in this issue:
abortion: MISOPROSTOL / OHIO / PARENTAL NOTICE
activism: LIFE CHAIN SUNDAY
bush watch: AMAZING HEADLINE
cloning humans: JUST SAY NO
culture of death: JOHNS HOPKINS
euthanasia: WARNING / WITHDRAWING LIFE SUPPORT
morning-after abortion pills: OVER THE COUNTER
organ donation: DONATION BEFORE DEATH
planned parenthood: PRO-LIFE CONTRACTORS
quotable: CARDINAL ALOYSIUS AMBROZIC
reproductive health: IRAQ
vatican: NEW AGE RELIGION
zinger: WHAT?
reflection for prayer: THOMAS A KEMPIS
abortion
MISOPROSTOL: Researchers find that the use of repeated doses of sublingual (under the tongue) misoprostol can induce complete abortion in up to 87% of patients with pregnancies of less than 12 weeks. They claim it is more convenient than vaginal misoprostol and an alternative to mifepristone in terminating early pregnancy.
(Reading: “Pilot study on the use of sublingual misoprostol in termination of pregnancy up to 7 weeks gestation,” Contraception, 68 (2003) 97-99)
OHIO: The state pharmacy board is investigating the Akron Center for Choice. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a state notice sent to the center alleges that “on several dates last year, drugs were given to patients by unlicensed people.” The clinic cannot buy or store drugs until it gets state approval, but “can remain open because a doctor can bring in drugs for procedures,” according to a pharmacy board spokesman.
(Reading: “Abortion center drug sales investigated,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/20/03)
PARENTAL NOTICE: In the wake of Holly Patterson’s death, California pro-life leaders are sponsoring a statewide effort to pass parental notice legislation.
(Reading: “Teen dies after taking abortion pill,” Associated Press, 9/22/03)
activism
LIFE CHAIN SUNDAY: October 5, 2003. See National Life Chain.
bush watch
AMAZING HEADLINE: The following headline appears on a Department of Health and Human Services news release issued Sept. 15: “HHS approves Massachusetts plan to expand prenatal care to pregnant women and unborn children.”
COMMENT: Not often that we see “unborn children” noted favorably, if at all.
cloning humans
JUST SAY NO: The Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal recently published an article arguing that medicine should reject all forms of human cloning, both reproductive cloning as well as cloning for research. The article perpetuates the myth that there is a difference between therapeutic and reproductive cloning, rather than pointing out the actual variety of unethical ways in which cloning humans can be accomplished.
COMMENT: All human cloning is wrong. Further, the article does not properly define human cloning. According to C. Ward Kischer, Ph.D., chairman of ALL’s American Bioethics Advisory Commission, the precise definition is, “Any procedure designed to produce a human embryo through asexual reproduction with the intent of establishing nuclear genetic equivalency between host and donor, including, but not limited to: somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), germ cell nuclear transfer (GCNT), blastomere isolation, embryo splitting and pronuclei transfer.”
(Reading: “Stem cell research: why medicine should reject human cloning,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 8/03, pp. 1010-1018)
culture of death
JOHNS HOPKINS: Seniors who are subscribing to Johns Hopkins’ “Health After Fifty” newsletter should be aware that the university is also involved in population elimination programs and birth control programs for teens.
(Reading: “The INFO Project at Johns Hopkins University launches new family planning / reproductive health web site,” Johns Hopkins news release, 6/30/03)
euthanasia
WARNING: The revamped Hemlock Society is proposing new state legislation entitled “Patients’ Control and Comfort Act.” The real intent, reports the International Anti Euthanasia Task Force, is to decriminalize physician-assisted suicide.
(Reading: “Hemlock is as Hemlock does,” International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Update, 6/4/03)
WITHDRAWING LIFE SUPPORT: Anticipating death is, according to researchers, a subjective prediction made by physicians. Having studied 851 patients who were in ICU and on a ventilator, the report admits that no study was done to “validate physicians’ predictions of patients’ future functional status and cognitive function.” Researchers did not ask doctors to “justify their predictions of the likelihood of death or future function.”
(Reading: “Withdrawal of mechanical ventilation in anticipation of death in the intensive care unit,” New England Journal of Medicine, 9/18/03, pp. 1123-1132)
morning-after abortion pill
OVER THE COUNTER: “Emergency contraceptive pills are now available on a nonprescription basis in over 25 countries worldwide,” reports a new study. Women from four countries were interviewed regarding their “comfort with pharmacy delivery of ECs.”
(Reading: “Bringing emergency contraception over the counter: experiences of nonprescription users in France, Norway, Sweden and Portugal,” Contraception, 68 (2003) 117-124)
organ donation
DONATION BEFORE DEATH: Doctors propose that “individuals who desire to donate their organs and who are either neurologically devastated or imminently dying should be allowed to donate their organs, without first being declared dead.”
(Reading: Truog and Robinson, “Role of brain death and the dead-donor rule in the ethics of organ transplantation,” Critical Care Medicine, 9/03)
planned parenthood
PRO-LIFE CONTRACTORS: Faced with news that Planned Parenthood wants to build a new abortion mill in Austin, Texas, concrete contractor Chris Danze said, “We’re going to do everything we can to stop it, slow it down and make it more expensive.” Danze heads the Austin Area Pro-Life Concrete Contractors and Suppliers Association. He says there isn’t a concrete supplier within 60 miles of Austin interested in supplying labor or materials for the project.
(Reading: “Builders boycott to prevent abortion facility construction,” Associated Press, 9/22/03)
quotable
CARDINAL ALOYSIUS AMBROZIC: In his homily in Toronto at the Red Mass for Catholic lawyers, judges and legislators, the cardinal said as a Catholic in public life, “you risk your neck for a (moral) absolute. There are things greater than ourselves for which we must be ready to die. If nothing is worth dying for, then I am not truly free.”
(Reading: “Toronto cardinal warns religion ‘will soon need to be protected from the state,'” LifeSite News, 9/23/03)
reproductive health
IRAQ: A recent editorial claims that peace can only be achieved when family planning and reproductive health services are provided. “Reproductive health care is a core component of basic public health. It is as fundamental a responsibility as providing safe drinking water, functioning hospitals and adequate food supplies.”
(Reading: “Reproductive health care: an essential foundation for prosperity and peace,” Contraception, 68 (2003) 73)
vatican
NEW AGE RELIGION: The Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue have exposed the philosophical underpinnings o the “New Age” movement in a riveting paper that is most helpful to pro-lifers who are striving to counter the culture of death. This paper discusses the broad and dangerous problems with promoting the idea that man is his own “god.” The document states “…it is significant that New Age has enjoyed enormous success in an era which can be characterized by the almost universal exaltation of diversity. Western culture has taken a step beyond tolerance — in the sense of grudging acceptance or putting up with the idiosyncrasies of a person or a minority group — to a conscious erosion of respect for normality. Normality is presented as a morally loaded concept, linked necessarily with absolute norms. For a growing number of people, absolute beliefs or norms indicate nothing but an inability to tolerate other people’s views and convictions. In this atmosphere alternative life-styles and theories have really taken off: it is not only acceptable but positively good to be diverse.”
(Reading: “Jesus Christ: The Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian reflection on the ‘New Age,'” Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, 3/2/03)
zinger
WHAT? Princeton professor Lee Silver, commenting on “making sperm” from stem cells, said “Basically, you could have human sexual reproduction without people.”
(Reading: “Sperm made from stem cells,” Washington Post, 9/16/03)
reflection for prayer
THOMAS A KEMPIS: The love of Jesus is noble and generous; it spurs us on to do great things and excites us to desire always that which is most perfect.
(Reading: Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 5, Section 3)