in this issue:
hot button issues: DOBSON / PLANNED PARENTHOOD / ROCK FOR LIFE / SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS / SIGN PETITION TO BISHOPS
abortion: TILLER
catholic bishops: LOUISVILLE / PROVIDENCE / USCCB
personhood: ULTRASOUND VIDEO
research / ethical: STEM CELLS FROM SKIN
research / unethical: DONOR ORGANS
reflection for prayer: JOHN 6:48-51
hot button issues
DOBSON: American Life League’s Judie Brown responds to critics of the open letter to Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family concerning that organization’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s partial-birth abortion ruling.
Reading: “Politics of appeasement,” American Life League, 6/4/07
PLANNED PARENTHOOD: While the organization is clamoring for more funding from the California legislature, American Life League’s STOPP International publicizes Planned Parenthood’s own figures that show California affiliates are already awash in excessive taxpayer dollars.
Reading: “Planned Parenthood crying wolf in California,” American Life League news release, 6/6/07
ROCK FOR LIFE: When a group advertising itself as Christian activists left abortion out of its top list of social ills, American Life League’s youth outreach team asked why.
Reading: “Rock for Life presents real anti-poverty message,” American Life League news release, 6/5/0
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 to help people, both Catholic and not, to be 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.
SIGN PETITION TO BISHOPS: An American Life League petition asks American Catholic bishops to address the scandal caused by political figures who claim the Catholic faith but support abortion. Church law states that those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to communion.”
ACTION: All Catholics are invited to sign the petition that will be delivered to U.S. bishops in June.
abortion
TILLER: An investigation of notorious late-term Kansas abortionist George Tiller could be wrapped up by the end of the month. Attorney General Paul Morrison offered no hints as to whether Tiller could face any criminal charges. Some observers say they don’t believe Morrison, who received campaign contributions from pro-abortion donors, will charge Tiller with any significant violations.
Reading: “Attorney general Morrison says to expect decision on abortion charges in June,” Overland Park Sun, 5/31/07
catholic bishops
LOUISVILLE: A spokesman for Archbishop Thomas Kelly says there’s no problem with Spalding University, a Catholic institution, hosting Rep. John Yarmuth as commencement speaker. Yarmuth, who is pro-abortion, is also scheduled to receive an honorary degree.
Reading: “Louisville archdiocese accepts ‘right’ of Catholic university,” Life Site News, 6/1/07
PROVIDENCE: Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin writes of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani’s stand on abortion, which runs counter to Catholic teachings. “As Catholics,” he writes, “we are called, indeed required, to be pro-life, to cherish and protect human life as a precious gift of God from the moment of conception until the time of natural death. As a leader, as a public official, Rudy Giuliani has a special obligation in that regard.”
Reading: “My RSVP to Rudy Giuliani,” Rhode Island Catholic, 5/31/07
UNITED KINGDOM: Bishops from England, Scotland and Wales have all spoken out firmly on the topic of pro-abortion Catholic members of Parliament. Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff said such politicians “ought to remove themselves from receiving communion because it would be a cause of great scandal.”
Reading: “Abortion-loving British media furious over Catholic bishops’ intensified opposition,” Life Site News, 6/4/07
USCCB: In calling for “bold action” from the leaders of the G8 nations to address “urgent national problems,” leaders of seven national conferences of Catholic bishops point to poverty, climate change, health care, education, AIDS, peace and security as areas deserving of attention. However, the call to action fails to mention abortion.
Reading: “Presidents of seven Catholic bishops conferences urge group of 8 countries to take bold action on urgent global problems,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops news release, 6/1/07
personhood
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. See a sneak peek at http://www.all.org/babysteps.php
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.
research / ethical
STEM CELLS FROM SKIN: Research in mice shows promise for reprogramming skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. This has the potential to negate the perceived need to kill human embryos in order to obtain their stem cells>
Reading: “Biologists make skin cells work like stem cells,” New York Times, 6/6/07
research / unethical
ARNOLD: California’s governor insists he’s a strong Catholic-and a proponent of human embryonic stem cell research, which is against Catholic teachings. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “I am a Catholic and a very dedicated Catholic, but that does not interfere with my decision-making because I know that stem-cell research, the way we are doing it in California … is the right way to go and will save, very quickly down the line, lives and cure a lot of these illnesses.”
Reading: “Schwarzenegger: ‘I am a Catholic and a very dedicated Catholic, but” I support research on human embryos,” Life Site News, 6/1/07
DONOR ORGANS: In case you missed this article from two summers ago, researchers are attempting to justify growing human embryos for harvesting of “spare parts.” Columnist William Saletan notes, “By drawing a bright line between the embryo and the fetus, we avoid the moral perils of ‘fetus farming.’ The only remaining problem is that we promised not to authorize implantation of embryos for research, and without implantation, we can’t grow them long enough to get differentiated tissues. Or can we?”
Reading: “The organ factory,” Slate, 7/28/05
reflection for prayer
JOHN 6:48-51: I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.