in this issue:
hot button issues: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL / BIRTH CONTROL BILL / HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH / PETITION TO BISHOPS / SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS
abortion: COLORADO
birth control: LYBREL
catholic bishops: CARDINAL JUSTIN RIGALI
catholic organizations: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
condoms: RISKY
personhood: COLORADO
politics: HILLARY AND MOTHER TERESA
religion: POLLING FOR BELIEVERS
sex education: ANALYSIS
supreme court: CARHART V. GONZALES
reflection for prayer: MATTHEW 5:48
hot button issues
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: American Life League’s Rock for Life takes Amnesty International to task for claiming to be a human rights organization while supporting legal abortion.
Reading: “Musical heavyweights duped in the name of Darfur,” American Life League news release, 6/19/07
BIRTH CONTROL BILL: American Life League’s Judie Brown looks at the Access to Birth Control Act, proposed legislation that would strip pharmacists of their right to conscientiously refuse to fill prescriptions for abortifacient drugs.
Reading: “Simple as A-B-C,” American Life League, 6/14/07
HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH: American Life League’s Michael Hichborn comments on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s characterization of the destructive research as “a gift of God.”
Reading: “Is human sacrifice ‘God’s gift,’ Madame Speaker?” American Life League, 6/15/07
PETITION TO BISHOPS: American Life League delivered thousands of signed petitions to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and ran a full-page ad in USA Today encouraging the bishops to deal with the scandal caused by political leaders who both claim the Catholic faith and support legal abortion.
Reading: “ALL ad asks more bishops to pay attention,” American Life League news release, 6/20/07
SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS: Of Judie Brown’s Saving Those Damned Catholics, one reader writes, “Judie Brown tells the truth in a very clear, thoughtful and brilliant manner, without beating about the bush. This is a wonderful effort of hers to make people, both Catholic and not, more truly knowledgeable about what God really means in His Ten Commandments.”
TO ORDER: “Saving Those Damned Catholics” is available from ALL in hardcover or paperback. Call 866-LET-LIVE or purchase online
abortion
COLORADO: Colorado Right to Life, which was booted out of the National Right to Life Committee, hosted a hospitality suite at the NRLC convention last weekend, drawing hundreds to view the DVD, “Focus on the Strategy.” To welcome those attending, a man dressed like Abraham Lincoln greeted people with the statement, “Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal-no exceptions.”
Reading: “Hostility met with hospitality at NRTL convention,” Bob Enyart Live, 6/18/07
birth control
LYBREL: Mercedes Arzu Wilson and Paul A. Byrne, MD have written an open letter to the Wall Street Journal pointing out the undeniable fact that the new contraceptive pill, Lybrel, can cause abortion.
Reading: “Open letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal,” Renew America, 6/14/07
catholic bishops
CARDINAL JUSTIN RIGALI: The cardinal thanked the Philadelphia City Council for voting to rescind a “troubling resolution” that had declared Philadelphia a “pro-choice city.”
Reading: “Philadelphia council rescinds ‘pro-choice city’ designation,” Catholic News Service, 6/14/07
catholic organizations
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS: Kenneth Fisher reports on the number of Massachusetts Catholics who voted against an initiative to define marriage as between a man and a woman; the Catholic lawmakers listed are all member of the Knights of Columbus.
Reading: “Another grave scandal within the ‘Knights’ of Columbus,” Concerned Roman Catholics of America news release, 6/16/07
condoms
RISKY: A study conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle identified the risk factors involved with a relatively new sexually transmitted disease, Mycoplasma genitalium. They found the prevalence of the disease four times higher among those who use condoms during sex.
Reading: “New sex-related infection passes gonorrhea,” Reuters, 6/7/07
personhood
COLORADO: Colorado for Equal Rights filed language on June 19 with the Colorado Legislative Council regarding a proposed amendment to the state’s constitution. The wording: “As used in Article II, Sections 3, 6, and 25 of the Colorado Constitution, the words ‘person’ and ‘persons’ shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization.”
Reading: “Colorado for Equal Rights files pro-life amendment,” Colorado for Equal Rights news release, 6/19/07
politics
HILLARY AND MOTHER TERESA: A recent campaign ad promoting Hillary Clinton contained an image of her with Mother Teresa. When the Missionaries of Charity requested that the picture be pulled, the Clinton people removed it.
Reading: “Sorry, you can’t have Mother,” Calcutta Telegraph, 6/17/07
religion
POLLING FOR BELIEVERS: A recent news poll suggests that most Americans are looking for a presidential candidate who has “religious” views. Of those questioned, 60.7% gave that response, but 48% of the same group said their religious faith always or sometimes guides their views.
Reading: “National issues poll says Americans looking for a religious president,” Sacred Heart University news release, 6/14/07
sex education
ANALYSIS: Project Reality examined the “Review of Comprehensive Sex Education Curricula” issued by the Administration for Children and Families and requested by senators Rick Santorum and Tom Coburn. Project reality opined, “This report finally exposes the actual content of comprehensive sex ed programs so that the public can distinguish between the reality of these programs and the rhetoric they use.”
Reading: “An analysis of the comprehensive sex education curricula review,” Project Reality news release, 6/14/07
supreme court
CARHART V. GONZALES: In a commentary on the Supreme Court decision, Ambassador Alan Keyes wrote: “After reading the text of the decision, my heart sank at the thought that all four supposedly pro-life appointees to the court had voted to accept its lethal implication. Then I saw the saving grace of Justice Thomas’s brief but clarion concurring opinion, in which he stated simply that although he voted for the decision’s result, he continues to reject the Roe/Casey regime it relies upon, in the conviction that ‘the court’s abortion jurisprudence, including Casey and Roe v Wade … has no basis in the Constitution.” Justice Scalia joined in this morally and constitutionally essential declaration.”
Reading: “Gardeners of Evil,” Renew America, 4/28/07
reflection for prayer
MATTHEW 5:48: I will pray for those with whom I am experiencing difficulties and do an act of charity for them. For as Christ said, And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.