in this issue:
abortion: NONE DARE RISK MURDER / RISKS / SOCIOECONOMIC COSTS
activism: DAY OF REMEMBRANCE / SAMUEL ADAMS BEER
birth control: EPICC / TITLE X
culture of death: SATAN WORSHIP
euthanasia: HEMLOCK / NOT DEAD YET / OREGON V. ATTORNEY GENERAL / SANCTITY OF LIFE DECRIED
pharmacies: NEW BATTLEGROUND
planned parenthood: KOMEN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION
politics: PIED PIPERS OF PARTY PUPPETRY
zinger: ALL ABOUT ME
reflection for prayer: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6
abortion
NONE DARE RISK MURDER: The 1974 Vatican Declaration on Abortion states, “it is objectively a grave sin to dare to risk murder.” This theme is analyzed by EWTN moral theologian Colin Donovan in “Abortion – None Dare Risk Murder.”
RISKS: A study in the July issue of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry reveals that there are significant risks associated with the aftermath of abortion. Researchers studied 173,000 Medi-Cal records for low-income women. They found that women were 63 percent more likely to receive mental health care within 90 days of an abortion compared with delivery of a child. The same study reveals that women who have had abortions are at a significantly higher risk of near and long-term death.
(Reading: “Women need more mental health treatment after abortion, new study finds,” Elliot Institute news release, 8/20/02; “New study shows women’s death rate following abortion much higher than previously known,” Elliot Institute news release, 8/13/02; “Deaths associated with pregnancy outcome: A record linkage study of low-income women,” Southern Medical Journal, 8/02, pp. 834-841)
SOCIOECONOMIC COSTS: John D. Mueller wrote an incisive analysis of how Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton have negatively affected our nation.
(Reading: “The socioeconomic costs of Roe v. Wade: How America would be stronger had abortion remained illegal,” Family Policy (a Family Research Council publication) 3-4/00)
activism
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: Christian ProLife is calling on all pro-lifers to commemorate a “National Day of Remembrance for the Forgotten Victims of 9-11” in memory of those babies killed by Planned Parenthood and allies. Planned Parenthood offered free abortions between September 18-29 and those babies deserve our remembrance. For more information contact .
SAMUEL ADAMS BEER: American Life League registered its disgust with Boston Beer Co. and is encouraging a boycott. The brewers of Samuel Adams beer sponsored a contest on Infinity Broadcasting radio stations in which contestants were awarded prizes for committing lewd acts in public. Company co-founder Jim Koch was on the air with shock jocks Opie and Anthony when an account was broadcast of a Virginia couple allegedly engaging in sexual activity inside of New York’s St. Patrick Cathedral. Opie and Anthony were fired; a number of Boston pubs stopped selling Samuel Adams beer in protest.
COMMENT: American Life League calls for Koch’s resignation. We also note the lack of media outrage over this blasphemous stunt, and wonder what the reaction would have been had this scandalous act taken place in a synagogue or mosque.
(Reading: “Barkeeps boycott Boston Beer Co.,” Business Today, 8/28/02; “Brewmeister’s apology falls flat; ALL toasts Sam Adams boycott,” American Life League news release, 9/4/02)
birth control
EPICC: The current legislation proposed in Congress, the Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act (S. 104), is the subject of Christus Medicus efforts. The group’s EPICC web page features an excellent analysis and sample letters.
TITLE X: Congressman Todd Akin (R-Miss.) plans to introduce language that will require providers to seek parental consent prior to the dispensing of birth control chemicals and devices to minors. For details see “Akin Title X parental notification requirement for distribution of contraceptives to minors.”
culture of death
SATAN WORSHIP: The Kentucky corrections department has suspended formal satanic worship services until a new policy on the question is in place.
(Reading: “Prisons suspend satanic services,” Associated Press, 9/1/02)
euthanasia
HEMLOCK: The current issue of EOL Choices, the publication of the Hemlock Society, addresses assisted dying and the disabled, with special focus on Elizabeth Bouvia. In addition, the publication lists speakers for the Hemlock 2003 conference, including Hemlock Society founder Derek Humphry and Phillip Nitschke, the Australian promoting suicide bags.
(Reading: “I’m not dead yet,” “Assisted dying is a personal choice” and “Assisted dying and the disabled: does choice = push?” EOL Choices, Vol. 1, No. 3; Hemlock Society)
NOT DEAD YET: Disability rights activist Steve Drake comments on the Carol Carr case, among other things, in a recent interview. Carr is the Illinois woman who shot her two sons, each of whom suffered from Huntington’s Disease.
(Reading: “No mercy,” Chicago Reader, 8/2/02)
OREGON V. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The National Law Journal featured an analysis of the current battle over the Oregon assisted-suicide law. Professor Douglas Kmiec said, “There is a good body of authority on assisted suicide, including most professional societies, taking the position it is problematic and should be avoided. All of that is, I think, enough for the attorney general to point to and say, ‘It’s my reasonable judgment, as it is the AMA’s, that assisted suicide is not a legitimate medical purpose and, at least in terms of the authority given me in this statute, I’m not going to license it.'”
(Reading: “Feds use of a drug law is a key issue,” National Law Journal, 8/26/02)
SANCTITY OF LIFE DECRIED: Pro-death apologist Helga Kuhse responds to Ronald M. Perkin and David B. Resnik, also published in Journal of Medical Ethics, “What Perkin and Resnik are in effect saying is that there are times when physicians have good reasons to end a patient’s life — deliberately and intentionally — for the patient’s (and the family’s) sake. Why not say so — instead of going through the agony of trying to match sanctity of life and patient-centered medical care?”
(Reading: “Response to Ronald M. Perkin and David B. Resnik,” Journal of Medical Ethics, 8/1/02, pp. 270-272; also see full list of articles on topic from Journal of Medical Ethics)
pharmacies
NEW BATTLEGROUND: Pro-life leaders continue to insist that pharmacists should be protection by law from being required to dispense chemicals that are known to be killers of human beings. The ACLU has prepared a report, “Religious Refusals and Reproductive Rights,” that obfuscates all clinical and scientific evidence in favor of once again claiming that those who do not wish to fill prescriptions for chemicals like the pill that can kill the preborn are imposing their religion on others. The report is available online.
planned parenthood
KOMEN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION: First reported by the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, the link between the Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood most recently caused Douglas Scott of Life Decisions International to call on the foundation to end their ties with Planned Parenthood.
(Reading: “Life Decisions International scores Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation,” Republican National Coalition for Life FaxNotes, 8/23/02)
politics
PIED PIPERS OF PARTY PUPPETRY: Columnist Chuck Baldwin warns that the American people must start thinking for themselves. He comments that to continue the status quo means “there is little hope for America’s future. In the end, what difference does it make if it is a Republican or a Democrat that leads us into oppression and servitude? Our freedoms will be just as lost.”
(Reading: “Americans must start thinking outside the box,” Covenant News, 8/13/02)
zinger
ALL ABOUT ME: The history channel surveyed 1,000 Britons, nearly 25% of whom thought that the most significant date in history was the date Princess Diana died, while 8% thought the end of World War II was the most significant. About 25% said they would rather have an exotic holiday than a historical memento to pass down to future generations.
(Reading: “Diana’s death ‘more significant than end of World War II,'” Ananova, 8/23/02)
reflection for prayer
2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6: Since we have by an act of mercy been entrusted with this work of administration, there is no weakening on our part. On the contrary, we will have none of the reticence of those who are ashamed, no deceitfulness or watering down the word of God; but the way we commend ourselves to every human being with a conscience is by stating the truth openly in the sight of God. If our gospel does not penetrate the veil, then the veil is on those who are not on the way to salvation; the unbelievers whose minds the god of this world has blinded, to stop them seeing the light shed by the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For it is not ourselves that we are preaching, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. It is the same God that said, “Let there be light shining out of darkness,” who has shone in our minds to radiate the light of the knowledge of God’s glory, the glory on the face of Christ.”