in this issue:
hot button issues: PRO-LIFE MEMORIAL DAY / ROBERTS
abortion: ATTITUDES / DEATHS / EXPERIENCES
birth control: DEPO-PROVERA
catholic colleges: HOSTING PRO-ABORTION SPEAKER
euthanasia: CHRISTIANS / EXPLOITATION
in vitro fertilization: DEATHS
physicians: HYPOCRISY
planned parenthood: RYAN REPORT
population control: CHINA
stem cell research: IMMUNE SYSTEM / NEWS
zinger: CLINTON CONDOM
reflection for prayer: DIRT
hot button issues
PRO-LIFE MEMORIAL DAY: American Life League is leading a candlelight vigil outside the U.S. Supreme Court building at 7:30 p.m. on October 3. Local groups are being encouraged to plan similar events in their own communities, and nationwide participation is expected. See www.ProLifeMemorialDay.com for details. Deadline for ordering official Pro-Life Memorial Day T-shirts to guarantee arrival in time for the event is September 25. Shirts may be ordered online.
ROBERTS: At the conclusion of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s examination of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, ALL’s Judie Brown notes, “After reading the pounds of paper containing opinions, views and quotes from Judge Roberts, American Life League is left wondering about the process, the man and the questions that were never asked. It is therefore less than prudent for us to applaud, congratulate or even think positively about the judge.”
(Reading: “Judge Roberts and right reason,” American Life League news release, 9/19/05)
abortion
ATTITUDES: Some 310 Philadelphia medical school gynecology students were asked to complete anonymous questionnaires. Of the 148 who completed the form, “the percentage of residents who would participate in a second trimester D&E for each fetal condition listed was significantly lower that that for a first trimester D&E.” Apparently, willingness to abort a child is related to the severity of the possible fetal condition.
(Reading: “Attitudes of obstetrics and gynecology residents toward abortion participation,” Contraception, 72 (2005) 200-205)
DEATHS: International health experts have published a new study indicating that 94 percent of maternal deaths associated with abortion are not identifiable from death certificates alone. An Elliot Institute report on the study suggests that women are three times more likely to die after an abortion than after natural childbirth.
(Reading: “Women are three times more likely to die after an abortion, new study,” Elliot Institute news release, 9/9/05)
EXPERIENCES: The New York Times tells the story of several women who quietly accessed surgical abortion. One of the women, prior to aborting her second child, sought counsel from a Catholic priest, who reportedly said, “People make mistakes.”
(Reading: “Under din of abortion debate, an experience shared quietly,” New York Times, 9/18/05)
birth control
DEPO-PROVERA: Researchers claim that the FDA should remove the “black box” warning about possible health hazards associated with the abortive Depo-Provera based on new studies they allege remove concerns about bone density loss among those women using the drug.
(Reading: “Depo-Provera’s black box: time to reconsider,” Contraception, 72 (2005) 165-67)
catholic colleges
HOSTING PRO-ABORTION SPEAKER: Dan Rather, the pro-abortion former CBS news anchor, was a guest speaker at Fordham University Law School.
COMMENT: The question is, why? You can contact Fordham University; you can ask Cardinal Edward Egan, the archbishop of New York.
(Reading: “Emotional Rather blasts ‘new journalism order,'” Reuters, 9/19/05)
(Background: “Dan Rather’s shoddy legacy,” Townhall.com, 3/9/05)
euthanasia
CHRISTIANS: In an analysis of the traditional Christian views of life and death, authors point out, “Since traditional Christian physicians and nurses may not participate in the intentional causation of a patient’s death through physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, they will need to take steps so as not to be involved by engaging in such procedures or recommending who might provide them. We will all need to acknowledge that our culture is rent by profound religious and moral disagreements.”
COMMENT: This is precisely why any conscience protection provided for physicians, other health care workers including pharmacists must not require referral to another professional.
(Reading: “End of life: the traditional Christian view,” The Lancet, 9/17/05)
EXPLOITATION: Responding to Compassion and Choices’ statement focused on using the tragic choices of New Orleans doctors to advance a pro-death agenda, Marilyn Golden of the Disability Rights, Education and Defense Fund decried the crass insensitivity of the death peddling group: “The circumstances of the New Orleans hurricane were so unusual that it is completely inappropriate to draw an general policy conclusions (about assisted suicide) from what happened.”
(Reading: “Barbara Coombs Lee and assisted suicide advocates exploit Hurricane Katrina,” Californians Against Assisted Suicide news release, 9/16/05; “Statement from Barbara Coombs Lee,” Compassion and Choices news release, 9/14/05)
in vitro fertilization
DEATHS: A recently published study confirms that when in vitro fertilization children are frozen for storage and subsequently defrosted for use, there is massive loss of life — 85 percent die, or 6.7 million children thus far.
(Reading: “Study findings suggest over 6.7 million embryonic children have died during IVF,” LifeSiteNews, 9/9/05; study published in Fertility and Sterility, 8/05, pp. 325-530)
physicians
HYPOCRISY: The Christian Medical Association statement exposing the hypocrisy of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s opposition to conscience protection for pro-life doctors can be seen online.
planned parenthood
RYAN REPORT: If you want the latest information on Planned Parenthood and how effective pro-lifers are in battling the world’s largest abortion provider, then request the Ryan Report, published by American Life League’s STOPP International. E-mail ?subject=subscribe”> with the word “subscribe” in the subject line or body.
population control
CHINA: An analysis of the current relaxation in the Chinese one-child-per-family policy suggests “relaxation of the policy can be considered only if fertility aspirations are such tat a baby boom will not result.”
(Reading: “The effect of China’s one-child family policy after 25 years,” New England Journal of Medicine, 9/15/05, pp. 1171-1176)
stem cell research
IMMUNE SYSTEM: Researchers at Stanford have found that human embryonic stem cells are rejected by the patient after being implanted.
(Reading: “Embryonic stem cells trigger immune rejection,” CoreEthics.com, 8/29/05)
NEWS: For a daily update on the articles being published on stem cell research, both ethical use of adult stem cells and unethical use of human embryonic stem cell research, see BioMetNews.
zinger
CLINTON CONDOM: A Chinese company is honoring former President Bill Clinton by naming a new line of condoms after him. A 12-pack of Clintons is expected to cost $5.00; the Lewinskys cost less.
(Reading: “Chinese rubber company begins marketing condoms with Clinton, Lewinsky brand names,” Associated Press, 9/20/05; “Condoms named after Clinton and Lewinsky,” Associated Press, 9/20/05)
reflection for prayer
DIRT: Lord Jesus, treat me like dirt … but good dirt. I don’t want to place thorns or rocks or hardness of heart in the way of Your word. I want to be fertile soil for Your word so that You can use me as an instrument to save souls and glorify You. Amen.
(Reading: “Treat me like dirt!” Regnum Christi, 9/17/05)