in this issue:
american life league hot button issues: THANKSGIVING / CHOICE ON EARTH / ENDING ABORTION / PICKETING PLANNED PARENTHOOD / YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK
abortion: MEDICAL
activism: ENVELOPE STICKERS
birth control: PILL FOR MEN / RISKS
brain death: ANALYSIS
euthanasia: FLORIDA
humor: PASSPORTS
morning-after abortion pill: CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS / MIFEPRISTONE PLUS TAMOXIFIN
nfp: ACCURACY
pregnancy: BREAST FEEDING, THE PILL and POVERTY
politics: PELOSI
quoteworthy: PAT BUCHANAN
united nations: REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
zinger: PRAIRIE DOGS AND BABIES
reflection for prayer: ST. CATHERINE OF SIENNA
american life league hot button issues
THANKSGIVING: The staff of American Life League prays, “May the Lord of Life bless your Thanksgiving with His grace, His love and His mercy.”
CHOICE ON EARTH: In addition to “holiday cards” featuring the slogan, “Choice on Earth,” Planned Parenthood is now selling T-shirts with the same message. Planned Parenthood’s Gloria Feldt says the shirts were added to the mix following criticism from ALL’s STOPP International, which she describes as an organization “which serves no redeeming purpose.”
(Reading: “‘Choice on Earth’ holiday card sends inclusive message of individual freedom,” Planned Parenthood news release, 11/25/02; “Planned Parenthood expands attack on Christianity,” STOPP International news release, 11/26/02; “Choice on Earth” holiday cards, Planned Parenthood’s online store; “Choice on Earth” T-shirts, Planned Parenthood’s online store)
ENDING ABORTION: See details of ALL’s Save the Babies Action Plan.
PICKETING PLANNED PARENTHOOD: ALL’s STOPP International is leading an active campaign to stop Planned Parenthood. STOPP is creating a web page that will list every picket or other demonstration against Planned Parenthood all across the country. STOPP’s Jim Sedlak is asking pro-lifers to please let him know of any regularly occurring or one-time demonstrations against Planned Parenthood that you are aware of. By the beginning of the new year, the web page will be in place. The format of the listing will be: date … state …. city …. time …. local contact (first name) … e-mail or phone number. Please send the information to .
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK: See “Planned Parenthood’s dirty plot: teen recruiters,” by STOPP International’s national director, Ed Szymkowiak.
abortion
MEDICAL: Researchers compared the effectiveness of mifepristone (RU-486) plus oral misoprostol versus mifepristone plus vaginal misoprostol and found that for abortion up to nine weeks, the use of vaginal misoprostol was “more effective.”
(Reading: “Randomized trial of oral versus vaginal misoprostol 2 days after mifepristone 200 mg for abortion up to 63 days of pregnancy,” Contraception, 66 (2002), pp. 247-250)
activism
ENVELOPE STICKERS: To learn more about a variety of envelope stickers, with messages such as “Mercy killing: Putting Person A out of Person B’s misery,” and information how to print the stickers yourself, e-mail .
birth control
PILL FOR MEN: Dr. William Bremner of the University of Washington has been studying the potential of developing a male birth control pill for years. Currently Bremner plans to recruit 50 men to participate in a test. He has just been awarded a $9.5 million federal government grant to fund his research.
(Reading: “Male birth-control pill studied,” 11/20/02, Seattle Post Intelligencer; background: “New research on a ‘male pill’ shows promise,” CNN, 6/13/96)
RISKS: Researchers note an increase in trichomonas vaginalis among IUD users over birth control pill users, but an increased risk in the occurrence of candidiasis infection among pill users. They recommend more research on these infections and their incidence among women using a form of birth control.
(Reading: “Does contraceptive method change the Pap smear finding?” Contraception, 66 (2002), pp. 243-246)
brain death
ANALYSIS: A published study of accuracy in various ways of predicting or defining brain death indicates that quality assurance activities need to be increased in cases where a declaration of brain death is desired.
(Reading: “Brain death documentation: analysis and issues,” Neurosurgery, 9/02, pp, 731-736)
euthanasia
FLORIDA: A Clearwater, Florida judge has ruled that Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube may be removed — an act that would result in her starvation. Terri’s parents will appeal the ruling.
(Reading: “Judge says Schiavo’s feeding tube can be removed,” Associated Press, 11/22/02; for details and updated information, see the Terri Schiavo web site)
humor
PASSPORTS: “If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.”
(Reading: “Just Jestin’,” The Star, 8/02, p 15; For copies write Fr. Rawley Myers, 22 W. Kiowa, Colorado Springs, CO 80903)
morning-after abortion pill
CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS: Researchers studying a group of 838 women ages 20-30 using emergency contraception recommend screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infection.
(Reading: “Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infection is indicated for women under 30 using emergency contraception,” Contraception, 66 (2002), pp. 251-253)
MIFEPRISTONE PLUS TAMOXIFIN: Researchers investigated the potential of combining mifepristone (RU-486) with tamoxifin to achieve a more effective result in emergency contraception . They claim the combination of one dose (10mg) of mifepristone alone and in combination with 20 mg of tamoxifin is safe and more effective when used within 72-120 hours after one act of “unprotected intercourse.”
COMMENT: Five days later? Who says “emergency contraception” is not really abortion?
(Reading: “A randomized comparative study on mifepristone alone and in combination with tamoxifin for emergency contraception,” Contraception, 66 (2002), pp. 221-224)
nfp
ACCURACY: A recent study involves the accuracy of the Creighton method in determining the peak day if cervical mucus affirms the effectiveness of the Creighton method in determining the best possible time to conceive or avoid conception. Numerous studies have found the Creighton method 98- to 99-percent effective.
(Reading: “Accuracy of the peak day of cervical mucus as a biological marker of fertility,” Contraception, 66(2002), pp. 231-235)
pregnancy
BREAST FEEDING, THE PILL and POVERTY: The U. S. Agency for International Development funded a review of whether or not poor women should be given the pill automatically at six months post-partum. Researchers comment “Although COCs (combined oral contraceptives) given in the first 6 months post-partum may alter the quantity or quality of breast milk, after 6 months, any possible changes are considered subordinate to the advantages of providing effective contraception.” The researchers claim that in poor countries “a woman’s lifetime risk of death from complications of pregnancy, childbirth or unsafe abortion is greater than one in 10.”
(Reading: “Hormonal pregnancy test redux,” Contraception, 66 (2002), pp. 295-296)
politics
PELOSI: The Republican National Coalition for Life presents a comprehensive overview of the several anti-life abuses currently in the repertoire of alleged Catholic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
(Reading: “Pelosi claims to be a ‘conservative Catholic,'” RNC FaxNotes, 11/22/02)
(Contact: , whose archdiocese Pelosi represents, may be reached by e-mail)
quoteworthy
PAT BUCHANAN: “Moral authority is like muscle tissue. Unexercised, it dies.”
(Reading: “Where intolerance is a virtue,” World Net Daily, 11/18/02)
united nations
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: Focused on the agenda set in Cairo, the UNFPA has asked lawmakers from 70 nations to sign a “Statement of Commitment” outlining goals to promote “reproductive health and rights.”
(Reading: “Reproductive rights focus of UN-backed conference of lawmakers in Ottawa,” United Nations news release, 11/21/02)
zinger
PRAIRIE DOGS AND BABIES: Some 100,000 “unwanted pests” in Lubbock, Texas are not likely to be exterminated any time soon if PETA and other animal rights groups get their way. But columnist E.L. Bynum notes, “PETA and all the animal rights people could care less about the murdered babies.”
(Reading: “Prairie dogs and babies,” Plains Baptist Challenger, 10/02)
reflection for prayer
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENNA: You will show that you are indeed alive when you harmonize and unite your will with God’s. This sweet will of his will give you living faith and hope set entirely on God.
If you want to give life to this holy faith, I ask you to keep two things in mind. The first is that God cannot will anything but our good. To give us that true good-because through sin we had lost it-he gave himself even to the shameful death of the cross. Graciously he humbled himself to restore that grace to us and to do away with our pride. How true it is then that God wills only our good!
The second thing to keep in mind is this: I want you to believe that truly nothing happens to us except by God’s will and permission-death or life, sickness or health, riches or poverty, even the wrongs done us by friends or relatives or anyone else. Not a leaf falls from a tree without his consent. So not only should you not fear this thing-because God gives us what we can bear, and no more-but let’s accept it with reverence, dearest sister, considering ourselves unworthy of so great a good as to put up with hardship for the Lord. The devil has been trying to terrify you by this affair you fear, so seize the arms of faith at once, believing that we will be delivered by Christ crucified. If you believe, as we’ve said, that God wants only our good, you will stay perfectly happy. Be comforted in Christ crucified, and don’t be afraid.
I’ll say no more except this: let everything you do be done in fear and love of God. Remember that one day you must die, and you do not know when. God’s eye is upon you and watches over all you do. Gentle God, give us death rather than let us offend you!
(Reading: “On blindness and God’s eye,” Saint Catherine of Sienna, Magnificat Press, May, 2002, pp. 408-409)