Abortion, Torture, and the Juice-Box Theologians

By Austin Ruse
Crisis Magazine

There is a movement well underway to convince faithful Catholics they do not have a political home in the Republican Party.

The effort is comprised of former political conservatives who now believe they are more Catholic than anybody else and therefore have cast a pox on both political parties, which is just another way for the abortion party to continue winning.

They want you to believe that the water boarding of three terrorists more than a decade ago is on par with 50 million deaths from abortion, and that any desire for smaller government and less regulation is a form of radical individualism, Randism, or libertarianism that is therefore anti-Catholic.

Overtly political left-wingers and dissenters at places like the National Catholic Reporter, and to a lesser extent Commonweal have been making a case like this for years. They noticed that the so-called non-negotiable issues of abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, same-sex “marriage” and human cloning have had a galvanizing political effect on faithful Catholics.

continue reading what Austin Ruse has to say at http://www.crisismagazine.com

Austin Ruse is president of C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute), a New York and Washington DC-based research institute focusing on international legal and social policy. 

Indiana Bill Affirms Religious Liberty‏

From Bill Donahue
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

Bill Donohue comments on how Indiana is moving forward in the fight for religion-based hiring:

If a young woman who cannot take care of her child elects not to abort her baby, and seeks to place her offspring in the care of a religious agency, most people would say she has every right to do so. 

However, Indiana's attorney general recently decided that the woman placing her baby in a typical religious adoption agency should not expect that her baby will be raised in the religion of her choice. That's because the typical religious institution, like all private institutions, does at least some of its business with the public sector, often in the form of state or federal contracts. The attorney general concluded that the traditional religious exemption from state oversight should no longer apply.

This week the Indiana Senate Law Committee voted 7-0 to advance a bill to the full Senate that overturns the attorney general's decision. Under federal law, government contracts to religious institutions does not mean that these entities cannot hire on the basis of religion. What the Indiana panel is doing is securing for religious institutions the right to contract with state agencies without forfeiting their right to affirm their religious prerogatives. They are doing the right thing.

The issue that sparked this debate was the right of Indiana Wesleyan University to hire on the basis of allegiance to its Christian tenets. It maintains a set of lifestyle strictures governing sexual expression, as well as on matters such as smoking, that employees are expected to respect. Those who believe in tolerance, diversity, and voluntary consent should applaud the right of this school to determine its own rules.

The media are spinning this story as the right of religious institutions to discriminate in hiring. A more honest appraisal would question the authority of the government to sit in judgment of the hiring criteria of religious institutions, with or without a state contract.

The Catholic League applauds the work of this Indiana panel and looks forward to a favorable vote in the full Senate.

The Catholic League is the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization. Founded in 1973 by the late Father Virgil C. Blum, S.J., the Catholic League defends the right of Catholics – lay and clergy alike – to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination.

Motivated by the letter and the spirit of the First Amendment, the Catholic League works to safeguard both the religious freedom rights and the free speech rights of Catholics whenever and wherever they are threatened.

Use this link for more information about the Catholic League

WHEN FACT CHECKERS TAKE SIDES

Editor’s note. The following was in response to a misguided Washington Post “fact checker” which ran under the headline “Does Obamacare provide federal subsidies for elective abortions?”


By Chris Smith (R-NJ)
National Right to Life News Today

Conspicuously missing from the Washington Post Fact Checker’s incomplete report and egregiously flawed conclusion was robust analysis of what the President actually pledged in his highly public executive order promising to extend the Hyde Amendment to the Affordable Care Act.Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and I were on absolute bedrock when we argued last week during the House floor debate in favor of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act that the President’s health care law authorized massive subsidies to assist millions of Americans to purchase private health plans that cover abortion on demand.

Readers expect—and deserve—much more from the Post.

In order to gain the votes of several pro-life holdout congressional democrats needed for passage of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama issued an executive order on March 24, 2010 that said: “the Act maintains current Hyde Amendment restrictions governing abortion policy and extends those restrictions to newly created health insurance exchanges.”

continue reading at http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org

Court Bars San Antonio from Issuing Permits to Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic

By By Cheryl Sullenger
Operation Rescue

San Antonio, TX - A coalition of pro-life groups in San Antonio has obtained a court order blocking Planned Parenthood from opening their new 22,000 square foot facility in San Antonio until issues can be resolved regarding proper zoning, building safety standards, traffic safety and neighborhood buffering.

Knowing that Planned Parenthood's current abortion facility, located at 104 Babcock Road in San Antonio, cannot meet minimum safety standards contained in the 2013 abortion law, the abortion business has scrambled to build a new facility that will be in compliance once all the provisions of the law once it goes into effect.

According to Stop Planned Parenthood SA Coalition (SPPSA), Planned Parenthood has used deception in an attempt to fast-track the opening of their new building, which is expected to have the capacity to do 2,800 surgical abortions per year.

Continue reading to see what else these activists did to delay the Planned Parenthood opening and for an important Action Item! 

SIDEWALK CHRONICLES: WE WILL NOT STAND DOWN

From Reverend Katherine Marple
KeepLifeLegal


Eric Scheidler of Prolife Action League did something that is pure genius…show abortionists what lies ahead of their so-called ‘career': “I am working toward the day when abortion is a crime and committing the crime of abortion would result in an abortionist being arrested,” Scheidler said, adding that while we’re not at that point now, “There are many abortionists out there who should be in jail.”

Specifically at our local facility, TWO AMBULANCES came on ONE DAY last month for two different women with botched abortions. These injured women seldom sue their abortionist because they know they are guilty of a crime themselves – killing their unplanned, unwanted child who did not have a choice. The woman abortionist who committed these heinous crimes onwomen that day has not been charged or arrested for being a hack ‘doctor’ who injures women.

Marking these abortionists would have saved other lives but choice has a way of making our choices for us…which is NO choice at all.

continue reading at http://keeplifelegal.com/

Abortion and Men

How abortion affects fathers and families

Abortion's impact on men is something experts are only beginning to explore, understand and address. Learn more about men and abortion on this page and find links to helpful resources and outreach projects, too. There is also more information about how to help or find help on our help and healing page for women and men, fathers or families considering or coercing abortion or suffering after abortion.

Use this link to find articles and resources

Here is a link for other organizations that provide help for men who have been distressed by Fatherhood Lost.

OPEN LETTER TO HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER

From Brian Burch
CatholicVote.org

I'm still upset about it.

Last week, House Republicans backed away from a vote on the long-promised 20-week abortion ban.

They did this despite polls which show a majority of Americans -- and a majority of women -- support this important piece of commonsense legislation.

That's why CatholicVote is calling on the House to vote on this bill now!

Over 17,000 people have signed our Open Letter to Speaker Boehner.

I'd like to include your name, too. Will you co-sign our letter?

Americans do not support abortions in the 5th month. And support for this legislation to protect children from pain is stronger among women.

You read that right -- according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, nearly 71% of women support this law!

That's why we must tell Republicans not to run from this fight!

Last November millions of voters helped propel Republicans into their strongest majority in Congress in decades. And just last week, hundreds of thousands of pro-life Americans marched in D.C. and in other rallies across the country.

But our activism must not stop there. We have to keep up the pressure and demand that the House vote now to protect children after 20 weeks who can feel pain.

Please add your name to CatholicVote's letter before we send it using this link.  
Thank you for continuing to work and pray for an end to abortion in the United States.

Dramatic Reversal: Abortion Protests Lead to Promising Public Policy Shift in New Mexico‏

From Operation Rescue
Albuquerque, NM - The first-ever National Strike for Life, held on January 22-23 was an astounding success, especially in New Mexico, where the idea for the two-day strike first originated.

One of the most impressive developments to come out of the event was a dramatic change in heart of New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who campaigned as a pro-life supporter, but has been reticent in the past to take any action to make abortion facilities more accountable in her state where clinics have no oversight and abortions are legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

"There are literally no abortion laws in New Mexico. There's no waiting period, no parental notification, and no safety standards or inspections. There's no limits on abortion whatsoever. Because of this 'Wild West' attitude toward abortion, babies are killed in Albuquerque up until the day before birth," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, co-author of the new book, Abortion Free, which describes how to end abortion one community at a time. "Women and babies who should be protected by law are vulnerable prey to unscrupulous abortion mills that exploit the moms and take the lives of their babies for profit. It is only reasonable to call on the Governor for reforms."

Now, a remarkable turn-around has taken place as a result of a year of focused protests culminating in last week's National Strike for Life.


Find out what happened in New Mexico and why it is a big pro-life success!

Call Your Senators Now to Stop Gosnell Scandal Nominee

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative/PAC director
Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation urges you to call your state Senators with this urgent message:

  "Please do not confirm Pedro Cortes as Pennsylvania Secretary of State. He failed to put abortionist Kermit Gosnell out of business when he had a chance. For the sake of women's health and safety, do not confirm Pedro Cortes."

If you do not know who your state Senator is,or you need his or her contact information, please use this link and type in your address. A window will pop up with the contact information for your state Senator. Please note: This is a state issue, not a federal one, so please do not contact U.S. Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey.

Please use this link for background information about how Pedro Cortes, when he previously served as Secretary of State, failed to protect women from Gosnell.

Thank you for making these important calls!

Carly Fiorina Shows Courage; Renee Ellmers, Not So Much‏

Marjorie DannenfelserPresident
Susan B. Anthony List

Rep. Renee Ellmers was awarded “Worst Week in Washington” by the Washington Post and "Loser of the Week" by Fox News after choosing the day of the March for Life to shock the pro-life community by derailing the House vote on the 5-month abortion limit (H.R. 36).

But if Rep. Ellmers had the worst week,Carly Fiorina had the best. At the Iowa Freedom Summit, Carly, a possible Republican presidential contender, leapt into the maelstrom created by Rep. Ellmers and lifted the pro-life banner high again. She called on Republican Leadership to stand by their commitment to H.R. 36, reminding them that unborn lives, not politics, truly matter most.

Carly even shared her personal story of how she is affected every day by one woman’s choice to reject abortion.

With pro-life women leaders like Carly Fiorina standing for Life, I know we can prevail and advance H.R. 36 to save babies from the horrors of abortion after 5 months.

Please give generously using this link to send us to the Hill to overcome Rep. Renee Ellmers' opposition and demand that Republican Leadership schedule H.R. 36 for another vote ASAP

The Totalitarianism of Same-Sex “Marriage”

by Joe Bissonnette
Crisis Magazine

In November of 1996 First Things hosted a symposium titled “The Judicial Usurpation of Politics” in which contributors discussed the threat to American democracy posed by the Supreme Court instated imposition of abortion on America. Nothing rivals the sheer volume of innocent human beings killed by abortion and yetFirst Things saw fit to focus not on the babies themselves or the mothers and fathers, but on the threat to democracy and the American experiment posed by the judicial over-reach that legalized abortion.

The legalization of same-sex “marriage” does not bring with it the innocent blood which cries to heaven, though it is perhaps the single most audacious social engineering initiative in American history. But the way in which it has been imposed in state after state, as courts have seen fit to ignore ballot initiatives, sets the stage for a United States Supreme Court ruling on par with Roe vs. Wade. The Supreme Court has announced it will rule on same-sex “marriage” in this sitting—exactly ten years after Canada legalized same-sex “marriage.” It is important for Americans to look at what has happened in Canada.

continue reading this article at http://www.crisismagazine.com


Joe Bissonnette teaches religion and philosophy at Assumption College School in Brantford, Ontario where he lives with his wife and 7 children. He has written for Catholic Insight, The Human Life Review, The Interim, The Catholic Register and The Toronto Star.

Help Remind Catholics in Congress That They Cannot be Pro-abortion

From Father Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Newly elected and returning members of the 114th Congress took their oaths of office on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Among them are some who claim to be both Catholic and pro-abortion.

I am asking you to help me remind them that you cannot be both.

Just as tens of thousands of you signed on to our Letter to Nancy Pelosi, I am asking you to sign on to a letter to these lawmakers who are trying to have their cake and eat it too.

We want to express our outrage that these politicians try to have it both ways – appealing to their Catholic constituencies that they are “good Catholics” and appealing to their pro-abortion constituencies that they will uphold legal abortion.

Also  as members of Congress swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, former New York State Governor Mario Cuomo was laid to rest. When he was governor, Cuomo said that oath of office and that duty to uphold the Constitution were important to him, too.

But Governor Cuomo was a Catholic who supported abortion publicly, even while saying he was personally opposed.

Cardinal John J. O’Connor was Archbishop of New York for much of Governor Mario Cuomo’s tenure, and the cardinal did not hesitate to point out the flaw in the governor’s public vs. private beliefs on abortion.

The cardinal said human rights – the most fundamental of which is the right to life – do not depend on sectarian belief nor consensus.

Human rights belong to each of us because we are human, from the moment of conception until the moment of our death.

Will you join me in reminding the members of the 114th Congress of that fact?

Click here to to find your Representative and Senator and send them the following message or one similar to this: 

"Please be aware that your Catholic constituents, as well as Catholics and other pro-life voters throughout the country, are watching how you carry out your responsibility to protect the rights of the youngest children.

By hiding behind the excuse that you are personally against abortion but publicly support a woman’s right to choose to take the life of her own child, you make a mockery of the Catholic faith and of the tens of millions of Americans who consider themselves faithful Catholics and who find the killing of children -- whether inside or outside the womb -- reprehensible.

Representing all your constituents begins with protecting them."

This is the type of action that Priests for Life can take nationwide as we mobilize our movement. To help make it possible for Priests for Life to conduct campaigns such as this one, please click here and be as generous as you can.

How Will History Remember You?

By Thomas Whittaker
Catholic Stand

Consider for a moment the sheer gravity of this truth: that a society is fully capable of being blinded to the clear and absolute evil of an ideology, practice, or undertaking. Just think about it, regardless of your views; there is simply no denying society’s capacity for the normalization of that which even the most reduced and open of moral perspectives could find to be abhorrent. In the absence of an absolute moral code, pragmatism and rationalism step in to establish acceptable social norms. Society justifies the moral structure through what is perceived as being necessary to the maintenance of the status quo.

One needs to look no further than our own country’s history. For slave owners, slavery was critical to the maintenance of their plantations and farms. For many individuals, particularly in the South, the American way of life was seen as being contingent upon slavery remaining a socially acceptable practice. As such, the sin of slavery was neutralized as an associated cost to the benefits of free labor, and the practice itself became normalized. It was considered by many to be a ‘necessary evil’.

Have we already forgotten this? Have we forgotten the fight which we had to endure in order to see the horrors of slavery ended in this country? Have we forgotten how, in the century after slavery was illegalized, we still had to continue fight against the evils of racism and racial segregation? Do we not remember how it was a ‘common thing’? How it was widely accepted? Have we forgotten how denying another human being the freedom to live their own life was once ‘acceptable’ and ‘popular’?

So where are we now? In wiping out the stain of slavery from our culture, have we achieved some sort of societal nirvana where we now are incapable of blinding ourselves against such evil? I do not think so, in fact, I know we have not.

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

Thomas Whittaker is a student at Grove City College in Western Pennsylvania. Tom is a Political Science major with National Security and Sociology minors. Tom enjoys studying Chinese and Chinese history. Tom is a member of the GCC Track and Field team, the GCC rugby team. In his free time, Tom enjoys reading and playing guitar. Tom’s favorite authors include C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Surviving Roe v. Wade

LIVING ABORTION VICTIMS SPEAK OUT

By: Eric Metaxas
BreakPoint

Melissa Payne—pregnant with her second child—was traveling with her family when her water broke. Her baby girl was just under nineteen weeks old—far too young to survive outside the womb.

But God was preparing to work a miracle in the Payne family.

Doctors told Melissa that she would have to deliver the baby within the next three days—which certainly meant the little girl would die. Even if they continued the pregnancy, a specialist gave the baby only a five percent chance of survival. And, Melissa was told, even if the baby did survive, she would be so handicapped that she would be a tremendous burden on the family.

But Melissa and her husband, Kevin, refused to give up on their daughter. They found an obstetrician who was willing to help them complete the pregnancy, if such a thing were possible. But even this doctor didn't offer much hope.

As Melissa told LifeSiteNews, “Every day I was on bed rest I would feel her kicking and moving, and at the same time I would go to the doctor and they'd just frown and nod.”

continue reading at http://www.breakpoint.org

News Release: Roe Week Flag/sign Display Stolen on Campus of Baylor University

Again, Baylor Pro-Life Student group faces attack on Roe Week sign/flag display. Third strike against the Baylor pro-life group in last decade.

From John Pisciotta,
Founding Faculty Advisor for Bears for Life
Faculty Advisor Emeritus for Bears for Life
Director of Pro-Life Waco

Waco, Texas The officially approved university event for the Baylor Bears for Life student organization was to have a display of flags and signs for the days of January 22 and 23. Members of Bears for Life diligently placed 200 small flags on the perimeter of Fountain Mall and 7 signs on each end at dusk on Wednesday, January 21. The flags were pink and blue to honor the 57 million baby boys and girls lost to abortion since Roe v Wade. (See photo).

The 14 “yard signs” invited students to pray as they passed each sign on their way to and from classes. Two of the signs read:

• Pray for Survivors of Abortion: children who survived an abortion, mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and friends.
• Pray for Adoption: 1,000,000 families in US waiting to adopt; for birth parents who choose adoption to have peace and hope; for the blessing of open adoption.

Other signs invited people to pray for pregnancy care and abortion recovery, awareness, and how to become involved in ending abortion.

All went well with the campus display on Roe Day, January 22. However sometime during the darkness before Friday, January 23, all the signs and half the pink and blue flags were stolen. The cost of the signs was over $500. Bears for Life planned to reuse the signs year after year.

Emily Gilcrease, president of the Bears for Life student organization, responded with to the theft:

Bears for Life believes in the sanctity of innocent human life and passionately advocates for it on Baylor's campus, striving to incite a cultural shift in the hearts and minds of college students.

Our flag memorial that represents the millions of lives lost to abortion since the decision of Roe v. Wade 42 years ago is our most successful event on campus. It truly sparks deep conversations across Baylor’s campus and gets people thinking about the value of human life. This year Bears for Life added a prayer walk to the memorial. Adding this aspect of the display was effective in the sense that it brought to light the need to seek God for strength in all that we do, especially as we strive to end abortion in America.

Despite the disappointment that we feel after having our signs stolen, this action only further encourages us to continue fighting for what we know to be the only life-giving choice for a woman in a crisis pregnancy. Opposition is validation and motivation for what we do.

Bears for Life will continue to pray for the lives lost to abortion as well as the women and men who have been affected by this choice. We will pray for the families and children waiting for adoption. We will pray for the women who will face crisis pregnancy situations in the future.

Our generation will see an end to abortion.
Emily Gilcrease is sophomore Business major in Human Resource Management from Katy, TX.

The annual tradition of having a pink and blue flag display during Roe Week has been met with criminal acts at Baylor in the past.

In 2006, all the signs were stolen. The thieves left this note behind.

Then again in 2009 the sign display was attacked with the debasement of individual flags. Condoms were glued to flags, and again a note was left behind after the crime.

Bears for Life 2009 president holds message left by those who defaced the flag display.

The current theft is being investigated by the Baylor Police Department, and Bears for Life awaits a response from Baylor Student Activities on steps to allow the pro-life message to be proclaimed on the campus.

Baylor University is associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas

For more information contact, Emily Gilcrease, President of Baylor Bears for Life at Emily_Gilcrease@baylor.edu or Dr. Douglas Henry, Faculty Advisor to Baylor Bears for Life Douglas_Henry@baylor.edu

157 Babies are Killed EVERY HOUR in Abortions‏

Steven Ertelt, Editor
LifeNews.com

The United States marked 42 years of legalized abortion in all 50 states at virtually any time for any reason throughout pregnancy on Thursday, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Since that time, there have been approximately 57,762,169 abortions that have destroyed the lives of unborn children.

If you run the math, the number of abortions on unborn babies in the United States is downright shocking.

Each and every day since Roe, on average, 3,767 babies are killed in abortions.

Every single hour of every single day across America, 157 unborn babies are killed in an abortion.

And if you run the math, almost three babies are killed every single minute across our great country.

Those numbers are shocking and they don't begin to include the even larger number of babies killed in abortions around the world.

Every day, LifeNews.com is working to do something about this.

We are working with pro-life groups to support and promote pro-life candidates who are willing to change the law to little babies before birth enjoy legal protection and justice under the law.

LifeNews is highlighting and promoting pro-life legislation that is saving babies right now and, as we have reported frequently, is responsible for closing abortion clinics, putting abortionists out of business, and driving down the number of babies killed in abortions to historic lows in many states nationwide.

And, of course LifeNews is working hard to change the culture -- to change hearts and minds on abortion with our persuasive articles and essays, with feature stories on babies who have survived abortions or women who have rejected abortions, and with information, facts and analysis on how abortion hurts women, children and families.

And LifeNews is making an impact for life!

Just this month, almost 11 million people have already come to LifeNews.com for the latest pro-life news and information. Millions of people have read our compelling stories, such as Martin Pistorious, who recovered from a "vegetative state" after 12 years and said he hears everything that happened at that time, or our story about Ashley, a brave 13-year-old girl who rejected abortion after she was a victim of rape.

LifeNews needs your help TODAY to keep pushing the pro-life message in a culture of death.


Please consider a donation to LifeNews to help us reach more people to ban late-term abortions in the United States. A donation of $25, $50, or $100 today will help us reach millions of pro-life with the life-saving pro-life message.


To make a donation to LifeNews, just head to our easy online donation page using this link that will take you to two different options to make an online donation with your credit card or an electronic debit transaction. Or, you can fill out the form below and mail a check to us.

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The Funeral March for Life

by Sean Fitzpatrick
Crisis Magazine


Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose.” Those who choose repose receive release from the mandates of truth—but it is only temporary. Truth cannot be rejected forever. Those who choose truth, on the other hand, have no rest—and so they march. They march ever onward. The March for Life is a march for truth: a march that refuses to enter into the repose of denial; a march that peacefully protests the legal murder of millions of babies in the United States of America; and a march that commemorates those lives snuffed out before seeing the light of day. The March for Life in Washington D.C. is, perhaps first and foremost, a funeral march—and deep inside the hearts of those who have chosen the repose labeled “choice,” the truth stirs “like a babe buried alive,” as G. K. Chesterton sings in his ballad.

By taking a stand for the so-called unalienable right to life, the March for Life is also a memorial for the unborn dead and an outreach to those who have chosen death over life, for they are victims as well. To offer an example from the classical catalogue, when Jocasta and Laius learned of the hard fate that awaited their infant son, they acted. They drove a large nail through his tender ankles and, fastening a leather strap to both ends of the spike, hung their baby in a windy tree to die on Mount Cithaeron. But Oedipus survived and, with shame and shock, his parents were destroyed by the doom they wished to dodge.

“Murder, though it have no tongue, will speak,” Hamlet said, siding with Chanticleer. In the modern world, it is easy for a baby to die. It is difficult to die to oneself. Today, such horrors are not the supposed subject of mythology. They are reality, playing out the timeless tragedy of the Theban king and queen time and time again, for truth—and justice—can never die. His Truth is marching on, despite the blameless blood staining hazardous-waste dumpsters behind hospitals. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. This refrain is the marching hymn for Catholics today, and thus the March for Life remembers the holy souls of aborted babies together with the haunted souls of their mothers, whose searing pain is depicted in T. S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland:”

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

Sean Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College and the Headmaster of Gregory the Great Academy. He lives in Scranton, PA with his wife and family of four.

In Praise of Catholic Motherhood

By Rachel Lu
Crisis Magazine

This is a week for celebrating life. In Washington D.C., the March for Lifecontinues its long tradition of marking the anniversary of Roe v Wade with a massive demonstration in remembrance of the unborn. Appropriately enough, Pope Francis set the week off by affirming the Church’s stance on artificial contraceptives on his visit to the Philippines. (This of course was followed by the “rabbit” kerfuffle. I was still feeling good about the contraceptive statement, so I did myself a favor and didn’t read the cunicular details.)

Many of us are too young to remember Roe v Wade, or any time before it. It can still be interesting in this “week of life” to reflect on the origins of our own pro-life convictions, and the impact they have had on our lives as a whole.

I first started thinking about abortion during the run-up to the 1992 election. I was assigned to research the topic for my middle school civics class. Together with three other students, I was asked to prepare an informative presentation for the class. I had no views on abortion at the time, and even though my church and parents were both pro-life, I don’t remember feeling “obligated” to take a particular side. (This might partly reflect the fact that neither church nor parents had really discussed the issue with me before that time.) I read the arguments as someone ready to be persuaded.

One of my fellow group members was also a longtime friend. When I asked her opinion, she answered straightforwardly that she believed that abortion was murder. “Just because fetuses are tiny doesn’t mean they’re not people,” she opined. “We should still want to protect them.”

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

Rachel Lu, a Catholic convert, teaches philosophy at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota where she lives with her husband and three boys. Dr. Lu earned her Ph.D. in philosophy at Cornell University. Follow her on Twitter at rclu.

Interstate 35 Overpass Demonstration on Roe Day

It was Cold, Windy, Rainy and a Smashing Success!!

From John Pisciotta, 

Director of Pro-Life Waco

First-ever overpass demonstration in Waco. I did not realize at the time, but the weather was just perfect--absolutely brutal. It was cold, windy, and rainy throughout the demonstration from 11 to 1 PM.

Ten dedicated men and three unwavering and tough ladies were out there. Being out in weather like this multiplied the impact of the messages. Interstate 35, I am told, is the busiest interstate in the country.

Thousands saw the messages. I thank my pastor, Father Joe Geleney, for being with us for a tough and productive experience. I believe we did honor the 57 million aborted baby boys and girls who suffered so much more than we did today.

After experiencing the weather as excruciating, it actually became exhilarating. One interesting facet of our demonstration was that a woman driving from Dallas to Austin turned around to come back to the overpass to greet us and take pictures. I didn’t get a picture of her because I was gone to get some additional bungee cords.

One of our signs was “Honk If You’re Pro-Life.” There was a whole lot of honking. After the demonstration, we enjoyed each other’s company over lunch at George’s fine café. A good time was had by all. We will return to the Waco Interstate 35 pedestrian overpass!!!!

New Generation Enters Fight Against Abortion in Washington

From WND Faith

WASHINGTON, D.C. – They came from near and far, across deserts, plains and mountains. They were young, old and middle-aged. Their faces reflected the face of America – white, black, Asian and Hispanic.

Clad in coats, hats and sweaters, they all descended on Washington, D.C. on a chilly, blustery January day. The weather may have been cold, but their enthusiasm seemed to warm the air around them. They were there to celebrate the one thing they shared in common: life.

This was the March for Life, a gathering of pro-life advocates held every year on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Hundreds of thousands of passionate demonstrators crowded right into the heart of Washington to voice their opposition to abortion.

The event began with an hour-long rally on the National Mall. A few members of Congress spoke, including Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. Folk singer Marie Miller serenaded the crowd. The Rev. Sammy Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference fired up the spectators with his closing remarks.


Please take a moment to watch the video below. 

 


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

“We are Being Treated Like Animals”‏

Women in India continue to suffer in sterilization camps and new horrors surface just two months after the Chhattisgarh tragedy

Prayer and Witness on the Anniversary of Roe v Wade

By Brother Kenneth Reihl 

Yesterday many stood up with one voice to defend those with no voice. Across the nation many marched and prayed for the unborn and to stop abortions. As the Washington D.C. march was stepping off there was a smaller event just outside the Planned Parenthood building in Warminster, PA. The cold temp did not stop the prayer warriors from attending. The message was strong and the prayers stronger, armed with the shield of Christ Jesus and the Rosary the message was loud and powerful.

Many of the cars and trucks passing waved except one, as this young man in his early 20's passed he tapped his horn and when I looked over he was not waving but gave me a hand gesture. When I saw this I felt sorry for him and thought;  he is blessed because he could do this act directed to myself and the others there. The reason I thought of this is because if he were to have been aborted he would never have had been able to do this act. So with this said I prayed for him.

 I was happy to meet everyone there and Brother Dennis and I feel so blessed in doing so. While I was there I spoke to a few of the brothers and sisters and I told this story that I would like to share with you.

I know this couple before they were married and the Groom found out that the Bride was pregnant and that he was not the father. He went home and thought about it but decided that he would still marry her. After that they were married and had the child.

I was thinking of what the child's name was and then I remembered... His name was Jesus and with his parents Joseph and Mary were a wonderful family. Now my question was; what would have happened if he was aborted?? So with that said; each unborn that is murdered we also have to think, what would that child have done in life? Cured cancer? Saved a life? Would they have someday married and their children would have done something great? Makes you think...

Blessing to all who went across the country and for those who could not attend but were there in prayer and spirit..

Brother Kenneth Reihl is Bishop Abbot at Franciscan Order of the Divine Mercy and Sr. Pastor at St. Francis Lutheran Orthodox Church (North Arlington, NJ)

Two More Abortion Clinics Close, Continuing the National Trend‏

"When abortion clinics close, lives are saved!" -Troy Newman, President, Operation Rescue

Operation Rescue

Washington, DC - As pro-life supporters from around the nation gather in Washington, D.C. today to mark the 42nd memorial of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that decriminalized abortion in the U.S., Operation Rescue announces that two more abortion facilities have permanently closed.

"Today, as pro-lifers, we should be encouraged that our efforts have not been in vain. Abortion clinics are closing in record numbers due to their tireless work of men, women, and young people all across this nation," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "America is beginning to reject abortion, and that is evidenced in closed clinics and historically low abortion numbers. When abortion clinics close, lives are saved!"

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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.

Amanda Marcotte’s New Low: Demonizing Grieving Fathers of Aborted Children

By Calvin Freiburger
Live Action News

Last week was not great for Amanda Marcotte’s image. The day after bemoaning the prospect of “forcing” Down syndrome kids on their parents (eviscerated here on LAN by Cassy Fiano), she followed up with an angry condemnation of fathers who grieve for their aborted children in stories shared by Heroic Media, Silent No More, and others. While the natural reaction for anyone with a soul would be empathy, Marcotte’s is “vomiting in your mouth.”


The instigator of her venom was “The Apology,” a recent Heroic Media video featuring the heartfelt confessions of several men who either agreed to or failed to more strongly object to girlfriends’ abortions earlier in their lives. They apologize for not fighting for the sons and daughters they’ll never get to know, who lost their chance to grow in and experience this world, and to the women considering or suffering from abortion today who aren’t getting the support they need.

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Calvin Freiburger is a Wisconsin-based conservative writer and 2011 Hillsdale College graduate, dedicated to the principles of the American Founding—individual liberty, limited government, public virtue, and strong defense—though he believes no issue is more important to a free society’s survival than defending the unalienable rights of society’s most vulnerable members.

On the Anniversary of Roe v Wade.......

Yesterday I traveled to Washington, DC for the largest March for Life to date.  Estimates of the crowds marching ranged anywhere from “tens of thousands” reported by the local liberal media, who chose not to cover this event, to 750,000 by ETWN, who were actually at the March covering it from beginning to end. (I guess you can guess which estimate I choose to believe.) 

Not included in this count was a large group of people who remained at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, who because of age or infirmary could not march, but came to be a part of this day by praying for those marching as well as for an end to abortion in our country.

One of those was a woman who traveled from Boston, MA to Malvern, PA for a retreat and as part of that retreat then traveled to Washington, DC.

Marchers were from all walks of life.  It was well noted all the young people who were in attendance, several of whom were interviewed by the reporters from EWTN, and all very well spoken.  (Future pro-life leaders?)

One of those interviewed was a young women with Down Syndrome.  Her testimony brought tears to the eyes of all  including the reporter who interviewed her. 

On the local front, over 40 people attended a Prayer Vigil at the Planned Parenthood in Warminster, Pennsylvania.  They were met with a very positive response from those driving by.  It is the hopes of those who organized this rally, that this become a yearly event drawing even more people each year until this abortion facility closes and abortion is eradicated from our land. 

The Missing Poster Child of Abortion

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative/PAC Director
Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

I had just gone up to the cash register at the clothing retailer when my eyes met those of a little boy, probably four years old.

His face graced a poster pleading for contributions to help treat his cancer and that of other children afflicted with the disease.

It was impossible for me to ignore those eyes.

I quickly assented to the $2 being added to my purchase as a contribution to the boy's cause.

In an instant, my mind turned to the estimated 57 million children in the U.S. who have died as a result of the silent killer known as abortion. I wondered about their eyes, and if they could move a nation to end the tragedy.

If only we faced those eyes every time we made our way to a checkout counter. If only we could see the faces of abortion's victims. Would we not then lend a hand to those staring down a suction machine or an abortionist's scalpel?

If only we could see those poster children who are hidden from our view.

Abortion does have a human face. Pollsters may call it a hot-button issue, but it is in fact a profoundly human one. It is not about choice. It is about humanity and the failure to recognize such. If abortion did not result in the death of a child, it would not be an issue at all.

But no political sloganeering can drown out the essential fact that with an abortion a life is taken. Only when our social blindness is successfully treated and we see the eyes of the victims can we as a nation begin to heal.

Use this link  for more information on the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation or to support them in their work. 

Day of Pro-life Renewal in Northeast Philadelphia on Saturday, January 24

Through Mass and Public Witness

Please join with pro-life leaders in Northeast Philadelphia for a morning of prayer and public witness beginning with Mass at St. Matthew's Church and ending with a prayer vigil at the Planned Parenthood abortion facility located on Comly Road.

These events occur shortly after the January 22, 2015 March for Life in Washington, DC. This event offers an opportunity to bring the participation in and enthusiasm of this March to renew the life-saving work of the pro-life movement in Northeast Philadelphia.

The morning continues with a prayer vigil and public witness lead by the pastor of St. Matthew's Church, Reverend Roland Slobogin.

Sponsors for this Day of Pro-Life Renewal are:

• Northeast Philadelphia Pro-Life Coalition
• Generation Life
• St. Matthew's Respect Life Group

For additional information, contact Clare Daly at cdaly@ generationlife.org

Support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act‏

From Pennsylvania Catholic Conference

Hundreds of thousands of Americans will participate in the March for Life this week in Washington, DC. You can take your own stand for the dignity of life by sending a message in support of H.R. 36, important pro-life legislation.

In a January 20 letter to Congress, Cardinal Seán O'Malley, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged support for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36).

The conviction in 2013 of Philadelphia's Dr. Kermit Gosnell for crimes committed while providing abortions has "led many Americans to realize that our permissive laws and attitudes have allowed the abortion industry to undertake these procedures." People are repulsed "by the callous and barbarous treatment of women and children in Gosnell's clinic, and in other clinics that abort children after 20 weeks."

These procedures also pose serious dangers to women, "as evidenced by Gosnell's own manslaughter conviction for one woman's death, and news about the death or serious complications of other women undergoing such procedures."

Join those participating in this week's March for Life today by standing up for the dignity of all human life. Send a message in support of H.R. 36 today.

 

Click this link to log in and send your message:

Bucks County Pro-Life Coalition - Providing Help to Area CPC Centers

"It is God who gives life.  Let us respect and love human life, especially vulnerable life in a mother's womb." - Pope Francis 

Our Mission

Provide financial support to area crisis pregnancy centers and educate the community regarding sanctity of life issues from conception until natural death.

Fulling Our Mission

How we provide financial support

Because everyone is a volunteer, virtually all of the money we raise goes directly to help women in crisis and other life sustaining organizations.

Special Events

Prayer & Witnessing

Weekly Vigils:

Wednesday 4:00 -5:00 pm - Planned Parenthood on Powell St. in Norristown, PA

Thursday 2:30 - 3:30 pm - Planned Parenthood on Castor Ave. in Northeast Philadelphia

Friday 8:00 - 10:00 am - Planned Parenthood on Comly Rd. in Northeast Philadelphia

Friday 8:00 am - Noon - Planned Parenthood on Louis Drive in Warminster, PA 

Monthly Masses and Vigils:

• 1st Saturday – 7 am Mass – Christ The King, Morell & Chesterfield (PP Comly & Blvd.)
• 2nd Saturday - 9 am Mass - Newman Chapel U of P 38th & Chestnut (Penn Family Center)
• 3rd Friday – 8 am Mass – Nativity Of Our Lord, 625 W. Street Rd. (PP Warminster)
• 3rd Saturday – 7 am Mass – St. John, 13th & Market (PP 12th & Locust)
• 4th Saturday – 9 am Mass –  Holy Redeemer, 915 Vine St. (Phila. Women’s Ctr., 8th & Cherry)

To Educate the Community

We meet on the last Monday of every month at 7:30 pm in the Conference Center of Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 605 W. Street Road, Warminster, PA

We bring you information on pro-life happenings from around the world as well as state and national political news.

All are welcome.  Please come and join us and bring your ideas to help us fulfill our mission.

'Visit us on Facebook by clicking here.

AUL Calls on President to cut Tax Dollars from Planned Parenthood’s Billion Dollar Abortion Business

From Americans United for Life

WASHINGTON, D.C. (01-20-15) – On the eve of President Obama’s State of the Union Address, Americans United for Life released a report, noting that the abortion business run by Planned Parenthood has reported over 510 MILLION DOLLARS IN PROFIT since Barack Obama became President. At the same time, Planned Parenthood has taken in 3 BILLION tax dollars in fact, more than 40 percent of its overall support comes from taxpayers. “In his State of the Union Address today, will the President report that during his time in office the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood has gone up and taxpayer support of abortion has gone up, while other services, like breast screenings have gone down?” said AUL President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest. “Over the objections of the majority of Americans, tax dollars are supporting a highly profitable, highly secretive abortion industry.”


Please take a moment to watch the video below.
 


Dr. Yoest discussed AUL’s findings in a video as well as in a report prepared by AUL’s legal team. This follows up on AUL’s detailed analysis of Planned Parenthood’s track record, in The Case for Investigating Planned Parenthood and the Planned Parenthood Exhibits, further detailing exactly what kind of “services” are sold by the Abortion Industry leader, which commits nearly 1 in 3 abortions nationwide.

Dr. Yoest observed: “The data in Planned Parenthood’s recently released Annual Report shows that chemical and surgical abortions, along with profits, increased at Planned Parenthood. In fact, 94 percent of its pregnancy related ‘services’ are abortion. Meanwhile, under Cecile Richard’s leadership, the kinds of services touted in its advertising are all down, including cancer screening and prevention, breast exams/breast care, adoption referrals and prenatal services.”

“This report is one more reason for Congress to take up the No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act, to separate the hard-earned dollars of Americans from a grisly business,” said Dr. Yoest. “And this illustrates why repealing Obamacare, which is riddled with funding streams for the abortion industry, is a necessity.”

During the healthcare debates, a Quinnipiac University National Poll found that more than seven out of ten Americans agree that their taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for abortions — including people who identify themselves as pro-choice and pro-life.

Abortion is woven into the healthcare law at multiple levels, making repeal of the law a pro-life necessity, including:


Failing to prohibit the use of federal tax dollars for abortion, abortion coverage, and abortion-inducing drugs and devices.
Pretending that the Hyde Amendment protections were enough to prohibit direct payment for abortions.
Permitting federally subsidized Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) to provide abortion coverage through the state insurance exchanges required in all 50 states.
Failing to prohibit all multi-state qualified health plans from providing coverage for abortion.
Including a "preventive care" mandate that is being used to force coverage of drugs and devices known to end life.
Failing to provide comprehensive First Amendment conscience protections for individuals, employers, and insurance companies that have religious or moral objections to abortion.

To learn more about the health risks for abortion for women, click here.

Americans United for Life (AUL) is the legal architect of the pro-life movement. We are accumulating victories, building momentum, and advancing a culture of life in America. Our vision is a nation in which everyone is welcomed in life and protected in law. The first national pro-life organization in America, AUL has been committed to defending human life since 1971.