in this issue:
hot button issues: AURORA / PRO-LIFE MEMORIAL DAY
activism: VIRGINIA
catholic bishops: IRELAND / SCOTLAND
catholic politicians: PAYING FOR ABORTION
culture: PIGS ON THE NET
euthanasia: NUTRITION AND HYDRATION
hero: AUSTRALIA
in vitro fertilization: TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
organ donation: INCONVENIENT TRUTH
planned parenthood: KING OF LIES / PERFECTLY NORMAL
reminders: 40 DAYS FOR LIFE / LIFE CHAIN / SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS / ULTRASOUND VIDEO
reflection for prayer: EPHESIANS 4:1-4
hot button issues
AURORA: A federal judge has refused Planned Parenthood’s request that it be allowed to open its new abortion facility in Aurora, Illinois. The building was to have opened Tuesday, but the city has not issued an occupancy permit. The city is investigating reported irregularities in the permit process, as all original documents for construction of the building listed Gemini Office Development as the applicant.
Reading: “Judge denies request to open Aurora clinic,” Chicago Tribune, 9/21/07 / “Judge refuses to cave in to Planned Parenthood,” American Life League news release, 9/17/07
PRO-LIFE MEMORIAL DAY: American Life League’s annual remembrance of the innocent victims of abortion is set for October 1. A new public service announcement, suitable for Christian and conservative radio, is available online.
TO ORDER: The official Pro-life Memorial Day 2007 shirt, featuring an image of the U.S. Supreme Court building with the words, “Tomb of the Unborn,” is available from American Life League for $6.95 plus shipping and handling. Monday, September 17, is the final day to order to ensure timely delivery. Call 866-LET-LIVE toll-free, or purchase online.
Reading: “Pro-life Memorial Day remembers abortion’s victims,” American Life League, 9/12/07
activism
VIRGINIA: The Alliance Defense Fund is suing a high school that refused to recognize a student pro-life group. According to the organization, Colonial Forge High School rejected the club’s application “based on the religious and political nature of the club.”
Reading: “Virginia high school won’t recognize pro-life club,” Alliance Defense Fund news release, 9/14/07
catholic bishops
IRELAND: Irish bishops are poised to ban Amnesty International from all Catholic schools in the nation. One school has already been told to discontinue its Amnesty International chapter, and others will likely be told to do the same. Amnesty International recently went on record in favor of legal abortion.
Reading: “Rift between Amnesty International and Catholic Church continues to widen,” Catholic News Agency, 9/18/07
SCOTLAND: The country’s Catholic bishops are urging members of Parliament to defeat a proposal that would allow scientists to create human-animal hybrid embryos for use in stem cell research. The bishops called the plan “horrific,” adding that “Our natural distaste at the prospect of mixing species reflects a natural intuition that a moral boundary is being crossed.”
Reading: “Catholic bishops call for stop to ‘horrific’ embryo plan,” The Scotsman, 9/13/07
catholic politicians
PAYING FOR ABORTION: In a recent Senate vote, 16 Catholic senators voted to throw out the Mexico City Policy, permitting taxpayer dollars to be used for funding overseas organizations that support abortion. President Bush has promised to veto the measure.
Reading: “Sixteen of twenty-five senators vote to fund overseas abortion,” Catholic News Agency, 9/18/07
culture
PIGS ON THE NET: Trojan has established a page on the popular youth networking site MySpace. The page features the company’s controversial TV commercials for condoms along with the slogan, “America is not a sexually healthy nation. It’s time we evolve.”
Reading: “Trojan evolve,” MySpace
euthanasia
NUTRITION AND HYDRATION: Responding to a request from two bishops, the Vatican has affirmed Catholic teaching on care for patients in a so-called vegetative state. A statement approved by Pope Benedict notes, “the provision of water and food, even by artificial means, always represents a natural means for preserving life, and is not a therapeutic treatment.”
Reading: “Vatican affirms church teaching on nutrition and hydration for individuals in ‘vegetative state,'” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops news release, 9/14/07
hero
AUSTRALIA: A doctor chose life for her preborn child, rejecting the treatment that could have arrested her cancer but killed her baby. Dr. Ellice Hammond died just weeks after the birth of her daughter Mia.
Reading: “Doctor dies to save her unborn daughter,” Australian Associated Press, 9/14/07
in vitro fertilization
TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE: An Australian woman is suing an IVF clinic for $332,000–the estimated cost of raising a second child. Prior to in vitro treatment, she said she wanted one child. She had two. Now she wants the doctor to pay.
Reading: “Mom sues after IVF brings 2 babies instead of 1,” Associated Press, 9/18/07
organ donation
INCONVENIENT TRUTH: A new report raises fresh questions about ethics in the organ transplant business.
Reading: “The inconvenient truth about organ donation,” Life Site News, 9/19/07 / “Organ donation: The inconvenient truth,” Catholic Insight, 9/07
planned parenthood
KING OF LIES: Columnist Jane Jimenez looks at some of the techniques Planned Parenthood uses to indoctrinate children into its culture of sex.
CAUTION: Column contains R-rated material; but it’s information parents need to know.
Reading: “King of lies,” One News Now, 9/18/07
PERFECTLY NORMAL: A woman has checked copies of “It’s Perfectly Normal” out of two public libraries–and she won’t give them back. The sex education book aimed at young children is often promoted by Planned Parenthood. JoAnn Karkos wrote checks to the libraries covering the cost of the books, which she described as pornographic. But the library director says he really wants the books back.
Reading: “Woman keeps sex-ed books,” Lewiston Sun-Journal, 9/18/07
reminders
40 DAYS FOR LIFE: The campaign begins on Wednesday. Grassroots pro-lifers in more than 80 communities will participate in the first-ever national 40 Days for Life. The project is based on an event that began in Bryan/College Station, Texas in 2004 and has spread to a half dozen other communities in the three years since. It combines prayer and fasting, a round-the-clock vigil outside an abortion facility and community outreach.
LIFE CHAIN: Mark your calendars now and check online for a Life Chain in your area. The annual event is scheduled for October 7.
SAVING THOSE DAMNED CATHOLICS: Of Judie Brown’s latest book, 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.
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.
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.
reflection for prayer
EPHESIANS 4:1-4: Live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit.