De-Coding the Term “Pro-Life”

Rudyard Kipling declared that, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

In a timely posting, blogger Joe Healy of DefendLife.org adds clarity to the term “pro-life.”

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To Be or Not to Be Pro-Life?

With the ongoing election cycles, legislative sessions, and judicial nominations, many people are using the term "pro-life" to describe themselves and others. But have you stopped to think about what this term really means? I certainly hope so, for "what does the soul yearn for more ardently than the truth?" (St. Augustine); but if not, I will provide a brief reflection on what it means to be "pro-life."

It is clear that human personhood begins at conception. Philosophers and theologians have taught this for hundreds of years. Boethius wrote at the beginning of the 6th Century, "Person is an individual substance of rational nature. As individual it is material, since matter supplies the principle of individuation. The soul is not person, only the composite is. Man alone is among the material beings person, he alone having a rational nature. He is the highest of the material beings, endowed with particular dignity and rights." The human is the only material being to be a person; other persons are purely spiritual: angels and the Trinitarian God.

Modern science confirms that human life begins at the moment of conception. It is at this point that a new human creature exists, with its own unique human genetic code. If left alone to develop according to his or her nature, this new human creature will advance through all of the stages of prenatal development, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. This creature will be the same person throughout all of his or her phases of life and even beyond natural death into everlasting life.

At the moment of the conception of a human person the entire fabric of the universe is changed forever, as a new immortal soul is created by God and mysteriously united with a new human body. It happened when you were conceived, it happened when I was conceived, and it happened when each of the 50,000,000+ aborted Americans were conceived.

Now, back to the main point of this article. What does it mean to be "pro-life"? In a nutshell, it means that we acknowledge the truth that a human being is always a human person; that the human person has an inherent right to life throughout his or her entire life cycle; and that society has a moral obligation to protect the life of that person. It is really that simple. Anyone who claims to be pro-life but who denies any part of this definition is not being intellectually honest (and is arguably not pro-life). Who was it who said, "Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me?" (Mt 25:40).

Here are some common examples of people claiming to be pro-life, but who are in actuality deceiving themselves and others:

1. "I am personally pro-life, but I cannot impose my morality on others." This statement denies the fact that a human person has an inherent right to life and that society has a moral obligation to protect the life of that person. We impose our morality on others when we have laws against murder, child pornography, stealing, and so on. This is the main purpose of government - to ensure the security of its citizens. Since the unborn are people, it is the duty of the government to protect them. Any law that allows the killing of unborn people is inherently unjust. To refuse to protect the unborn from abortion is to be anti-life.

2. "Abortion should be illegal, except in the case of rape or incest (or whatever other exception someone wants to throw in)." This position denies the entire definition of what it means to be pro-life. The person who is conceived in rape or incest is still a human person and must be protected from an untimely, unnatural death. Personhood does not depend upon the moral fortitude of one's parents, so the fact that one's father committed a crime (rape, incest) against one's mother does not make the resultant person any less human. The person conceived in rape or incest still has an inherent right to life (just ask Rebecca Kiessling, Jenni Maas , or any of the other outspoken people who were conceived in rape or incest and given a chance at life!). To be for abortion exceptions is to be anti-life.

3. "Human embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) is justified because it will lead to life-saving cures." This position treats the human embryo as less than a person, when in fact it is a human person. It also subjects the human embryo to a radical utilitarianism where its life is regarded as less deserving of protection than another human life, when the only differences between the two are stage of development and physical location. Since stages of development and physical locations do not determine personhood, the human embryo must always be regarded as a person and not be subjected to life-ending experimentation. While we must always value the quality of life of the sick we must never use an illicit means to achieve those ends. To be pro-ESCR is to be anti-life.

4. "Euthanasia (or "mercy killing") is sometimes the best solution for the person who is sick, his or her family, and/or society in general." The person holding this position seeks to alter the definition of person to exclude those who are sick, elderly, or disabled. It is never right to take an innocent human life, not even if that person is in terrible pain and begging you to do so. It is up to us to let the natural processes take their course, while at the same time seeking healing and medical attention as appropriate. To deny someone food and water in order to hasten death is a gross offence against the human person. To allow for euthanasia is to be anti-life.

5. "I know that my candidate is not 100% pro-life, but he or she has the best chance of beating the 100% anti-life candidate in the general election, so I'm going to support him or her rather than the 100% pro-life candidate who is still in the running." This is a tempting position to take, but it is very wrong. Because of the faulty logic behind this position, abortion is still legal today. If the entire pro-life community would stand up for only truly pro-life candidates, the entire political landscape in America would change radically for the better in six years or less. We would have a 100% pro-life president, a large majority of pro-life Senators and Representatives in Congress, a large majority of pro-life legislators in our state and county governments, and pro-life governors and executives throughout America. With all of those pro-life leaders in place, our judiciary would become full of pro-life judges. Abortion-on-demand in America would end. If you don't think this is possible, look at what happened in Croatia, where the number of abortions decreased by 90% between 1989 and 2005. To be pro-life except when "political expediency" requires you to support the more anti-life of two candidates is to be anti-life.

To apply these principles to the current presidential race, it is obvious that all of the Democrat candidates are anti-life. They all favor keeping abortion, euthanasia, ESCR, and human cloning legal.

That leaves only the Republicans as pro-life possibilities:

Rudy Giuliani is anti-life, as he is in favor of keeping abortion, euthanasia, and ESCR legal;

Mitt Romney is anti-life, as he is in favor of legal abortion for those conceived in rape or incest, he is in favor of destroying at least some human embryos for research, and he does not oppose euthanasia;

John McCain is anti-life, as he is in favor of legal abortion for those conceived in rape or incest and favors the legal destruction of human embryos for ESCR;

Mike Huckabee is seemingly pro-life;

Ron Paul is seemingly pro-life;

Alan Keyes is seemingly pro-life.

Are you pro-life?

Further reading: Human Personhood Begins at Conception by Dr. Peter Kreeft.

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Bill HB916 Affirms Georgia’s Right to Secede from USA over Abortion Law

Does it sound shocking to even think of the possibility? A US State seceding from the Union in 2008 over the injustice of abortion?

This news report What Do King George III and the U.S. Supreme Court Have In Common? from Georgia includes the following commentary:

Rep. Bobby Franklin, R-Marietta, who can always be counted on for provocative legislation, has a bill that, among other things, declares the U.S. Supreme court lacked authority to issue its Roe v. Wade decision some 35 years ago and that states have every right to disregard it.

That’s exactly what Franklin’s bill – HB 916 – does, and then goes on to declare the practice of abortion is murder and conspiracy to commit murder per se.

This bill, of course, won’t go anywhere, but it’s worth a read, anyway, for the impassioned argument he makes as to just how the U.S. Supreme Court – like King George III - overstepped.

But don’t dismiss the issue out of hand. A certain number of Christian conservatives are very anxious to pass the Human Life Amendment – HR 536 – which was introduced late last year, and which will be a center point of the annual Right To Life rally at the Georgia Capitol this year. (It will take place precisely two weeks before Georgia’s presidential primary. Gary Bauer is the guest speaker and Mike Huckabee has agreed to attend.)

The amendment’s chances of getting to the floor aren’t good this year. It requires a super-majority vote in both chambers, which it clearly cannot get. Given the math, House leaders want to keep it off the floor to keep from bogging down the House in an ultimately useless but highly controversial debate. Backers, however, don’t seem to see it quite the same way.

Here’s some of the language from the bill itself.

(4) The Supreme Court´s inability to determine what is human life cannot legitimately serve to prohibit Georgia from fulfilling its constitutional mandate to protect the lives of its citizens by prosecuting crimes against said person;

(5) The General Assembly knows the answer to that difficult question, and that answer is life begins at the moment of conception;

(9) Georgia has, therefore, reserved to itself exclusive jurisdiction over the definition and punishment of murder under Amendment X of the Constitution of the United States;

(12) The United States Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to hear or decide the case of Roe v. Wade;

(13) As it had no jurisdiction to hear the case, certainly the United States Supreme Court lacked the authority to pass, or order all states to strike or refuse to enforce, a law that is outside of its subject matter or federal jurisdiction;

(20) The nullification of a state´s properly promulgated laws is specifically delineated as an offense committed by King George against the states, for which separation became necessary; The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America;

(21) Compliance with, and continuation of, a fiat determination of the Supreme Court from nearly 35 years ago will cause the basis of this Union, and eventually the Union itself, to fall;

(24) As the United States Constitution confers to no federal branch either the authority over the definition or prosecution of murder, or the power to nullify the laws of a state that do the same, Roe v. Wade is 'no law,' is a nullity, and carries no legal effect in Georgia;

(25) The practice of abortion is murder and conspiracy to commit murder per se;

Controversial pro-life activist Neal Horsley, who is running a campaign for Governor of Georgia under the banner of The Creator’s Rights Party [CAUTION: Graphic images], has this to say about the bill:

FINALLY! Georgia Law Makers Make REAL Move To Outlaw Abortion

Huckabee Is The "Catholic" Candidate For 2008

...according to a prominent Catholic layman. He takes issue with a Catholic publication that featured an article which he said contained distortions about Mike Huckabee. He makes a case that Huckabee is a better choice for Catholics than Fred Thompson.

But I can’t remain silent about the unanswered distortions about Mike Huckabee over Fred Thompson in the presidential race found in California Catholic Daily’s Jan. 11 posting, “Keeping the coalition together is the key to success.” It was an article covering the California Pro-Life Council's endorsement of Thompson for president. It was totally one-sided and misleading to Catholic voters. CCD is a great publication and provides a valuable service to Catholics. I can understand how things like this can slip through trying to meet tight deadlines.

Rest of story here.

Janet Folger also thinks Mike Huckabee is the one. She makes a very ambitious, even extreme, prediction in this article. Pro-lifers would be rejoicing in the streets if her predictions prove correct.

Barack Obama Loved by Planned Parenthood

Told you so. How much more proof is required?

From Jill Stanek:

Obama's girls at Planned Parenthood are sending him plenty of love. This will be tricky since they're all heartless.

Obama loves PP, too. Actually, they prostitute one another. PP helps elect Obama so he can turn around and appropriate tax money to it. He's trying to legislate PP an abortuary load of cash at the moment. PP explains why in its Obama love note....

Jill's full posting here.

Barack Obama The Most Pro Abortion Candidate Ever

Yesterday, in the Townhall.com forum, columnist Terence Jeffrey defended his statement that “Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion presidential candidate ever.”

Jeffrey stated in his article,

He is so pro-abortion he refused as an Illinois state senator to support legislation to protect babies who survived late-term abortions because he did not want to concede -- as he explained in a cold-blooded speech on the Illinois Senate floor -- that these babies, fully outside their mothers' wombs, with their hearts beating and lungs heaving, were in fact "persons."

"Persons," of course, are guaranteed equal protection of the law under the 14th Amendment.

I’ve posted a few entries dealing with U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama and his record on abortion, one this week, one this past June and one in July.

Earlier this week I received a comment from one reader who took exception to my position that Obama ought to be disqualified on the basis of his pro-child-killing stand. Here is the reader’s comment in full, followed by the response I offered him:

Patrick Furlong said...

On the looks of things, you and I would fall on opposite ends of the spectrum of Christian faith. One reason I love and support my faith is because of the variations amongst it's followers- like you and I.

I found a quote by a Catholic hero of mine, regarding the very issue of voting and abortion, and I thought it would be relevant to share with you...

Cardinal Joseph Bernadine of Chicago, an opponent of abortion, cautioned Catholics against turning abortion into a single voting issue: "Our moral, political and economic responsibilities do not stop at the moment of birth. "Those who defend the right to life of the weakest among us must be equally visible in support of the quality of life of the powerless among us: the old and the young, the hungry and the homeless, the undocumented immigrant and the unemployed worker. ... Consistency means we can't have it both ways."

And so, in the spirit of that urging by Cardinal Bernadine, I support Barack Obama with the belief that the value and dignity of human life DOES NOT END at conception, and I believe when I look at the issues holistically, Barack Obama is the best man for the job.

And so, in regards to health care, the issues in war torn areas like the Middle East, the Congo, and Sudan, as well as a host of other issues like gun control, taxes, social security, the environment, civil rights and immigration, Barack Obama is the man that is most in line with my ideals, with my morality.

I hope that helps you understand why I support the man. I assume we will disagree still, but for me, I just can't vote or not vote for a candidate on one single issue...

"It's not about taking the right stand on issues. It's about choosing to stand in the right place. With those on the margins, those whose dignity has been denied. To choose to stand with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless. To choose to stand with the easily despised and the readily left out. To choose to stand with those whose burdens are more than they can bear. To stand with the demonized so that the demonizing will stop. And so you stand against forgetting as you leave this place, that we belong to each other." Father Greg Boyle, S.J.

http://pjfurlong.blogspot.com

ELA said...

Patrick,

You said, “I just can't vote or not vote for a candidate on one single issue.”

What if the candidate was a racist, e.g. a card carrying member of the KKK? What if the candidate was a Jew-hater and a holocaust denier? What if the candidate was sympathetic to terrorism in order to achieve political ends?

Would any of these “issues” by themselves be sufficient for you to dismiss the candidate?

I hope you get the point. Without a doubt, for every voter, there are many “single issues” which would disqualify candidates. It’s simply a matter of starting to identify them and see where the “issue” of abortion might rank in that list of evils.

As we make clear in our voter’s guide:

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Imagine a politician saying, “I support terrorism.” And then a voter saying,” I disagree with you on terrorism, but what's your health care plan?” You'd think they were both mad! You wouldn't think twice about rejecting a candidate who supported terrorism. His stance, permitting the public to be killed, is dangerous to society and contrary to every principle of public service.

Consider abortion in the same light. Abortion is no less violent than terrorism and produces the same result-dead and bloodied human beings, most often in pieces.

*****

Regarding Cardinal Joseph Bernadine, his “consistent ethic of life” was dangerously flawed as evidenced clearly by the manner in which pro-abortion politicians interpreted his argument and used it to maintain the status quo on child killing. You might want to refer to this article.

Patrick, think about it. You’ve used the Cardinal’s point of view to nullify, for all practical purposes, your opposition in the public square to the killing of unborn children. This flies in the face of official Catholic teaching and the specific teachings of our last two Popes. Take some time to read and reflect on John Paul II’s "Evangelium Vitae," the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith entitled "The Participation of Catholics in Political Life" as well as Cardinal Ratzinger’s "Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion."

Finally, if we consider the unborn to be the poorest of all human beings, a case which can easily be made, I believe your quote by Father Greg Boyle is an earnest plea to stand with the Unborn, unalterably opposed to their legalized murder and to all those who wish to maintain our evil status quo.

Links to news stories about Obama which have recently appeared on the Vote Life, Canada! blog:

Obama's Pastor: "True Gospel" only for poor and black!Town Hall - Washington, DC—If Dr. Jeremiah Wright is the spiritual mentor that guides Barack Obama then it becomes easier to understand how and why Obama himself may not have that Biblical of a grasp in terms of understanding the gospel.

La Shawn Barber asks a question of Barack Obama
Question for Obama: What faith is this?
For instance, Obama voted against a ban on infanticide while a senator in Illinois. A partial birth abortion, as child murder is euphemistically called, is when a “doctor” grabs the unborn baby’s body and pulls him down the birth canal.

The Audacity of Nuance
The Washington Times
…Barack Obama won a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America last year. "The issue of abortion, I don't think has gone away….I don't think people take the issue lightly. A lot of people have arrived in the view that I've arrived at, which is that there is a moral implication to these issues, but that the women involved are in the best position to make that determination.”

Barack Obama Promotes Abortion, Slams Abstinence in Iowa Speech
Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- Campaigning in Iowa over the weekend, pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama attempted to moderate his views on abortion and abstinence education. However, he made it clear he has no interest in limiting or reducing abortions and his pro-abstinence stance is tempered by his backing of sexual education.

Obama backs Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora
More on yesterday’s reported news that Obama backs Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora
Sen. Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to weigh in on the battle over a Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora. Not surprisingly, the abortion rights supporter from Illinois said he would like to see the clinic open soon.

Assassination of Bhutto the Loss of a Remarkable Pro-Life Woman

Benazir Bhutto was an extraordinary figure in our times. More than anything else, I believed she represented hope for the ordinary Pakistani. She will be missed greatly. She was also extraordinarily pro-life for a "modern" politician.

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Islamabad, Pakistan (LifeNews.com) -- The world mourned the loss of assassinated Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto on Thursday, but her death was more than a setback for those hoping for democracy in this war-torn nation. Bhutto was a member of an international pro-life women's movement that understood abortion causes medical, mental health and other problems for women.

When Bhutto was the prime minister of Pakistan, she helped lead a delegation to the 1994 Cairo population conference that confronted abortion advocates looking to make abortion an international right.

"I dream ...of a world where we can commit our social resources to the development of human life and not to its destruction," she told the United Nations panel at the time.

Bhutto was one of only two women to address the conference.

Instead of telling women in nations where population growth is an issue that they should kill their offspring, Bhutto told world leaders that the best solutions is "tackling infant mortality, by providing villages with electrification, by raising an army of women."

She hoped to "educate our mothers, sisters, daughters, in child welfare and population control, by setting up a bank run by women for women, to help women achieve economic independence, and to have the wherewithal to make independent choices.”

Bhutto warned conference participants that "this conference must not be viewed by the teeming masses of the world as a universal social charter seeking to impose adultery, abortion...and other such matters on individuals, societies and religions which have their own social ethos."

One of the leading pro-life women's groups in the United States, Feminists for Life of America, honored Bhutto in the 1998 issue of its publication The American Feminist. The group named Bhutto as one of the first and best "remarkable pro-life women" around the world.

"Prime Minister Bhutto advocated a more holistic approach to resolving population-control issues worldwide," the group said of the Pakistani leader.

FFLA said Bhutto prefers "the empowerment of women" over their destruction via abortion.

Related web sites:
Feminists for Life of America - http://www.feministsforlife.org

[Source]

Evaluation of 2008 Presidential Candidates against US Bishops' Criteria

If you are a pro-lifer following the US Presidential election campaign, here’s an unusual—but intriguing—system of evaluating the candidates.

I was alerted to this assessment of the candidates through a blog posting at Catholics for Ron Paul. The posting was entitled Ron Paul is Best Catholic Choice - US Bishops' Faithful Citizenship Guidelines.

Here’s the relevant portion of that posting with the link to Defend Life blogger Joe Healy who came up with this interesting and comprehensive system. There are some solid things to be learned here about qualifying true pro-life candidates. Canadian pro-lifers, please take a close look.

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Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has been rated the Best Choice for Catholic Voters, based on an independent analysis by The Defend Life blog of Maryland. The analysis used the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' criteria in Faithful Citizenship - its guide for Catholic voters - to rate the various candidate's platforms and has determined that Ron Paul's positions are most compatible with the USCCB standards.

Using a point system that gave greater weight for "non-negotiable" issues such as abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, and gay marriage, the analysis lined up all the candidates to see where they stand on a broad array of issues.

Ron Paul (R) scored highest with a score of 99, with Alan Keyes (R) following with 70, and Mike Huckabee (R) third with 69. Dead last was the purportedly Catholic Rudy Giuliani (R) with -28 and Barack Obama (D) with -15. Hilary Clinton (D) scored a -11 and Fred Thompson (R) scored only a 4.

CCCB Invites Muslim Representative For The First Time to Address Plenary Assembly

I’m sure there are good reasons to invite a Muslim representative for the first time to address Canada’s 80 or more Catholic Bishops.

A group of invited observers, including priests, members from Catholic organizations and other Christian churches, also participates in the meeting. Each year, one religious representative is invited to address the Bishops, and for the first time in its history, the 2007 Plenary Assembly will welcome a representative from the Muslim community, Imam Dr. Zijad Delic, Executive Director of the Canadian Islamic Congress.

There must be quite a varied agenda of items that need addressing by the Bishops of Canada. I’m sure that if they consider it to be important to hear from a Muslim they must also be anxious to discuss this outrage.

After all, the CCCB press release clearly states that the Bishops meet to address “major issues that confront Canadians and the Church at large.”

Celebrating its 65th year of existence in 2008, the CCCB is an organization created by the Bishops to allow them to collaborate on various pastoral responsibilities and to work together in addressing major issues that confront Canadians and the Church at large.

Perhaps they might even address the greatest sacrilege occurring in Canada under their watch and the solution for it.

God help the Bishops. Please pray for them continually.

Pro-Life News Bytes September 26, 2007

Suzanne at Big Blue Wave directs readers to an interview with Family Coalition Party leader Giuseppe Gori on TVO.

VIDEO: FCP's Giuseppe Gori interviewed by TVO's Steve Paikan

LifeSiteNews reported yesterday on an amazing story, ready made for our Canadian setting. The story is a powerful vindication of the strategy of using graphic images to show the horror and truth of abortion. Be sure to reads this story.

500 Centre of Bioethical Reform explicit abortion billboards had a powerful effect [on abortion law in Slovakia.]

Slovak Health Ministry Revokes Hospital Abortion Law in Face of Effective "Right-to-Life" Campaign

Heartofsong83 posts voting strategy on Free Dominion. Vote Life, Canada! disagrees with respect to EVER voting for a politician who is not qualified as truly pro-life. Would you ever consider voting for a politician who supported terrorism under certain conditions? Think about it.
Ontario Election 2007: Why we should vote pro-life

The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship (LCF) is calling on Christians to rally outside England’s Houses of Parliament this October in a show of opposition to abortion on the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act.

h/t Vital Signs Ministries

A controversial plan to pay new parents in Newfoundland and Labrador is being misinterpreted, according to Progressive Conservative Leader Danny Williams.

Baby bonus part of a bigger population-growth plan: Williams

See Vote Life, Canada’s previous coverage also.

Christian Newswire reports that Operation Rescue is celebrating today the announced closure of Alternatives, an abortion clinic in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that was closed by the Health Department in June after an inspection revealed filthy conditions that included blood-stained carpets and rusty surgical instruments.

Filthy New Jersey Abortion Mill Surrenders License, Moves Out

Last year over 2 million students in the U.S. took part in See You at the Pole (SYATP) - a student-organized, student-led gathering at the school flagpole where students will pray for their school, friends, teachers, government, and nation.

Will You Be at the Pole?

Also see
Alliance Defense Fund memo

STOPP carries a report of the 40 Days for Life campaign in their Wednesday Report and lists participating cities.

“Today marks the beginning of the 40 Days for Life. All across the United States, pro-lifers will be praying at abortion centers from September 26 through November 4. Many of the 40 Days for Life events are taking place at Planned Parenthood facilities.

40 Days for Life protests at Planned Parenthood

More details at the 40 Days for Life web site

www.40DaysForLife.com

LifeSiteNews coverage

Abortion Centers in 80 Cities in 33 States to be Prayerfully Picketed for 40 Days Starting Tomorrow

LifeNews.com

National 40-Day Pro-Life Prayer Campaign Begins at Abortion Centers

From California Catholic Daily

“The largest simultaneous pro-life mobilization in history”

One of our recent posts concerned a ridiculous NJ Supreme Court decision. An appeal has been launched.

Trenton: Abortion Malpractice Appeal

Asbury Park Press also covers the story

Woman in Abortion Case Asking Court to Reconsider Ruling
NJ.com coverage

Lawyer wants high court to reconsider abortion ruling

For perspective from a “poor-choicer,” a radical feminist weighs in on the New Jersey decision. She says

This case is one of a series of attempts to turn “informed consent” into a platform for divisive and fundamentalist views on women’s reproductive choices.

Getting "Informed Consent" Right

Here’s a blogger named “shadowmyth” who is definitely all for population control. Warning: I know nothing about this blogger so I can’t vouch for the content of the site but I did quickly read her posting. Typical uninformed shallow arguments but maybe the reader can use the posting to look further into the controversy surrounding the subject.

Stop Having Children

Christian blogger and self identified philosopher Todd H Dow discusses Dawkins on abortion. He says Dawkins’ logic is seriously flawed. See what you think.
Dawkins Day 7: The Slippery Slope of Abortion

From The Christian Post

Only 16 percent of non-Christians aged 16 to 29 years old said they have a "good impression" of Christianity, according to a report released Monday by The Barna Group. A decade ago, the vast majority of Americans outside the Christian faith, including young people, felt favorably toward Christianity’s role in society.

Study: Christianity No Longer Looks Like Jesus

CAN reports on a columnist for a Ugandan newspaper who has called on the government of the East African country to ignore the Catholic Church's views and get on with the business of legalizing abortion.

Columnist stirs controversy in Uganda by calling for legalization ...

Two pieces of news about Alveda King, former Georgia legislator and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

According to LifeNews.com a public high school in Iowa is drawing criticism from the pro-life community after it canceled a scheduled talk with pro-life advocate Alveda King.

Iowa School Cancels Pro-Life Talk With Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Niece

The Bradenton Herald carries a very positive report on King’s visit in Florida.

Alveda King brings message against abortion to Bradenton

A protest was staged outside a Florida Baptist church last week as it hosted a pro-family summit attended by some of the nation’s most prominent conservative Christian leaders.

At the summit Leslee Unruh from the National Abstinence Clearinghouse shared about her group's efforts to ban abortion in South Dakota.

Pro-Family Summit Faces Opposition

Related previous coverage

Evangelicals to Kick Off Pro-Family Summit

In yesterday’s NewsBytes we reported on BigBlueWave’s posting on Religious conservative vote is becoming an electoral factor in Canada.

Blogger bigcitylib speculates on the rising threat of Canada’s new Evangeliban! [I don’t know what to expect from this site regarding language, etc.]

The Rise Of The Canadian Evangeliban?

We blogged on the story in the Ottawa Citizen yesterday and today. Suzanne at BigBlueWave has some commentary as well.

Abortion supporters complain about long wait times in Ottawa

Vicki Saporta of the National Abortion Federation chimed in with a short post. Maybe she has more since then.

Women Face Long Wait Times for Abortion Care in Ottawa

Good post by Joe H on the Defend Life blog.

When Archbishop Amato called abortion "terrorism with a human face" in April 2007 he caused me to think: How is abortion terrorism?

Abortion: The Real Terrorism

Very interesting background story on a Cedar Rapids resident Alice Dahle who has a “living passion for CEDAW.” National Right to Life has outlined their objections to CEDAW. Now if someone could actually succeed in winning Alice over to the human rights issue of the Unborn, we’d have a fighter on our side.

CEDAW Is Living Passion for Iowa Women's Activist

NBC South Florida wrote a nice story on Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo Garcia Ibanez, named earlier this year to lead Catholics in Santiago, Cuba's second-largest city. They covered a good deal of ground and reported that abortion in Cuba remains free and readily available.

Cuban Archbishop: Religious Freedom Slowly Spreading On Island

Blogger papabear at The New Beginning linked to a speech by Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput published in First Things magazine. Looks real interesting. We should have more bloggers working on this one.

Renewing the Church, Converting the World

Vote Life, Canada! has had much to say in recent weeks about Amnesty International’s recent decision to advocate for abortion worldwide.

This development is a few days old but nevertheless good for the record.

Catholic schools to cut ties with Amnesty
LifesiteNews.com also carried a report yesterday on this.

Australian Archdiocese Directs 328 Catholic Schools to Withdraw Support from Amnesty International

Blogger Sotto Voce

Australian Archdiocese Directs 328 Catholic Schools to Withdraw ...

I’d like to write a lot more about this subject but I already have. Too many Catholic Bishops love to talk about the role of faith in society but then don’t really expect Catholics to take it seriously. It’s sickening. Words are cheap.

Faith and religion have a necessary and significant role to play in the development of government and social policy, Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, D.C., told local Catholics gathered for the annual Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast Sept. 18.

Faith plays necessary role in society, says archbishop

More reaction on Archbishop Burke’s stance of denying Holy Communion to Catholics, including politicians, who live in mortal sin. By the way, it’s extremely rude and disrespectful to Catholics to characterize the Body and Body of Jesus Christ in terms of “wafer” and “wafer wars.” Get a life.

'Wafer Wars' heat up: Archbishop pressures clergy to deny ...

Did I miss this one from the National Post on September 13, 2007?

Abortion and mental health: The link we cannot ignore

On this topic, Dr. Paul Ranalli had a letter to the editor published today in the National Post Re: Depression And Abortion Not Linked. He exposes yet another confused poor-choicer.

(CNSNews.com) - The Miller Brewing Company, a sponsor of this weekend’s homosexual “leather” street fair in San Francisco, has asked to have its logo removed from an advertising poster that has offended some Christians. The advertisement portrays Christ and the disciples as half-naked sado-masochists.

Disgusting. Thanks to those who expressed outrage.

Miller Brewing Pulls Logo From ‘Last Supper’ Advertisement

From LifeNews.com

Pope Benedict XVI met with the new ambassador from Nicaragua to the Vatican on Monday and congratulated the Central American nation for recently renewing its ban on abortions.

Pope Benedict XVI Congratulates Nicaragua on Keeping Abortion Illegal

Also from LifeNews.com

A new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports finds that the issue of abortion is important to a strong majority of voters and that it is one of the handful of issues in a troubling election year for Republicans that could boost their chances to retain the White House.

Poll Shows Abortion Important to Voters, Helpful to Republican Candidates

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. A good lesson here for pro-lifers on the subject of free speech.

Maybe someone will blog on this.

Rhode Island College settles suit over abortion-rights signs

An attorney who helped a prominent activist against forced abortions in China has been arrested following the dissemination of a letter he wrote to Olympic officials criticizing the Asian nation's human rights situation.

Attorney for China Forced Abortion Activist Detained After Olympic ...

For the next two days, The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform will be in Omaha, driving large trucks painted with graphic images of aborted fetuses.

Pro-Life Group Drives Message Across Omaha

If you’re looking for truth about sexuality and abortion, don’t call on the RCRC. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice was founded in 1973 by clergy and lay leaders from mainstream religions “to safeguard the newly won constitutional right to abortion.” Take a look at the conclusions from a book written to examine the RCRC and its activities [posted on the Priests for Life website.]

The clergy at this meeting sounds an awful lot like representatives from RCRC.

UW’s Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom hosted a panel called Religious Views on Reproductive Choice, in which Rabbi Jonathan Biatch and the Rev. Alvaro Nova talked about their religions’ stances on abortion and sex education.

Religion debates abortion

Teacher dismissed from Catholic school for “public participation in the procurement of abortions” now ranting against pro-lifers from the stage.

“Fired for Immorality”

Blogger and Deacon Greg Kandra discusses a conference which could help men dealing with the psychological trauma of post-abortion reality the way Project Rachel -- the post-abortion healing ministry of the Catholic Church Thorn founded -- has helped women.

Reclaiming fatherhood: men and abortion

Ontario’s Top Political Leaders Pledge Support So Morgentaler Abortuary Can Quickly Kill (More) Babies

Yesterday, we reported on the news item about wait times for legalized child-killing [aka abortion] in Canada’s capital city.

Today we hear from the leaders of the three top political parties in Ontario.

Gee, that was quick—but predictable in response.

All three, including a "good" Catholic premier, unquestionably favour killing womb children whenever the mother chooses and decry this injustice of having to wait for this "front-line" health procedure.

Voters in Ontario truly concerned about justice and human rights obviously need to shop for new parties.

Not sure? Answer this question and then listen to this message.

**********

Leaders promise action on abortion waiting times

The Ottawa Citizen

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Party leaders responded yesterday to a Citizen story that said Ottawa has the longest wait times for abortion in the country.

The story reported yesterday that while the average wait in Canada is two weeks, women in Ottawa wait for about four weeks, and sometimes up to six.

At a campaign stop yesterday, Premier Dalton McGuinty said increased hospital funding will eventually provide easier access to abortion. "I fully support a woman's right to choose, No. 1," Mr. McGuinty said. "No. 2, we have provided an additional $9 billion by way of new investments in health care."

Conservative leader John Tory said the Ottawa abortion wait time issue reflects a lack of leadership by the premier.

"Wait times for many procedures in Ottawa are not only below recommended Ontario government levels, but also behind provincial averages. This is unacceptable for the second largest city in the province and shocking given Ottawa is the home of the premier," he said.

Maron Nader, a spokeswoman for NDP leader Howard Hampton, called abortion services a "front-line" health procedure. She accused the McGuinty government of following too narrow a focus with its wait time strategy, saying all Ontarians deserve fair access to health care.

[Source]

Vote Life, Canada! Updates It's 3 Minute YouTube Voting Message To Canadians

This is a revised YouTube version of the Vote Life, Canada! audio message issued two days ago, updated with video images!

Canadians are urged to take creative measures to see that this video message is distributed as widely as possible in Canada, particularly to churches, family groups and other religious organizations.

Text of 3 Minute Voting Message to Canadians from Vote Life, Canada!

The hour in Canada is late.

Canada has descended into an immoral, God-forsaken abyss with little hope of recovery. Every moral minded Canadian unsure of this reality needs to take time right away to ponder our grim predicament. At stake is nothing less than the soul of our nation, our souls and the souls of our children and grandchildren.

We’ve run out of time and drastic measures are required in order to ensure a future for Canada. The greatest threat to that future is the impending judgment of God on a society that tolerates the heinous injustice of legalized child-killing. This insidious evil has resulted to date in the destruction of three million of Canada’s unborn children—the most vulnerable and defenseless of all human beings in our society.

No other injustice compares with this one. No other business is as urgent to address as this. The killing of fellow human beings has sentenced Canada to a death spiral which is leading us steadily to a barbaric societal collapse.

This war against the Unborn must somehow be immediately stopped. To do so, the political fabric of Canada must be purged from every threat against the Unborn. Any degree of tolerance for abortion means death to unborn humans and that must mean rejection of the candidate. If politicians aren’t ready to respect the life of a small defenseless child, do you want to trust them with your life and future?

At this late stage in Canada’s death spiral here’s the only question we have time to ask political candidates: If elected, will you support measures to introduce and pass a law to fully protect every unborn child from the moment of conception onward? The question demands a simple yes or no.

Extreme? Only if you believe the cutting, suctioning, poisoning and ripping to death of fellow human beings can be ranked alongside levels of taxation and social security.

Call your candidates today and advise them of your prime voting directive. Do not be put off by the candidate’s indifference to the unborn or worse still, by false claims of pro-life sympathy. And don’t be surprised if fellow Canadians—even your close friends—claim this strategy is impractical. Ask them what other political plan in the last forty years has been successful in stopping the killing.

Yes, there are valid concerns that on Election Day, voters may be faced with the prospect of no qualified candidates. The Canadian voter must take the bold step of clearly writing across the ballot in ink “no pro-life candidate.’ This is NOT a lost vote. Your message has been registered. When the ballots are being counted, the respective candidates will learn of their lost votes and you will have communicated the reality that voters want a future for Canada. The message will be loud and clear.

If you yet cherish hope for our once great nation under God, Vote Life, Canada!

Visit www.votelifecanada.ca for more help with making your vote count.

Pro-Life News Bytes September 25, 2007

Stand to Reason reports on Scott Klusendorf’s posting describing what a pro-life pastor looks like.
He points out that pro-life issues aren't a political or para-church issue; the nature of being human is at the core of the Biblical message and central to teaching and training Christians who can engage and not be taken in by the culture.
Are You/Do You Have a Pro-life Pastor?

Also from STR re the visit of Ahmadinejad to Columbia U.
I think the university president's comments and questions to Ahmadinejad were constructive, accurate, and useful, though essentially pointless. They didn't justify the appearance of Iran's president at the Columbia because everything he said is well-known, well-documented, and were ignored by Ahmadinejad.
What Do We Fear? Moral Relativism and "Tolerance"

BigBlueWave blogged yesterday on this important survey.
Religious conservative vote is becoming an electoral factor in Canada

Campaign Life Coalition to release report re election candidates
Campaign Life Coalition to Shortly Post Ontario Election Candidate Survey Results on Internet

Quite a few items in the news about schools

Leonard at Stand Your Ground reports
Those who've never been to a Christian school can have a glimpse of what it looks like thanks to this article in the Toronto Star. I find it quite fairly written, even though expressions such as "infuse the Ontario curriculum with Christian values" do seem like criticism.
A Look At Christian School

From the Toronto Star
The roots of discord over religious schools

Blogger A. Carlton Sallet of Upper Canada Catholic says
Here’s a few things nobody’s talking about when it comes to the whole funding for faith based schools / end funding of Catholic schools debate raging in Ontario:
Reality Check: De-funding Ontario's Catholic Schools

Father Alphonse de Valk at Catholic Insight
Catholic school boards bowing to secularism

StatGuy discusses serious flaws found in a study criticizing abstinence-only sex education.
Lessons in depravity

Suzanne reports on more news about Archbishop Raymond Burke, Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Missouri. He’s my personal choice for the next Pope.
“No matter how often a bishop or priest repeats the teaching of the church regarding procured abortion, if he stands by and does nothing to discipline a Catholic who publicly supports legislation permitting the gravest of injustices, and, at same time, presents himself to receive Holy Communion, then his teachings ring hollow,” Burke writes.
Archbishop Burke: Deny Communion to Sinful Pols
Here’s the link to the story that Suzanne covered.

Blogger Orycteropus also has a post
Archbishop Burke, Abortion, and "Communion Cops"

Priests for Life is asking pro-lifers to sign their petition to the media to show the American people what an abortion is.

JivinJehoshaphat reports on the sad news that Pastor John Piper's son and daughter-in-law discovered their child, due to be delivered on Sunday, had died in the womb.
Life Links 9/24/07

And speaking of Pastor John Piper, who is a great friend of the Unborn, at the blogsite New Life From Heaven, one of John Piper’s quotes is included, along with other info which makes for a very unique posting.
Abortion?

Opinion piece from Pastor Chuck Baldwin
DOBSON IS RIGHT ABOUT GIULIANI

LifeSiteNews reports on Hillary Clinton
Biography Reveals Hillary Clinton Séance, Religious Devotion to Abortion

From LifeNews.com
A pro-life group that monitors charitable involvement with abortion businesses and pro-abortion organizations has published a new report criticizing Rotary International. Life Decisions International says Rotary has ties with groups that promote both abortion and population control
Pro-Life Org Blasts Rotary Club for Involvement With Pro-Abortion Groups

From Catholic Online
Text of the USCCB statement for Respect Life Sunday 2007

Winnipeg Sun reports that members of Edmonton's gay community are lashing out at controversial mayoral candidate Bill Whatcott over his anti-homosexual election platform.
Candidate anti-gay

Catholic Citizens supports Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo is his call for priests to imitate him by praying for one hour in front of an abortion facility during this year's national Forty Days of Life.
In Defense of Life Bishop Aquila urges priests to pray before ...

Michael Coren dishes out some compliments—and disdain for the entertainment industry
That's original

Blogger JohnOnLife takes on the duplicity of the “pro-choice” mantra
I am and I am not

New York state officials have decided to divert the millions in abstinence education funding the state receives from the federal government to comprehensive sex-ed programs.
New York State Officials Will Refuse Abstinence Education Funding

David Oliver, writer and researcher and specialist in bipolar disorder, warns that those who pressure the bipolar disorder woman facing an unplanned pregnancy into abortion may in fact be recommending something that ruins the life of women predisposed to mental illness.
Should A Woman With Bipolar Disorder Have An Abortion?

More about the mega-event in Aurora and the 40 Days for Life

From Killeen Daily Herald in Killeen Texas
Anti-abortion group prepares for 40-day protest near clinic

From Ms. Magazine
Judge Denies Injunction to Allow Aurora Planned Parenthood to Open

From Christian Newswire
Fr. Frank Pavone to Kick Off Rallies for 40 Days for Life

Heartbeat International weighs in on recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision “that deprives women of the right to hear the truth about abortion”
New Jersey Top Court Allows Doctor to Deceive Women

The Pine Log is the official newspaper of the students of Stephen F. Austin State University. Here’s an opinion piece on the morning after pill. Readers are invited to get the important truth about this dangerous medication.
Morning after pill should be easily available to all

International abortion advocate lectures at University of San Diego
Besides inviting Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh and “reproductive rights” advocate Andrea Smith to address its students during this year’s Joan B. Kroc Distinguished Lecture Series, the University of San Diego also invited Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage. The University of San Diego claims to be a “Catholic” institution of higher education
“No one should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term”

Ken Connor discusses Three Core Principles in the Christian’s approach to poverty.
Last week, the Center for a Just Society reminded Christian Post readers of a message that is unambiguous in Scripture: Christians have a responsibility to freely and generously serve the poor.
Christian Compassion and Government Responsibility

The Christian Post reports on a recent meeting of Southern Baptist leaders.
Southern Baptists Consider Denomination-Wide Response to Clergy Sex Abuse