in this issue:
abortion: GRAVELY IMMORAL / STATISTICS DO LIE
activism: BRAVO SAN ANTONIO / MISSOURI ACTION NOTE / OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PRAYER FOR LIFE DAY
birth control: LUNELLE RECALLED
bush watch: FDA ADVISORY COMMISSION
congress: BANKRUPT?
education: DEFORMED
euthanasia: CANADA
humor: ERMA BOMBECK
in vitro fertilization: ETHICS
morning-after abortion pills: LAST CHANCE
physicians: SUPPORT KILLING
politics: CONTRIBUTIONS / EXCEPTIONS
reflection for prayer: THOMAS MERTON
commentary: IDENTIFYING PRO-LIFE POLITICIANS
abortion
GRAVELY IMMORAL: Canadian Bishop Fred Henry: “Some behaviors are always wrong, always incompatible with our love of God and the dignity of the human person. Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Abortion willed either as an end or a means is gravely contrary to the moral law.”
(Reading: “A deadly blindness has come over the land,” Calgary Sun, 9/29/02)
STATISTICS DO LIE: A recent study published by the Alan Guttmacher Institute claims that surgical abortion rates are declining, but not among poor women. It should be noted that not all 50 states are held to a national standard of abortion reporting. Also, many abortions are not reported as abortion, but rather are defined as “D and C” surgical procedures. Further, no reports are provided on the abortions done by Mifeprex (RU-486), morning-after pills, birth control pills, IUDs etc.
COMMENT: In other words, the study is false and misleading.
(Reading: “U.S. abortion rates continue to decline, especially among teens,” Alan Guttmacher Institute news release, 10/8/02; “ALL discredits AGI abortion report,” American Life League news release, 10/10/02)
activism
BRAVO SAN ANTONIO! At the request of the Office of Social Concerns and Respect Life in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Children of God for Life has drafted a full educational program to present the facts on vaccines from abortion, stem cell research and human cloning to all parishes and Catholic institutions within the diocese. The program aims at getting the truth about these important bioethics issues into the hands of parishioners. The archdiocese hopes to roll the program out to the entire Texas Catholic Conference for use in all dioceses. Meanwhile, Children of God for Life has presented the customized packages to several other dioceses in the country as well. “We simply can no longer afford to allow the media to educate the faithful, especially our children,” said Director Debi Vinnedge. “The lies being perpetrated on the public about these issues are simply outrageous!” For more information about starting the project for your own diocese contact .
MISSOURI ACTION NOTE: Proposition A on the November ballot in Missouri would make tens of millions of tax dollars available for subsidies to Planned Parenthood, among other things. For more information e-mail , Missouri Right to Life’s general counsel.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PRAYER FOR LIFE DAY: Sunday, December 15, at 3 pm has been designated as the 2002 day of prayer for this annual event. For details, please e-mail .
birth control
LUNELLE RECALLED: Pharmacia is recalling lots of the abortifacient injectable, Lunelle, because of high failure rates.
(Reading: “Prefilled syringes of Lunelle recalled,” Pharmacist.com, 10/10/02)
bush watch
FDA ADVISORY COMMISSION: The Bush Administration is considering the appointment of W. David Hager, MD of Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Hager has pressed for withdrawal of the abortion chemical RU-486 and is well know to pro-life medical professionals. The president should be commended for considering this appointment.
(Reading: “Abortion foe may join FDA panel,” The Cincinnati Post, 10/9/02)
(Contact: e-mail )
congress
BANKRUPT? The Schumer Amendment to the bankruptcy reform bill could come up for a vote after the election.
(Reading: “Schumer amendment ethically bankrupt,” American Life League news release, 10/3/02; “Sen. Schumer attaches anti-pro-life bias to bill: Twists popular bankruptcy legislation to punish peaceful protesters,” Concerned Women for America news release, 9/10/02)
education
DEFORMED: Education expert Beverly K. Eakman analyzes the problems with current educational programs in a timeless article, “The perfect crime: How psychology and high-tech marketing have ‘deformed’ education.”
euthanasia
CANADA: Choice in Dying of Ottawa publishes the “Free to Go” quarterly, keeping readers up to date on the advancing culture of death. This pro-euthanasia publication is of interest to those battling euthanasia in its many forms. For more information, contact .
humor
ERMA BOMBECK: “Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.”
(Reading: “Quick Quotes,” The Star, 8/02; for copies write Fr. Rawley Myers, 22 W. Kiowa, Colorado Springs, CO 80903)
in vitro fertilization
ETHICS: Reproductive technology experts argue that gender selection using pre-natal genetic diagnosis provides couples with “full discretion over what to do with their embryos.” In an accompanying editorial, John Robertson opines that such gender selection to provide variety in a family should be discouraged at this time, though he encourages debate on the question.
(Reading: “Gender selection for nonmedical indications,” Fertility and Sterility, 9/02; “Sex selection for gender variety by preimplantation genetic diagnosis,” Fertility and Sterility, 9/02, pp. 460-463)
morning-after abortion pills
LAST CHANCE: The Kaiser Network has published the second part of a report entitled “The last-chance contraceptive.” The title erroneously alleges that the morning-after regimen does not abort preborn babies, which is false. The report encourages support for providing over-the-counter chemical warfare to women through a local pharmacist rather than a physician’s office. The entire report is on line. One quote stands out: “The National Right to Life Committee has not taken a public stand against EC, though some local chapters have.”
(Reading: “The last-chance contraceptive, Part 1,” Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 1/14/02; “The last-chance contraceptive, Part 2,” Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 10/10/02; for reaction and recommended action visit Pharmacists for Life International)
physicians
SUPPORT KILLING: Medical Economics magazine reports on a survey indicating that 69% of doctors say abortion should remain legal, half support physician-assisted suicide, and nearly half admit that pain control falls short.
(Reading: “Assisted suicide? Pain control? Where’s the line?” Medical Economics, 10/11/02; “Abortion: A right or an outrage?” Medical Economics, 10/11/02)
politics
CONTRIBUTIONS: Republican National Coalition for Life counsels against contributing to Republican Party committees because some of the funds are going to pro-abortion Republicans.
(Reading: “Why pro-life Republicans should not contribute to Republican Party committees,” Republican National Coalition for Life FaxNotes, 10/4/02)
EXCEPTIONS: Quoting Pope John Paul II: “The height of arbitrariness and injustice is reached when certain people, such as physicians or legislators, arrogate to themselves the power to decide who ought to live and who ought to die. Once again we find ourselves before the temptation of Eden: to become like God who ‘knows good and evil’ (cf Gen 3:5). God alone has the power over life and death: ‘It is I who bring both death and life’ (Dt 32:39; cf 2 Kg 5:7, 1 Sam 2:6).”
COMMENT: No exceptions!
(Reading: The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), Section 66, 3/25/95)
reflection for prayer
THOMAS MERTON: The humility of Christ, living and efficacious in us, exalts us and unites us to Him in His glory. His humility makes us seek nothing in this world except to do perfectly the will of God.
(Reading: “Seasons of Celebration,” p. 78)
commentary
IDENTIFYING PRO-LIFE POLITICIANS
by Judie Brown
President, American Life League Inc.
Pro-life voters are desperately seeking candidates who unequivocally support the right to life of all innocent human beings without exception. Unfortunately, in many contests, neither the Democrat nor the Republican is interested in abolishing abortion. The underlying difficulty is that establishment pro-life organizations often endorse those who favor some abortions. Examples of such confusion abound.
In a number of congressional and gubernatorial elections, for instance, the Democrat supports child killing on demand, while the Republican supports only limited restrictions on abortion (e.g., regulating partial birth abortion and/or permitting abortion in cases of rape, incest, or purported threat to the mother’s life). The Republican who supports a lesser degree of abortion often earns the National Right to Life stamp of approval and is touted as “pro-life.”
Is blanket National Right to Life support for Republican candidates surprising? As one of my advisors frequently tells me, “follow the money!” Various Republican Party committees have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to National Right to Life during the past few election cycles. Connect the dots. Absolute opposition to abortion is not a requirement for earning a National Right to Life endorsement. But membership in the Republican Party appears to be a major criterion.
In my humble opinion, a politician who merely wishes to regulate abortion is not pro-life, whether he is Democrat, Republican, third party or independent. Such a candidate does not deserve to be called “pro-life,” and such a candidate does not deserve an iota of support from any pro-life voter. Abortion is an act that kills a person. It must be opposed in all cases, not just some. There is no middle ground.
The law can never legitimately tolerate the direct killing of innocent human beings, born or preborn. If a politician is unwilling to honor this most fundamental duty of law, he is unworthy of even one pro-life endorsement, regardless of his party affiliation.
While NRLC and others maintain that it is critical to support the more restrictive pro-abortion candidate in order to chip away at the culture-of-death, history contradicts that proposition. If there is one lesson we have learned from the last 30 years, it’s that compromise of fundamental principle enables the death peddlers to chip away at us, while continuing to slaughter our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.
It’s time to put to rest the flawed concept of voting for the lesser of two evils. There’s no such thing when dealing with acts of murder. Abortion is intrinsically evil. No one should admit to the admissibility of even one act of abortion. To do so is to contradict what is clearly an absolute value: the personhood of the human being. Pursuing the so-called lesser evil option is not acceptable.
Pro-life Americans must insist that political candidates, in order to claim the pro-life label, must honor their moral obligation to defend and protect all innocent human beings from the moment of conception. Organizations that purport to represent pro-life philosophy must stop settling for politicians who tolerate even one abortion.