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1. The Calgary Congress - September 3, 2006
With summer over, it's time to register for the Calgary Congress, so you can help set a new direction for Canada.
And if you register now (http://ccfd.ca/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=187) you can still enjoy the special rate of $285. After Friday, it rises to $310. So act now. Registration is filling up. (Special rates for students and families.)
The Calgary Congress is a major national project of the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy. It's stirring big interest across Canada (see speakers list below).
It's a grassroots event - similar in some ways to the historic 1987 Western Assembly that launched the Reform Party. This time the aim is not to start a new party. It's to create a national vision that can release the incredible potential of this country and get Canada back on track.
This citizens' assembly will debate and resolve whether there should be constitutional limits on federal spending, provincial control of a reformed Senate, and greater democratic influence over the Supreme Court.
The purpose is to shift 's political focus from national entitlements and handouts to principles of limited government, greater provincial responsibility, and more effective democratic control of governments.
For more details, visit www.CalgaryCongress.ca, or email us at contact@ccfd.ca
Calgary Congress Co-chairs:
Danielle Smith, executive director, Alberta Property Rights Initiative
Link Byfield, chairman of the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy
Moderator:
Andrew Crooks, Calgary lawyer.
Constitutional consultant:
Burton Kellock, Toronto lawyer with Blake, Cassels and Graydon
Political/Constitutional speakers:
Premier Ralph Klein (keynote address Saturday evening)
Preston Manning (Saturday lunchtime address)
Jason Kenney, Calgary MP, parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister (Friday
evening greetings)
Ian MacDonald, editor Policy Options Magazine, Montreal
Barry Cooper, U of Calgary political philosophy professor
Ted Morton, Alberta MLA (Foothills - Rockyview)
Bert Brown, Alberta senator-elect
Vincent Polio, businessman and lawyer, Verdun, Quebec
Lorne Taylor, businessman, former minister Alberta Environment
Leon Craig, political philosophy professor emeritus, U of Alberta (Sunday lunchtime address). (In addition to the main program, there will be a one-hour Alberta PC leadership bear-pit session on federal reform with candidates Lyle Oberg and Ted Morton at 4 p.m. Saturday.)
Economic speakers:
Tasha Kheiriddin, the Montreal Economic Institute
Jason Clemens, the Fraser Institute, Vancouver
Brian Crowley, Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, Halifax
Peter Hole, Frontier Centre for Public Policy, Winnipeg
David MacKinnon, Ontario consultant on issues of fiscal federalism, Toronto.
2. Canadian Bishop Fred Henry: "Homosexual Lifestyle... Is Unwholesome And Immoral"
Notes that Canadians are "unaware of the adverse effects already posed by" current legislation"; lists effects - By John-Henry Westen
CALGARY, September 12, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary has written a pastoral letter which calls on Catholics to "push back" in the battle against traditional marriage in Canada. The article, written in the forthright and courageous style Canadian Catholics have come to expect from Bishop Henry, explains that the Church approaches the issue from a standpoint of love.
Thus in his first point about the "adverse effects" of the same sex 'marriage' legislation, Bishop Henry cites the concern for those Canadians who engage in homosexual sexual practices which are dangerous for their well being. "The homosexual lifestyle must now be treated as wholesome and legitimate, when in reality, it is unwholesome and immoral."
The bishop noted that even among those who oppose same sex 'marriage' "many... are unaware of the adverse effects already posed by our current legislation."
In addition to the above-mentioned adverse effect, Bishop Henry noted that:
"The traditional family has its status and necessary privileges questioned.
"Freedom of speech is threatened for those who oppose same-sex 'marriage'
in public."
"Civil servants unwilling to cooperate with same sex 'marriage' - such
as marriage commissioners in B.C., Saskatchewan and other provinces - are dismissed."
"Adoption of children by 'gays' and lesbians is 'legal.'
"'Gay' activists have now demanded successfully in B.C. that the curriculum
be changed to suit their agenda."
Bishop Henry warns that we are headed for, and in fact are in the midst of, further attacks on marriage. He recalls cases and bills seeking equality for "the recognition and equality of what are called transgendered and transvestite people... for the acceptance of polygamy (more than one wife) and polyandry (more than one husband)."
"The legal acceptance of so-called same sex 'marriage'", says the Calgary Bishop, "should be seen in the light of many years of agitation for the promotion of the homosexual lifestyle."
Concluding, Bishop Henry states: "We now find ourselves confronted by a false way of thinking, which has weakened the moral fabric of our society, and attacked the social primacy of the family. It is time to push back."
He calls on Christians to "pray every day for the institution of traditional marriage in Canada," to contact politicians insisting they restore the traditional definition of marriage, and that they study and be faithful to the Church's teachings on marriage.
See the full article by Bishop Henry: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/060912a.html
3. Here's A Twist To Same-Sex Definition - Herm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213720,00.html
4. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #288 - September 3, 2006
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net/)
Dear Friends for Life,
I arrived back in Japan on the 29th of August after presenting a two-week lecture tour in Sri Lanka on Pro Family / Pro Life Issues. The situation is very dangerous, even in Colombo, the capital; however, the people were very kind and the lectures a success. Many thanks to all who helped set up the program. Our prayers are and will always be with you.
God Bless, Fr. Jerry, omi
(Quote) "What I do you cannot do but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." - Mother Teresa.
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #288 - September 3, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. South Korea: Lowest Birthrate In The World
2. Beyond Babies
3. Souls On Ice: America's Embryo Glut And The Wasted Promise Of Stem Cell Research
4. British Stem Cell Researchers Condemn Clinics Using "Abortion Cosmetics"
5. Malta Pro-Life Group Wants To Strengthen Nation's Laws Against Abortions
6. Teen Suicide Epidemic Puzzles The Netherlands: It Shouldn't
7. New California Gay Anti-Bias Law Assailed
8. Condom Use: Risky Business: Unprotected 'Serious' Sex
9. Babes In Thailand Rapists Needn't Leave U.S.
10. No Sex, Please: We're Teenagers
[Website: Family Life Institute] http://www.familylifeinstitute.com/. The purpose of this site is to serve families within their homes. The site presents a series of articles on topics related to marriage and family as well as excerpts from books and manuals that are made available through the Family Life Institute.
Item #1. 21st Century Slavery
South Korea: Lowest Birthrate in the World - By Peter J. Smith
SEOUL, August 28, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - South Korea now claims the lowest birthrate in the world according to South Korea's National Statistical Office, which confirms population data just released by an independent study.
According to the Korean Herald, the National Statistical Office (NSO) has announced that the South Korea's total fertility rate dropped to 1.08 last year, and reports the number of newborns has also dropped nearly 8 percent to 438,000. The fertility rate is the lowest in the world, and broke South Korea's 2004 record of 1.16.
The statistics confirm the ominous data released in the "2006 world census" on August 17 by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), which estimated South Korea's birthrate slightly higher at 1.1.
The country's birthrate has steadily dropped over the decades from 4.53 in 1970 to the current level, which is half the replacement rate of 2.2 required to maintain its population level.
Even South Korea's neighbor, Japan, has a higher birthrate of 1.25, and demographers estimate Japan's declining population will plummet from its current 128 million people to an estimated 101 million by 2050. If South Korea continues along these lines, its population of 48.5 million will decrease by 13 percent to 42.3 million in 2050.
By contrast, demographers expect North Korea's population with a fertility rate of 2.0 to increase from 23.10 million as of the middle of the year to 26.40 million in 2050.
The NSO statistics show that not only have Korean women given birth to fewer babies in recent years, but the average age of mothers giving birth to their first child has also increased. Many first time mothers have delayed marriage and children due to more active participation in the economy, which has considerably diminished the available window of childbearing years.
For the first time in history, South Korean women aged 30 to 39 gave birth to more babies than women in their 20s last year. NSO data reveals these mothers in their 30s contributed to more than half of the total births for 2005, higher than the 47.7 percent of births from younger women.
The government has unveiled a plan to offer bigger tax incentives for households with two or more children in order to arrest the declining birth rate. The economics package, however, also includes more welfare measures for married couples, as if more day care services, preschool education, and improved child care facilities will be enough to encourage South Koreans to want more children.
Item #2. Beyond Babies
Even in once conservative societies, more and more couples are choosing not
to have kids. That means good things for restaurants and real estate. But a
backlash has already begun.
View full text at MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14535863/site/newsweek/
Item #3. Souls On Ice: America's Embryo Glut And
The Wasted Promise Of Stem Cell Research
[How 500,000 frozen embryos are forcing us to rethink life, choice, and reproductive
freedom.]
Aanis Elspas is a mother of four. Unlike most parents, she had three of her children simultaneously. The nine-year-old triplets were born in 1997 after Elspas underwent a series of in vitro fertilization treatments for infertility. Her oldest child, 10, is the happy result of a prior ivf treatment round. Elspas worked hard to get her children, and is grateful to have them. But four, thanks very much, are plenty. The problem is that Elspas also has 14 embryos left over from the treatment that produced her 10-year-old. The embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen at a California frozen storage facility-she is not entirely sure where-while Elspas and her husband ponder what to do with them.
Give them away to another couple, to gestate and bear? Her own children's full biological siblings-raised in a different family? Donate them to scientific research? Let them finally lapse?
View full text at Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/07/souls_on_ice.html
Item #4. British Stem Cell Researchers Condemn
Clinics Using "Abortion Cosmetics"
Leading stem cell research scientists in England are condemning a handful of
clinics around the world that are attracting British women and others by offering
face lifts and cosmetic surgery using tissue from babies who have been killed
by abortions.
Women like Susan Barrington, a 52-year-old housewife from England, are heading to places such as Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Moscow and Rotterdam to obtain the treatments.
She has been given the final go-ahead form a local clinic to travel abroad for the treatment that promises to make her look 10 years younger and doesn't mind that lives have been sacrificed to enhance her beauty.
But the scientists, including Professor Colin Blakemore of the UK Stem Cell Funders Forum and Lord Patel of the Steering Committee for the UK Stem Cell Bank wrote a letter to the London Times condemning the practices.
View full text at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2547.html
Item #5. Malta Pro-Life Group Wants To Strengthen
Nation's Laws Against Abortions
The pro-life group in the European island nation of Malta wants to strengthen
the nation's pro-life laws on abortion. Malta is one of the few European nations
to make abortion illegal and the pro-life group wants to enshrine the law in
the nation's constitution and make it more difficult to overturn it.
Gift of Life has launched an online petition calling for the right to life starting at conception to become a part of the constitution.
View full text at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2546.html
Item #6. Teen Suicide Epidemic Puzzles The Netherlands:
It Shouldn't By Wesley J. Smith
This is an excellent column (http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2006/08/25/learning-from-deadly-dutch-mistakes)
by Colleen Carroll Campbell, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center
(EPPC). Apparently, a teenage "suicide craze" has hit the Netherlands
and the government wonders why. But Campbell knows. The Dutch do "not seem
to grasp the obvious," she writes. "The law is a teacher and Dutch
law has taught its young citizens well. The radical and sweeping embrace of
suicide as an answer to the problem of human suffering, and the elevation of
euthanasia to the status of a basic human right, has convinced Dutch teenagers
that suicide must be a noble act, the kind that wins plaudits, prestige, and
even legal protection.
"Adults can preach all they want about the evils of suicide to their teenage charges, but when asked why suicide is wrong for some people in some situations while fine for others, supporters of Dutch euthanasia laws will be hard pressed to offer an answer that passes muster with any reasonably intelligent 12-year-old. So Dutch children will continue to see suicide as a reasonable, even admirable solution to the difficulties of daily life.
And the culture of death in the Netherlands will march on."
This seems unassailable, to me. And we see the same paradigm beginning to unfold in Oregon where the Department of Health is worried about a spike in elder suicide (http://www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/2006/05/clueless-oregon-should-connect-dots.html). Either killing is an acceptable answer to human suffering of whatever cause, or it isn't. Mixed messages don't stick.
Item #7. New California Gay Anti-Bias Law Assailed
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week made it illegal for state-funded
service providers, such as police and fire departments and universities, to
discriminate against homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered persons.
Senate Bill 1441, signed into law Monday by Mr. Schwarzenegger, "closes a crucial gap" in state civil rights law, said lead sponsor state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, who was backed by Equality California, a homosexual rights group.
But conservative groups say it will allow attacks on organizations that believe homosexuality is unnatural or sinful, and is an "assault" on religious freedom.
The new law will "force religious colleges to either abandon their biblical standards on sexuality or reject students with state financial aid," said Randy Thomasson, president of the Campaign for Children and Families.
Numerous Christian colleges, such as Westmont College, Shasta Bible College, Trinity Law School and William Jessup University, asked Mr. Schwarzenegger to veto the bill, he said.
Source at The Washington Times: http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060830-111902-6306r.htm
Item #8. Condom Use: Risky Business: Unprotected
'Serious' Sex
Many young people are careful to use condoms with casual partners, but a new
study suggests that they are less so with their main partner. The problem, the
researchers found, is that it is common for many young people to be in what
they consider a committed relationship but still have sex with other people.
Comment: How much spiritually and emotionally worse can many of our young people get? And how nuts is today's culture? Nancy Valko, RN
View full article at The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/health/29adol.html?ref=science
Item #9. Babes In Thailand Rapists Needn't Leave
U.S.
So what if minor girls can't buy emergency contraceptives without a prescription?
Their rapists can.
When last week the FDA authorized over-the-counter access of ECs to women 18 and older, it also authorized over-the-counter access to men 18 and older.
Why would men buy ECs?
Ask Thailand, where ECs have been marketed for 20 years.
In Thailand, ECs are advertised in men's magazines.
In Thailand, several studies corroborate what researchers for the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health found, that "the majority of purchasers are men buying EC for women. Women, especially adolescents, said that they feel ashamed to purchase EC themselves."
View full text at WorldNetDaily.com http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51738
Item #10. No Sex, Please: We're Teenagers
"It's a waste of time; they're all going to do it anyway." That was
the response to a comment I made to the woman next to me about the then-new
abstinence instruction in high school sex education classes. We were at a civic
meeting in a West coast city several years ago and struck up a conversation.
She was an officer of the local chapter of Planned Parenthood. It was soon clear
to me she was committed to the belief that all teenagers rut like weasels.
I assumed that a bell curve would be at work in the matter of teenage sex, as with most other human activities. That is, perhaps 15 to 20 percent of the students would be persuaded to abstain as a result of the teaching (aided by parents), about 15-20 percent would ignore it and regularly indulge their raging hormones, and the rest would fall in between.
Abstinence education is about a decade old now and has expanded from its modest beginnings. The Planned Parenthood lady and her colleagues don't much care whether the kids are having sex (inasmuch as they think it is universally inevitable); they concentrate on preventing babies. They campaign tirelessly for free condom handouts in high school and, if the condoms fail, there is always abortion.
Though Planned Parenthood would no doubt deny it, teenage sex has declined as abstinence programs have increased. The American Enterprise Institute, which has been tracking data on this for over a decade, recently reported a University of Chicago study showing that the percentage of high school students who had ever had sex dropped from 59 percent to 46 percent between 1989 and 2001.
View full text at Spectator: http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10279.
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: October - Philippines;
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
5. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #289 - September 10, 2006
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
In the United States, most Oregon State suicides are due to depression. The state of Oregon has released its latest annual report noting that there were 38 assisted suicides reported there last year. The typical patient is a white male, age 70, with cancer, who has a college education. Some others suffer from AIDS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. While many patients cite depression as their reason for asking to be killed, only two of the 38 received psychological evaluations prior to being given the lethal drugs. This is a tragedy and an outrage. Clinical depression is a biochemical illness, which in most cases can be successfully treated with medication. The law does not require such psychiatric evaluation and treatment, and so this looks like a convenient way to get rid of grandpa.
Italy may legalize RU-486. Italy's new Premier Romano Prodi is expected to ask that his nation legalize this dangerous abortion drug. It has now been responsible for the deaths of 12 women worldwide, 7 in the US, 2 in Britain, and 1 each in Canada, Sweden and France. In the US alone more than 950 women have been injured from the drug, some requiring emergency surgery, blood transfusions and other medical attention. Italy's new Health Minister Livia Turco has stated that the drug should be sold in Italy.
Pope Benedict XVI, speaking in Valencia, Spain, drew more than 1 million people when he spoke there defending pro-life values. This was a definite clash with the policies of Prime Minister Jose Zapatero, who has been pushing abortion.
God Bless, Fr. Jerry, omi
(Quote) "Finding new ways to welcome and integrate immigrants into parish life can only make us a stronger and more united church." - Arizona's Bishops.
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #289 - September 10, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. 'Vegetative' Woman's Brain Shows Surprising Activity
2. Clinic Assists Doctor's Suicide
3. Last Rites For The Euthanasia Debate
4. Patient Loses "Right-To-Food" Case
5. Texas Medical Board Adopts Parental Consent Form
6. A Note On Twinning
7. Embryo Destruction Versus Abortion
8. Adult Stem Cell Research Provides Help For Children With Brain Tumors
9. Chile Distributes Morning After Pill For Free, Catholic Church Opposed
10. Plan B Manufacturer Admits Morning After Pill Can Cause Death Of An Embryo
11. EU Sounds Alarm On 20-Million Worker Shortfall By 2030
Website: International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide - http://www.iaetf.org/. Addressing the issues of euthanasia, assisted suicide, advance directives, assisted suicide proposals, "right-to-die" cases, euthanasia practices in the Netherlands, disability rights, pain control and much, much more.
Item #1. 'Vegetative' Woman's Brain Shows Surprising
Activity
According to all the tests, the young woman was deep in a "vegetative state"
- completely unresponsive and unaware of her surroundings. But then a team of
scientists decided to do an unprecedented experiment, employing sophisticated
technology to try to peer behind the veil of her brain injury for any signs
of conscious awareness.
Without any hint that she might have a sense of what was happening, the researchers put the woman in a scanner that detects brain activity and told her that in a few minutes they would say the word "tennis," signaling her to imagine she was serving, volleying and chasing down balls. When they did, the neurologists were shocked to see her brain "light up" exactly as an uninjured person's would. It happened again and again. And the doctors got the same result when they repeatedly cued her to picture herself wandering, room to room, through her own home.
"I was absolutely stunned," said Adrian M. Owen, a British neurologist who led the team reporting the case in today's issue of the journal Science. "We had no idea whether she would understand our instructions. But this showed that she is aware."
Read entire article at washingtonpost.com:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/07/AR2006090700978.html?sub=AR
Item #2. Clinic Assists Doctor's Suicide
A retired doctor has taken her own life with the help of doctors at a controversial
Swiss clinic.
Dr Anne Turner, from Bath, had a progressive and incurable degenerative disease called supranuclear palsy.
She travelled to the Dignitas clinic in Zurich on Tuesday, where doctors gave her drugs with which to end her life.
Dr Turner, 66, who invited the BBC to travel with her to Switzerland, could only walk with a stick and faced a future in a wheelchair.
Dismissing concerns that many people might argue that she was far from an invalid, she said that for her death would be a release.
But opponents of assisted suicide said it was wrong to take human life in this way - and argued that good quality palliative care was the right approach.
View full text at BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4625538.stm
Item #3. Last Rites For The Euthanasia Debate
John Ferguson writes: Philip Nitschke, Australia's self-styled euthanasia
guru, clearly knows a sucker when he sees one.
No doubt, he is also aware he needs to latch on to anything he can in his drive to resuscitate a dying cause.
A decade after the Northern Territory voluntary euthanasia legislation was thrown out by Canberra, the euthanasia issue has stalled.
Evidence of its demise can be found in Nitschke's own propaganda.
Barely a dozen people, joined by two dogs, marked the 10th anniversary of the voluntary euthanasia legislation's enactment in Darwin in July.
View full text at Herald-Sun:
http://mail.google.com/mail/?auth=DQAAAHYAAAAE3PFiSk48aDmdf--3zKRONejU4ErM109T0bDpXQ8-9KSRVfxauRVwLGiDmgun9Piot80TQgPBTGEnN5Nv8s_diFglB68L2k1aXQnLbjBh8Xbbuv3j8O5X7chw4vNeczVWU8ozL9z9IB6pEGHbC_004RpVzvXgWn9mIPK4--G_KA
Item #4. Patient Loses "Right-To-Food"
Case
A terminally ill patient has lost the last stage of a legal challenge for the
right to receive nutrition and drink when he is close to death, his lawyers
said on Tuesday.
Leslie Burke, 46, who has a degenerative brain condition, fears artificial nutrition could be stopped against his wishes when he cannot talk anymore.
Burke was seeking to overturn a ruling made by the Court of Appeal in London last year, which said it would be lawful for doctors to refuse him artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH).
But the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg said in a written Judgement released to Burke and the government last week that it had declined his appeal.
Burke learnt of the court's decision while attending the funeral of his brother in Ireland who died after suffering from the same genetic condition, Friedreich's Ataxia.
View full text at News.scotsman.com: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1151812006
Item #5. Texas Medical Board Adopts Parental Consent
Form
The Texas Medical Board last week adopted rules requiring physicians to gain
written and notarized parental consent before performing an abortion on a minor,
the Houston Chronicle reports (Ross Hughes, Houston Chronicle, 9/1). Under a
state law, which Gov. Rick Perry (R) signed in June 2005, physicians are required
to obtain signed consent from a parent or guardian before performing an abortion
on a minor. Failure to follow the law can result in a license violation.
For more information go to Kaiser: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=39607
Item #6. A Note On Twinning
Some have claimed that the phenomenon of monozygotic twinning shows that the
human embryo in the first several days of its gestation is not a human individual.
The suggestion is that as long as twinning can occur, what exists is not yet
a unitary human being, but only a mass of cells-each cell totipotent and allegedly
independent of the others.
It is true that if a cell or group of cells is detached from the whole at an early stage of embryonic development, what is detached can sometimes become a distinct organism, but this does nothing to show that before detachment the cells within the human embryo constituted only an incidental mass. Consider the parallel case (discussed by Aristotle) of division of a flatworm. Parts of a flatworm have the potential to become a whole flatworm when isolated from the present whole of which they form a part. Yet no one would suggest that prior to the division the original flatworm was not a unitary individual.
In the first two weeks of embryonic development, the cells of the developing
human being already manifest a degree of specialization or differentiation.
From the very beginning, even at the two-cell stage, the cells differ in the
cytoplasm received from the original ovum. Also, they are differentiated by
their position within the embryo. In mammals, even in the unfertilized ovum,
there is already an "animal" pole (from which the nervous system and
eyes develop) and a "vegetal" pole (from which the future "lower"
organs and the gut develop). After the initial cleavage, the cell coming from
the "animal" pole is probably the primordium of the nervous system
and the other senses, and the cell coming from the "vegetal" pole
is probably the primordium of the digestive system. Moreover, the relative position
of a cell from the very beginning (that is, from the first cleavage) has an
effect on its functioning. Monozygotic twinning usually occurs at the blastocyst
stage, in which there
clearly is a differentiation of the inner cell mass and the trophoblast that
surrounds it (from which the placenta develops).
View full text at Ethics & Medics: http://www.ncbcenter.org/em/0609-3.aspx
ITEM #7. Embryo Destruction Versus Abortion
Several prominent anti-abortion politicians, including Orrin Hatch and Bill
Frist, joined the Senate majority in endorsing the public funding of embryonic
stem cell research. To the casual observer it might appear that the arguments
against abortion must be stronger than those against publicly funding the destruction
of embryos. This conclusion, however, would be mistaken. The funding of destructive
embryo research is actually worse than legal abortion.
Some might disagree, arguing that the continuing identity of a developing being means that embryo research cannot be better or worse than abortion. The politicians are wrong to say it is not as bad as abortion, but it is also wrong to say that it is worse. "All stages of life are stages of the same being. Each of us was once a human embryo. Each of us is just a human embryo that has grown up. And we have been alive the whole time we have been growing and developing-that is, since fertilization. If one of us had been killed at any time before we were born, a human life would have been lost. So abortion and lethal research on embryos are equally bad.";
Others might argue that, if there is any difference, abortion is the worse of the two. For abortion involves not only killing but also betrayal. In abortion, parents destroy an unborn child entrusted to them, who depends on them, a child whom they have a moral duty to nurture. By contrast, the scientist who dissects an embryo is not harming his own offspring. He wrongs life, but not necessarily the family. So how can one possibly contend that embryo research is worse?
View full text at Ethics & Medics:
http://mail.google.com/mail/?auth=DQAAAHYAAAAE3PFiSk48aDmdf--3zKRONejU4ErM109T0bDpXQ8-9KSRVfxauRVwLGiDmgun9Piot80TQgPBTGEnN5Nv8s_diFglB68L2k1aXQnLbjBh8Xbbuv3j8O5X7chw4vNeczVWU8ozL9z9IB6pEGHbC_004RpVzvXgWn9mIPK4--G_KA
Item #8. Adult Stem Cell Research Provides Help
For Children With Brain Tumors
The use of adult stem cells continues to outpace embryonic stem cell research
as scientists report they have come up with a new treatment for children with
brain tumors called medulloblastomas. Children with the high-risk tumors have
a low 30-40 percent chance of surviving and living to the age of 5 and chemotherapy
can take as long as a year.
But, Dr. Amar Gajjar of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis says using a patient's own stem cells is having an amazing effect in treating the cancer.
"Not only can we now cure about 70 percent of children with high-risk medulloblastoma, we can also cure more than 80 percent of those with standard-risk disease with a shorter, and therefore more convenient, chemotherapy approach," he says.
The research team's results appear in the latest issue of The Lancet Oncology.
View full article at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/bio1754.html
Item #9. Chile Distributes Morning After Pill For
Free, Catholic Church Opposed
The Catholic Church in Chile is criticizing a new governmental move to give
away morning after pills at no cost to any women over the age of 14. The government
of the South American nation announced the program over the weekend and it follows
a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell Plan B over the
counter.
The move allows teenagers to get the morning after pill prescription from a physician without telling her parents and there will be no charge to obtain the drug. It will be free from the nation's public health care system.
The Health Minister made the announcement Saturday that the Plan B drug will be available at health clinics
The decision has produced a firestorm of controversy and strong condemnation from the Catholic Church, which opposes the morning after pill, in part, because it may act as an abortion drug in limited circumstances.
Several city mayors joined the church in opposing the decision and they said they would refuse to comply with it, according to a Santiago Times news report. They indicated they may take the decision to court or refuse to stock local clinics with the drugs.
View full text at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2567.html
Item #10. Plan B Manufacturer Admits Morning After
Pill Can Cause Death Of An Embryo
[Special to LifeSiteNews.com by Prof. Richard Stith, PhD]
Recent publicity concerning Plan B has been seriously misleading. The Plan B morning-after pill has been referred to as "contraception," even though it may act after fertilization to cause the death of a human embryo. This is an important mistake because, whatever one's judgment on abortion may be, I think we all agree that no woman should be misled into doing what she would consider to be taking a life without realizing that she is doing so.
There has been a shameful disinformation campaign on Plan B for years, and the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has failed to demand candor. Perhaps the simplest way to discern the truth is to look very carefully at the manufacturer's own "information" for consumers, found on its website at http://www.go2planb.com/section/about/index.html:
How does Plan B work (mechanism of action)?
Plan B is believed to act as an emergency contraceptive principally by preventing ovulation or fertilization (by altering tubal transport of sperm and/or ova). In addition, it may inhibit implantation by altering the endometrium. Plan B is not effective if a woman is pregnant. Plan B is a contraceptive and cannot terminate an established pregnancy.
Will Plan B harm an unborn fetus?
There is no evidence that Plan B would harm a pregnant woman or a developing fetus if the product were accidentally taken during early pregnancy.... Plan B is not an abortifacient. It is an emergency contraceptive and should not be confused with RU486 or any other abortifacient.
Note that the manufacturer claims that Plan B is "contraceptive", "not effective if a woman is pregnant", will not "harm an unborn fetus," and "is not an abortifacient." Sure sounds like it doesn't destroy an unborn human life, and that's the message swallowed and spread by the media.
However, note also that the drug maker admits that Plan B "may inhibit implantation by altering the endometrium [i.e. the lining of the womb]." In other words, Plan B may cause a newly conceived embryo to die (and be expelled) because it cannot implant itself in the lining of the womb. For this reason, some South American courts have found the Plan B drug to violate an unborn child's constitutionally guaranteed right to life.
In light of the manufacturer's own admission, its other statements above may at first seem to be flat-out lies. But careful analysis reveals them to be deeply misleading rather than flatly false. Although many people (e.g. the legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin) use the word "fetus" to refer to an unborn child at any stage of development, in medicine a developing human life is usually called an "embryo" rather than a "fetus" prior to implantation in the mother's womb. The statement that Plan B does not "harm an unborn fetus" is true if we use this technical medical definition of "fetus," even though it may be misleading for those of us who don't distinguish fetuses from embryos.
But if Plan B may work post-fertilization, may cause the death of a newly-conceived human embryo, how can the drug maker say that the pill is only a "contraceptive," is "not effective if a woman is pregnant," and "is not an abortifacient"? The short answer is that the manufacturer appears to rely on recent (and perhaps politically motivated) redefinitions of conception, pregnancy, and abortion: According to the new definitions, "conception" and "pregnancy" begin at implantation rather than at fertilization, and "abortion" means the termination of a post-implantation "pregnancy." The drug makers can claim, rightly, that their statements are true under these new definitions.
One large problem is that the lay readers of the drug information packet are not told up front that these special new definitions are being used. Thus this "information" is quite unfair and misleading to average men and women who may remember from high school biology that fertilization and conception meant the same thing and that fertilization marked the beginning of pregnancy.
Moreover, the drug maker's insistence that Plan B does not terminate a pregnancy is a red herring to begin with. Nobody has any qualms about terminating pregnancies per se. After all, that's what birth itself does! What pro-life women and men don't want to do is to have an "abortion" in the ordinary sense of terminating LIFE. When the drug maker tells them not to worry because they are not terminating a pregnancy, they may conclude incorrectly that Plan B cannot cause the death of their unborn child. When they find out too late that they were misled and may have taken the lives of their own children, they may be devastated. And the drug maker, the media, and the FDA will be responsible.
In making this potentially lethal pill more easily available, the FDA should at least have required the drug maker to come clean, to say prominently on its label something like "Warning: this drug may cause the death of an embryo." Its users would then be able to exercise informed consent about whether to take a chance on destroying a developing human life.
Richard Stith J.D. (Yale), Ph.D. (Yale) is a Professor of Law at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana
Item #11. Plan B Manufacturer Admits Morning After
Pill Can Cause Death Of An Embryo
Eastern Europe's birth rates now the lowest at 1.2
The European Union has sounded the alarm on their dangerously low birth rate, which will result in a 20-million worker shortage by as early as 2030. Experts admit that there is no way immigration can satisfy the shortfall, according to a New York Times expos .
According to the Times, there were no European countries with fertility rates of less than 1.3 children per woman in 1990. By 2002, there were 15, while six more were below 1.4. "No European country is maintaining its population through births, and only France - with a rate of 1.8 - has even the potential to do so," wrote Times reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal.
"If you have a fertility rate of 1.2 or 1.3 you need to do something about it - it's really quite a problem," said Vienna Institute Demographer Tomas Sobotka. "You have labor problems, economic problems and steep rates of population decline."
View full text at LifeSiteNews.com: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/06090605.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. Atay 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: October - Philippines;
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'lavor=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
6. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #290 - September 17, 2006
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
Good news today: Poland Opposes Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Its Parliament by a 341 to 47 vote stated that the Republic of Poland points out that human embryo experimentation is reprehensible and inconsistent with Polish Law. "The Republic of Poland shall insure the legal protection of the life of every human being." In the age of booming "private Rights", Italy's highest court has ruled that in that country there is no such thing as a "right not to be born". Therefore "wrongful birth" or "wrongful life" suits have no standing.
Believe it or not, a "Human Embryo Bank". According to the London Daily Mail (8/06), a human embryo bank is being set up in San Antonio, Texas. British women will fly over for treatment. For about 8,000 USD couples can buy ready made human embryos matched to their specific requirements, such as the desired hair color. It boasts that its sperm and egg donors have college degrees, are under 25 and healthy. To create the embryos, the egg donor will be given drugs to hyper ovulate. The ova will then be fertilized in a dish with selected sperm. Presumably the resultant human embryos will then be planted in their wombs.
In the process, I wonder how many time babies will die on the production line. Your involvement is needed, individually or as a group, to put an end to manufacturing human life and turning it into a billion dollar business. Do not react negatively, rather become a voice of the voiceless.
God Bless, Jerry Novotny, OMI
(A Thought) We live shoulder to shoulder with others of different beliefs or no belief at all. Even in countries where one religion predominates, living in complete religious isolation is no longer possible. Religious pluralism is now a global phenomenon.
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #290 - September 17, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. Vulnerable Romanian Children 'Put On Sale'
2. Parents Speak Out On End-Of-Life Decisions For A Child
3. Mental Activity Seen In A Brain Gravely Injured
4. Elderly 'At Risk Of Drug Errors'
5. The Hard Cell
6. Canadian Bishop Fred Henry: "Homosexual Lifestyle ... Is Unwholesome
And Immoral"
7. Princeton Professor Singer: And I Repeat, I Would Kill Disabled Infants
8. 'Eugenic Abortion' Among Ethical Issues Raised About Prenatal Gene Testing
9. Babies In Womb Exposed To 'Gender-Bending' Chemicals
10. British Survey Finds Overwhelming Majority Of Women Regretted Abortions
11. Church Teaching And Human Reproduction
12. Christian Family - Gift And Hope
Website: LifeNews.com http://www.lifenews.com/. LifeNews.com is an independent news agency specifically devoted to reporting news that affects the pro-life community. With a team of experienced journalists and reporters, LifeNews.com reaches more than 250,000 pro-life advocates each week via its web site, email news reports, and weekday radio program.
Item #1. Vulnerable Romanian Children 'Put On Sale'
Vulnerable Romanian children abandoned in institutions are being housed in appalling
conditions while others are being offered for sale for a few thousand pounds,
it has been reported.
Youngsters were given a price-tag of just over $5,000 each and offered to reporters from ITV News, it was claimed. - Advert for city club casino.
The systematic neglect of children and some adults with mental or physical disabilities was also discovered in institutions by journalists posing as aid workers. They also found hundreds of babies abandoned in hospitals.
Read article at The Scotsman: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1303772006
Item #2. Parents Speak Out On End-Of-Life Decisions
For A Child
When talking with parents of a dying child in the pediatric ICU, recognize that
to make the hard decision that lies ahead, parents need clear communication,
support from their physicians and the house staff, and recognition of their
own emotional and spiritual needs.
When talking with these parents, recognize that the perception that the primary physician has no time for them adds to their stress. It may help to arrange a suitable time for "bedside office hours."
When talking with parents of a dying child, recognize that many experience their child's end of life as a spiritual journey and that acceptance of the parents' spirituality and religious faith is of paramount importance.
View full text at medpagetoday.com: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/tb/4071
Item #3. Mental Activity Seen In A Brain Gravely
Injured
A severely brain-damaged woman in an unresponsive, vegetative state showed clear
signs on brain imaging tests that she was aware of herself and her surroundings,
researchers are reporting today, in a finding that could have far-reaching consequences
for how unconscious patients are cared for and how their conditions are diagnosed.
In response to commands, the patient's brain flared with activity, lighting the same language and movement-planning regions that are active when healthy people hear the commands. Previous studies had found similar activity in partly conscious patients, who occasionally respond to commands, but never before in someone who was totally unresponsive.
(Comment: Note this quote from the man who Invented the term "vegetative" state: "One always hesitates to make a lot out of a single case, but what this study shows me is that there may be more going on in terms of patients' self-awareness than we can learn at the bedside," said Dr. James Bernat, a professor of neurology at the Dartmouth Medical School, who was not involved in the study. "Even though we might assume some patients are not aware, I think we should always talk to them, always explain what's going on, always make them comfortable, because maybe they are there, inside, aware of everything."
A lot of us have known this and have been doing this for years. We've seen patients recover despite a diagnosis of a hopeless "vegetative" state. It's the "experts" like Bernat, Cranford, O'Rourke, etc. who have dismissed our observations as ridiculous when we saw such patients start to respond. And when some of these patients recovered, we have seen the "experts" call it a miracle instead of admitting they were wrong. Worst of all, these recoveries did nothing in terms of the "experts" even rethinking their position when the next patient came along. Even now, these "experts" feel they have to defend the killing of Terri, even though such scans were refused for her. This whole issue is really about ego and power, not truth or real compassion. - Nancy Valko, RN)
View full text at The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/science/08brain.html?_r=2&ref=world&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Item #4. Elderly 'At Risk Of Drug Errors'
(The elderly are at risk of accidentally harming themselves by taking potentially
lethal mixtures of medicines, an expert says.)
Pharmacist Kim Munro, of Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University, found just 16% of patients were receiving help with taking their drugs.
He surveyed 695 people aged 78 to 86 living in sheltered housing.
The poll revealed half were taking more than five different medicines a day,
with one in five taking at least 12.
Some 14% of the samples were using highly toxic medicines such as warfarin.
Meanwhile, anti-inflammatory and blood pressure drugs taken by more than half the people had a high risk of side effects.
View full text at BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5321450.stm
Item #5. The Hard Cell
Reports of a major breakthrough in the science of stem cells were premature,
and wrong.
View full text at the daily Standard: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/684fncgd.asp
Item #6. Canadian Bishop Fred Henry: "Homosexual
Lifestyle... Is Unwholesome And Immoral"
September 12, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary has written
a pastoral letter, which calls on Catholics to "push back" in the
battle against traditional marriage in Canada. The article, written in the forthright
and courageous style Canadian Catholics have come to expect from Bishop Henry,
explains that the Church approaches the issue from a standpoint of love.
Thus in his first point about the "adverse effects" of the same sex 'marriage' legislation, Bishop Henry cites the concern for those Canadians who engage in homosexual sexual practices which are dangerous for their wellbeing. "The homosexual lifestyle must now be treated as wholesome and legitimate, when in reality, it is unwholesome and immoral."
The bishop noted that even among those who oppose same sex 'marriage' "many ... are unaware of the adverse effects already posed by our current legislation."
In addition to the above-mentioned adverse effect, Bishop Henry noted that:
1. "The traditional family has its status and necessary privileges questioned
2. "Freedom of speech is threatened for those who oppose same-sex 'marriage'
in public."
3. "Civil servants unwilling to cooperate with same sex 'marriage' - such
as marriage commissioners in B.C., Saskatchewan and other provinces - are dismissed."
4. "Adoption of children by 'gays' and lesbians is 'legal.'
5. "'Gay' activists have now demanded successfully in B.C. that the curriculum
be changed to suit their agenda."
Bishop Henry warns that we are headed for, and in fact are in the midst of, further attacks on marriage. He recalls cases and bills seeking equality for "the recognition and equality of what are called transgendered and transvestite people ... for the acceptance of polygamy (more than one wife) and polyandry (more than one husband)."
"The legal acceptance of so-called same sex 'marriage'", says the Calgary Bishop, "should be seen in the light of many years of agitation for the promotion of the homosexual lifestyle."
Concluding, Bishop Henry states: "We now find ourselves confronted by
a false way of thinking, which has weakened the moral fabric of our society,
and attacked the social primacy of the family. It is time to push back."
He calls on Christians to "pray every day for the institution of traditional marriage in Canada," to contact politicians insisting they restore the traditional definition of marriage, and that they study and be faithful to the Church's teachings on marriage.
See the full article by Bishop Henry: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/060912a.html
Item #7. Princeton Professor Singer: And I Repeat,
I Would Kill Disabled Infants
September 12, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a question and answer article published
in the UK's Independent today, controversial Princeton University Professor
Peter Singer repeats his notorious stand on the killing of disabled newborns.
Asked, "Would you kill a disabled baby?" Singer responded, "Yes,
if that was in the best interests of the baby and of the family as a whole."
People who oppose Singer's position have maintained that Singer is the logical extension of the culture of death and that society will eventually embrace his stance if there is no shift to the culture of life. Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition commented to LifeSiteNews.com about Singer saying, "at least he's consistent." In fact, Singer himself uses the abortion debate to justify his murderous stance. "Many people find this shocking," continued Singer, "yet they support a woman's right to have an abortion." Concluding his point, Singer said, "One point on which I agree with opponents of abortion is that, from the point of view of ethics rather than the law, there is no sharp distinction between the foetus and the newborn baby."
Singer's position, similar to the culture of death, is that there is no inherent dignity in man; there is no sanctity of human life. Man deserves no special treatment since, Singer rejects that man was created in the image and likeness of God.
Asked about the choice between killing 10 cows or a human, Singer said he would kill the cows, but not because they were of less value, but because humans would mourn the death more. "I've written that it is much worse to kill a being who is aware of having a past and a future, and who plans for the future. Normal humans have such plans, but I don't think cows do. And normal humans have family and friends who will grieve their death in ways more vivid and longer lasting than the way cows may care about other cows. (Although a cow certainly misses her calf for a long time, if the calf is taken from her. That's why there is a major ethical problem with dairy products.) If I really had to make such a decision, I'd kill the cows."
Schadenberg commented saying, "Once again Singer is making distinctions between human beings he would consider normal and those he would consider not normal, thus he is deciding who is a person and who is not. Non-persons are allowed to be killed." The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition leader concluded, "even though Singer does not like to be compared to the Nazi's especially since his parents died in the Holocaust, his philosophical position is identical to what the Nazi's proposed. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is primarily concerned for the lives of people with disabilities and other vulnerable persons."
See the whole interview: http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article1466409.ece
Item #8. 'Eugenic Abortion' Among Ethical Issues
Raised About Prenatal Gene Testing
Members of the President's Council on Bioethics, which advises Mr. George W.
Bush, the American President have discussed ethical issues raised by prenatal
genetic testing. Several members noted that it raises problems of "toxic
knowledge" which Dr. William Hurlbut, biology professor at Stanford University
in California describes as "learning more than you want to or more than
you can handle." It also raises problems of "eugenic abortion"
that is abortion on grounds of disability or susceptibility to disability, and
of "micro-eugenics" which Dr. Hurlbut describes as an effort to "take
control of the family lineage" by removing genes responsible for diseases
or characteristics deemed unfavourable.
View full article at Catholic Online: http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=21216
Item #9. Babies In Womb Exposed To 'Gender-Bending'
Chemicals
Babies are being exposed to "gender-bending" chemical pesticides before
they are even born, disturbing new evidence has showed.
Tests on blood taken from the placentas of pregnant women revealed up to fifteen different types of pesticide, the research found.
Worryingly, the chemicals were found in every single one of the 308 women tested.
The findings will fuel concern about the chemicals, known as hormone disruptors or EDCs - endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
High levels of exposure have been linked to reproductive abnormalities - so-called gender-bending - because they upset the hormonal development of the embryo.
View full text at Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=404522&in_page_id=1774&in_a_source=
Item #10. British Survey Finds Overwhelming Majority
Of Women Regretted Abortions
A British pro-life group placed advertisements in six women's magazines there
to gather the experiences of women who had abortions and find out their reaction
to their decision years down the road. More than 82 percent of the women who
responded indicated they deeply regretted their abortion decisions.
Some 248 women replied to the ads sponsored by the group LIFE between April and early July.
Just 26 said they had a few or no regrets about their abortions, including one 74 year-old woman who had three abortions in the 1960s and 70s and another who had aborted twins.
Of that small group of women, they indicated they had no other alternative than the abortion or said it was the "right thing" at that moment in their lives. Still, many said they would not want to do it again. Nine other women said they were undecided about their abortion experiences.
However, 204 of the 248 women said they deeply regretted their abortions.
View full article at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2579.html
Item #11. Church Teaching And Human Reproduction
The Catholic Church teaches that "the direct interruption of the generative
process already begun, and, above all, directly willed and procured abortion,
even if for therapeutic reasons, are absolutely excluded as licit means of regulating
birth. Equally excluded is direct sterilization, whether perpetual or temporary,
whether of the man or the woman." This teaching prohibits contraception
by means of the condom, intrauterine device, vasectomy, tubal ligation, and
chemical contraception by the use of oral contraceptives, morning after pills,
or the administration of contraceptives by injection or in a skin patch. The
reason for this prohibition is that contraception breaks the inseparable connection,
willed by God and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between
the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning of the conjugal act.
View full text at LifeIssues.net: http://lifeissues.net/writers/she/she_31churchreproduction.html
Item #12. Christian Family - Gift And Hope
The world appears to be bent on the destruction of marriage and the family.
This attack was spearheaded by the globalization of contraception and abortion
promoted by the anti-natalist propaganda and justified by doomsday predictions
of population explosion. The world is in for a rude awakening. The dominant
demographic problem is not going to be population explosion. Ageing and population
implosion will dominate the social, economic, political and demographic horizon
of this century. The UN has openly admitted that population ageing is due to
the drastic fall in fertility.
View timely article at LifeIssues.net: http://lifeissues.net/writers/vale/vale_02family.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: October - Philippines;
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
7. Montana Doctor Sentenced To 6 Years For Euthanasia
Alex Schadenberg, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Dr. James Bischoff of Ennis Montana has been sentenced to 6 years in prison
after pleading guilty to negligent homicide and fraudulently obtaining drugs
in the euthanasia death of Kathryn Dvarishkis, who was 85 years old.
Dr. Bischoff was very upset with the 6-year sentence saying that he would not
have pleaded guilty if he knew that his plea bargain, which included a 2-year
sentence, was not to be honoured.
Dr Bischoff euthanized Kathryn Dvarishkis on July 16, 2000. At the time he
claimed that he only used enough drug to ease her pain.
Sandy Dvarishkis, the daughter of Kathryn, stated that Bischoff had given her
mother an injection, which failed to cause her death, only to return with another
injection, which resulted in her death. The daughter also claimed that Bischoff
spoke several times with her mother about euthanasia and that he was the one
to open the topic.
Bischoff was also convicted of fraudulently obtaining drugs. He had obtained
48,000 doses of narcotics from a wholesale drug distributor over a one-year
period without proper documentation.
Bischoff originally claimed that he didn't realize that euthanasia was illegal
in the United States when he killed Kathryn Dvarishkis.
8. Murder-Suicide In Penticton
Yesterday, August 29, an elderly man shot his wife who was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Media reports have indicated that the act of murder-suicide was possibly a loving act by a husband who did not want his wife to suffer.
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition expresses sympathy to the family and asks the media to simply report the facts.
The reality is that homicide-suicide deaths are rarely "Mercy" Killings.
A study published in the March 2005 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (13:211-217) by Malphurs & Cohen) titled: "A Statewide case-control study of spousal homicide-suicide in older persons" found that most homicide-suicides of older persons are not "mercy" killings.
The study concluded: "In fact, this "mercy-killing" perception is a myth. The husbands in such cases are often abusers, and the wives are rarely complicit. In many such cases, defense wounds indicate that the wife fought for her life."
The study indicated that society needs to not only be concerned with the care of the ailing spouse, but also with the health and mental state of the healthy spouse. Many spouses suffer depression and mental breakdown due to the demands of the care and changes related to an ailing spouse.
Malphurs and Cohen indicated that many of these terrible incidents could be avoided by providing good care to both the ailing spouse and the otherwise healthy spouse.
Comment by Alex Schadenberg,
Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Phone: 519-439-3348 or email: info@epcc.c
9. Not A 'Mercy' Killing? - August 31, 2006
This how my letter appeared in the Globe and Mail today. - Alex Schadenberg
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director,
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
London, Ont. - On Aug. 29, an elderly man shot and killed his wife, who was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (Alzheimer Patient Shot Dead At Hospital - Aug. 30). Two of your letter-writers (The Real Tragedy - Aug. 31) saw the murder-suicide as a loving act by a husband who did not want his wife to suffer.
The reality is that homicide-suicide deaths are rarely "mercy" killings.
A study published in the March, 2005, issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry by Julie E. Malphurs and Donna Cohen concluded: "In fact, this 'mercy-killing' perception is a myth. The husbands in such cases are often abusers, and the wives are rarely complicit. In many such cases, defence wounds indicate that the wife fought for her life."
The authors of the study indicated that many of these terrible incidents could be avoided by providing good care to both the ailing spouse and the otherwise healthy spouse. Many "healthy" spouses suffer depression and mental breakdown due to the demands and changes related to the care of an ailing partner.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060901.LETTERS01-4/TPStory/Opinion/letters
10. Only a Few Weeks Left Before Parliament Convenes - September 6, 2006
Your Visit to Your MP Will Help Restore Marriage
Dear Friend of Marriage;
There are only a few weeks left until Parliament convenes for its fall session. We expect that sometime during this session Prime Minister Harper will make good on his campaign pledge to bring a bill before the House to reconsider the vote last year to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada.
Even though this vote would not be directly on the issue of same-sex marriage
itself but merely on whether to consider restoring traditional marriage at some
future date, it is nonetheless critically important to our future. If we lose
this vote to even re-consider the action to legalize same-sex marriage, it is
not clear when, if ever, we will have another chance to restore true marriage
to Canada.
This vote will be that important.
Across Canada, thousands of constituents have been telling their MPs that they want them to vote in favor of this measure. We appreciate all who have already called, written, e-mailed or visited with their MP personally. But it is critical that still more constituents contact their MPs. For contact information for your MP, click here.
During this summer recess, it is easier for constituents to talk with their MPs then it will be when Parliament convenes. If you have not yet made contact with your MP and urged him or her to support the bill to reconsider legalizing same-sex marriage at some future date, please do so in the next couple of weeks. It is important that your MP knows how you stand and why you are concerned about restoring traditional marriage in Canada. On our Web site we provide more background information that you can use.
However, I think your message to your MP can be quite simple. You should let him or her know that you believe that restoring marriage is critical, that the previous government did not allow the full, fair and comprehensive debate and analysis of the significance of legalizing same-sex marriage and that you want them to vote with the government to allow this debate to finally take place. Be sure to ask them to tell you how they plan to vote.
During my years of service in the House, I had countless meetings with my constituents on a wide range of issues. I always paid particular attention to what they told me because I and the vast majority of others who serve in Parliament realize that the reason we are there is to represent them and their values, concerns and goals.
Restoring marriage is vital to our future and contacting your MP is something
important that each Canadian can do to help in that effort.
Please contact your MP today and encourage others you know to do so as well.
Sincerely,
The Hon. Dr. Grant Hill, P.C.
P.S. If you have not yet joined the tens of thousands of Canadians who have signed our National Petition to Restore Marriage, I hope you will take a couple of minutes to do so. Just click here.
Please forward this on to others! To subscribe to this e-newsletter, click here.
11. Petition On Line - September 2006
Please Consider Signing - Herm
Please excuse this form message.
I am writing to invite you to sign an online petition asking Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to eliminate funding to Status of Women: http://www.petitiononline.com/SOW/petition.html
For the time being, please only pass this on through email or instant messaging to individuals you know support the abolition of SOW.
God Bless, Suzanne
12. Pope Urges Canadian Christian Politicians' To Reject Support Of Abortion And Gay 'Marriage'
Don't yield to "ephemeral social trends and the spurious demands of opinion
polls" - By John-Henry Westen
ROME, September 8, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI received Canadian bishops from the province of Ontario this morning at his summer residence of Castelgandolfo. The Pope noted that while Canada seems to have sufficient efforts in the area of "justice and peace" it is sorely lacking in protection for life and family.
"Canada has a well-earned reputation for a generous and practical commitment to justice and peace," he said. "At the same time, however, certain values detached from their moral roots and full significance found in Christ have evolved in the most disturbing of ways. In the name of 'tolerance' your country has had to endure the folly of the redefinition of spouse, and in the name of 'freedom of choice' it is confronted with the daily destruction of unborn children."
The Pope expressed grief about the "the exclusion of God from the public sphere."
He acknowledged the "false dichotomies" such as 'tolerance' giving way to homosexual 'marriage' and 'freedom of choice' to abortion, "within the Christian community itself." It is "particularly damaging," he added, "when Christian civic leaders sacrifice the unity of faith and sanction the disintegration of reason and the principles of natural ethics, by yielding to ephemeral social trends and the spurious demands of opinion polls."
"Catholic involvement in political life cannot compromise on this principle," he stressed, warning that "Democracy succeeds only to the extent that it is based on truth and a correct understanding of the human person."
The points made are particularly poignant for Canada since it was Catholic Prime Ministers who both introduced, passed and held in place the legislation permitting abortion, and homosexual marriage. In fact, until the current Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, all Canadian Prime Ministers since Trudeau in the 1960s have been Catholic except for the very brief reign of two months by the Conservative Kim Campbell government.
Beginning in the 1960s with Pierre Trudeau under whose Liberal government abortion and homosexuality were legalized, Conservative Prime Minister Joe Clark, Liberal PM John Turner, Conservative PM Brian Mulroney, Liberal PM Jean Chrétien and his successor Liberal PM Paul Martin were all Catholics. Both Clark and Turner maintained the pro-abortion and homosexuality status quo, with Mulroney attempting a supposedly compromise legislation on abortion which in the opinion of many was essentially an abortion on demand bill. Chrétien, while touting his Catholicism, moved the Liberal Party more formally to endorsing abortion. Martin, a self-proclaimed "very strong Catholic" has the ignominious distinction of having forced through homosexual 'marriage' in Canada.
Fr. Alphonse de Valk, the editor of Catholic Insight magazine spoke with LifeSiteNews.com about the Pope's statements. The comments about the Catholic politicians who reject the teachings of the Church on life and family resonate with Fr. de Valk. A 2005 survey of Catholic politicians in Canada by Catholic Insight found that over 70% were committed to voting in favour of homosexual 'marriage'.
Fr. de Valk explained that the Pope's public remarks are based on information he received from the bishops on the situation in their dioceses. Thus we can see, said Fr. de Valk, that the bishops have recognized the problem of politicians professing Catholicism while at the same time rejecting the Church's stands on abortion and same-sex marriage.
See The Pope's Full Address To The Bishops Of Ontario: http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/18760.php?in...
See Coverage Of Catholic Insight's Survey Of Catholic Politicians: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/may/05050306.html
Ontario Catholic Bishops To Be Scolded By Pope? - Some Hope So: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/aug/060804a.html
13. Same-Sex Marriage A No-No, Archbishop Tells Flock In Letter - By John Gillis
The Sunday Herald - September 10, 2006 Halifax
Roman Catholics in the Halifax and Yarmouth regions will be asked at mass this
morning to voice their continued opposition to same-sex marriage. In a letter
that will be circulated in church bulletins, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast
asks the faithful to express their convictions with family, friends and, most
importantly, MPs in advance of a free vote this fall promised by Prime Minister
Stephen Harper. "Parliament put us in this tragic place," he writes.
"It is up to Parliament to lead us out by protecting the institution of
marriage, the
very fabric of our society, while finding ways to respect the rights and dignity
of all our citizens." A Liberal government bill officially recognizing
same-sex marriage in Canada passed final reading on June 28, 2005. It was supported
by most Liberals, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP.
In an interview, Archbishop Prendergast said the sanctity of marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman is so profound and central to society that restoring that definition should be a priority for parliamentarians; crafting another solution for same-sex partners, including those who have been married since the legislation past, can follow later. "I think if the definition is reaffirmed, then we have to address the issue of how we deal with relationships between people who are attracted to the same sex and who wish to live in some type of fidelity to each other," he said. "But that's not my proposal. My proposal is to deal with the issue of marriage."
His letter comes on the heels of a sharp rebuke from Pope Benedict to Canadians for excluding "God from the public sphere." "In the name of tolerance, your country has had to endure the folly of the redefinition of spouse, and in the name of freedom of choice it is confronted with the daily destruction of unborn children," the Pope said after a meeting with Ontario bishops.
Archbishop Prendergast said his letter was prompted by the prospect of a free
vote soon after the House of Commons resumes sitting. "We feel that if
we're going to speak we have to speak some time soon," he said. Mr.
Harper has said the vote will be on whether to reopen debate on same-sex marriage,
not whether to overturn the Civil Marriage Act.
Archbishop Prendergast's letter notes some politicians have said they've heard
little about the issue of same-sex marriage on the summer barbecue circuit.
He urges Roman Catholics to express their deep concern and show
how strongly they feel. That can require courage, he said. "I think what's
happened is that people who object to this are being stereotyped as being somehow
homophobic or unfair or unjust, and therefore people are cowed into silence,"
the archbishop said. "I think it's important for us to be courageous about
what we truly believe and speak honestly." Archbishop Prendergast said
there are about 200,000 Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Halifax and Diocese
of Yarmouth, about 20% of whom regularly attend mass.
The influence of people lobbying MPs from a specifically religious standpoint seems to be waning, said Don Sullivan of Herring Cove, a member of the group Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. "Frankly, I think the mainstream churches that are predominantly anti-gay as organizations are becoming much less relevant than they ever were in terms of gay rights and human rights issues related to that," he said. Extreme opinions remain, but Mr. Sullivan said he believes that generally there is growing acceptance of same-sex marriage. He suggested Mr. Harper knows better than to open up divisive issues. "If that ruling was overturned, there will be such a fierce opposition to that, it will be unlike anything the Catholic bishops in Canada from time to time could mount - kind of a feeble letter-writing campaign," he said.
Seems like a challenge…
The problem is that once a society has accepted homosexuality as a norm, that society will soon die, history has shown. It seems to mark the end of a society. - Herm H. Wills
14. United Mothers - September 14, 2006
Dear Friend of the Family,
On Thursday, September 14, United Mothers is presenting a forum in Calgary on
the need for Parliament to examine the impact that redefining marriage will
have on Canadian children.
As you know, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised a free vote on a motion
to re-visit the marriage issue. To date, the redefinition of marriage has been
framed exclusively as an equality issue for adults. Unfortunately, Canada's
Parliament gave little consideration to the implications of this new definition
of marriage on the rights and interests of children.
It is critical that our Parliament take the time to thoroughly investigate the
issue in terms of the best interests of children as the French National Assembly
has done. Last January, after a year of work and travel to various countries,
a 30-member, multi-party commission tabled their report on "The Family
and the Rights of Children." The commission recommended that France maintain
its prohibition against same-sex marriage, based on the rights and best interests
of children. - A two page executive summary of the French Report may be found
at: http://preservemarriage.ca/docs/France%20-%20summary.pdf
You may also be interested in these additional articles on marriage and children:
http://preservemarriage.ca/eng/index.html
and "How Heterosexual Marriage Protects Children's Rights & Best Interests":
http://www.voteonmarriage.org/leghearing.shtml#louis
I would like to invite you to join with us at the forum on Thursday, September
14, 11 AM to 12 noon at the Queensland Community Centre, 649 Queensland Drive,
SE Calgary. (From Macleod Trail, go east on Canyon Meadows Drive SE, then north
on Queensland Drive.)
Speakers will include Bishop Fred Henry, Dr. Grant Hill (former Leader of the
Opposition), Dr. Ted Morton (MLA), and Paul Hinman (MLA and Leader of the Alberta
Alliance Party).
United Mothers, Canadian Family Action Coalition, REAL Women, Alberta Federation
of Women United for Families, Catholic Women's League and United Families Canada
will also be represented along with leaders from the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, and Muslim faith communities.
Kind regards,
Michele Dow
President
United Mothers Inc.
15. United Mothers, Fathers & Friends Newsletter - September 16, 2006
Please Print Or Forward This Newsletter Along To Others
I) Take Action: New Online Poll - VoteMarriage.ca
II) Marriage Toolkits Making An Impact!
III) Must Read: "Has Canada Forgotten That Children Have Human Rights"
"If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much." - Marian Wright Edelman -
I) This Week's 5-Minute Action Item: VoteMarriage.ca
Dear friend of the Family,
On September 14, United Mothers announced at a press conference in Calgary the launch of an important new online poll regarding marriage and children's rights.
"Should Parliament review the definition of marriage in order to fully consider its impact on children's rights and best interests?"
We need you to cast your vote and invite others to do the same! Go to: www.VoteMarriage.ca or www.VoteMariage.ca (French).
Our Goal: 100,000 Canadians speaking out for children! This information will be presented to MPs. Let your voice be heard!
II) Marriage Toolkits Making An Impact
Thank you to the hundreds of you who have downloaded or ordered our marriage and children's rights toolkit. You are making a difference!
Here is a sample of what people are saying:
"I received all your Material last Friday - thank you very much! I will put it all to good work." (Frank B. in Ontario)
"I gave half of the kit to my best friend who will be making photo copies and then taking it to her Catholic School Council Meeting as well as her church. I am trying to get this information out to as many people as I can. The tool kits are great!" (Laurie B. in Alberta)
Thanks to your efforts word is spreading across Canada about the impact that re-defining marriage has on children's rights & best interests.
You can download the toolkit at: www.PreserveMarriage.ca/eng/posters.htm (English)
For the French toolkit see: www.PreserveMarriage.ca/fr/posters.htm
To order a free toolkit simply write to us at kits@UnitedMothers.ca, (or if you would prefer the kit in French, E-Mail your request to info@PreserveMarriage.ca).
III) Support Our Efforts: 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
IV) "Has Canada Forgotten That Children Have Human Rights?"
Every person who thinks that the marriage issue "has been dealt with and is over," or that it is an adult human rights issue that doesn't harm anyone else should read this article.
It is also available at: http://preservemarriage.ca/docs/Marriage_Canada_children_forgotten.pdf
Thank you for speaking out for children!
Michele Dow
Please Print And Forward This Article To Others!
Marriage: Has Canada Forgotten That Children Have Human Rights? - Louis DeSerres
Why is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms silent about children, except with regards to linguistic education?
Why did the Supreme Court, in answering three of the four questions about marriage submitted to it by the Liberal government, not mention children at all?
Is there a more natural, self-evident birthright for a child than to have a mother and a father?
How is it possible that, in the name of equality for adults, our marriage institution can now create a new government-sanctioned minority of fatherless or motherless children?
Children's Rights
Canada is a signatory to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. This convention affirms that the child shall have "as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents" (Article 7), meaning of course the father and mother who gave him life. Article 3 states that "In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by… courts of law… or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration."
Did our courts and legislators ever test same-sex marriage legislation in the context of the rights of children? We all know that consideration for children and their rights were summarily dismissed, as this was framed strictly as a Charter-based equality issue for adults.
Maybe we can use another country as an example. France, confronted with the same pressures to redefine marriage, decided to review any changes in light of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
After a year of study, a 30 member parliamentary commission concluded not to open marriage to same-sex couples, as well as to deny all same-sex couples in civil unions or common-law relationships access to either adoption or medically assisted reproduction. It added that, "to systematically give preference to adult aspirations over respect for these (children's) rights is not possible any more." (Report on the Family and the Rights of Children, National Assembly, France, January 25, 2006)
What is the harm?
Rights are based on the notion that their absence causes harm. For example, our Charter states that "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice."
One way to measure the harm is to examine what is lost when heterosexual marriage is replaced by same-sex marriage. For the child, heterosexual marriage has many benefits.
Can the harm be undone?
When slavery was abolished, all slaves - who up to that time had been treated as mere property - became free men and women. When women obtained the right to vote, the discrimination ended with the very next election.
For children of same-sex parents, the situation is different. Even if the government redefines marriage as between one man and one woman, not a single child born fatherless or motherless within a same-sex marriage will get his missing parent back.
For children, only prevention will protect their rights.
Conclusion
Is it appropriate for our government to be complicit in causing discrimination and creating a new minority of fatherless or motherless children in Canada? To quote a former Prime Minister: "I rise in support of a Canada in which liberties are safeguarded, rights are protected and the people of this land are treated as equals under the law."
Parliament needs to reopen the definition of marriage, to review its impacts on children's needs and to reinstate their natural right to have a mother and a father.
This commentary appeared under the title "Rights of children have been overlooked" in the September 2006 issue of The Interim. Sub-headings have been added in this version.
The 14 points listed are discussed in more detail in
the testimony given at the Judiciary Commission of the State of Massachusetts
earlier this year. Massachusetts is the only state in the U.S. that authorizes
same-sex marriages. The testimony can be found at www.preservemarriage.ca/eng/links.htm
under the title "How Heterosexual Marriage Protects Children's Rights and
Best Interests".
Louis DeSerres is co-founder and Director of Preserve Marriage - Protect Children's
Rights.
Preserve Marriage Canada: www.preservemarriage.ca
16. We Need Your Help
It is a known fact that some MPs who once voted against the re-defining of marriage are now leaning the other way and want the issue to go away during their stay in Ottawa. It is estimated that we are about 20 votes short. In Nova Scotia, it is reported that Bill Casey and Peter MacKay who voted against redefinition are listed as two MPs who are leaning the other way.
During the election it was assumed from all the rhetoric that the Conservative Party would have a free vote on the same-sex marriage issue, however it seems that the wind has shifted and now the question is: "Is the house in favour of opening the issue for debate and vote?" Because the last parliament was not, is the opinion of many, a free vote, since ministers and their parliamentary secretaries had to vote with the government or lose their jobs, it was a vote full of duress and intimidation and not free.
We need to ask our MPs to vote in favour of opening the discussion, debate and vote to ensure that Parliament is allowed to be democratic and allow the freedom of conscience without intimidation from the Prime Minister's Office or the ruling party of the day.
Please call your MPs today and ask them to support any resolution that would allow a free, open debate and vote, without strings attached. The future of Canada depends on it.
PS: I am adding a note from RealWomen and will be sending more information on talking with your MP.
In their latest July-August 2006 magazine, in an article to prep their readers
for lobbying and addressing the upcoming marriage vote, provided an article
on "Some Common Objections and Possible Responses," where
they wrote:
OBJECTION: "You would be fine with the whole thing if they just called it something other than marriage because you don't think you should be in the same category?"
RESPONSE: No. It's not just a matter of terminology ...the relationship between a man and a woman in a married relationship is qualitatively different from two men or two women living together and engaging in a sexual relationship. Marriage - one man and one woman, excluding all others - is intended at its core for the bearing and rearing of children. That makes it quite different! Taking away a business enterprise's ability to make a profit means it ceases to be a business. Require a charity to make a profit and it's no longer a charity. In a similar way, taking away the heterosexual character of marriage causes it to cease being a marriage.
With Thanks and hoping you are having a good summer. - Herm Wills
17. Woman Surgeon Stresses Abortion & Breast Cancer Link at
Ottawa Press Conference - By Gudrun Schultz
OTTAWA, May 16, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- An expert in the field of breast cancer presented strong evidence linking
breast cancer to abortion, in a press conference held by members of the Parliamentary
Pro-Life Caucus last Thursday.
Dr. Angela Lanfranchi is clinical assistant professor of surgery at Robert
Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey and co-founder of the Breast Cancer
Prevention Institute.
"The link between abortion and breast cancer is simply the result of a
woman's biology," said Dr. Lanfranchi, citing multiple scientific studies
that link induced abortion with a significant increase in breast cancer rates.
Breast cancer rates have increased by 40% over the 30 years since abortion was
legalized.
"It's the women of the Roe v. Wade generation that account for most of
this increase. Dramatic lifestyle changes brought about by the sexual revolution
and the women's liberation movement are largely responsible for the rampant
breast cancer we see today," she said, reported the Globe and Mail.
Liberal MP Paul Steckle and Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott invited Dr. Lanfranchi
to speak in an effort to raise awareness of the dangerous effects of abortion
on women's health.
"Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, according
to the Canadian Cancer Society, yet that organization is not telling women about
a well-documented preventable risk-factor," said Mr. Vellacott, Conservative
co-chair of the PPLC, in a press release. "Women have a right to be told
about this increased risk."
Since 1957, over 40 studies worldwide have shown a link between induced abortion
and breast cancer. A 1996 meta-analysis conducted by Dr. Joel Brind, professor
of endocrinology at Baruch College, City University of New York, established
abortion as a significant independent risk factor for developing breast cancer.
(See Dr. Brind's review of studies conducted over the last 9 years at: http://www.jpands.org/vol10no4/brind.pdf)
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 102 Canadian women will die of breast
cancer every week. "Withholding from women information about this preventable
risk factor could literally be a matter of life and death," said Steckle.
"This is an important women's health issue," said MP Paul Steckle,
Liberal co-chair of the PPLC. "We are doing women a disservice by ignoring
the epidemiological and biological evidence that shows women who have had abortions
are at an increased risk for developing breast cancer."
Despite mounting well-documented evidence, leading cancer research centres
such as the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, the Canadian
Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Network, (along with their U.S.
counterparts), have refused to acknowledge a connection between the effects
of abortion on women's bodies and their subsequent development of breast cancer.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
U.S. Breast Cancer Foundation Funding Abortion Provider Planned Parenthood:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05022203.html
Canadian MP says Cancer Society Withholding Pill/Cancer Link: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/mar/06031707.html
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