of this year, the American
bishops will be voting on a new document meant to help clarify the Catholic
Church's teaching on homosexuality and "those with the homosexual inclination."
The document is entitled "Ministry to Persons With a Homosexual Inclination:
Guidelines for Pastoral Care"
Catholic News Service reports that the document condemns homosexual activity of any sort but is careful to reinforce the necessity of treating those individuals with a homosexual inclination with "respect, compassion and sensitivity." A similar document was released by the Vatican in 1986.
View full text at LifeSiteNews:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/06092108.html
Item #4. Politics Shouldn't Undercut Life Or Family,
Says Pope
Benedict XVI reminded politicians, particularly Catholics, that their choices
and programs cannot go against human life or the family. The Pope's appeal resonated
today in Verona, where the Church in Italy is holding its national ecclesial
congress on the theme "Witnesses of the Risen Jesus, Hope of the World."
Addressing more than 2,700 people, including bishops and delegates from all the Italian dioceses, the Holy Father dedicated an important part of his address to Christian commitment in politics.
According to Benedict XVI, it is necessary to address with "determination and clarity the risk of political and legislative options that go against fundamental values and anthropological and ethical principles rooted in the human being's nature."
The Pope pointedly referred "to the defense of human life in all its phases, from its conception to natural death, and the promotion of the family founded on marriage."
This implies avoiding the introduction "in public ordering of other forms of union that will contribute to destabilize [the family], obscuring its peculiar character and irreplaceable social role," he said.
View full text at Zenit: (zenitenglish@zenit.org)
Item #5. Oregon Under Fire For Changing "Assisted
Suicide" Wording In Reports
(LifeNews.com) - Oregon is
the only state in the nation to have legalized assisted suicide, but don't call
the grisly practice by that name anymore. The state's health department has
decided to change the wording of the phrase when referring to the state law
- a move that has pro-life advocates up in arms. The Oregon Department of Human
Services has determined that it will begin referring to "physician assisted
suicide" as "physician assisted death" on official reports.
The change comes as backers of the assisted suicide law claim the original term is offensive to those who kill themselves under the statute. In fact, Compassion & Choices, a national group that backs euthanasia and assisted suicide, pressured state officials to make the change. Gayle Atteberry, the executive director of Oregon Right to Life called the wording difference "outrageous" in comments to the Statesman Journal newspaper.
"They have changed it to a euphemism to make it more palatable," she said. "Do they think it is going to make it easier for people to kill themselves?" The change may make it easier for those people who kill themselves with a doctor's help to feel good about their actions.
View full text at LifeSiteNews:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/06092108.html
Item #6. Biologists Want To Drop The Word 'Cloning'
Don't say cloning, say somatic cell nuclear transfer. That at least is the view
of biologists who want the term to be used instead of "therapeutic cloning"
to describe the technique that produces cloned embryos from which stem cells
can then be isolated. This, they argue, will help to distinguish it from attempts
to clone a human being.
But will it? Kathy Hudson and her colleagues at the Genetics and Public Policy Center in Washington DC asked more than 2000 Americans whether they approved of deriving stem cells from embryos produced by cloning. For half of the sample they used the term "SCNT" instead of "cloning", and this raised approval ratings from 29 per cent to 46 per cent, Hudson told a meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics in New Orleans last week.
SCNT would also be used in any attempt to clone a human being, so Hudson also asked about creating babies using SCNT. This too raised the approval rate from 10 per cent to 24 per cent - which is not what scientists had in mind.
See the full article at NewScientist.com:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19225743.400&feedId=health_rss20
Item #7. More Women Regret Having Abortion
Angry feminists are out waving wire coat hangers again. In its latest issue,
Ms. Magazine has a picture of one bent into the shape of South Dakota. In November,
residents of the Mount Rushmore state will vote on an initiative to remove a
law that bans most abortions there. The wire coat hanger would be a much better
symbol for the feminist brain - more air than substance.
Ms. went trolling for women who had abortions, who were willing to come forward and say they are proud of their decisions. The magazine plans to send the list to legislative bodies across the nation and to the president.
The untold story of this campaign is - despite all the free publicity - it was an utter failure. Since 1973 and the infamous Supreme Court decision know as Roe v. Wade, which was made before real-time ultrasound imaging and fiber optics gave us a window to the womb, there have been almost 50 million abortions. Ms. only came up with 7,000 names, which included 53 who signed a similar petition in 1972. That means that only 1.4 women in 10,000 are comfortable enough to own their abortion decisions.
View full text at World Net Daily:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52504
Item #8. Family Planning Counsellors To Get Academic
Credit
The Broken Bay Institute in Sydney, in partnership with the Australian Council
of Natural Family Planning, is today launching a new academic certification
for natural family planning practitioners.
The new program will be officially launched at the Council's National Bi-annual Conference on the theme Nurture, Nature, and Natural - Best Practice in Natural Fertility, which begins today in Sydney.
View full article at Catholic News:
http://www.cathnews.com/news/610/109.php
Item #9. A Man Who Helped His Seriously Ill Wife
Kill Herself Has Been Spared Prison.
David March admitted the assisted suicide at an earlier hearing
admitted aiding and abetting the suicide of his 59-year-old wife Gillian, who
had multiple sclerosis. Mrs. March, who was diagnosed in 1984, said she wanted
to die before her husband was too old to find love again.
On her third suicide attempt, Mr. March tied up a plastic bag she had put over her head. He was given a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months. The couple had been married since 1979, but Mr. March gave up a job in advertising to care for his wife after her illness led to her being confined to a wheelchair.
He took up work as a landscape gardener, which allowed him to return to their home, in Harestone Valley Road, to do cooking and cleaning. On 19 September last year, he found his wife with a bag over head when he went back to make her lunch. Mr. March re-tied the string she had put around the plastic bag's handles, held her hand for half an hour until she died and then called the emergency services.
View entire text at BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/6065836.stm
Item #10. Population Group: 300 Million Americans
Not Enough To Sustain Economy, Elderly
(LifeSiteNews.com) - The United
States will soon mark the birth of its 300 millionth citizen, but a leading
group that monitors population issues says the population control experts quoted
in most news stories about the landmark number have it wrong. The group says
the U.S. needs more people to continue to sustain its economy.
The Population Research Institute (PRI) believes that the United States is suffering from insufficient population growth even though the U.S. Census Bureau says the American population will reach 300 million tomorrow.
"When you look at the projections that show our population aging rapidly over the next few decades, when you see our economy and government programs such as Social Security risking bankruptcy, you can see that the United States' annual 0.9% population growth rate is not enough," said Steven Mosher, president of PRI.
"America's baby boomers didn't have many children on average, and as a result, our country faces a gray dawn," Mosher added. "Even our currently high immigration levels haven't made up the difference."
Joseph A. D'Agostino, the group's vice-president, explained the problem further.
"According to United Nations figures, the percentage of the American population 65 or over will rise from 12.3% today to 20.6% by 2050," he indicated. "The proportion of Americans 80 or over will rise from 3.6% to 7.3% of the population." D'Agostino said the United States is seeing the same problem that faces several countries in Europe that are dealing with severe under population - an aging populace and not enough workers to support them.
"Our worker-to- retiree ratio is already at a dangerous 3-to-1. By 2050, it will be 2-to-1," he said. D'Agostino also indicated that medical advances will make it so today's retirees live longer than previous generations. He said that immigration, a contentious issue in political debate today, could actually make a positive impact.
"We've been trying to make up for our low birthrate through lots of immigration, which has created its own problems," he explained. "But if Americans won't create the next generation, then it must be imported."
Related web sites:
Population Research Institute - http://www.pri.org
Action:
1. Pray that we all may have the courage to be God's presence in
society and support those who have been deemed "unworthy of life".
2. Stay informed at Lifeissues.net website: http://www.lifeissues.net.
3. Consider participating with a financial donation to help pay travel
expenses for Fr. Jerry's Speaking Tours to poorer countries in Asia.
(Purpose: Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia. Series of lectures on "The
Family at Crossroads: Trends and Challenges".) Remaining 2006
schedule: November - China; November - Hong Kong. Thanking you in advance for
your active participation and making this missionary project possible. Kindly
send donations directly to: Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI; LifeIssues.net, Editor;
Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072.
4. All past issues of LifeIssues.net Newsletter available online. Click
here:
http://lifeissues.net/newsletters/mojo.cgi?flavor=archive&list=lifenews&start=0.
(These newsletters are an extension of the Website.)
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
Websites by Editor:
English site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html
10. Needed - The Quick Assistance Of An Architect - September 28, 2006
Dear Friends
I need the quick assistance of an Architect with an everyday working knowledge of the National Building Code.
Years ago, I was involved in such codes but the years are taking there toll. Information needed to substantiate some concerns dealing with Health and Welfare of individuals in government care.
Please if you know an Architect, that would be willing to talk on the phone, let me know if they would consider helping me. This is a pro-life matter.
Herm Wills
President, CLC NS
11. Parents Protest Gay Curriculum Review - September 27, 2006
Today's Family News: http://www.todaysfamilynews.ca
1. Parents Protest Gay Curriculum Review
2. Stressed Teens Struggle In Silence
3. Call To Prayer For The Enslaved
4. Go Deeper: Dad, If You Only Knew
5. Get Involved: Navigate Faith-Political Interface
6. Heard Around: Children And Television
7. Interact: Give Us Feedback On The New TFN
1. Parents Protest Gay Curriculum Review
Today's Family News http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/
September 27, 2006
One of two homosexuals under contract http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/education/stories/062106.html with the B.C. Ministry of Education to take the lead in developing new social justice public school curricula is unsuitable for the job due to his "anti-Catholic bigotry," according to the Catholic Civil Rights League http://www.ccrl.ca/index.php?id=363 (CCRL).
Peter Corren was reacting to an editorial in The B.C. Catholic http://bcc.rcav.org/06-09-04/editorial.htm by Vancouver Archbishop Raymond Roussin in which he warned that this agreement "could lead to the introduction of morally objectionable material in the school system."
Corren told the http://www.vicnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=36&cat=23&id=732106&more=that the Catholic Church "has victimized our society through history." And he told The Province that Roussin's response reflects the Church's ongoing "homophobic diatribe against Canadian society."
"Mr. Corren's absurd accusation," said CCRL spokesperson Sean Murphy,
"exemplifies either knee-jerk, anti-Catholic bigotry or appalling ignorance."
The National Post agreed. "It should be remembered," it stated in an editorial, "that Catholics pay taxes too, and should not be forced to fund slanders against their religion."
In fact, people of faith are not alone in expressing concern about the government's contract with Peter and Murray Corren - a married same-sex couple - which gives them unprecedented input in developing a new Grade 12 elective on social justice issues http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006AG0026-000712.htm, including sexual orientation.
In late August, 15,000 people signed a petition organized by the Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association that called on the government "to defend and to preserve parental and children's rights" and to "stop selling out to special interest groups."
As well, a new group, Concerned Parents of B.C. http://www.concernedparentsbc.org/, has started meeting with local school boards to protest what it sees as the basic unfairness of giving a special interest group a say in the education of their children.
"We are in favour of the [social justice] course, but what we are saying is if you are going to grant a level of access to basically an unelected private citizen then you need to be granting that same level of access to the parents of the kids," chairman Brian Roodnick told Victoria News http://www.vicnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=36&cat=23&id=732106&more=. "You can honour the agreement and also do what is democratically right - include all the stakeholders."
The Vancouver Sun http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=cb9bdc89-15af-4854-8b4c-018d069c2e13&k=90184 reported last week that the initial planning stage of Social Justice 12, the new course's official title, is already underway behind closed doors. Concerned Parents was not invited.
Roodnick believes that if students are going to be taught about sexual orientation, then they should also be told that some religions believe homosexuality to be morally wrong.
"[Social Justice 12] has to reflect accurately and fairly all these different points of view," he told the Sun. " ... I don't want it to be written by only a few groups because then it'll be propaganda."
Over the next year, the Correns will also review B.C.'s entire Kindergarten-to-Grade
12 curriculum with a view to propose changes to ensure that children are given
"information on the gay and lesbian reality," Murray Corren told the
Sun
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=e4498784-ab0b-4b70-bd77-f6592ebc2ca4&k=41624.
2. Stressed Teens Struggle In Silence
Today's Family News http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/ - September 27, 2006
New Canadian research suggests that many teenagers are unwilling to talk to anyone - especially their fathers - about their problems.
A study commissioned by Motorola Canada revealed, according to a news release
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2006/12/c4891.html
that 42 per cent of teens rarely or never ask for help when they feel overwhelmed.
Those who do choose to disclose their hurts and anxieties are more likely to
confide in their friends (67 per cent) than their mothers (60 per cent) or fathers
and siblings (32 per cent).
Seven per cent said they never talk openly with their parents, usually for fear of feeling embarrassed and awkward, or being judged or punished.
Yet teens do have issues that they might want to talk about. Sixty-nine percent said they were stressed by school while 24 per cent cited either money or appearance and body image as their major stressor.
"We want to remind parents, teachers, coaches and others who spend time with teens that, as important as it is for teens to speak up, it's equally important that we're there to listen, not to judge but rather to help them find help," said lead researcher Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/psychology/vaillancourt/Index.htm, an assistant professor of psychology at McMaster University.
In fact, the study found there are a few difficult issues that teens do not consider out of bounds as topics for discussion. Over half said they would be comfortable talking with their parents about bullying, harassment, drugs and alcohol. By contrast, just 27 per cent said they would feel at ease talking to their parents about sex.
"Parents need to set the tone, not wait for their kids to come to them," Vaillancourt told the Hamilton Spectator http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1158097813434&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1014656511815.
"Teens told us where they like to have these conversations." One of those places is the family dinner table.
Motorola responded to the findings by launching a national program called Raise Your Voice http://www.raiseyourvoice.ca/home.asp. It seeks to encourage teens to speak up when faced with challenges at school or at home, and guide them to people who can help them. It will be led by an advisory board comprising of experts in child psychology, parent counseling, and education.
3. Call To Prayer For The Enslaved
Today's Family News http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/ - September 27, 2006
As hard as it may be to imagine, an estimated 27 million people - mostly women and children - are today trapped in slavery, more now than at the height of the transatlantic slave trade 200 years ago.
Most are involved against their will in the world's burgeoning sex trade, either as prostitutes who are smuggled from country to country or held as prey for so-called sex tourists from countries like Canada.
According to UNICEF, about 30 million children have been sexually exploited in the past 30 years, and over one million children are lured into the sex trade every year. The U.S. Department of State also estimates that between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually.
For example, 300,000 Japanese sex tourists are said to visit the Philippines every year, where prostitution is now its fourth largest source of Gross National Product. As well, the Netherlands is a major destination country for trafficked women, helping fuel a sex industry that is estimated to be worth almost $1 billion per year.
To raise public consciousness about this dire situation, the Salvation Army in Canada is sponsoring "Release the Captives http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn.nsf/vw-sublinks/F622F24F001ECB3B802571840063C758?openDocument," the first annual weekend of prayer and fasting http://www.salvationist.ca/2006/prayer-for-victims-of-human-trafficking/ this weekend for the victims of human trafficking.
"This is the first year we have put on a call to prayer on such a broad scale," Salvation Army national public relations officer Andrew Burditt told ChristianWeek. "We invite all churches to participate in the event."
Also seeking to combat the problem head-on is International Justice Mission Canada http://www.ijm.ca/. Executive director Jamie McIntosh has personally taken Canadian lawyers with him on rescue missions overseas that he said have resulted in the release of "dozens and dozens" of slaves.
"We are doing it out of a motivation that says these people are created in the image of God," said McIntosh. "It's something that we just do to try and express God's love for these victims."
4. Go Deeper: Dad, If You Only Knew
8 Things Teens Want to Tell Their Fathers But Don't - Josh Weidmann
What teens are really saying is how much they need their dads. This is an opportune chance for you to learn eight keys to establish and maintain a healthy, father-teen relationship!
5. Get Involved: Navigate Faith-Political Interface
A three-day symposium to assist faith-oriented Canadians to participate responsibly in Canadian politics.
Click here http://www.faithpolitical.ca/ to find out more.
Date: Oct 11-14, 2006
Place: Vancouver, BC
Please note that the advertising of the preceding event(s) does not necessarily imply endorsement by Focus on the Family (Canada). It is for informational purposes only.
6. Heard Around: Children And Television
"Today, no one in network TV fears what the children are watching -unless it makes them think about God."
[Source: President of Parents Television Council and the Media Research Center Brent Bozell, after the news broke about NBC editing VeggieTales, washingtontimes.com 9/13/06]
7. Interact: Give Us Feedback On The New TFN
TFN welcomes your feedback on our stories and the new look. Click here http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/contact/index.htm
to send us a comment.
Consider donating https://bookstore.fotf.ca/donate1.aspx
Tell a Friend - Today's
Family News
Today's Family News http://www.todaysfamilynews.ca
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Focus on the Family (Canada) http://www.fotf.ca/
Phone: 1-800-661-9800 Mail: Box 9800 Stn Terminal, Vancouver BC, V6B 4G3
E-Mail: research@fotf.ca
If you are not currently subscribed to Today's Family News, visit Today's Family News to sign up http://www.todaysfamilynews.ca.
©2006 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.
12. Tories - Media Reaction - October 10, 2006
From our friend Tim in Ottawa: Snap shot of the media reaction and their attack on the Tories to, heaven forbid, protect religion in our country. Note the rhetoric and how religious and religion are described: "gay opponents, same-sex opponents, gay marriage opponents, etc." in a few instances the masthead line showed no bias.
It would appear as an excellent example of 'drive-by' journalism. - Herm
Harper
denies Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
Canada.com, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no
plans to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that
refuse to...
PM
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
Calgary Sun, Canada - 9 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no plans to introduce
legislation to protect officials and churches that refuse to deal with...
Tories
under fire over gay-marriage plan
Globe and Mail, Canada - 11 hours ago
Ottawa - A Conservative proposal to protect officials and churches that
refuse to cater to homosexuals is coming under fire - even from some Tories.
Tories intend to protect same-sex opponents
CTV.ca, Canada - 15 hours ago
The Conservative government is working on measures that would protect opponents of gay marriage, including ministers and justices of the peace who refuse to...
Tories
plan to protect same-sex opponents
Globe and Mail, Canada - 21 hours ago
By John Ibbitson and Bill Curry and Brian Laghi. Ottawa
- The Conservative government is planning measures, including a Defence...
Liberals
attack Tories over judicial 'patronage'
CTV.ca, Canada - Oct 2, 2006
Liberals were crying patronage in question period over a series of judicial
appointments by the Conservative government. They particularly...
Tories
Dismiss Reports About Defence of Religions Act
580 CFRA Radio, Canada - 2 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is dismissing reports the Conservatives are considering
legislation to protect officials and churches that refuse to deal with...
Source: Canadian
Government to Protect Religion and Conscience...
Lifesite, NY - 5 hours ago
By John-Henry Westen. Ottawa, October 4, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - If
the current attempt to restore the traditional definition of...
Harper denies Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
Ottawa Citizen (subscription), Canada - 6 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to questions from the Opposition in the House of Commons. Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen...Report: Canada Preparing To Let Gay Marriage Foes Refuse Weddings
365Gay.com - 8 hours ago
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff. (Toronto, Ontario) The Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is preparing legislation...Tories protecting opponents of gay marriage
Global National, Canada - 10 hours ago
Ottawa - A Conservative proposal to protect officials and churches that refuse to cater to homosexuals is coming under fire - even from some Tories.
National
Affairs: Minority status beginning to stall Harper's...
Brooks Bulletin, Canada - 10 hours ago
Six months into its first session in Parliament, Stephen Harper's minority government
may already have reached the limits of its short mandate.
Conservatives
Look to Protect Free Speech Rights for Same-Sex...
580 CFRA Radio, Canada - 21 hours ago
The Globe and Mail reports legislation, including a Defence of Religions Act,
could be introduced if the Federal Government loses a motion this fall to reopen...
PM
denies anti-gay initiative
Toronto Star, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no plans
to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that refuse
to deal...
Harper
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
Canada.com, Canada - 7 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to questions from the Opposition in the
House of Commons.
Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen...
Harper
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
National Post, Canada - 8 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to questions from the Opposition in the
House of Commons. Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen...
Harper
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
CBC News, Canada - 8 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no plans to introduce legislation
to protect officials and churches that refuse to deal with homosexuals.
Tories
plan to protect same-sex opponents
Globe and Mail, Canada - 19 hours ago
By John Ibbitson, Bill Curry and Brian Laghi. Ottawa - The Conservative
government is planning measures, including a Defence of...
Liberals
attack Tories over judicial 'patronage'
CTV.ca, Canada - Oct 2, 2006
Liberals were crying patronage in question period over a series of judicial
appointments by the Conservative government. They particularly...
Harper
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
Winnipeg Free Press (subscription), Canada - 2 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no plans to introduce
legislation to protect officials and churches that refuse to deal with...
PM
denies possible Defence of Religions Act
Canoe.ca, Canada - 5 hours ago
By Bruce Cheadle. Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his
government has no plans to draw up legislation that would...
Harper
denies Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
News1130, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no
plans to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that
refuse to...
Harper
denies Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
680 News, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no
plans to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that
refuse to...
Harper denies
Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
Brandon Sun, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no
plans to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that
refuse to...
Harper
denies Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
Macleans, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no
plans to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that
refuse to...
Harper denies
Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
940 News, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no
plans to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that
refuse to...
Harper
denies Tory plan to boost rights of gay-marriage opponents
570 News, Canada - 5 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government has no
plans to draw up legislation that would protect officials and churches that
refuse to...
Harper
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
CBC.ca, Canada - 6 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no plans to introduce legislation
to protect officials and churches that refuse to deal with homosexuals.
Canada:
PM denies anti-gay rights plan
Gay NZ, New Zealand - 7 hours ago
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no plans to introduce legislation
to protect officials and churches that refuse to deal with homosexuals.
Harper
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
Montreal Gazette, Canada - 7 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to questions from the Opposition in the
House of Commons.
Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen...
Harper
denies plan to bolster rights of gay marriage opponents
Victoria Times Colonist, Canada - 7 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to questions from the Opposition in the
House of Commons.
Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen...
PM
denies possible Defence of Religions Act
Canoe.ca, Canada - 9 hours ago
Ottawa (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no plans to introduce
legislation to protect officials and churches that refuse to deal with...
Tories
under fire for gay marriage proposal
Edmonton Sun, Canada - 10 hours ago
By CP. Ottawa - A Conservative proposal to protect officials and churches
that refuse to cater to homosexuals is coming under fire - even from some Tories.
13. UN AIDS Envoy Can't Stomach Abstinence - October 13, 2005
Hi Friends and Neighbors;
There is a petition circulating that promotes Stephen Lewis as a candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize. Please review this article from Population Research Institute before signing. You be the judge.
Herm
http://www.pop.org/main.cfm?EID=871
14. United Mothers, Fathers & Friends Newsletter - October 14, 2006
Bill C-22 Raise the Age of Consent
Please Print Or Forward This Newsletter
Along To Others
"We have these sex tourism laws for Cambodia
and Thailand… when, in fact, we're becoming a sex tourism destination for Americans
because of our low age-of-consent laws." - Vic Toews
Take Action: 1 Click Letter
Great news! This fall Parliament has an opportunity to address child exploitation
by passing Bill C-22. This would raise the age of consent from 14 to 16. We
need you to speak out in support of this critical child protection bill.
Write A Letter - To send off your 1 click letter, go to
http://www.1clicklobbyist.ca/index.php?affid=216
(More information regarding Bill C-22 below.)
All it takes is 5 minutes to make a difference!
I) Details Of Bill C-22
II) Liberal Bill C-2: Problematic Child Protection Bill
III) Consequences Of Canada's Low Age Of Consent Law
IV) Top 10 Reasons For Raising The Age Of Consent
V) How Does Canada Compare To Other Nations?
VI) How Did Mps Vote On The Previous Age Of Consent Bill?
VII) Take Action: 1 Click Letter
Dear friend of the Family,
Since 1987, when the Mulroney government reduced the age of consent to 14,
many children's advocacy groups, law enforcement agencies, and provincial justice
minister's have spoken about the need for Canada to raise the age of consent
to protect children.
Parliament has failed to do so. In fact, when Conservative MP Art Hanger (the
new Justice Committee Chairman) tried on three different occasions over the
last dozen years to raise the age of consent, his private member's bills were
voted down with the help of Liberal Justice Ministers who vehemently opposed
raising it.
On June 22, 2006, Justice Minister Vic Toews introduced government Bill C-22.
Full text of Bill C-22 available here: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pub=bill&doc=C-22&parl=39&ses=1&language=E
I) Details Of Bill C-22
It has been dubbed the "Age of Protection" bill because its goal
is to protect young people from adult predators by raising the age of consent
from 14 to 16 years of age. It includes a close in age exemption of two years
for 12 & 13 years olds, and five years for 14 & 15 year olds. Thus,
it will not criminalize consenting sexual conduct between youth who are close
in age.
II) Liberal Bill C-2: Problematic Child Protection Bill
The previous government attempted to address child protection issues by signing into law, on July 21, 2005, Child Protection Bill C-2.
(http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-2/C-2_3/C-2_cover-E.html)
While the bill introduced some improvements to Canada's child protection legislation
it failed to raise the age of consent to 16. Instead, in an attempt to address
exploitation it introduced a new category of "exploitive relationships"
aimed at protecting 14 to 18 year olds. Unfortunately, this new category requires
judges to apply a complicated test that evaluates the sexual relationship between
a child as young as 14 and an adult. The test considers such criteria as the
age difference between the accused and the young person, and the degree of control
by the adult over the young person. Such a provision is too complex and cumbersome
to allow for an effective prosecution.
III) Consequences Of Canada's Low Age Of Consent Law
1. Canada Has Become A Child Sex Tourism Destination.
In 2005, a 31-year-old Texan man lured a 14-year-old Ottawa boy to a hotel for sex. Had the alleged incident occurred in Texas, where the age of consent is 17, this man might have been charged with sexually abusing a child, which carries a jail sentence of five to ninety-nine years. Because the incident occurred in Canada no sexual assault charges were laid. Rather he was charged with using a computer to lure a child under age 16, child abduction, and possession of child pornography (He had 288 pictures and movies of child pornography on his computer). In Canada abduction carries a maximum sentence of 5 years.
2. Cross Border Internet-Luring Is On The Rise.
A 38-year-old Pennsylvanian, crossed the border into Canada for a "date" with a 14-year-old Moncton area girl whom he had met on the Internet. He was arrested after being caught at a motel with the girl. However, after being held in jail over the weekend, he was released and the assault and child luring charges were dropped. Why? She was 14 years old. The age of consent in Canada.
http://www.iwar.org.uk/pipermail/infocon/2004-April/001291.html
University of Ottawa criminology professor Wade Deisman observes that incidents of cross-border internet-luring seem to be on the rise, and suggests that Canada's relatively low age of consent could have something to do with it."
http://www.c-a-s-e.net/Age%20of%20Consent%20Facts%20in%20Canada%20by%20Beyond%20Borders.htm
3. Canada Is Internationally Renowned For Being A Safe Haven For Pedophiles:
International Child Protection agency ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Pornography,
and Trafficking) has referred to Canada as "a haven for sexual predators
of children."
A 40-year-old Fort Saskatchewan Man had sex with a 14-year-old mentally handicapped
girl. He was acquitted of sexual assault charges by Court of Queen's Bench Justice
Philip Clarke because the judge was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt
that the girl had not given her consent to having sex three times with the accused.
A Vancouver teacher was reinstated after successfully appealing her lifetime
ban from teaching in the province for having sex with a 14-year-old male student
when she was 26. The court ruled that because her partner had ceased to be her
student before their intimate relations began, she had not violated the student-teacher
trust relationship. (National Post June 17, 2006, "Sexualizing the Classroom")
IV) Top 10 Reasons For Raising The Age Of Consent
1. It Will Protect Children, Prevent Abuse, And Stop Cross-Border Shopping.
By sending a clear message to predators in Canada, and abroad, that children
under age 16 are off limits, there will be a reduction in the number of abused
children and foreigners will no longer be able to take advantage of our low
age of consent.
2. Raising Canada's Age Of Consent Will Protect Vulnerable Youth.
"Statistics from Cybertip.ca and elsewhere show that, between the ages of 13 - 15, youth are at highest risk to being manipulated in sexual relationships. They are in a transitional stage of life, 'often taking risk with a sense of invincibility at the same time as they are looking for relationships.' Police officials observe that the average age for victims of sex crimes across the country is 14."
http://www.c-a-s-e.net/Age%20of%20Consent%20Facts%20in%20Canada%20by%20Beyond%20Borders.htm
3. Current Laws Are Unclear And Make It Very Difficult To Prosecute.
It is important for Canada's laws to be clear and predictable. Unfortunately, under this new system a person technically won't know he is breaking the law until he is arrested and a judge decides that he has in fact "exploited" a child. As MP Vic Toews said in reference to the new category of exploitive relationships, "That's an absolute nightmare to try and prosecute. Many children of that age don't even feel they're being exploited. They feel that they're in love."
4. It Will Prevent The Further Victimization Of Children By The Court System.
The drafters of Bill C-2 specifically chose to include provisions designed to protect children from further victimization by the courts. To their credit, they included provisions that prevent victims from having to confront their attackers in the courtroom and permit the use of closed circuit TV. These are tremendous strides in ensuring that those who have already been victimized will not be victimized a second time by the justice system. The great irony is that the creation of the "exploitive relationships" category will result in punishing cross examination of victims by defence attorneys as they attempt to shift responsibility for the relationship onto the shoulders of the victims.
5. Raising The Age Of Consent Would Help Prevent The Commercial Exploitation Of Children.
"Professional pimps often prey on naïve and disadvantaged youth, posing as boyfriends in order to recruit them into commercial exploitation. These pimps often choose to recruit youth who are over the age of consent but as young as possible in order to most easily manipulate them."
http://www.c-a-s-e.net/Age%20of%20Consent%20Facts%20in%20Canada%20by%20Beyond%20Borders.htm
6. It Would Protect 12- & 13-Year Olds From Abuse.
Did you know that the Criminal Code excuses adults who have sexual relations
with children as young as 12 years of age as long as the adult involved was
under the impression that the minor was at least 14 years of age, their relations
were consensual, and there was no abuse of position of authority of trust?
Bill C-22 contains a clause that would close this loophole. This type of defence
would no longer be valid unless the defendant could demonstrate that he took
all "reasonable steps to ascertain the age of the complainant."
In 2001 three white males in their 20's picked up a 12-year-old aboriginal girl outside a bar in Saskatchewan. The three men claimed the girl told them she was 14 and that they believed her. All three unsuccessfully attempted intercourse with the girl. Only one of them was found guilty of sexual assault and sentenced to house arrest rather than jail because the victim may have been seen as a "willing participant or "the aggressor" according to the judge. The other two were acquitted; however, that ruling has been appealed and the two are awaiting retrial.
7. It Would Permit Law Enforcement To Crack Down On Child Pornography.
Although the Criminal code states that you must be 18 to consent to explicit
photographs being taken, the Sharpe Supreme Court ruling in January 2001 stated
in essence that it was okay to take pictures of legal sexual activities. In
Canada these are defined as those of an adult with children 14 years and older.
Thus, law enforcement is unable to prosecute a lot of the child pornography
that is reported to Cybertips.ca because it involves "consensual"
images of children 14 - 17 years.
8. Raising Canada's Age Of Consent Will Empower Parents.
According to Commander Ross MacInnes of the Ontario Provincial Police porn unit, the current law prevents concerned parents, police and social service agencies from protecting or rescuing boys and girls who are coerced by older teens and adults. For example, whereas international protocol makes it possible to return a runaway 14-year-old Canadian girl from the U.S. or Mexico within 12 to 24 hours, there is nothing they can do to get her back from another Canadian city because of the current age of consent law.
9. Child Protection Organizations, The Canadian Police Association, And Provincial Justice Ministers Want It Raised.
In 2001, Ujjal Dosanjh (then BC Attorney General, now Liberal National Defence Critic) reported that 13 out of 13 justice ministers agreed that the age of consent should be raised from 14 to 16. The Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness published its Round Table Report in November 2004 including recommendation # 4-1 "to increase the age of general consent to 16."
10. John Robin Sharpe Loves Bill C-2.
Roz Prober, the President of Beyond Borders (ECPAT), stated, "To the great disappointment of all law enforcement, and no doubt our provincial Justice Minister, Bill C-2 has a flaw which sends a message of carry on business as usual to those with a sexual interest in teenagers, by leaving the age of protection at 14. You cannot prevent crime or protect children with a vague arbitrary law, forcing police and judges on a case-to-case basis to infer what is exploitive sexual activity with kids 14 to 18 and what is not. John Robin Sharpe loves this proposed law and on his website gives it a pedophile thumbs up for the very same reason Beyond Borders opposes it. It does not criminalize all adult sex with teens and it will permit aggressive, punishing cross-examination of victims on consent in our "win at all costs" adversarial system. The result will be victories for pedophiles in precedent setting cases.
V) How Does Canada Compare To Other Nations?
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recommends that 18 is the proper age of consent.
Presently, the age of concent varies for a number of nations, as seen below:
Girls in Peru: 12 years old
Boys in Peru: 14 years old
Canada and Hungary: 14 years old
Argentina, Denmark, France and Sweden: 15 years old
Australia, Bahamas, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, and Federally in the US: 16
years old
Girls in Indonesia and Pakistan: 16 years old
Boys in Pakistan: 18 years old
Boys in Indonesia: 19 years old
State of Texas: 17 years old
India: 18 years old
Tunisia: 20 years old
VI) How Did Parties & Mps Vote On The Previous Age Of Consent Bill?
On September 28, 2005, Conservative MP Rick Casson tried to raise the age of
consent with Bill C-313. Unfortunately, this private member's bill was defeated
by a vote of 167 - 99.
It is interesting to note how the parties voted! Almost all Conservative MPs
supported it, except for one; close to half of the NDPs supported it; only 7
of the 100+ Liberal MPs did; and none of the 50+ BLOC MPs supported raising
the age of consent.
To see how your incumbent MP voted previously, visit our www.FamilyVote.ca website.
VII) Take Action: 1 Click Letter
We need you to speak out in support of this critical child protection bill.
Write A Letter - To send off your 1 click letter, go to: http://www.1clicklobbyist.ca/index.php?affid=216
All it takes is 5 minutes to make a difference!
We Need Your Support! If you appreciate
our efforts, newsletter and technology please support us as we work to defend
family, faith and freedom!
To become a quarterly donor of $25, $50, or $100 every 3 months, or to make
a one-time donation using our secure server, please visit http://www.unitedmothers.ca/donate.php
If you prefer to make your donation by cheque please mail it to:
United Mothers Inc
P.O. Box 234
339 10th Avenue S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
T2G 0W2
Please Print Or Forward This Newsletter
Along To Others
Michele Dow
15. United Mothers, Fathers & Friends Newsletter - October 28, 2006
Meet the Candidates Part 2: Victor Doerksen
Please Forward This Newsletter Along To Others
I) Victor Doerksen - Alberta by Design
II) Buy an Alberta Conservative Membership Today!
III) Election Details
Dear friend of the family,
This week's action item: Sign up family & friends!
Invite family members (spouse, parents, children 16+, brothers, sisters, aunts,
uncles, and grandparents) to get a $5 Alberta Conservative membership so they
can help choose the next premier of our province.
Memberships can be purchased through any candidate's campaign headquarters,
or online with Visa or MC (Until November 8)
at: http://secure.albertapc.ab.ca/public/custom/join/step1.cfm.
Over the coming weeks we will be sharing information provided by the candidates
about their vision of Alberta. Last week we introduced Dr. Ted Morton: www.tedmorton.ca.
In our second installment…
I) Victor Doerksen - Alberta by Design
With the right vision and plan, Alberta has unlimited
potential. My policy platform, Alberta By Design, is a sustainable, financially
viable and detailed plan for moving our province ahead. I invite you to read
more about my platform, Alberta By Design, at: www.voteforvictor.ca.
Biography:
Victor Doerksen was first elected in 1993 and has served as the MLA for Red
Deer South ever since. He was appointed Minister of Innovation and Science in
2001 and again in 2004.
Prior to political life, Victor was trained as a CGA
and worked as a computer programmer/analyst and spent many years in the banking
industry.
Victor, 52, is actively involved in the community
and on a number of volunteer boards. He and his wife Doris enjoy hiking and
spending time with their family, which includes four children, one son-in-law,
and three grandchildren.
Policy Statement:
Leadership is about setting a vision and plan for
Alberta that addresses our challenges and opportunities and, most importantly,
it is about ensuring Party members have real input into government policies
for that plan. My policies reflect my commitment to those leadership principles.
These policy ideas are grouped into key focus areas:
Renewed fiscal discipline - returning the Alberta
government's focus to a sustainable financial plan. My policies include:
· A new accounting for our resource revenue.
· Creation of an infrastructure-planning program.
· Phasing out health care premiums beginning in Budget 2007.
Accountability in Health Care
- providing the direction, accountability and long term plan for an accessible
and affordable universal health care system. My policies include:
· A new $25 Billion Health Trust.
· A new health innovation and research fund for complementary medicine.
· Refreshing A Framework for Reform, the 2001 Report of the Premier's Advisory Council on Health.
Supporting Parental Roles - providing parents
with the tools and programs that support their choices for their families in
their homes and their communities. My policies for families include:
· A new $300 million Child Care Option program.
· A new sport and recreation element to the Child Health Benefit that supports participation in physical activity programs.
· Regulation of the charging of school fees.
· A 75/25 percent split in property tax revenue and sharing gaming and liquor revenue with municipalities.
· Increasing the tax credit for individuals providing unpaid elder care.
Conservation - providing the tools, protection
and policy to provide for the conservation of our natural resources, our agricultural
land base and our clean environment, with a focus on water management. My policies
include:
· Full implementation and funding of the Water for Life Strategy.
· Development of a clear economic signal for water.
· A legislated provincial Blue Box recycling program.
· Support for the Life Sciences Institute to develop new products and opportunities from agricultural and forestry feedstocks.
Meaningful Party Membership - ensuring the
ideas and input of Albertans are included, in a real way, in government policy.
My policies include:
· Regional policy conferences and enhanced use of technology for communications.
· An end to regional caucuses.
· Enhanced opportunities for Private Members Bills.
I invite you to read more about my platform, Alberta By Design, at: www.voteforvictor.ca.
Campaign office information:
2B 4909 - 48 Street
Red Deer AB T4N 1S8
Ph: 403-309-9963
Fax: 403-309-5998
Web: www.voteforvictor.ca
II) Buy an Alberta Conservative Membership Today!
How do I Purchase a $5 Membership?
If you are supporting Victor Doerksen you can purchase a membership on line using a credit card at: http://www.voteforvictor.ca/buyAMembership.cfm.
Memberships can also be purchased:
1. Through any candidate's campaign headquarters
2. Through your constituency association
3. By phone, toll free, 1-800-263-3408 with Visa or MasterCard
4. Online with Visa or MC (Until November 8) at:
http://secure.albertapc.ab.ca/public/custom/join/step1.cfm
5. At the polling station on Election Days (including advance polls)
6. Through the PCAA offices in Edmonton and Calgary
(More information available at: http://www.albertapc.ab.ca/admin/contentx/default.cfm?PageId=3)
III) Election Details
When will the election be held?
IMPORTANT: You likely will need to vote twice, so put
both dates on your calendar!
Saturday, November 25, 2006 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (first ballot)
(Saturday, December 2, 2006 second ballot if required)
Can I vote in an advance poll?
Yes! Monday, 20 November, 2006 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
(Wednesday, 29 November, 2006 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. if second ballot required.)
Where do I vote?
At a polling station within your constituency. Locations are available at this
website: http://www.albertapc.ab.ca/admin/contentx/default.cfm?PageId=4423
Who are the candidates?
Edward Stelmach: http://www.stelmach.ca
Dr. Ted Morton: http://www.tedmorton.ca
Victor Doerksen: http://www.voteforvictor.ca
Dr. Lyle Oberg: http://www.lyleoberg.com
Gary McPherson: http://www.garymcpherson.com
Jim Dinning: http://www.jimdinning.ca
Mark Norris: http://www.marknorris.ca
Dave Hancock: http://davehancockcrew.ca
Thanks for getting involved and making a difference in the future of our
province! - Michele Dow
16. We Are Making Progress In Restoring Marriage In Canada! - October 16,
2006
It Is Still An Uphill Fight, But We Are Making Progress In Restoring Marriage In Canada!
Everyone Can Help!
Dear Defender of Marriage,
The showdown over whether to re-open the decision to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada and this time to fully and fairly consider its consequences for our future is still on track for a vote in Parliament before Christmas.
At this time, while it still appears that as of now the vote would fall short of a majority, there are some encouraging signs that the momentum may be shifting in our direction. That difference is the broader emphasis on the rights of children that was almost totally ignored in the debate when Bill C-38 passed. The media are beginning to pick up on this and more and more Canadians are thinking about the consequences of what we have done.
We Canadians rightly pride ourselves on our concern for individual rights and for our dedication to tolerance. The Liberal Government played upon this aspect of our national character by framing the debate over legalizing same-sex marriage as exclusively an adult right, something that if we did not grant to homosexuals violated their rights and condoned intolerance.
The Liberals ignored, suppressed or belittled any debate about the impact on children and the larger interests of society from legally eliminating any recognition of the importance to a child's development of being raised by both a father and a mother if at all possible. Their position is that "parents" are interchangeable and their sex does not matter, even though the overwhelming evidence from the social sciences shows that it is indeed critical.
It may be that I have a better appreciation of this debate because I am a practicing physician and have also served in Parliament. I see everyday that men and women are different in profoundly important ways. They react differently, their brains are wired differently: they are different psychologically and physiologically as well as physically.
It stands to reason then, that a child raised by a man and a woman is going to develop differently than one raised by either a single or by two "parents" of the same sex. And the evidence is clear and uncontestable that children raised by their married biological parents do the best by far on any measure of wellbeing compared to any other parenting situation.
Based on my service in Parliament, I find the position of many of our elected
officials to oppose even re-opening the debate over whether we should have legalized
same sex marriage to be both troubling and irresponsible. Their refusal to
consider all the facts says at least one of several things about them:
· They have already evaluated all of this evidence on their own before
voting on C-38 and found it unpersuasive (they would have had to evaluate it
on their own because it was never fully considered in the debate!).
· They understand the evidence that children do best raised by their
married biological parents, but the rights of children to be raised in this
situation are outweighed by the rights and desires of adults.
· They know that although children are our future, they do not care.
· They are simply tired of the issue and do not want to invest the mental
energy and endure the pressure to reconsider the issue no matter how important
it might be.
I could go on, but there is not a single good reason not to at least thoroughly and fairly look at the all evidence when there is so much at stake. Not to do so is irresponsible and a violation of the public trust.
The visits that thousands of Canadians made to their MPs over the past months have had an impact. The growing realization that legalizing same sex marriage raises more complex and much more complicated rights questions than had originally been recognized is also having an impact. It looks now like the vote, which had been expected to come in the next few weeks will now be put off until into December.
This means that we still have time to demand that our MPs act responsibly on this critical issue.
You can do the following to help:
· Continue to contact your MPs on this issue. If they are opposed to
reconsideration of the same-sex marriage issue, ask them to tell you in detail
why and why it is not worth considering the rights of children.
· Help spread the word to everyone else you know. The more Canadians
who understand the importance of considering this issue fairly and thoroughly,
the more pressure we will be able to bring on Parliament when the time comes
to vote. An easy way to do this is to forward this newsletter on to everyone
on your list.
· If you have not yet joined the tens of thousands of Canadians who
have signed our "National Petition to Restore Marriage" please do
so. We will be presenting this petition to MPs just before the showdown vote.
Click here
to sign.
Thank you for what so many of you are doing in what is literally the battle for Canada's future. This is a fight we can and must win!
Sincerely,
The Hon. Dr. Grant Hill, P.C.
Coordinator, Restore Marriage Project
P.S. You can help even more by making a generous contribution to support our
efforts to restore marriage in Canada. For information on mailing us a contribution,
click
here.
Special Reminder!
Please Sign the Restore Marriage Canada Petition
Over 35,000 Canadians have already signed our National Petition to Restore Marriage. This petition will be presented to every MP before the critical vote Prime Minister Harper has promised on whether to reconsider the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada.
If you have not yet signed this petition, please click here and do so. It takes just a few minutes. If you have signed it, please pass urge others to do so as well. You can do that by forwarding this newsletter on to others on your list with a short note from you or you can use the special feature on our Web site, which makes it easy to send a suggested alert to them. Click here to access this feature.
Please forward this on to others!
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23. Secular Franciscan Order (SFO)
The First, Second and Third Quarter Newsletters have been posted and the Fourth Quarter will be done soon. Thank you for your patience.
24. Sobey's Receipts Are Valuable
Please don't throw away your Sobey's receipts. Click here and see why!
Amount of receipts collected to date: $537,911.68
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