in this issue:
hot button issues: COLORADO / ETHICS / RECRUITING / TIMING
abortion: ARGENTINA / NEW YORK TIMES
activism: OREGON / RESOLUTION
culture: CATHOLIC IDENTITY
morning-after abortion pill: BIG BUSINESS
planned parenthood: WASHINGTON
politics: OHIO
reminders: LIFE CHAIN / OCTOBER / SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS / ULTRASOUND VIDEO
reflection for prayer: PSALM 105:3-5
hot button issues
COLORADO: A state constitutional amendment proposed by Colorado for Equal Rights (http://coloradoequalrights.com/) states, “the terms person or persons shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization.” Said ALL’s Judie Brown, “If the preborn child is legally a person, then it is a crime to do any harm to that person. And that would certainly include the crime of abortion. This is a tactic that should interest pro-lifers in other states as well.”
Reading: “Colorado ballot initiative gets it right,” American Life League news release, 7/18/07
ETHICS: In the latest issue of American Life League’s Celebrate Life magazine, Fr. Richard Carr writes about the differences between Catholic teachings on abortion and capital punishment.
Reading: “Catholic teaching on pro-life priorities,” Celebrate Life, 7-8/07
RECRUITING: American Life League’s Jim Sedlak offers a brief view of how Planned Parenthood uses its presence in public schools to recruit new customers: “Children learn it is okay to have sex, as long as they use Planned Parenthood’s birth control products to reduce their chances of getting pregnant, and that it’s okay to have abortions when they do get pregnant. As they pass through puberty and their hormones kick in, they begin to act on what they have learned in school. They get involved in sexual activity, buy Planned Parenthood products, get pregnant and have abortions. In fact, Planned Parenthood reports that a majority of those having abortions were using birth control in the month they got pregnant. This is a cycle that frequently repeats itself.”
Reading: “We’re celebrating, and Planned Parenthood knows why,” American Life League, 7/13/07
TIMING: When is the “right time” to end abortion? American Life League says today would be great, but others in the pro-life movement seem to question that sentiment.
Reading: “No time like the right time for ending abortion,” American Life League, 7/18/07
abortion
ARGENTINA: The Catholic Doctors Consortium is lashing out at the government’s attempt to loosen restrictions on abortion: “Natural right teaches unequivocally that the right to life is the first of all human rights and no one can dispose of it. Therefore neither politicians, nor legislators nor authorities can expect doctors, who by vocation, profession and tradition swear to protect life and health, to practice abortion, killing the smallest and most helpless of all human beings.”
Reading: “Argentina doctors to government: You can’t expect us to start practicing abortion,” Life Site News, 7/9/07
NEW YORK TIMES: A story of a reporter’s pregnancy has a positive ending for her child. After running through a litany of purportedly good reasons to have an abortion, she decides instead to have her baby.
Reading: “Would our two new lives include a third?” New York Times, 7/15/07
activism
OREGON: American Life League is assisting opponents who are fighting an uphill battle to keep Planned Parenthood from opening an abortion facility in a minority neighborhood in Portland. Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers of nearby Immaculate Heart Church noted, “When we allow abortion, we actually assist in and encourage the elimination of our race, something that hate groups could not accomplish for decades in this country.”
Reading: “Clinic not a done deal,” Catholic Sentinel, 7/12/07
RESOLUTION: The NAACP has rejected–again–a resolution that expressed opposition to abortion. Rev. Clenard Childress, who heads the pro-life organization LEARN, said, “We need to bring attention to the fact that this is obviously a political positioning of NAACP that does not reflect the values of the body that they represent.”
Reading: “NAACP again rejects pro-life resolution,” Cybercast News Service, 7/10/07
culture
CATHOLIC IDENTITY: A pollster has examined the state of Catholics in America, and found that not much distinguishes Catholics from non-Catholics any more. The pollster says Catholics have blended into the culture, but at a cost. “The cost of that struggle to achieve acceptance and legitimacy is that Catholics have largely lost touch with their substantial spiritual heritage.”
Reading: “Traditional Catholic characteristics fading,” Washington Times, 7/13/07
morning-after abortion pill
BIG BUSINESS: Barr Pharmaceuticals, which pitched its Plan B morning-after pill as an over-the-counter medication, is now seeing the fruits of its successful lobbying effort with the FDA. Sales of the so-called emergency contraceptive are expected to double, from $40 million in 2006 to $80 million in 2007.
Reading: “Plan B use surges, and so does controversy,” Washington Post, 7/13/07
planned parenthood
WASHINGTON: Cowlitz County, Washington commissioners will share costs to keep a Planned Parenthood facility in Longview open. The county said Planned Parenthood offered services the community desperately needs. The clinic closed earlier this year, as Planned Parenthood said it could not cover its costs while serving an average of 5-8 clients each week.
ACTION: Please sign American Life League’s petition to cut all taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood
Reading: “Cowlitz County to aid Planned Parenthood clinic,” Longview Daily News, 7/12/07
politics
OHIO: Proposed legislation would impose severe restrictions on abortion. Denise Mackura of Ohio Right to Life said the bill would not be enacted. “With the governor that we have, I don’t think there is any possibility of getting a ban passed,” she said.
COMMENT: But shouldn’t you at least try?
Reading: “Legislator tries again to ban all abortions,” Columbus Dispatch, 7/12/07
reminders
LIFE CHAIN: The annual Life Chain event is scheduled for October 7. Mark your calendars now and check online for a Life Chain in your area.
OCTOBER: American Life League’s annual Pro-life Memorial Day is October 1, the first Monday in October. Be watching for additional details in the weeks ahead.
SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS: Of Judie Brown’s latest book, New York Post columnist Ray Kerrison notes, “Judie Brown’s work fills a void screaming for attention – the persistent relentless assault on Catholic orthodoxy by dissidents attempting to reshape the church in their image. She spells it out and names the names without violating Christian charity. She deserves a wide hearing.”
TO ORDER: “Saving Those Damned Catholics” is available from ALL in hardcover or paperback. Call 866-LET-LIVE or purchase online.
ULTRASOUND VIDEO: “Baby Steps: Live from the womb, 16 stages of pre-birth development,” is an amazing new video from American Life League that many in the pregnancy center movement say is certain to save lives. The video features dramatic 4-D ultrasound images of preborn babies from 8 to 34 weeks development.
TO ORDER: The “Baby Steps” DVD is available from ALL for $9.95 plus shipping and handling. Call 866-LET-LIVE toll-free, or purchase online.
reflection for prayer
PSALM 105:3-5: Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Rely on the mighty Lord; constantly seek his face. Recall the wondrous deeds he has done, his signs and his words of judgment.