Friday, October 31, 2014

Watchdog Group Condemns Swiss Population Control Initiative




by Anne Roback Morse
Population Research Institute 


The Population Research Institute condemns a proposed population control initiative in Switzerland which is being put to a vote on November 30, and if enacted, would restrict immigration into Switzerland and increase Swiss spending on population control abroad.

The proposed initiative would cap the number of immigrants allowed into Switzerland at 0.2% annually (or 1 in 500 people) and mandate that a minimum of 10% of its foreign aid funds be spent on birth control measures. The initiative is sponsored by EcoPop, a radical population control organization. The Ecopop campaign spokesperson, Alec Gagneux, cited population (i.e. people) as a source of pollution and human reduction as the desired means to reduce population.

This Swiss proposal comes at a time when a prominent Nigerian spokesperson, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, recently decried disproportionate funding to population control programs by the governments of developed countries. Archbishop Kaigama stated, “In the first place, children die in infant mortality, in inter-tribal wars and diseases, but yet you come to say ‘decrease your population and we will give you economic help.’ We want food, we want education, we want good roads, healthcare.”

Foreign aid funding breaks down into smaller, separately allocated budgets. Birth control programs or “population health” programs are separate from HIV prevention or maternal health programs. Because foreign aid budgets are finite, every dollar allocated into one program cannot be spent elsewhere. In short, every dollar spent on birth control programs in impoverished nations is a dollar that cannot be spent on maternal health, HIV prevention, sanitation, or nutrition. Kaigama summed up the tragic results of this misallocation of resources succinctly, declaring, “We are being given the wrong things and we are being asked to accept, simply because we are poor.”

Although the proposed initiative has garnered enough signatures (at least 100,000) to make it onto the November 30th ballot, many Swiss are vocally opposed to the initiative. "We need to fight poverty by giving individuals human rights and by improving their social, economic and ecological environment," said Ada Marra, the president of a Swiss charitable organization. "And not by handing out contraceptives."

This proposal comes at a time when Switzerland needs more immigrants. Switzerland has had a fertility rate below replacement (2.1) since the early 1970’s. Without immigration, the population of Switzerland is projected to start shrinking (more deaths than births) within the next 20 years. Steven Mosher, president of Population Research Institute, commented, “The EcoPop initiative to reject immigrants represents a self-destructive refusal to mitigate the effects of their impending demographic winter. In addition, its proposal to push birth control on developing nations shows an obstinate attachment to a failing demographic model.”

The initiative will require at least a 50% majority in November to become a law. The Population Research Institute urges the people of Switzerland to reject this anti-people proposal.

The pro-life Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending human rights abuses committed in the name of "family planning," and to ending counter-productive social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of "overpopulation." Find us at pop.org.

The Sound of Abortion




Excerpt from a speech by Peter Heck depicting the horror of the American holocaust in sound only.


   


Peter Heck is one of the most engaging and energetic speakers in the country. With a powerful blend of humor and passion, Peter is entertaining and enlightening audiences across the United States.

An author of two books, an opinion columnist published in The Washington Times and a talk radio host who has been heard on over 200 radio stations throughout America, Peter Heck has shared the stage with some of the country's most recognizable names - from best-selling author and television personality Glenn Beck to comedic genius Tim Hawkins.

With a style that can be described by audiences as like trying to take a drink from a fire hose, your church, organization, corporate event, rally or revival can prepare for one of the most inspiring, motivating and uplifting speaking talents in the country.


 Visit www.peterheck.com/speaking

Caught Red-Handed: New Mexico Abortion Business Was Operating Illegally




By Cheryl Sullenger
Operation Rescue

Las Cruces, NM - A new abortion facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, operated by the Texas-based Whole Women's Health abortion chain, was caught "red-handed" operating without a valid business permit in an area that may not be properly zoned for that business.
Seeking to avoid safety standards in Texas that shut down two of its five Texas abortion centers, Whole Women's Health targeted New Mexico where an absence of abortion laws allows even the most disreputable to run abortion businesses without fear of inspection or oversight.
Whole Women's Health (WWH) soon set up shop in Las Cruces where it could continue its substandard operations without accountability.  
Operation Rescue, working with Protest ABQ and local pro-life leaders in Las Cruces, has documented that Whole Women's Health, operating as "William H. Richardson, MD, PC" opened for business and conducted surgical abortions prior to applying to the City of Las Cruces for a business permit.
In fact, recorded phone conversations show that the facility staff used deception first to pass off an invalid business permit as their own, then to deny that it had opened for business.
In phone call placed by Tara Shaver of Protest ABQ on October 16, 2014, a clinic employee told Shaver that they had been open about a week. She then scheduled Shaver for a surgical abortion on October 21.
However, records show that the abortion facility did not even apply for a permit until October 23 and did not receive a valid business permit until October 27.
There are also concerns that Whole Women's Health and Richardson are operating in a building that is not zoned for major surgeries such as late-term abortions, which are soon to be available at the Las Cruces center.
"There can be no doubt that Whole Women's Health was conducting business and providing surgical abortions prior to applying for a valid business permit," said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. "We caught them red-handed breaking the law and using deception to cover it up."
Operation Rescue is encouraging the public to contact the City of Las Cruces and ask that they immediately revoke the business permit issued to Richardson due to safety concerns and given the checkered history of the Whole Women's Health abortion chain in Texas with which his abortion business is affiliated.
Building & Development Services
Robert Kyle, Administrator
Voice: 575-528-3106
E-mail: rkyle@las-cruces.org





Thursday, October 30, 2014

Family's Fight to Save 4-Month-Old's Life



Yahoo Parenting
Chasity McVay tries to record the littlest details of her daughter’s life. “I try to document funny little things,” she said, “so I don’t forget.” That’s because McVay isn’t sure how much time her child has left.
It took a bit of miracle to bring her children into the world. “We prayed for five years for a kid,” McVay said.”We had two miscarriages to begin with.”
She finally gave birth to a boy. Sophia arrived the following year. “And we were like, our family is complete,” the mother said proudly. Now McVay says she’s praying for another miracle to keep her daughter alive. 
A fever sent Sophia to the hospital when she was six days old. Doctors discovered a virus had damaged her liver. They also diagnosed the baby with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare condition causing her immune system to turn on her.
“We’re to the point where they’re saying she needs a liver transplant or she’ll die,” said McVay.
The family turned to hospitals across the country. Only one, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C. agreed to do the operation, despite the rare condition continuing to affect her immune system. The news from Georgetown offered a spark of hope — but was quickly extinguished when Medicaid in Texas refused to cover the procedure.
Now money, the McKay family says, is the only thing standing between her daughter and a chance at life. The kidney transplant alone would cost an estimated $200,000. The transport and extended care of her daughter could cost even more.
“She’s a person,” McKay said of her daughter. “She has an attitude and a personality. She smiles when mom comes in. She loves when dad sings to her. You’re denying another human being life. Why? Why would you do that?”

watch video using this link

OFFICIAL 2014 VOTER GUIDE: A BALLOT MEASURE FOR LIFE




By Reverend Katherine Marple
KeepLifeLegal

Here we are, Life and Liberty hangs in the balance in the upcoming election AGAIN. We look at all of the candidates, the issues…and once again voters have to choose from the lesser of two evils. As a voter and a Christian, I realize that no candidate is perfect. But…seriously?
TIMING: A Christian’s ability to discern should be getting better rather than worse, considering the times we are in. The Bible never said the world would get better – these last days grow dim and we have to see through spiritual eyes,  not television and the internet. How much more evidence do we need to see that ‘tolerance’ will win elections, not the truth? Democrats win because wishy-washy Christians let them; Democrats win because of single issue voting. Those who claim ‘tolerance’ show how intolerant they are of decent Christians who live by the Book, not ‘tolerance’.

Why Contraception is Wrong







by John McNichol
Catholic Stand

Biblically, the story of Onan in Genesis Chapter 38 was a blunt enough message for the first nineteen centuries of Christianity: preventing children by artificial means was offensive to God. So much so that God summarily killed Onan for it (Gen 38: 8-10). Worse, after Christ’s resurrection, Catholics and protestant theologians gave Onan the dubious honor of having a particular mortal sin named after him.

Add to that, whenever a woman got pregnant in the Bible, it was because God had mercy on her, God opened her womb, or God blessed her. Children were seen as a blessing by God to be celebrated, not a chore to be avoided (Ps 127:3-5, Prov 17:6, to name a few).

But , I prefer not only to look at the Biblical reasons alone. I also like to look at common sense. I also like food. Food has two components, if we think about it: There is both a biological and an emotional aspect to any food we eat. Food is eaten with friends. It’s often pleasurable to consume. It’s also a necessity for life. Ancient Rome, however, was known for its pleasurable excesses. It was not unheard of for party guests to vomit their food up after dinner, and return for more food later. Cicero in his work Pro Rege Deiotaro noted Julius Caesar himself would take emetic drugs for the expressed purpose of making himself vomit after dinner. For ancient Roman partygoers, filling up on good food wasn’t considered a bad thing at all. And, if you found yourself too full, a guest just emptied the contents of their stomach, and then could return to the party able to consume more delectables.

Today, when someone tries to lose weight by vomiting the food they eat, we say they have an eating disorder. Just so, when the ancient Romans sought to separate the pleasure of eating from its biological purpose, we see it as disordered. Or we just call it gross. Take your pick.

                                                                                                                                                                     
John McNichol is a Catholic, Husband, Father, Teacher, Writer and Speaker living in the Pacific NorthWest. He is the author of three published novels: Books 1 and 2 in the Young Chesterton Chronicles series ('The Tripods Attack!', and 'The Emperor of North America'), as well 'The King's Gambit', an adventure novel for the 9-12 year old crowd.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

New Jersey Right to Life PAC Endorsements: 2014 General Election



The New Jersey Right to Life PAC endorsements for the 2014 General Election,
taking place on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, are as follows:
U.S. SenateJeff Bell (R)
U.S. House of Representatives
Garry Cobb (R) – 1st Congressional District
Tom MacArthur (R) – 3rd Congressional District
*Chris Smith (R) – 4th Congressional District
*Scott Garrett (R) – 5th Congressional District
Anthony Wilkinson (R) – 6th Congressional District
Deirdre Paul (R) – 9th Congressional District
Dr. Alieta Eck (R) – 12th Congressional District
*Incumbent Member of Congress
If you are a resident of Middlesex County, please vote No on Middlesex County Ballot Question No. 2.  This is a deceptive campaign that will raise your taxes to fund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.    More
Remember to vote for the pro-life candidates on Tuesday, November 4th!
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Visit and Bookmark our newly designed website for the latest pro-life news and information, www.njrtl.org 

Be a Voice for the Vulnerable - Get out and VOTE!


AND STAY TUNED TO THE MD MARCH FOR INFO ABOUT BEING A VOICE FOR THE VULNERABLE



From Maryland March for Life

Early voting is underway through this Thursday, October 30th and Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th.

Find your polling location at the State Board of Elections website.

Any other general questions (Am I registered to vote? What is my district?) are answered here.

For pro-life voter guides, check out Maryland Right to Life & the Maryland Catholic Conference.

There's an epic amount of turnover in this year's election and YOUR VOTE MATTERS!

Share this with family and friends, and GET OUT THE VOTE!

 

   

GET OUT TO VOTE!


Important November 4, 2014 General Election Information from the New Jersey Right to Life PAC


From Marie Tasy , Executive Director
New Jersey Right to Life PAC

The General Election is one week away. Please be sure to vote for the candidates endorsed by New Jersey Right to Life PAC on Tuesday, November 4 who are listed in this email. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you live in Middlesex County be sure to vote No on Middlesex County Ballot Question # 2, Women’s Health funding. Please don’t be fooled – this is not about women’s health! This is a stealth effort by the Freeholders (with the help of pro-abortion state legislators) to raise your taxes to fund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. Women's health services are already being provided by state funds to the NJ CEED program and the 100 Federally Qualified Health Centers located throughout NJ, including Centers in Middlesex County.

The question asks, ” In view of the recent cuts in funding by the State of New Jersey, shall the governing body of the County of Middlesex increase funding to support current women’s health care programs in order to increase access for County residents to mammograms, cancer screenings and similar services specifically designed for women’s health support and disease prevention.” Share this important information with 10 friends who live in Middlesex County and spread the word to everyone you know in Middlesex County to Vote No on Middlesex County Ballot Question # 2.

Please check your ballot to find out if this question (or a similar one) appears on your ballot. This would be a county ballot question, not a state ballot question. If a question like this does appear on your ballot, please spread the word to everyone in your county to Vote No. If it doesn’t appear on your ballot, please tell all your friends in Middlesex County to Vote No on County Ballot Question No. 2!

The UN Continues to Push a Radical Abortion Agenda

UN "World Survey" seeks women's equality and development through sterilization, abortion and population control




by Steven W. Mosher
Population Research Institute

The new UN report on women makes for grim reading, if you can decipher it. The reason that you may have trouble doing so is that the report, called the World Survey on the Role of Women in Development 2014: Gender Equality and Sustainable Development, is written in a kind of code. Words and expressions are used that sound reasonable—what could be wrong with “gender equality,” for example?—but which, in the femspeak used by the UN, actually have quite radical and subversive meanings that are lost on the general public.

There is a reason for this linguistic deception. Properly understood, this World Survey—the first published in five years—is nothing less than a battle plan for a deadly assault on life and marriage. If its recommendations were to be fully adopted by UN’s member states and carried out, it would mean the end of families as we know them, and a top-to-bottom restructuring of societies and economies as a whole.

If these revolutionary goals were clearly stated, the public outcry would be deafening, and resistance would grow. So UN bureaucrats disguise their true goals by using code words that only they and other progressives, who are also in the know, can understand.

Let me translate some of the World Survey’s recommendations back into plain, straightforward, unambiguous English, so you can better understand the road down which the UN wants to take us.

“Reproductive health” = Sterilization Campaigns

The phrase “reproductive health,” littered throughout the document, sounds unobjectionable. But it is actually a double deception, since it has nothing to do with reproduction and nothing to do with health. The goal of “reproductive health” programs is actually population control—reducing the birth rate by chemically or surgically disabling as many female reproductive systems as possible. For example, when the report says:

Respect, protect and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, particularly women and girls, across the life cycle;(page 113)

This should be read to mean that women and girls are to encouraged to contracept, sterilize, and abort their children. The reason why this “recommendation” is included in the section “On sustainable development,” is that it is really about limiting population growth.

“Sustainable” = Limit, Restrict

Whenever you read the word sustainable, as in “Sustainable Development” or “Sustainable Population” you should substitute the words “limit” or “restrict.” For example, when the report says:

"Ground sustainable population policies in sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the provision of universally accessible quality sexual and reproductive health services …" (page 114)

It actually means something like, “Population control policies should be based on the promotion of sterilization and abortion.”

“Safe abortion” = Abortion on Demand

Safe abortion sounds more woman-friendly than simply saying abortion. But it is used within the UN system to refer to the legalization of abortion on demand. So when you read:

"Ground sustainable population policies in sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the provision of universally accessible … comprehensive sexuality education and safe abortion;" (page 114)

You should understand this to mean that “Population control policies should be based on cradle-to-grave sex education and the legalization of abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy.”

“Gender Equality” = The End of Marriage

Under this seemingly harmless rubric—who could oppose equality between men and women?—hides a cultural revolution. For the kind of equality that UN bureaucrats have in mind would end the natural complementarity between the sexes that binds husband and wife together. Read the following sentence:

"Recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work between women and men within households, and between households and the state by expanding basic services and infrastructure that are accessible to all;" (page 113)

This really means that the radical feminists at the UN are instructing the nanny state to go into homes of their married citizens and force husbands and wives to do equal amounts of cooking, cleaning, childcare, etc., regardless of their own preferences in the matter.

The notion of radical equality between men and women promoted by UN feminists also leads them to argue that, since men aren’t burdened with childbirth, “equality” demands that women be permitted to have abortions to level the playing field, as it were.

“Sustainable Development” = radical environmentalism/population control

“Sustainable development” is a catchphrase of the radical environmentalists who want to limit economic growth, which they see as harmful to the environment, by limiting population growth and resource use in poor countries. As the Report advocates:

"Protect the commons and prevent the appropriation and exploitation of natural resources by private and public interests, through state oversight and multi-stakeholder regulation; (page 113)

"Promote transitions to sustainable low-carbon, climate-resilient consumption and production patterns while ensuring gender equality."

These directives mean that land and mineral resources, regardless of the needs of the population, are to be set aside in nature preserves. Energy production and consumption are to be kept low.

And the population, it goes without saying, without access to resources and energy, will remain poor.

“Gender” = ???

Most people think that the word “gender”—which appears in the UN report hundreds of times—is just another word for “sex.” It isn’t. As used by UN progressives, “gender” has nothing to do with fixed categories of male and female. It is not determined by one’s anatomy and chromosomes. Instead, it is solely a matter of personal preference. One is “free” to be whatever “gender” one wants—and or even, chameleon-like, to change from day to day.

There are currently 57 “gender” categories … and counting. (If you thought there are only six—male, female, LGBT—you are behind the times.) Needless to say, this concept of “gender” is tremendously subversive, undermining marriages, families, and even society itself. (The lesbian mayor of Houston is a gender feminist, which is why, in that city, a biological male who is feeling feminine on a certain day can use the ladies’ room.)

One-Child Policy = Forced Abortion

The UN report, which talks incessantly about protecting women’s rights, hypocritically whitewashes China’s brutal one-child policy. That hundreds of millions of women over the past 34 years have been aborted and sterilized, many under duress, goes unmentioned. Instead, we get the following bland paragraph:

"The constitution of China mandates that the government support family planning and that individual couples practice it. The one-child policy, introduced in the late 1970s, has been implemented through a system of economic and social incentives and disincentives, along with free contraceptive services (United Nations, 2002)." (page 87)

This should read: The Chinese Party-State has taken control of the reproductive system of every women in the country, and violates their reproductive rights by controlling childbearing under a state plan, forcibly aborting and sterilizing them if they conceive a child without state permission.

But that would require the UN to acknowledge that abortion is a crime, and this the radical feminists at the UN would never do.

Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Population Control: Real Costs, Illusory Benefits.

The pro-life Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending human rights abuses committed in the name of "family planning," and to ending counter-productive social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of "overpopulation." Find us at pop.org.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Before You Vote, Read These Election Resources



There are many issues on the minds of Catholic voters in this election. On Election Day in the Commonwealth, we have important political choices to make.

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference invited both candidates for Pennsylvania governor to share their views. Incumbent Governor Tom Corbett (Republican) sat down for an in-person interview and completed a written questionnaire. Democratic candidate Tom Wolf declined the PCC's interview invitation and did not respond to the candidate questionnaire. Therefore, we've compiled information about his views from his campaign website and public statements.  

Click here to meet the candidates for governor in Pennsylvania.

The dioceses of Pennsylvania also surveyed local candidates. Click here to learn more about your local candidates.

Endorsements are another way to learn about candidates. Click here to read about some of the endorsements the candidates have garnered.

Voting is a crucial part of representing our Catholic faith in the public square.  Before you head to the polls, learn about the candidates and their positions on important issues.

St. Thomas More, patron saint of politicians, pray for us!

SIDEWALK CHRONICLES: I’M NOT HERE TO SELL YOU LIFE



by Reverend Katherine Marple
KeepLifeLegal


You read that right, I am not on the sidewalk to SELL choosing life for your unborn child. And I used to be a pretty good salesperson. But I’m not here to sell you anything; I’m here to give you something.

When you arrived at the abortion facility today with four other members of your family, you were already sold a product that will change your life and murder your unborn baby: abortion. This ‘product’ is sold to you as an easy way out of your problem. Even your own friends and family has sold you this product because it makes their lives easier. From the evidence I see, I’d say that your friends and family are pretty good salespeople to talk you out of having YOUR baby FOR them…and you fell for it.



Brigham’s Revocation Puts 7 Dangerous New Jersey Abortion Facilities In Limbo



By Cheryl Sullenger
Operation Rescue

 
Voorhees, NJ - Since the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners voted to revoke Steven Chase Brigham's last remaining medical license on October 8, 2014, the fate of his seven New Jersey abortion facilities remains uncertain.
Suspicious activity was noted at one of his American Women's Services facility in Phillipsburg the day following news of Brigham's license revocation. That facility continued operations with locked doors, drawn shutters, and office lights out, as if the staff did not want anyone to know it was open. Women who arrived for appointments at the clinic were forced wait in a dirty, trash-strewn entryway until staff members could quickly usher the inside, only to lock the door again behind them.
In New Jersey, only licensed providers are allowed to operate medical facilities. Now that Brigham has no valid medical license, he should have 90 days to divest himself of the abortion business or shut them down.
"It seems obvious that Brigham's employees were acting as if they were doing something improper and trying to hide it," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "This kind of deceptive behavior and devious practices has characterized Brigham's entire abortion career. It is worrisome that women continue to be subjected to risk at his chain of seventeen abortion facilities that remain open in at least four states. They should all be shut down immediately."
Continue reading here to learn about the medical director at 5 out of 7 of Brigham's New Jersey clinics and why his criminal conviction on sex abuse charges and other troubles makes him a danger to the public!

Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America.Operation Rescue is now headquartered in a former abortion clinic that it bought and closed in 2006.  From there,
Operation Rescue launches its innovative new strategies across the nation, exposing and closing abortion clinics through peaceful, legal means. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to stop abortion and ultimately restore legal personhood to the pre-born in obedience to biblical mandates. Click here to support Operation Rescue.  
Click here to make a secure donation online.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Dear Brittany: Our Lives are Worth Living, Even with Brain Cancer



BY PHILIP G. JOHNSON 
CatholicPhilly.com





Philip Johnson, a 30-year-old seminarian from the Diocese of Raleigh who has terminal brain cancer and is studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, writes in response to Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman from Portland, Ore., who has publicly stated her plan to commit suicide due to her own terminal brain cancer. This article originally appeared on the website of the Raleigh Diocese.





Last week I came across the heartbreaking story of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer one year after her wedding. When doctors suggested that she might only have six months to live, she and her family moved from California to Oregon in order to obtain the prescriptions necessary for doctor-assisted euthanasia. She is devoting her last days to fundraising and lobbying for an organization dedicated to expanding the legality of assisted suicide to other States.
Brittany’s story really hit home, as I was diagnosed with a very similar incurable brain cancer in 2008 at the age of twenty-four. After years of terrible headaches and misdiagnosis, my Grade III brain cancer (Anaplastic Astrocytoma) proved to be inoperable due to its location. Most studies state that the median survival time for this type of cancer is eighteen months, even with aggressive radiation and chemotherapy. I was beginning an exciting career as a naval officer with my entire life ahead of me. I had so many hopes and dreams, and in an instant they all seemed to be crushed. As Brittany said in her online video, “being told you have that kind of timeline still feels like you’re going to die tomorrow.”


"Africa: Life Under Siege" Premieres This Week!



By Michelle Laque Johnson
EWTN
In many African nations, abortion and same-sex marriage are such foreign concepts that they do not even have words for them. Unfortunately, this makes them a huge target for the Culture of Death, which is why they desperately need the support of pro-life forces from around the world!

Find out more when EWTN airs an original documentary, "Africa: Life Under Siege." (Airs 3:30 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Oct. 21 and 11 p.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 25.) This program documents the enormous pressure African countries are facing to adopt secular, mainly Western, views of human life, sexuality, marriage, motherhood and family.

You'll hear from bishops, priests, pro-life leaders, and concerned individuals from Africa, Europe and America who came together in June 2014 to discuss the problem at the International Pro-Life Conference in Abuja, Nigeria. In addition to discussions about the serious issues which are drastically influencing African culture, you'll hear from a bevy of international speakers including Marguerite Peeters, director of the Brussels-based Institute for Intercultural Dialogue; U.S. Congressman Chris Smith; and renowned British Pro-Life Leader John Smeaton.

continue reading at http://www.ewtn.com

The Real War on Women



By Judie Brown, President
American Life League

For the past several years the opponents of life have been hard at work convincing a gullible public that those who oppose child killing by abortion are actually waging a war on women!

These vipers working hard for the perpetuation of the culture of death say this convincingly. Over 40 years have passed since the United States Supreme Court decriminalized the killing of preborn children at any stage of their development as long as their mothers want to terminate their lives instead of nurturing these babies. And few consider the actual body count. Few contemplate the suffering and death of more than 60 million children, at least half of whom are baby girls.

But now this horrendous picture of America is going to change forever.

As president of American Life League, I am proud to tell you that a new 38-second video is the beginning of the overturning of death on demand for babies—and an end to the ongoing suffering of mothers who wrongly choose death for their child instead of life. When I first saw this video, I was moved to tears.

I cried at the sight of innumerable crosses covering rolling hills and plains. It made the cemeteries of Normandy and Arlington look miniscule. I wept at the thought that this representation of the truth about abortion did not require showing dead bodies, but merely acknowledged the truth about what abortion does to children. And I thought to myself, the fact is that IF it were not true that every single abortion results in the death of an innocent baby, I would not be watching fields of crosses roll by my eyes on the screen.

These beautiful, innocent babies were all condemned to death by their mothers. And more than half of these graves are occupied by female children. Now, I said aloud, that is the real war on women.



Friday, October 24, 2014

Crescendo, an Award Winning Pro-life Film, is now on YouTube





By Nancy Flanders
National Right to Life News Today


“Crescendo,” the short film which has earned over eleven international awards, is now available on YouTube. Called the “most powerful pro-life movie of its kind” and “a life-changer” by Joseph Farah, founder of World Net Daily, the film has been screened at thousands of events.
Executed producer Jason Jones lost his daughter to abortion when he was just 17-years-old. He dedicated Crescendo to that unborn child, named Jessica. A percentage of the sales of the film was donated to crisis-pregnancy centers in the United States in honor of that little girl because Jones believes that had one been available to his young girlfriend, their daughter would be alive today.
The gripping pro-life film highlights the struggles and fears of a woman named Maria Magdelena. Once the filmed raised $10 million for crisis pregnancy centers, the producers planned to release it on YouTube for free for the world to see.
While the film’s pro-life message isn’t particularly in your face, it is obvious and it is enthralling. From the first seconds of “Crescendo” to the last, you will be captivated, and hopefully, more pro-life than e






HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ABORTION AND RACISM

A Safe Place for Finding God's Love


by Kim Ketola
Cradle My Heart

Cradle My Heart Radio welcomes Catherine Davis discussing abortion and race October 26




Catherine Davis is a community activist and human resources professional who has a heart for black women and families.

Her message is that public health statistics prove abortion is disproportionately impacting women of color, and most especially black women.

Catherine has spoken out about the racist roots of Planned Parenthood and their efforts to target black women, garnering front-page coverage in the New York Times.

And she is an influential voice in matters of policy and public opinion, unafraid of tackling the pushback from other African-Americans who refuse to acknowledge the problem of abortion among black women.

I appreciate that Catherine’s voice is grounded in faith and seasoned with God’s truth.

Cradle My Heart is a safe space for you to connect with others who are finding God’s love–especially after guilt and grief related to abortion, addictions and other life-controlling issues.

This outreach is a result of listening to hundreds of women and men who have shared their stories with me, and a reflection of my faith in Jesus Christ to redeem us all. I hope that you will be blessed and that you will find a friend in faith whenever you spend time here.

Use this link  for more information about this blog.




HOW A REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PIONEER BECAME AN 'INSTANT CONVERT' READING HUMANAE VITAE


By Elise Harris and Alan Holdren







As founders of an institute studying reproductive healthcare, Thomas and Susan Hilgers have seen the benefits that natural family planning can offer in the realms of health, sexuality and human relationships.

But the couple was not always focused on advocating Church teaching on sexuality and family planning. Their years of dedication to the subject were largely inspired by reading Blessed Pope Paul VI’s “Humanae Vitae” and later St. John Paul II’s “Familiaris Consortio,” documents that they say bring “great hope and joy to the people to utilize them.”

“This whole concept is rich. I said in another place we should be shouting out from the mountain tops as a Church, we shouldn’t be crawling under like it’s something we have to be embarrassed by,” Dr. Thomas Hilgers told EWTN News on Oct. 15.

The Hilgers were present in Rome for the Oct. 19 beatification of Pope Paul VI at the end of the Synod of Bishops on the Family. During the Mass, the doctor read aloud one of the Prayers of the Faithful in English.

Together with his wife, Dr. Hilgers founded the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction and the National Center for Women's Health in Omaha, Neb., in 1985 after reading Paul VI’s encyclical letter “Humanae Vitae” on the regulation of birth.

continue reading at http://www.ewtnnews.com





Thursday, October 23, 2014

Victorious Demonstration at Van de Putte Campaign Event in Waco!‏


From John Pisciotta, 
Director of Pro-Life Waco


We had 35 enthusiastic pro-lifers (plus the billboard truck) and caught the Leticia Van de Putte TX Lt Gov campaign totally off guard. Pro-lifers held signs at both the front and back entrances to the (government funded) South Waco Community Center. Ms. Leticia came at the front entrance through our greeters about 15 minutes late for the “meet and greet” from 3-4 p.m. Our gang came from far and wide. Robert came from Meridian. Nance drove two hours from Grimes County. Lynn, Carol, and Elizabeth risked their lives to travel Interstate 35 from Round Rock. Does the pro-abortion side have such dedication? About 50 Leticia supporters came to meet her. Their decision to hold the event in a government venue backfired. Supposedly, they had rented one room in the building. However, they had no control over the exterior or even the interior of the building.

 A few pro-lifers entered and asked to join the “meet and greet.” A Leticia staffer initially said the event was by invitation/RSVP. Then we showed them on computer that the McLennan County Democratic Party Facebook page offered an open invitation. With that, it was obvious that we did have the right to join the “meet and greet.” The staffer then pleaded to allow their event without opposition in the room. Since I am such a softie, I said “Okay.” We had a lot of nice interactions among ourselves, as many of us did not know each other. We had many good and spirited interactions with Leticia supporters. Several learned that she is pro-abortion. The demonstration was on a busy street, so many did get a pro-life message.

Pro-Life Waco invited our demonstrators to the famous George’s Restaurant. About 20 came and we had a good time of fellowship and dining at George’s.

 Dear Wendy Davis, we eagerly await your visit to Waco.

Check out the Facebook network for local pro-life action from Utah to Uganda: The name of the group is Hometown Pro-Life Action.


American Academy of Pediatrics “Reckless” with Teen Health


Academy Says Pediatricians Should Promote Long-Acting Contraceptives to Minor Girls



by Anne Roback Morse
Population Research Institute

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that pediatricians promote long-acting-reversible-contraceptives (LARCs) to their minor patients. Long-acting reversible contraceptives include intrauterine devices (IUDs), Depo-Provera shots, and single-rod contraceptive implants (Implanon and Nexplanon).

Contraceptive usage among teens is nothing new; 86% of female teens and 93% of male teens report using contraception the last time they had sex. Nor is sex among teenagers a new phenomenon; half of all 17 year olds in the US have had sex (the same proportion of 17 year olds in 1982).

Yes, some American teenagers have sex. The question for adults is not whether or not teenagers are full of hormones (they are), but rather to determine what the adult response to the hormonal cocktail that characterizes puberty should be. To say that some teenagers have sex is not equivalent to saying that all teenagers should have sex. Nor is it a reason to normalize, promote, or endorse the sexualization of minors, as the AAP seems to suggest.

Yet American adults continue to project their own obsession with contraception as a purported panacea onto minors, regardless of whether or not the differences between adults and minors require that minors be treated differently than adults. Through music, television shows, and even their pediatricians, American teens constantly hear adults normalizing sex between minors. But now the American Academy of Pediatrics has ratcheted the adult endorsement of sex among minors to a new high by suggesting pediatricians promote LARC use among teenage girls.

All 50 states allow minors to make their own decisions about contraception, but this was intended to be the exception, not the rule. And the exception was carved out for the same reason that the law allows minors, under some circumstances, to make their own decisions about mental health or substance abuse treatment. Adults reason that it is better for minors to talk to their doctor without parental consent than for them to talk to no one at all. This doesn’t mean that we adults think minors are suddenly rational, fully-informed adults when it comes to drugs, sex, and alcohol.

From child-labor laws to statutory-rape laws, adults normally recognize minors’ inherent vulnerability to exploitation by adults. Yet for many teens make who contraceptive choices without a parent, long-acting contraceptives leave them particularly vulnerable to abuse.

Kwame Fosu, the international affairs and policy director at the Rebecca Project for Justice, vehemently opposed the AAP’s recommendation to give teens long-acting contraceptives. Fosu and the Rebecca Project fight what they view to be a eugenical promotion of Depo-Provera in Africa and among minorities in the US. Although he opposes Depo-Provera for human rights reasons, Fosu also referenced medical reasons for his opposition to Depo-Provera use among minors: “The FDA warnings against Pfizer’s progesterone contraceptive, Depo-Provera, gives a special detailed warning for adolescents,” he told PRI.

The FDA found that teens who used Depo-Provera suffered significant bone mineral density lossthis even though bone mineral density normally increases during the teen years. In addition, the FDA found that the bone mineral density loss “did not fully recover by 5 years [after discontinuing use].”

“Recommending long-term progesterone contraceptives for teens is reckless and unacceptable especially with available scientific evidence of harm,” Fosu concluded.

Giving LARCs to underage girls without parental consent is not something that should be done lightly. Aside from the health risks, sterilization (even temporary) without proper consent represents a grave violation of human rights. This Saturday is the International Day of the Girl Child, a day during which we reflect upon the value of some of the most vulnerable persons in our society. Let us also renew our obligation to care for the young here at home by guarding against dangerous contraceptive drugs.

The pro-life Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending human rights abuses committed in the name of "family planning," and to ending counter-productive social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of "overpopulation." Find us at pop.org.

Supreme Court Ruling on Texas Abortion Law

Regulations: What Happened and What Now?




by Thomas M. Messner, J.D.
Charlotte Lozier Institute

 
On October 14, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order in a federal case involving challenges to abortion-related laws enacted by the State of Texas.

The order comes in a case called Whole Woman’s Health v. Lakey.

In a nutshell, what did the Supreme Court do?

The Supreme Court issued an order that will stop certain abortion laws in Texas from being enforced until the federal courts decide whether those regulations are constitutional.

The Supreme Court did not say whether those laws are constitutional.

What abortion provisions are at issue in this case?

In 2013 the State of Texas enacted legislation known as H.B. 2. The federal court of appeals, Fifth Circuit, has explained that two provisions of H.B. 2 are at issue in this case.

The first provision is known as the admitting privileges provision. This provision “requires any physician performing an abortion to have active admitting privileges at a hospital within thirty miles of the location where the abortion is performed.”

The second provision is known as the ambulatory surgical centers provision. This provision “requires that all abortion clinics existing on or after September 1, 2014, comply with the same minimum standards required of ambulatory surgical centers.”

“The regulatory standards for ambulatory surgical centers contain two main categories: (1) physical plant . . . and (2) operations . . . .” Physical plant “includes architectural, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC requirements” and operations includes “requirements for medical records systems, training, staffing, and cleanliness.”


The goal of the Charlotte Lozier Institute is to promote deeper public understanding of the value of human life, motherhood, and fatherhood, and to identify policies and practices that will protect life and serve both women’s health and family well-being.  Our profound conviction is that the insights available through the best science, sociology and psychology cannot help but demonstrate that each and every human is not only “fearfully and wonderfully made” but blessed to be born at this time in human history.