Calgary Bishop Henry Still Accusing Canadian Center for Bio-Ethical Reform of Immoral Activity in Use of Graphic Images

The Carillon is the monthly Diocesan newsmagazine of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary, AB.

In the current issue, released yesterday, on page 5 Bishop Frederick Henry is grinding his axe again about the Reproductive Choice Campaign of the Canadian Center for Bio-Ethical Reform.

The problem is that Bishop Henry is simply repeating himself and offering no new rationale or insight for his rather preposterous claims. In the Carillon column he seems to be making the vague suggestion that John Paul II in his encyclical, The Gospel of Life, was including graphic displays such as the CCBR’s in a list of condemned activities opposed to life itself.

If so, it’s an extremely weak argument because absolutely nothing the Bishop quoted from JPII makes any clear reference whatever to the use of graphic images in the public square. It seems to me a rather pathetic effort to justify the Bishop’s opposition and claims that the CCBR’s approach is a case of doing wrong in order to achieve something good.

He says,

Evil should not be countered, nor compounded, by further evil actions.

He then goes on to rehash his older arguments, which are not arguments at all but simply unproved assertions:

The magnification and subsequent portrayal of the body parts on the side of moving trucks further violates the human dignity of aborted children, denies human remains the respect that inherently must be accorded them, and reduces them to things, albeit, for an arguably good reason.

Then, finally out of “arguments,” Bishop Henry cites three testimonies from women affected by the graphic signs of aborted fetuses on the trucks traveling throughout Calgary. The testimonies do absolutely nothing to substantiate the Bishop’s claims, although they do add some emotional appeal.

Bishop Henry’s treatment of CCBR earlier in the spring of this year prompted me to write a letter to the Bishop and subsequently an Open Letter from Vote Life, Canada! The entire affair, including reaction from pro-life leaders in Canada, was shockingly disappointing.

Up until this point I have not disclosed any of the substance of my initial lengthy letter to Bishop Henry when I first learned in April 2007 of his “edict” against CCBR. Much of the content of that letter appears below and I reiterate to the reader: Bishop Henry, in his short handwritten reply to me, did not respond to any of these arguments.

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Having no other particulars, it is my understanding from reading the above noted report that the chief points noted by Your Excellency are the following:

1. “GAP in its usage of pictures of aborted children violates their human dignity, denies human remains the respect that inherently must be accorded them and reduces them to things, albeit, for an arguably good reason. The end, however, does not justify the means.”

2. Abortion cannot be compared to historical acts of genocide.

3. More would be accomplished by showing pictures of the human child in the womb of the mother than by CCBR’s use of graphic pictures.

4. Unless the center disassociates from the GAP display Your Excellency refuses to support it.

5. “The project is misguided, it’s offensive and I don’t think one should be using this kind of means to achieve an end.”

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Perhaps Your Excellency will see some relevance in the following scenario to the recent judgment against CCBR.

Is it misguided for a public prosecutor who comes upon a homeless nameless woman who has been viciously assaulted, murdered and dismembered to robustly seek justice for the crime committed against her and to assume the task of representing that woman before the courts? Fortunately in the case of this particular crime our justice system is fashioned in such a way as to finance that prosecutor’s investigation, whatever the costs, and to expect that he will entirely follow through with his efforts to obtain justice for that woman and to defend the best interests of society.

Who can doubt that at some point the prosecutor will demonstrate before a select group of his fellow human beings sitting on a jury, the heinous nature of the crime through an exhibition of the gruesome photos of her remains? This will certainly occur without objection by a judge, who in fact might think it more than a little odd if the pictures were never entered as exhibits by the prosecutor. Would the judge or the jury or those in the courtroom consider such actions to be offensive? This seems to be a regular occurrence in courtrooms so I think not. True, they might find the images difficult to endure, shocking and even horrendous, but probably not for a moment would they doubt the need to present them as crucial evidence of the true nature of the crime.

Would the prosecutor imagine that he cannot show the pictures because to do so would violate the woman’s dignity or deny her human remains the respect that inherently must be accorded them? Would it occur to him that the mere act of showing these images for the end of establishing justice and preserving the common good could reduce the woman to being a thing? Would the prosecutor imagine for a moment that if he proceeds with such an exhibit that the religious community will denounce his approach and disassociate themselves from his case or his office?

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To take my storyline a step further, how likely is it that the prosecutor would decline to show the gruesome pictures out of fear of offense yet sustain any realistic hope that by simply showing a picture of the woman in her best dressed, most attractive form prior to the crime, that it would better help the jurors and courtroom crowd to appreciate the indignity and disrespect shown to the woman’s person through this brutal act? Again, I would think it very unlikely. On the contrary, I might guess that after seeing the beautiful picture of the victim many jurors would demand, for the sake of justice, to also view the images depicting the horror of what was committed against that woman, if for no other reason than to be thoroughly apprised of and justly outraged by the grave injustice committed.

Your Excellency, I am greatly concerned about the message that will accompany this verdict and the chilling effect of this message upon the entire pro-life community in not only Calgary, but throughout Canada. I am thinking first of all of those who might be bravely considering some involvement in the pro-life cause for the first time. Who could blame them for having serious reservations and even serious confusion, about joining up with the pro-life movement? Apparently to do so, even when the activity is clearly not illegal but simply questionable in certain respects, is to also risk being at odds with the highest levels of Church leadership, and to risk public censure. Who will enter the pro-life arena to fight for the unborn with not only the usual (and formidable) anti-life obstacles to face but also possible opposition by the Church’s Pastors?

Then secondly there are those already involved with CCBR or giving serious thought to it, including the full time staff who have responsibility for raising their own support. Setting aside considerations of morale, the financial implications alone of having Catholics withdraw their support from CCBR due to Your Excellency’s objections are quite substantial. At the very least, doubts will be raised in the minds of supporters and questions of allegiance will plague some of the faithful with the overall long term effect being to reduce the level of success of the CCBR project, perhaps even driving them from the Calgary area. Forgive me for being so direct, but has Your Excellency considered the possibility of such effects?

Thirdly, in these circumstances certain questions seem to be raised by the Church’s previous statements on the laity and their apostolates. Echoing the call of John Paul II (EV #95), for “a general mobilization of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life,” Pope Benedict XVI earlier this year made a similar earnest plea to Christians and non Christians around the world. Your Excellency will know that on February 24, 2007 Benedict XVI addressed participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life on the theme “The Christian conscience in support of the right to life.”

In this address, the Holy Father recalled the first fundamental right of all human rights, making reference to Evangelium Vitae: "Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, every person sincerely open to truth and goodness can, by the light of reason and the hidden action of grace, come to recognize in the natural law written in the heart (cf. Rom 2: 14-15) the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end, and can affirm the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree.”

Quoting the same encyclical, Benedict XVI recalled that "believers in Christ must defend and promote this right,” and that “the Christian is continually called to be ever alert in order to face the multiple attacks to which the right to life is exposed. In this he knows that he can count on motives that are deeply rooted in the natural law and that can therefore be shared by every person of upright conscience.”

His Holiness prays that the Lord will “send among those dedicated to science, medicine, law and politics, witnesses endowed with true and upright consciences in order to defend and promote the "splendour of the truth" and to sustain the gift and mystery of life.” He calls for the help of professionals, philosophers, theologians, scientists and doctors. “In a society at times chaotic and violent, with your cultural qualifications, by teaching and by example, you can contribute to awakening in many hearts the eloquent and clear voice of conscience.”

Referring again to the Second Vatican Council which teaches the faithful in every temporal affair to be guided by a Christian conscience, Benedict XVI noted the Council exhorts lay believers to welcome "what is decided by the Pastors as teachers and rulers of the Church", and then recommends that "Pastors... should recognize and promote the dignity and responsibility of the laity in the Church. They should willingly use their prudent advice" and concludes that "[m]any benefits for the Church are to be expected from this familiar relationship between the laity and the Pastors" (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 37).

Clearly Your Excellency, it would be careless of me to suggest that it is a simple task to achieve the beneficial relationship envisioned here. In the first place, since lay believers are exhorted to welcome and obey the decisions of their Pastors, Your Excellency could simply insist on such obedience as a conclusion to the present matter involving CCBR. However, in consideration of Pope Benedict’s words, I can’t help thinking that the matter is not that simple because it appears to me that the CCBR ministry is precisely the sort of lay organization called upon by His Holiness.

Are they not “witnesses endowed with true and upright consciences in order to defend and promote the ‘splendour of the truth’ and to sustain the gift and mystery of life?” Are they not among the “professionals, philosophers, theologians, scientists and doctors” called for by the Holy Father? At the very least, the words of the Holy Father confirm that, just as there is a multitude of the faithful laity called to represent life, so must there be a multiplicity of methods. Your Excellency, with all due respect, after ruling out illegal and immoral methods, should the methods of some be proscribed because they are controversial and conflict with the preferences of others?

It is true that the tactics of the CCBR elicit controversy (as did Our Lord’s!) and I will not try to defend their rationale since they make thorough efforts on their own website to respond to all their critics. I do believe they have made an extremely reasonable case for their strategy. But consider that the entire issue of abortion—the killing of innocent human beings yet in the womb—is bound to be controversial in the most innocent of conversations; far more so the closer one gets to an apprehension of the true and violent nature of the act.

The Church endorses the respectful use of human remains for medical education, research and transplantation, given the consent of the donor or his/her legitimate representative and proper treatment of the donated tissue. This teaching has been explicitly affirmed in strong positive terms by Pope John Paul II [Address to the XVIII International Congress of the Transplantation Society, August 29, 2000].

How much more so then for reasons of justice is it permissible to use pictures? Can one imagine the Church protesting the evidence presented at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial? Can one imagine the Church, out of protest, publicly dissociating from those parties who initiated the proceedings of Nuremberg?

Further to the subject of disrespect of remains, etc. and admittedly on a hypothetical note, wouldn’t the Unborns involved have given their permission to take and to show pictures if done in an effort to save their fellows from equally horrid deaths? One could not imagine an answer in the negative. Is not true respect for these precious little souls best shown by a respect for what is very likely their last wishes? At memorial services for those we love, we regularly use this same criterion in determining the method of honouring their life and memory.

Personally I often find myself asking a very simple question when in doubt about a course of action in defense of the Unborn. When courage is questioned, when persecution looms, when clear thinking seems elusive, the difficulty can often be resolved by asking: What would the Unborn have me do in such a situation? In virtually all cases the answer immediately presents itself and all peripheral issues fade away. Would the Unborn want the CCBR to represent them in the fashion they do, despite the fact that perhaps no other group takes a similar approach? Obviously the answer would depend on whether the Unborn saw hope for their cause from the efforts of CCBR. I believe even a short analysis of the work of CCBR and a reading of the testimonies of the many individuals won to the plight of the Unborn by CCBR will attest to the effectiveness of their tactics and so I say a resounding Yes! The cause of justice for the Unborn is being well served by CCBR and the Unborn would encourage such efforts.

Always I am challenged deeply, yet often inspired, by the words of John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae.

(#73) “Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them [emphasis mine] by conscientious objection.

“It is precisely from obedience to God -- to whom alone is due that fear which is acknowledgment of His absolute sovereignty -- that the strength and the courage to resist unjust human laws are born. It is the strength and the courage of those prepared even to be imprisoned or put to the sword, in the certainty that this is what makes for ‘the endurance and faith of the saints’ (Rev 13:10).”

(#90) “I repeat once more that a law which violates an innocent person's natural right to life is unjust and, as such, is not valid as a law.”

Yes, challenging, because I must ask myself: If my obligation to oppose them is “grave and clear,” what actions must accompany an obedient attitude? Certainly this would demand serious steps. The matter of “obedience to God” to the point of imprisonment or at the risk of physical injury speaks to the seriousness of these crimes and to the seriousness of my response as a Christian.

Yet CCBR’s actions, as I see them, could not in any way be construed as so serious as to warrant imprisonment or physical punishment. On the basis of John Paul II’s standards of resistance [some of which apparently cross “legal” lines] the CCBR comes out rather on the mild side of things and if so, then the practice of censuring some while praising others raises puzzling questions.

Turning to the question of comparing abortion to the historical acts of genocide, Your Excellency will be aware that John Paul II made world headlines and raised a great controversy in Feb 2005 when his book "Memory and Identity" was published. With headlines like “Pope likens abortion to Holocaust,” it is clear that the world understood John Paul II to be comparing abortion to the Holocaust. Although Cardinal Ratzinger rose to his defense claiming the Pope was misunderstood, John Paul II’s words seem unmistakably to link and compare abortion to the Jewish holocaust. After all, Pope John Paul called abortion a “legal extermination” and compared its institution with the German laws which declared the Jews non-persons and allowed them to be murdered by the state.

Understandably, his comments greatly disturbed the Jewish community in Germany who maintain that the Nazi inspired Jewish Holocaust stands alone in history and cannot be equated with anything else. They claimed John Paul’s words detracted from the enormity of that atrocity.

But how can the Jews truly understand the enormity of the holocaust of the Unborn? How can they understand the truth of the sanctity of life as the Catholic understands it? They deny the God-Man Jesus Christ, who by virtue of His unique Incarnation sanctified not only the womb but every stage of preborn life from the very point of conception. This Christian truth lends enormous power to the argument that every human life has equal value and at every stage of life. Seen in that light, comparing abortion to genocide isn't an attempt to make genocide seem less evil, it's an attempt to show how evil abortion is!

What is not understandable though is the failure by so many Catholics to emphasize two thousand years of Church teaching on the sanctity of life and the abomination of abortion. In fact, contrary to the warnings of John Paul II, it does seem clear to me that Christians have by and large accepted abortion as a legal and valid act in Canada. Even when [rarely] acknowledged as a crime, its gravity is commonly ignored and often apologies are made for such comparisons. But, like the Jews who are permitted to see through Jewish eyes, don’t we Christians have a right—and a duty—to proclaim with equal if not greater fervour the Christian truth about the true nature of abortion as revealed by God to His Church?

In September 2004 LifeSiteNews.com reported Spanish Bishop Jose Gea Escolano to say that abortion is "the greatest crime ever committed in history." He went so far as to say that the “killings, concentration camps, gulags” of history were far outweighed by the countless children sacrificed in the wombs of their mothers and that therefore abortion “cannot be compared with any other genocide in history.”

Again in January of this year LifeSiteNews reported that Bishop Elio Sgreccia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told a group of journalists that the world is “marching toward a self-genocide of the human race” with the irresponsible use of biotechnologies and the widespread acceptance of the culture of death.

Just this past week Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, declared that abortion and euthanasia are examples of "terrorism with a human face," and, together with suicide bombers, are the scourge of contemporary society. No doubt some will take exception to this strong language but again, it is simply testimony to the view which God has of the destruction of innocent unborn life.

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Online Catholic News Daily Contributes to Pro-Lifers’ Confusion over Use of Graphic Abortion Images

In an article published online yesterday by California Catholic Daily, and sparked by the recent high profile news about Ross Foti and his “abortion truck,” Christopher Zehnder offers his thoughts on the use of graphic images in public settings.

After reading it I must confess I was quite troubled. Troubled first of all that an editor would even publish such a shallow piece but more troubled because it was a Christian news site—Catholic at that—and one that should be making a contribution to our efforts to push back the culture of death.

Instead this apologetic for excluding graphic images from the public domain was a dismal failure and only contributed to more confused thinking by many self proclaimed “pro-lifers.” The article appears below with my comments in brackets and colour. If readers can help to fine tune my thoughts or to correct me where I’m wrong, your comments are welcome. Much more previous commentary on this subject can be found on this blog but it is recommended the reader at least read the posting here.

I left comments at California Catholic Daily after reading the article but there's a limit on the number of words you can post so I had to try condensing my thoughts into two comments.

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An aborted baby's head -- some thoughts

By Christopher Zehnder

In any cause in which there is agreement on a common goal, the question of means often divides. This is true in the fight against abortion. Everyone may agree on the desired goal – saving unborn children from the abortionist’s knife – but all do not agree on how to accomplish this. The disagreement concerning means may touch on big issues; for instance, whether we should be trying to save children by changing laws or, abandoning the legal path, focus on means that will encourage and enable expectant mothers to decide to bring their babies to term. [Right away, Zehnder shows a very poor grasp of the strategic options. It could be just thoughtlessness and a poor combination of words by the writer but the subject matter simply can’t tolerate confusion. Where is the editor of this paper? The very suggestion of “abandoning the legal path” is incredible! I don’t know any serious pro-lifer who advocates such an approach in favour of a strategy to “encourage and enable expectant mothers to decide to bring their babies to term.” Abortion is the willful destruction of an innocent human life. That’s murder, plain and simple and the Catholic Church, of which I presume Zehnder is a part, clearly says so. What human being then—particularly a pro-lifer—would not seek first and foremost to make such an evil illegal?] Disagreement, however, can hover around smaller issues. And often these smaller issues are more divisive than the larger ones.

The recent controversy at St. Matthew’s parish in San Mateo over whether Mr. Ross Foti should cover or uncover his truck signs displaying pictures of aborted babies when parked adjacent to church property is, perhaps, an example of a disagreement over a small means that can lead to a big rupture. I do not want to get into the particulars of this case, which California Catholic Daily covered on Oct. 1 and 2. [Vote Life, Canada! carried an extensive posting on Foti’s use of graphics on his truck.] I merely mention it as a recent example of a disagreement over means that I have heard expressed before. Succinctly, the disagreement is over whether the public display of pictures of dismembered, aborted babies is fitting or proper. [Here Zehnder summarizes the goal of his commentary—“whether the public display of pictures of dismembered, aborted babies is fitting or proper.” I presume he means not only Mr. Foti’s use of these images but their use in general by all pro-life parties.]

I purposely leave behind, here, the question of whether the public display of such pictures is effective; for the effectiveness of an action does not necessarily justify it. I think Catholics agree (at least, they should) that a good result does not justify the use of unjust or immoral means -- that one may not do an objectively immoral act even for a very good end. [So Zehnder won’t look at the subject of effectiveness of these images because presumably their use crosses the line into unjust and immoral means. I can understand that approach if Zehnder is now readying his readers for the making of such a case, but simply alluding to the possibility does not make the case. As we shall see, he never does get around to dealing with this question. Why then raise it at all? Whether he realizes it or not, I believe it is an unethical way to get his readers on side.]

I purposely, too, narrow the question even further, [fair enough, but as I said previously, why raise the previous issue at all if that’s not the one he seeks to address?] for the controversy over displaying pictures of aborted children seems to center, not on any display of such pictures, but the their public display -- on city streets, for instance. In other words, one may approve of the use of such pictures in certain contexts while opposing their display in places where anyone walking by can see them. [Maybe I’m missing something but what kind of word gymnastics are going on here? Is Zehnder talking about public displays or not? Isn’t a public display precisely that—a “display in places where anyone walking by can see them?” I wish he would be clearer but I can only presume that he means a public place that’s not so public that you can have the unsuspecting public walk by. If so, what “public place” could ever really qualify? Every “public place,” by virtue of being “public” holds the possibility of the public walking by.]

I confess, I fall in the camp of those who disapprove of the public display of images of dead, saline-burnt, or dismembered corpses of babies -- or of similar images of anyone else, for that matter. [Perhaps if Zehnder had a loved one hacked to pieces or burned to death at a stake and could get no justice he might change his mind about which camp he falls in. This needs to be said in order to provide context!] I admit I have no idea that so displaying such pictures is effective or not; I suspect it may be effective for some, but for others, not only ineffective, but downright counterproductive. [Ok, Zehnder is admitting that he has “no idea” of the effectiveness of these pictures but then immediately goes on to claim they may be ineffective and counterproductive. Thanks for the opinion—yet again, Mr. Zehnder—but why not do a little homework first and try to add clarity to the issue?] Basically, I don’t think such pictures should be displayed publicly because there are certain things that most of us not only need not, but should not, see. And among these things are images of mutilated human corpses. [Great argument: “Don’t show the pictures because we don’t need to see them.” But isn’t that the question to start with? Do we need to see them? Using Zehnder’s argument, we’d never see the “mutilated human corpses” of the Holocaust, the dangling corpses of Blacks lynched, the slashed bodies of the Rwandan genocide, or the dead emaciated bodies of starved children in sub-Saharan Africa. I’ll go further. Taking his logic to its end we’d don’t need to see the emaciated bodies of even living children in Africa who are starving—or the disfigured faces of those innocent victims who have survived crashes with drunk drivers—or even pictures of diseased lungs decimated by smoking.]

Now, I’m not particularly squeamish. I don’t faint at the sight of blood. It doesn’t even sicken me. This past summer, I had the unique experience of slaughtering about 30 chickens; I didn’t find great satisfaction in the massacre, but I wasn’t particularly repulsed by it, either. It had to be done and I did it. I would do it again. I’ve never had any horror of viewing dead human bodies, either. I’m pretty stoic about such matters. [Except, Mr. Zehnder, we’re not talking about ordinary dead human bodies, are we? We are talking the mangled mutilated bodies of the most innocent of the human race, and we are talking about MURDER. The killing of chickens is not a massacre—the murder of Unborns truly is a massacre and more! Your effort to interject humour here is grossly misplaced.]

However, I don’t like to think of human beings as a bundle of organs or limbs – which is one reason why the study of medicine never attracted me. [And which is one reason outraged pro-lifers show the graphic pictures!] I’m quite content, even happy, that our internal organs are hidden. [As are the evil men and women who sustain the murder of the Unborn.] I think that, for most of us, it’s best that they remain hidden. [Put your head back in the sand then.]

The human body is a beautiful, even poetic, thing. It is a unity, and only when seen as a unity is it seen for what it truly is: the instrument of the soul. [Which is again the main reason grieved Christians protest the dismemberment of human beings using graphic pictures so that the human bodies of unborns may be preserved alive and intact.] The heart may be a blood pump, but that is hardly all it is. It is the corporeal seat of human emotion – whether of love or hate, joy or sorrow. The brain may be the generator of electrical charges, governing bodily functions, yet, it is far more than this. It is the instrument of the immaterial human intellect by which we understand the world, envision ideals, and know God, as far as He can be known in this life. [Is this Catholic philosophy and how is this related to the subject at hand? Sorry, it escaped me and possibly other pro-lifers who are looking for practical help.]

Seeing the body as so many parts tends to reduce man to one component of his being – his animality. It may, indeed, show us that we are rather complex animals, but it cannot show us that we are more than animals. [Again, I missed the point. The goal of graphic images of aborted children is to show the truth of abortion—that innocent unborn children are being violently killed in the womb. There are already laws protecting animals from such treatment. When are we going to get similar laws for humans?] We can understand the eye as an organ of sight by isolating it; but we cannot comprehend it as the window of the soul. Anyone who has seen in the eyes of his beloved that peculiar light that is the expression of love, or has trembled at the glance of hate in the eyes of his enemy, knows whereof I speak. [The Unborn have not experienced such marvellous things because entire societies wish not to be reminded that evil men and women are killing them before they see the light of day.]

Most of us, I think, should withdraw our gaze from images of the body that detract from its unity. [As though injustice did not exist in this world?] This is especially true of gruesome depictions of corpses – torn, dismembered, disemboweled, scarred or burnt. Children, especially, should be shielded from such images, for children, who are developing the impressions of the world that lead to understanding, need to be schooled in beauty. They, in particular, learn to understand what man is by seeing men, and they need to understand, first and foremost, that man is not primarily an animal, but a divine creature enfleshed. [I will restrain myself from commenting in depth on this touchy-feely bit of pie-in-the-sky nonsense, but suffice it to say that children “learn to understand what man is” not so much from simply “seeing man” but by learning of the good—and evil—of which man is capable. And parents are entrusted with the responsibility of interpreting those expressions to them. The sight of a graphic picture on the sidewalk is a perfect parental opportunity for a lesson to the child of the evil of which man is capable and a lesson in devoting our lives to the justice that God demands of us. In addition, such exposure in a public place can hardly be said to rob a child of the “beauty” of life, let alone “destroy the innocence” of the child. Such claims are way over the top under normal circumstances and even hypocritical considering what many of these same parents will allow their children to see on TV, the internet or other books and magazines, to say nothing of the perverted things to which they are exposed in the schools chosen by parents.]

The display of baby corpses, especially when they are gruesome, may, perhaps, help some to understand the horror that is abortion. [It is good to finally get a concession to this fact. Thank you.] They may combat lethargy in the souls of some or, even, many. [Again, a very good point and a large concession. It would have been nice to start out by presenting that perspective.] The public display of such images, however, is analogous to indiscriminate warfare. They subject everyone to a kind of violence; they take in not only those who may deserve such violent jarrings of the spirit but those whose spirits are not prepared for such assaults. They do not distinguish the innocent from the guilty. [Perhaps if we were talking about the effects of graphic pictures in fighting the tobacco industry these might be legitimate arguments, but considering that we are talking about a holocaust of enormous proportions in our land—and one sanctioned by the State—the stakes for justice are enormously higher. Also, considering that there is not one of us—man, woman or child—in this democratic society who is not complicit in the day to day evil which destroys little babies, none of us, at any time ought to be immune from reminders of the horrors we are sponsoring. In this democracy we the people form the structures of government and we cannot escape the fact that the very day we rise up in number to eradicate this evil is the same day little children will be protected from the slaughter. Why should we ask to be exempt from the reminders that come with the graphic pictures? To my way of thinking, this has its healthy aspects. It’s like a smoker’s cough, isn’t it? We certainly don’t deserve it but let’s pray God gives us the time and repentance necessary before the evil kills us.]

And, speaking of effects, do we better teach people about the sanctity of human life through images of degraded human bodies, by bodies reduced to grotesque horror, or by human beauty? [There is a serious confusion and jumbling here between the subjects of sanctity of human life and the justice of God. The use of graphic images in the public arena is perhaps the most effective method and very best balance possible to communicate those two concepts together in one single message. If any pro-lifer can find a better way of combining these two elements we would have a new powerful weapon in our battle. Zehnder’s solution is to ignore one of these concepts altogether.] The reality of man is seen in the nobility of his beauty. [The reality of man is also seen in his evil works. It is convenient for us to forget that.] It may well be that by such tactics as displaying images of aborted babies, especially in a public setting, we may be furthering the very “culture of death” we are trying to combat. [I strongly disagree with such a conclusion. Zehnder certainly has not made a successful argument at all for such a conclusion.]

It is a point, I think, well worth considering.

[Source]

Pro-Life News & World Review October 1, 2007

News items in brief follow but first check out this story.

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform held a GAP display at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

STAFF EDITORIAL: Protests without intelligent debate worth nothing

The public space just north of the Nebraska Union will turn into crazy-vile for the next two days. Today and Thursday, the Genocide Awareness Project - a national group that stages anti-abortion rallies using large, violently graphic signs - will make a stop at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

…snip

The group has every right to use the space outside the union to express its views. The principles of free speech command our society to allow all forms of free expression in public forums, even expression that is abhorrent.

The Genocide Awareness Project's display happens to represent speech we abhor.

All comments on this editorial about the GAP display are here

Daily Nebraskan carries short YouTube video

Also see coverage from News Net Nebraska
GAP, which is presented by The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, posted pictures of aborted fetuses alongside images of lynched African Americans, ...
Photographs bring controversy

Recent postings by Vote Life, Canada!
China’s Stolen Children: Chinese Children Treated As Goods
China’s One Child Policy is truly evil and unimaginable in consequences. The unseen horror of millions of abortions, the majority sex-selective, which directly result from the policy is by far the greatest evil. But there are countless untold evil spin-offs, such as the kidnapping and trafficking of over 70,000 Chinese children annually.

The New Aristocracy of Human Dignity
A posting about human dignity, Down Syndrome, disabilities, and a new comparative basis for human dignity, one divorced from Judeo-Christian foundations.

Healing From Abortion Through The Power Of Jesus Christ
YouTube video telling the powerful story of how one young woman who experienced abortion found forgiveness, healing and a passionate ministry—all through the Great Physician!

Life Chain Coverage
Vote Life, Canada! reports on Life Chain in St. John’s, NL
Between 2:30 and 3:30 pm today, Canada's first Life Chain took place in the city of St. John's in Canada's most easterly province, Newfoundland and Labrador. The weather was cool and variable but spirits were strong.
Canada's First Life Chain (On Sept. 30, 2007) Held In St. John's, NL

Leonard, Stand Your Ground blogger, reports on the Moncton area Life Chain.
The public was quite supportive. We stood near Champlain mall. There were plenty of people driving to, from and by the mall and we got quite a few honks and thumbs up. With little or no hostile gestures.
Dieppe (Moncton Area) Life Chain

From Fargo, North Dakota, Sep 30, 2007 (CNA)
Facing the busy street in front of the state of North Dakota’s only abortion facility this morning, Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, led the prayers of the rosary.
Bishop Aquila led the prayers of the rosary at North Dakota?s only ...

Life Chain seeks participants for Oct. 7 event
Richmond, IN--The Life Chain is a time for prayer and for making a statement that you stand against abortion. Go one step further -- ask the pastor of your church to promote the chain and to encourage the congregation to participate.
Wayne Co. Life Chain seeks participants for Oct. 7 event

40 Days for Life Coverage
Christian Newswire - Vote Life, Canada! believes that the Catholic Bishops of Canada should likewise endorse this campaign and urge their parishes and pro-life organizations to quickly join in the effort by contacting 40 Days for Life.
Vote Life, Canada! Calls on the Catholic Bishops of Canada to Join…Nationwide 40 Days for Life Campaign Aimed at Ending Abortion

California Catholic Daily reports on 40 Days for Life in Sacramento, CA
An on-scene report of days 1 and 2 of Sacramento’s "40 Days for Life"
“Are you guys really going to be out here for 40 days?”

From Bryan College Station Eagle, Texas
The Coalition for Life, an anti-abortion organization, has begun its 40 Days for Life campaign. Protesters will be outside the 29th Street clinic 24 hours a ...
Clinic protest part of 40 Days for Life

From The Flint Journal, Flint, Michigan
Kris Aretha, group director, said protesters will hold anti-abortion signs to take part in the 20th anniversary of Life Chain Sunday, a national event.
Silent prayers to be offered to end abortions

From The Capital Times - Madison, Wisconsin
For the second time this year, anti-abortion activists are gathering outside the Madison Abortion Clinic for a 40-day demonstration, which so far has been ...
Abortion foes begin 40-day clinic protest

From the Catholic Sentinel - Portland, Oregon
The $4 million Salem clinic has been in place for four years, but opponents say it also opened by deception, with backers hiding the abortion part of the ...
Local Catholics organize prayer vigil at Salem Planned Parenthood

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- A 51-year-old surrogate mother for her daughter has given birth to her own twin grandchildren in northeastern Brazil, the delivery hospital said.
Woman Gives Birth to Own Grandchildren But Kills Two Others in Process

Presbyterian pastors offer advice on opposing abortion
When you actually go down to the abortion clinic, make sure you know exactly what could get you arrested. While I'm not necessarily opposed to getting arrested while protesting abortion, I am a strong advocate of knowing the pertinent ...
Is this only a Roman Catholic ministry?

Belfast Telegraph: Irish women want abortion
A new poll has revealed that an increasing number of women want the government to bring in legislation to allow abortions to take place here.
Over half of all Irish women believe abortion should be legalised

More blogger commentary on Georgetown University announcement
Cardinal Newman Society Executive Vice President Tom Mead said of the abortion friendly policy, "I am absolutely stunned by Georgetown's decision to fund abortion advocacy. "Since the Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always ...
Georgetown University Should Be Sued

Jill Stanek has a short blurb about Blog swarms in one of her Proliferations postings. Apparently they develop organically; they can't be forced. She makes mention of Hugh Hewitt’s book Blog. Hewitt described a blog swarm as "an early indicator of an opinion storm brewing, which, when it breaks, will fundamentally alter the general public's understanding of a person, place, product, or phenomenon."
Jill Stanek discusses blog swarms.

Other postings by Jill
Denver Planned Parenthood deathscort guards builder's home against pro-life protesters

Other great postings today on political candidates

Blogger Catholic Fire reports on yet another Jesuit run college violating Catholic Church teaching
Jesuit-run Holy Cross, the oldest Catholic college in New England, is hosting the 2007 Teen Pregnancy Institute with Planned Parenthood promoting teenage contraception. The Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy presents the conference every year, but by hosting the conference the Holy Cross Jesuits are sending the message that they have no qualms with its promotion of contraception and the presence of Planned Parenthood, which are intrinsically inimical to the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church.
Holy Cross College Hosts on-Campus Planned Parenthood Workshops

LifeSiteNews.com coverage

Violations of human rights and religious freedom continue to be widespread in China, says the author of a book on the Asian country.
Women are being forced to have abortions by the population police in every province. Bishops and priests who refuse to cooperate with the government-run Chinese patriotic church are oftentimes hounded down, arrested, imprisoned and sometimes tortured.
China's Seven Sorrows

A review of Mexico and the relationship of Church and State
Church has played vital role in reinvigorating democracy in Mexico, but anti-religious attitudes still persist in some political circles.
The Catholic factor

Blogger Veronica at “Planned Parenthood Aurora” blogspot is a passionate pro-choicer defending Aurora’s right to have a Panned Parenthood killing mill. She seems to be running her campaign from this colourful blog.
This is even more evidence that what is happening in Aurora is happening to you. Chicago is not immune to the anti's. Not all of so-called liberal viewpoints can keep the anti-abortion & anti-contraception forces away from our clinic. ...
It's not just Aurora

Califoria Catholic Daily covers the recent press conference of representatives of the new End of Life Consultation Service.
California assisted-suicide promoters adopt new tactic after defeat in legislature: using religion to help people kill themselves.
“No different than telling someone standing on a ledge to jump”

More on Ross Foti, a pro-life activist in San Mateo, CA who uses his truck to display graphic posters of aborted babies. Vote Life, Canada! has been updating on this story and carried an extensive posting last week.
Pro-life activist in San Mateo finds himself at odds with priest, fellow parishioners over graphic anti-abortion posters.
An aborted baby’s head

Traditional Catholic forum carries latest story on Ross Foti
Matthew Catholic Church in San Mateo has banned anti-abortion activist Ross Foti from the parish following a disagreement between the pastor and Foti about whether Foti should cover up his graphic anti-abortion message…
San Mateo Catholic Church bans anti-abortion activist

San Jose Mercury News report
San Mateo Catholic Church bans anti-abortion activist

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Monday, October 1, at 9:30 AM, representatives of the groups Faith and Action and the Christian Defense Coalition will hold a prayer service in front of the US Supreme Court to mark the opening of the Court's new term.
Prayer to Mark Opening of High Court -- 9:30 AM, Today

StatsGuy reports on National Post interview with Neuhaus
Ontario-born Father Richard John Neuhaus, editor of First Things, spoke with a National Post reporter after his annual summer vacation at the family cottage in Quebec.
Neuhaus: Christianity banished from Canadian public life

Letter to AppealDemocrat.com on Blacks and Abortion
Planned Parenthood is accomplishing what the Klan failed to do. The NAACP leadership plays right along. At their July convention, they canceled Alveda King’s (Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece) scheduled pro-life speech. Who is the black leadership looking out for anyway?
Abortion Does Most Harm to Blacks

More on the Connecticut Bishops and Plan B “emergency contraceptive”
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Roman Catholic bishops in Connecticut have agreed to let hospital personnel give emergency contraception to all rape victims, reversing their decision days before a new state law.
Catholic Hospitals to Hand out Bush's Plan B

From The Connecticut Catholic blogspot
Outrage and Shame over Plan B in Connecticut

Catholic World News report
Connecticut bishops reverse stand on Plan B

Abortion Stats for USA from Kaiser and CDIC
Number of Abortions Distribution of Abortions by Age/Abortion Rate/Ratio of Abortions to Live Births
Number of Abortions - Kaiser State Health Facts

On US Presidential Hopeful Ron Paul
The Union Leader - Manchester, NH--Thomas Clark, Minister of the Somersworth Tri-City Convenant Church, gave the invocation for the rally. Before the rally, he said he supports Paul because of his pro-life stance. "The pro-life issue is a major issue for me," Clark said.
Paul's call: end the IRS

Four months after the Rev. Jerry Falwell's death, his sons are emerging from his shadow with plans to expand their father's evangelical empire.
LYNCHBURG, VA--He founded the Moral Majority to mobilize the fundamentalist vote for conservatives and against abortion and gay rights, and he drew derision later for ...
Falwell's sons carry on in the name of their father with Photo Slideshow

Excellent new articles from latest issue of MercatorNet
Fear religion: CNN's message to the nation
Christiane Amanpour had a clear message in her three-part series on CNN: worshipping God creates scary people.

Medical drama with a message
Amid the vast wasteland of contemporary television, one of the few features that bears watching is House… by Rory Leishman

Balancing feminism and femininity
However politically incorrect it may sound, nature meant women and men to have complementary roles and mentalities…by Margaret Somerville

A sad farewell to Amnesty
What do human rights mean if they do not include the most vulnerable humans of all, the unborn?

Irish blogger posts on recent news by General Medical Council of the UK
The latest guidance to come from the GMC states that children should be treated without the knowledge of their parent regarding sexual “health” issues… Morality and decency aside. What are the legal implications from such loosely drafted and inept guidelines?
Why the General Medical Council of the UK Cannot Be Trusted To ...

From This is London on the GMC verdict
The new GMC guidance says that if a child aged between 13 and 16 asks for advice on sexual health, for contraception or an abortion, the doctor should make ...
Doctors' code of silence will hide under-age sex from parents

Pro-abortion letter to the editor from Barbados resident
I CANNOT in good conscience sit back and see the assault on the Barbados Family Planning Association as regards its abortion counselling services and not say something.
I CONFESS: Don't knock abortions

The Ledger.com carries commentary on the case laid out recently by Archbishop Burke in a prestigious journal widely read in seminaries and published by Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, an elite school for Catholic clergy.
A hardline US Roman Catholic archbishop is urging ministers to deny Holy Communion to politicians who support abortion rights, arguing that it's a "mortal sin" to offer the sacrament to "the unworthy."
Archbishop Advocates Refusal of Sacrament

Spirituality and Religious blog, linking to this article
Bishop preaches tough Communion rule

More little-known but interesting news here about Archbishop Burke
After viewing parts of the New Line Theatre's production, Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke today agreed to drop his bid for a permanent injunction that would have barred the play from opening as scheduled.
You Can't Say That in Church!

Commentary from Pregnancy Information Digest on Teenage Pregnancy
The statistics on abortion are particularly deceiving in their coldness. It is easy for someone to rattle off percentages when there is no face attached to them. But teenage pregnancy stories make it more difficult to reduce teenage experiences to mere numbers.
Teenage Pregnancy Stories - The Humanity behind the Numbers

Pro-life organization plans annual fund-raising stroll
Everyone who walks through the doors of the Victorian house that serves as the headquarters of Alpha Pregnancy Resource Center in Fairfield gets a hug.
Walking for life

From The Taipei Times,Taiwan—a heartbreaking report on Chinese children. Vote Life, Canada! blogged this story yesterday.
In China, 190 children are stolen every day to full the demand for sons. Brokenhearted parents trying to find their loved ones face retaliation from traffickers and government intransigence
Where's our child?

Here’s the link to the trailer video on the documentary by True Vision TV
China's Stolen Children

A Stafford County high school student is suing the county's school system for refusing to let her start an anti-abortion club. ...
Student Sues School For Rejecting Anti-abortion Club

Coverage from the DailyPress.com
Student sues after refusal of anti-abortion club

WCAV Charlottesville coverage
Student Sues School System For Rejection of Anti-Abortion Club

NBC5 in Chicago reports on the controversy in Aurora over opening of a huge Planned Parenthood abortuary
Parents Appalled At Graphic Anti-Abortion Fliers
The fliers were part of a larger effort in the anti-abortion community to stop the opening of the Planned Parenthood health center. ...

Image Gallery
Previous Images: Aurora Planned Parenthood

Video coverage
Previous Video: Debate Continues
Previous Video: Tuesday Protest

See the commentary from the public
Planned Parenthood In Aurora - Share Your Thoughts

Blogger Alert:Maybe there's a bigger story here
Reproductive Rights Prof Blog reports on new Symposium on Abortion in Canada
A Symposium to Mark the 20th Anniversary of R v. Morgentaler
Entitled “Of What Difference: Reflections on the Judgment and Abortion in
Canada Today” Friday, January 25, 2008, 9:00am 5:00pm; Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
Symposium on Abortion in Canada and Call for Student Abstracts

Best of BigBlueWave
Struggle in Argentina Ends in Death for Unborn Child
I would like to encourage you to email the Argentine Ambassador at the address below. There is no email address for the Argentine Ambassador to the US, but no matter-- just write the Canadian one, they'll get the message through.

VIDEO: The Living Truth Behind the Abortion Lie
This is one woman's story of abortion and forgiveness...for those seeking some spiritual remedy to the pain of abortion:

FCP David MacDonald denouncing eugenic abortions at candidate's debate
In this video, we see the Family Coalition Party candidate in Ottawa South, David MacDonald denouncing eugenic abortions which are facilitated by CHEO's prenatal screenings:

The West is no better than India
From an article on sex selection in India.

The University of Northern Colorado has a controversy on its hands. The Justice For All has set up its exhibit of graphic abortion billboards.
A year and a half ago, Mandy Piper helped the anti-abortion group, currently set up on West Campus, come to the University of Northern Colorado. Now, she can't wait for them to leave. Piper, the president of UNC Students for Life, ...
Beware: Controversy ahead

On Friday past, Sen. Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to weigh in on the battle over a Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora.
"I fully support Planned Parenthood's desire to open a new facility in Aurora," he said in a statement released this afternoon. "The proposed center will serve the growing population in a part of the state where access to a full range of reproductive health care services is lacking."
Obama backs Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora

From AllAfrica.com
A church-run facility supporting pregnant women and girls who would otherwise resort to abortion is seeking funds to improve and expand its services. ...
Kenya: Christian Centre Seeks Funds for Women in Crisis Pregnancy

Randy Alcorn, founder of Eternal Perspectives Ministries recently chatted with Today’s Christian
One of the subplots of my first novel, Deadline (1994), involved the issue of abortion. I realized that if I offered a well-written story, I could present a case for the pro-life position in a way that may reach some pro-choice readers.
Randy Alcorn's Trojan Effect

Universities are indeed becoming "islands of repression in a sea of freedom."
Joseph Quesnel, columnist with the Winnipeg Sun, raises his voice.
Recent actions by the University of Victoria Student Society (UVSS) exemplify everything that is wrong with student governments on campus nowadays.
Just be student reps

Controversy shouldn't detract from the efforts of the high school students to raise money for a good cause.
The controversy began earlier this month when Douthit received some complaints that anti-abortion Catholic schools were involved in fundraising for the Dallas-based Komen foundation because of Planned Parenthood connections.
Catholic principals to decide on breast cancer charity

From The Times of India
THRISSUR: The decline in Christian population in Kerala from 24% in 1950 to 19% in this decade has sent alarm bells in India's southern-most state ringing. Unnerved clergymen rattled by the fall in the number of faithful in the state — Kerala's Thrissur district is believed to be the cradle of Christianity in India as it was here that apostle St Thomas is said to have first arrived in the subcontinent — are stressing on the need of Christians producing more babies.
Kerala church warns against abortion

Dr. Alveda King visits West Des Moines, Indiana
"At one time, we were told black people were only three-fifths human, so we couldn't vote. ... Now today, you're saying to some human beings that you can't live because you're not a person," King said. "Taking away the personhood of a person is taking away their civil rights."
Abstinence is key, activist tells students