Sunday, August 31, 2008
Affirming the Gospel of Life - I
Ultrasound imagePrenatal diagnosis, which presents no moral objections if carried out in order to identify the medical treatment which may be needed by the child in the womb, all too often becomes an opportunity for proposing and procuring an abortion. This is eugenic abortion, justified in public opinion on the basis of a mentality-mistakenly held to be consistent with the demands of "therapeutic interventions"-which accepts life only under certain conditions and rejects it when it is affected by any limitation, handicap or illness.
Following this same logic, the point has been reached where the most basic care, even nourishment, is denied to babies born with serious handicaps or illnesses. The contemporary scene, moreover, is becoming even more alarming by reason of the proposals, advanced here and there, to justify even infanticide, following the same arguments used to justify the right to abortion. In this way, we revert to a state of barbarism which one hoped had been left behind forever.
...
Humanity today offers us a truly alarming spectacle, if we consider not only how extensively attacks on life are spreading but also their unheard-of numerical proportion, and the fact that they receive widespread and powerful support from a broad consensus on the part of society, from widespread legal approval and the involvement of certain sectors of health-care personnel.
As I emphatically stated at Denver, on the occasion of the Eighth World Youth Day, "with time the threats against life have not grown weaker. They are taking on vast proportions. They are not only threats coming from the outside, from the forces of nature or the 'Cains' who kill the 'Abels'; no, they are scientifically and systematically programmed threats. The twentieth century will have been an era of massive attacks on life, an endless series of wars and a continual taking of innocent human life. False prophets and false teachers have had the greatest success".
Aside from intentions, which can be varied and perhaps can seem convincing at times, especially if presented in the name of solidarity, we are in fact faced by an objective "conspiracy against life", involving even international Institutions, engaged in encouraging and carrying out actual campaigns to make contraception, sterilization and abortion widely available. Nor can it be denied that the mass media are often implicated in this conspiracy, by lending credit to that culture which presents recourse to contraception, sterilization, abortion and even euthanasia as a mark of progress and a victory of freedom, while depicting as enemies of freedom and progress those positions which are unreservedly pro-life.
John Paul II
Evangelium Vitae
Evangelium Vitae
The absolutely unjustifiable "termination of pregnancy" which costs the lives, as it always has, of numerous innocent children, remains a painful concern for the Holy See and for the entire Church. Perhaps the current debate of political leaders on the interruption of pregnancy in its late stages will strengthen the awareness that the diagnosis of disability in the unborn child cannot be a reason for abortion, because life with such a disability is also desired and appreciated by God, and here on earth no one can ever be sure that he or she will live without physical or spiritual limitations.
Benedict XVI
Address to the new Ambassador of Germany
September 28, 2006
[FROM RORATE CAELI]
Address to the new Ambassador of Germany
September 28, 2006
Saturday, August 30, 2008
FROM CALIFORNIA CATHOLIC DAILY:
“Setting the record straight”
Yes on 4 Campaign clears up falsehoods spread by opponents
Press release from the Yes on 4 Campaign
News from the Trenches
The Yes on 4 Campaign is setting the record straight because the opposition has repeatedly misled the public with false and misleading information.
CLAIM: Parental notification laws will harm minors. Scared teens will turn to back-alley abortions or commit suicide.
FACT: There is absolutely no research or even a single documented case to back up the claim that notification laws endanger minors.CLAIM: The teen birth rate will rise as girls are forced into unwanted motherhood.
FACT: Again, there is no data to back up this claim and in fact, the opposite is true. Parental involvement laws have been associated with reduced teen birthrates, pregnancy rates, and rates of sexually transmitted disease.
CLAIM: California's teen pregnancy rate is already dropping.
FACT: The State of California does not collect data on the number of abortions, a number that is necessary in order to accurately determine the teen pregnancy rate. But even Planned Parenthood's own research arm estimates that California has the seventh highest teen pregnancy rate in the country.
CLAIM: Most girls already tell their parents about their decision before having an abortion.
FACT: Only one of the studies used to support this claim actually deals with the question of minor girls talking to their parents before an abortion. That study found that most girls do not tell a parent about the decision to have an abortion. The study found that only 45% of minors in the study told a parent about their abortion. Only 55% of those under age 14 told a parent.
CLAIM: Almost all of those teens who don't tell a parent do consult with another trusted adult, such as a teacher, counselor, nurse, or clergy member.
FACT: Broken down, the opponent's claims are greatly inflated. Only 47% of minors under the age of 16 and 52% over 16, who did not tell their parents, reported involving another adult. Only 22% of these minors reported that the "other adult" was a teacher, nurse, etc. Thirteen percent of the minors reported that an adult (over age 21) boyfriend was the "other adult" consulted.
CLAIM: The girls who don't tell a parent fear being physically abused or thrown out of their home.
FACT: The study that opponents use to support their claim actually found that the most common reason, by far, for minors not telling their parent(s) was because they "didn't want to hurt or disappoint parent."
(The Yes on 4 Campaign is a coalition of doctors, nurses, and educators working to pass Proposition 4/Sarah's Law because they care about the physical and emotional health of vulnerable young girls, who shouldn't have to make such an adult decision alone. To join the coalition, visit www.Yeson4.net.)
Friday, August 29, 2008
ALL Pro-Life Today: Florida Mother Fights to Keep Daughter's Feeding Tube in Place
Pro-Life Today | 29 August 2008
Your National Daily News Wrap from American Life League! American Life League is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death. For more information or media inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at kwalker@all.org.
HEADLINES
Philippines Court Rejects Claims of New York Based Pro-Abortion Group
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08082811.html
Life Site News
The Philippine Court of Appeals recently rejected claims made by a radical pro-abortion group based in New York. The court dismissed an effort seeking to overturn an executive order promoting natural family planning. The petition was filed earlier this year by a group of Manila residents who relied heavily on legal advice and material from the international pro-abortion litigation group, the Center for Reproductive Rights. Executive Order No. 003 was instituted in February 2000 by then-mayor of Manila, Jose Atienza. The executive order "upholds natural family planning not just as a method but as a way of self-awareness in promoting the culture of life while discouraging the use of artificial methods of contraception."
Mexican Supreme Court upholds legalized abortion law
http://www.latimes.com:80/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-mexabortion29-2008aug29,0,5105041.story
LA Times
In a lopsided ruling, Mexico's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a year-old law in Mexico City legalizing abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The court rejected arguments by abortion opponents that the law violated the Mexican Constitution, whose protections they said covered embryos. A majority of justices said overturning the law would block the right of women to end pregnancies in the early weeks.
Florida Mother Fights to Keep Daughter's Feeding Tube in Place
http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000008067.cfm
Citizen Link
In a case similar to the Terri Schiavo story, a brain-injured Florida woman has been placed in temporary custody of her husband who wants to remove her feeding tube. Karen Weber, 57, was hospitalized on a feeding tube after suffering a stroke in December. Weber's mother is fighting to keep her alive and says she doesn't want to die. Her husband, Raymond, sought to have the feeding tube removed earlier this year and claims his wife would not want to lives this way. Another guardianship hearing is scheduled next week.
PRO-LIFE MEMORIAL DAY: OCTOBER 6, 2008
49,640,766 preborn children have been murdered by abortion since Roe v. Wade. Join us in remembering these lost children by holding a vigil and spread the word in your community.
Visit www.prolifememorialday.com to find out what you can do.
FEATURE STORY
STEM CELL RESEARCH: MORE INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS
By Judie Brown
I was totally impressed by a few news reports that crossed my "e-mail desk" this week. I guess that's how you have to view e-mail these days – few write you a real letter anymore, and everyone who does send e-mail wants a response immediately. Well, in my case, they have to wait because this granny is going to take her time. But when so much good news is sent my way, I just have to share it.
You may remember that in February, a group of scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles did a surprising thing:
Led by scientists Kathrin Plath and William Lowry, UCLA researchers used genetic alteration to turn back the clock on human skin cells and create cells that are nearly identical to human embryonic stem cells, which have the ability to become every cell type found in the human body. Four regulator genes were used to create the cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells… The UCLA study confirms the work first reported in late November of researcher Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University and James Thompson [sic] at the University of Wisconsin.
In June, Professor Dianne Irving raised a red flag regarding the Yamanaka and Thomson studies, and her concerns are based on the absence of all the facts needed to make a proper judgment with regard to ethics:
Considering the enormous stakes involved, it would seem that it is incumbent upon scientists involved in especially ethically sensitive research to be as open and detailed in their publications as possible. The trend, however, seems to be to camouflage and dilute the scientific details as much as possible -- not only in order to evade professionally appropriate questions from their scientific peers, but also to evade the very questions that society and ethics have traditionally required of all scientists. Rather than use and report the accurate scientific facts, it would seem that scientists prefer to secure their successes by using false and misleading manufactured "scientific" terms, verbal hype, and empty promises. Even the most basic requirements of research ethics appear to have been abandoned, including the required use of the most accurate and reliable scientific facts, as well as the "denial" of the age-old dictum that it is simply wrong to purposefully kill innocent human beings - regardless of their stage of development, ethnicity, culture, degree of illness, etc., and regardless of whether or not their destruction could be of benefit to other human beings. Needless to say, even the most desperate of sick patients should not be exposed to "therapeutic" research or clinical trials when such participation unwittingly puts them into serious danger of harm and even death. One even wonders how such patients could give legally valid "informed consent".
We would all obviously welcome a viable scientific and ethical resolution to the divisive politics of human embryo and fetal research that has consumed us for so many years. These iPS studies, however, do not appear to be that solution.
Indeed, this statement by William Lowry, one of the UCLA study's lead scientists, clearly illustrates the need for caution about the ethics involved in this research: "It is important to remember that our research does not eliminate the need for embryo-based human embryonic stem cell research, but rather provides another avenue of worthwhile investigation."
Because of Dr. Irving's concerns about similar research and statements such as this, I always approach supposedly good news these days with hesitancy, but it does appear, at least, that in the next two cases I am sharing with you today, the good news is that new findings are based on ethical approaches to treating disease.
The first of these studies touts the use of stem cells from a baby's amniotic fluid and placenta to literally create liver, pancreatic, nerve and kidney tissue. The stem cells used are readily available at birth.
The lead researcher in this study, Dr. Anthony Atala, once told an interviewer regarding amniotic fluid stem cells, "Actually, the fluid is chockfull of cells, because the embryo is constantly shedding cells. But we were looking for a stem cell population, a cell that we could derive to become other things that would be nimble. And that particular cell makes up about 1 percent of the cells in the fluid and the placenta."
Because the stem cells found in the placenta and the amniotic fluid are so "nimble," Dr. Atala says that the cells are easily driven to become different tissues. He may have come upon a real solution to the ethical quagmire created by scientists (such as those described by Dr. Irving) who are less than fully forthcoming about their studies.
The next bit of good news I discovered is that some scientists who were formerly wedded to the idea of using human embryonic stem cells for their research are changing their minds and moving on to more ethical approaches. For example, Harvard Stem Cell Institute's George Daley, who once warned that reprogramming stem cells was "extremely high-risk" is now saying that he and his fellow researchers have used reprogrammed stem cells to produce cell lines for 10 diseases, including muscular dystrophy, juvenile diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
While keeping in mind the same concerns Dr. Irving has raised about previous studies involving reprogrammed cells, we can always hope that, this time, the scientists have paid attention to the ethics behind the headlines. Only time will tell.
But the encouraging news is that some are aware of the despicable nature of research that kills one set of human beings to possibly benefit another, and they are at least searching for different ways to get to the same end. Let us pray that their work continues to progress, that one day soon scientists are focused on the full truth of their work and that we stop talking about ways to bend the truth.
Judie Brown is president of American Life League and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
____________________________
Katie Walker
Director of Communication
American Life League
1179 Courthouse Road
Stafford, Virginia 22554
540.659.4942
kwalker@all.org
http://www.all.org/
Catholic Deacons Multiply
Tribulation Times
BULLETIN: Pro-life, Pro-family Leaders Praise McCain's Choice of Pro-Life Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for VP Running Mate
Prayer request? Send an email to: PrayerRequest3@aol.com
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/august.asp?version=31
August 29, 2008BULLETIN: Pro-life, Pro-family Leaders Praise McCain's Choice of Pro-Life Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for VP Running Mate
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Mat 9:37-38) Then he saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest.
HEADLINES
National shortage of Catholic priests forcing many to work past retirement age
Wanted: More Catholic priests
While priesthood shrinks, Catholic deacons multiply
Priests named to oversee parish mergers
IN THE NEWS: Married, ex-Baptist minister to become Catholic priest
David Harris never considered his conversion to Catholicism six years ago to be a rejection of the Baptist faith that nourished him from childhood in Eastern Kentucky.
But as a married man, Harris did think the switch meant he would leave one thing behind -- his status as an ordained minister.
He was wrong.
Early next month, he'll make history as the first married, former Baptist minister to become a Roman Catholic priest in the United States.
He'll also be only the second married man from any former denomination to become a priest in the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Harris, 53, is scheduled to be ordained Sept. 6 at the Cathedral of the Assumption.
He is the only priest being ordained in the archdiocese this year.
His ordination is allowed under a seldom-used exception to the church's requirement that priests be celibate.
Exception to the rule
The exception, which requires case-by-case permission from the Vatican, allows ordination of married converts who had been ordained Protestant ministers.
While about 100 former ministers from Episcopal and other American Protestant denominations have taken that path, Harris is the first former Baptist known to do so, according to researchers and others familiar with the process.
"All I could do is say, 'Church, would you consider this?' " said Harris, now a deacon at St Aloysius Church in Pewee Valley, where he will become associate pastor upon his ordination. "If the church had said no, I would have gone on and enjoyed my faith and done something else."
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, who supported Harris' application to the Vatican, said he's looking forward to the ordination.
"I think the world of him," he said.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"
29. When we see anger and pride in those who seem to be mourning in a way pleasing to God, then their tears are to be regarded as repugnant to God. For what communion hath light with darkness? (cf. 2 Cor 6:14).Prayer request? Send an email to: PrayerRequest3@aol.com
This month's archive can be found at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/news2.html.
NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE COMMITTEE LAWYER WORKS AGAINST PROTECTION FOR THE PREBORN
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
29 August 2008
CONTACT: Katie Walker
540.659.4942| kwalker@all.org
NRTLC LAWYER WORKS AGAINST PROTECTION FOR THE PREBORN
Washington, DC (29 August 2008) – American Life League Vice President Jim Sedlak denounced comments made by National Right to Life Committee lawyer James Bopp. Bopp's comments opposed an amendment to the Republican Party platform that would protect preborn persons against the threat of embryonic experimentation.
"It is incredible that Mr. Bopp, while clearly identifying himself as speaking for the National Right to Life Committee, would state that embryonic experimentation is acceptable," said Sedlak.
Bopp spoke against a platform amendment to work toward a ban on embryonic stem cell research and cloning Aug. 27. He told the committee:
"It may very well be in our future that there is therapeutic research that can be done on human embryos, and there is nothing unethical immoral, improper or ... that disregards the sanctity of life if we are involved in therapeutic research."
Sedlak remarked, "Mr. Bopp clearly said he opposed creating human embryos for experimentation, but said it could be OK to experiment on human embryos that already existed. The thought that any representative of a national pro-life group would endorse experimentation on the tiniest humans is outrageous."
In the past Bopp has opposed measures against embryonic stem cell research for purely political reasons. He also consistently opposes proposed state constitutional amendments that would protect innocent preborn children as persons.
"Bopp panders for the sake of politics rather than principle. Thank God the platform defenders remained strong and did not listen to his flawed thinking." Sedlak said. "American Life League calls on the leadership of the National Right to Life Committee to disavow Mr. Bopp's comments and to make it absolutely clear that NRLC is totally opposed to embryonic experimentation, just like every other major pro-life organization in the country."
American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death. For more information or media inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
National Review Online: (28 August 2008)
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzVkNTMyNjRjMjI4NTNmYzYxYzI0NDgyMmM3ZWFhOWQ=
JillStanek.com: Bopp Promotes "Therapeutic" Embryo Research (28 August 2008)
http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/08/bopp_promotes_t.html
# # #
_______________________________
Katie Walker
Director of Communication
American Life League
1179 Courthouse Road
Stafford, Virginia 22554
540.659.4942
kwalker@all.org
http://www.all.org/
Over 2,800 Rosary Rally Captains Get Ready
ROSSVILLE, Kans., Aug. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Thousands of Catholic volunteers are preparing to pray the Public Square Rosary to save America from the sins of abortion and same-sex "marriage."
America Needs Fatima coordinated 2,129 Rosary Rallies last year.
This year, the goal is 3,000 Public Square Rosary Rallies nationwide and the target date is Saturday, October 11, at noon, local time.
At the group's campaign headquarters in Rossville, Kansas, coordinator Francis Slobodnik announced that they had crossed the threshold of 2,800 Rosary Rally Captains.
"Over 2,800 people agreed to organize these rallies in every state. People are really excited and momentum is picking up fast," noted Mr. Slobodnik. "Participants will proclaim their faith publicly, pray for America, and send a clear message to secularists who want to ban God from the public square."
"The office is buzzing with activity. Rosary volunteers and staff are busy contacting new rosary captains, answering questions and sending out supplies. Our biggest challenge is not recruiting rally captains, but rather finding the time to speak with all the people who call in and express interest," Mr. Slobodnik said.
"More and more people are looking to the Fatima message because it offers a sure remedy to the moral crisis in society." Mr. Slobodnik continued. "In other words, prayer, penance and conversion are the answer to our nation's pressing problems."
America Needs Fatima also distributed one hundred thousand copies of the book "Sermons of Hope for Times of Natural Disasters" by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri free of charge to Catholics and non-Catholics. To join the Rosary Rallies or to receive a free copy, call toll-free: 1-866-584-6012.
For interviews:
contact: Francis Slobodnik
Phone: 866-584-6012
E-mail: FJSlo@aol.com
Web site: www.anf.org
Abortion and the 2008 Elections
| MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, commented today on the dynamics of the abortion issue in the Presidential race. |
Pro-Life Champion Solidifies GOP Ticket
| SBA List President Statement on Sen. John McCain's Vice Presidential Selection WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, in response to the announcement that Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, the President of the Susan B. Anthony List offered the following statement: |
Thank You God!
Lets pause & pray in thanksgiving to Almighty God for Alaska governor Sarah Palin, chosen to be the next V. P. It's all in His Hands!
FROM LIFENEWS.COM
John McCain Selects Pro-Life Champion Sarah Palin for Vice Presidential Slot
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 29, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a decision that's sure to unite the pro-life advocates behind his campaign, presidential candidate John McCain selected pro-life champion Sarah Palin as his pick for vice president. Palin, the 44-year-old governor of Alaska, takes a strong pro-life position on both abortion and bioethics issues.
Palin is the youngest and first female governor in the state of Alaska and she brings the same kind of reform-minded attitude to the governor's office that McCain has brought to the U.S. Senate.
She won election to the gubernatorial seat in 2006 by defeating the incumbent governor and then defeating a former Democratic governor in the general election.
Palin is a Christian who was the head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at her high school.
She is strongly pro-life and was a member of Feminists for Life of America, a leading pro-woman, pro-life organization that has championed reducing abortions by helping pregnant and parenting students with financial and other resources.
As LifeNews.com reported in April, Palin put those pro-life views into practice.
As many as 80 percent of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome become victims of abortion, but Palin didn't let her child become a statistic. Palin, who has deeply-felt pro-life views, gave birth to her fifth child and the baby was diagnosed with the condition.
Palin confirmed her baby, named Trig Paxson, has Down syndrome.
"Trig is beautiful and already adored by us," Palin told LifeNews.com at the time.
"We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives," she said.
'We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed," the governor added.
Trig was born one month before his due date, and he weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces.
Pro-life advocates heaped praise on Palin about the news and said she and her family made a courageous decision to keep the baby.
“I can't help but remember Governor Palin’s campaign slogan ‘Take a Stand,'" Debbie Joslin, the president of Eagle Forum Alaska told LifeNews.com.
"Her choice to value life in a very personal way speaks volumes and gives those of us in the pro-life community in Alaska cause to believe that we truly do have a pro-life leader in charge of our state," she said.
"When so many in our culture have chosen to devalue the lives of those who face special learning disabilities, Governor Palin shines as a great positive role model," Joslin added.
The Palins have four other children including Track, 18, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13 and Piper, 7.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
FROM LIFESITENEWS.COM:
Exclusive: Prominent Rabbi Says Lieberman was Excommunicated and it is Still in Effect
Refers to Lieberman’s "long and sad record of embracing partial birth abortion and the homosexual agenda"
By John-Henry Westen
NEW YORK, August 28, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Eight years ago when Al Gore selected then-Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman as his Vice Presidential running mate, an Orthodox Jewish Rabbinical court formally excommunicated Lieberman over his stands on partial birth abortion and homosexuality. The excommunication is said to stand to this day.Rabbi Yehuda Levin spokesman for the Rabbinical Alliance of America and the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada, organizations representing over 1000 Orthodox Rabbis, told LifeSiteNews.com today that the excommunication is still in effect as Lieberman is in the final running as a potential VP pick for Senator McCain.
In October 2000, the New York Torah Court stated that Lieberman caused "grave scandal" for the Jewish religion "by the fact that, while claiming to be an observant Jew, [he] has been misrepresenting and falsifying to the American people the teachings of the Torah against partial birth infanticide, against special privileges and preferential treatment for flaunting homosexuals, and against religious intermarriage of Jews."
Rabbi Joseph Friedman, a spokesman and participant in the rabbinical court, said in a statement that Lieberman "violated our sacred Torah by his Senate votes upholding partial birth infanticide and legitimizing homosexuality, which abnormal and unhealthy behavior the Torah strongly condemns as sinful and immoral."
Rabbi Levin recalled his own participation in that process. “We excommunicated him to show that serious Orthodox Jews consider what Lieberman was doing a betrayal of the most basic values of our holy Torah. That excommunication, even though not widely acknowledged, is still one hundred percent spiritually valid.”He explained to LifeSiteNews.com, “serious religious Jews who understand that the most important issues facing our country are the moral issues and know Senator Lieberman’s long and sad record of embracing partial birth abortion and the homosexual agenda realize that he’s the wrong choice for Vice President or for any high position in a McCain Administration.”
Rabbi Levin expressed concern that Christian pro-family leaders in America may be tempted to soft-pedal criticism of Lieberman due to his Jewish faith. “We call upon Christian pro-family leaders such as Gary Bauer, James Dobson, Don Wildmon, Tony Perkins et al. to raze McCain at the Republican Convention, he said.
“To revolt and say that Lieberman should he be appointed is unacceptable. It is only by respecting the pro-family values of Americans that McCain deserves to be President. If he should betray us I don’t think it bodes well for his political future or the future of the country.”
Is This Dr. King's Dream for Black America?
Rev. Peterson Says Barack Obama is no M.L.K.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Wednesday the Democratic Party made it official by nominating Sen. Barack Obama as their presidential candidate. Barack Obama is scheduled to give his formal acceptance speech tonight. His address coincides with the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. Radio talk show host and social commentator Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson says no amount of phony Hollywood theatrics can hide the fact that Sen. Obama's agenda is a continuation of left- wing policies, which have turned Dr. King's dream into a nightmare for Black Americans.
"Ninety percent of Black Americans support Sen. Obama. Millions are caught up with his celebrity status, but we must take a step back and look at the real Barack Obama," said Rev. Peterson. Here's a sample of what an Obama administration won't do for Black America:
- 70% of Black children are born out-of-wedlock; yet Sen. Obama has no plan for this crisis.
- According to CDC reports AIDS remains the leading cause of death among Black women between ages 25 and 34. In Washington D.C., more than 80 percent of HIV cases are among Black people. Yet, Obama is counting on condom distribution to deal with this scourge.
- Sen. Obama was a committed member of a racist church for 20 years. He gave $20,000 of his own money to the anti-American Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Does this sound like a man who's judging people based on the content of their character?
- Since 1973, 13 million Black babies have been aborted; meanwhile, as an Illinois state senator, 'pro- choice champion' Obama even opposed legislation designed to protect babies who survived late-term abortions.
- Sen. Obama opposes CA Prop. 8, which recognizes marriage only between a man and a woman, yet supports Sex Ed for Kindergarteners as long as long as it's 'age-appropriate'.
- In Los Angeles, illegal alien gang members randomly shoot down Black Americans, but Mr. Obama says immigration raids are ineffective and that illegals should have a 'path to citizenship.'
"Barack Obama wants to be king, but clearly he is no King. Obama's ideas and policies are a nightmare for all Americans," said Rev. Peterson.
BOND Action, Inc. is a 501 (c) (4) new cultural action organization. If you strongly believe in the family, traditional moral values, and positive, honest race relations, we are asking you to become a member of BOND Action, Inc. We need your physical, spiritual, and financial support as we work together to stand up for our families, our communities, and our great nation. Donations to BOND Action, Inc. are not deductible for tax purposes.
Prayer and Politics Do Mix, Says National Priests' Leader
| WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, the largest Catholic organization devoted exclusively to ending abortion, announced a nine-week "Novena of Prayer" starting on Monday, September 1, to prepare for our national elections. The Novena concludes on Monday, November 3, the day before Election Day. The prayer, in English and Spanish, can be found at www.PrayerCampaign.org and is interdenominational. Priests for Life is asking pastors to promote it in their churches, and families to pray it together. |
"UNREPENTANT"
“Many Catholics do not ascribe to that view”
Pelosi unrepentant, spokesman issues statement defying bishops
(Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, issued the following statement yesterday from Denver, where the Democratic National Convention is under way.)
“Her views on when life begins were informed by the views of Saint Augustine, who said: ‘... the law does not provide that [abortion] pertains to homicide, for there cannot yet be said to be a live soul in a body that lacks sensation.’”“While Catholic teaching is clear that life begins at conception, many Catholics do not ascribe to that view. The Speaker agrees with the church that we should reduce the number of abortions. She believes that can be done by making family planning more available, as well as by increasing the number of comprehensive age-appropriate sex education and caring adoption programs.”
FROM CALIFORNIA CATHOLIC DAILY:
“Unnecessary and possibly dangerous”
Watered down euthanasia bill seems sure bet for passage in state legislature
Catholic physicians and other doctors in California who oppose mercy killing would be forced to provide terminally ill patients with information on morally questionable “end-of-life care options” under a bill now pending in the state legislature.
The bill, AB 2747, is a repeatedly amended and watered down version of an original euthanasia measure sponsored by Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka. Berg’s original bill, termed a “stealth assisted-suicide bill” by opponents, would have allowed doctors to administer “palliative sedation” to deliberately induce a coma, and to starve patients to death under a provision called “voluntary stopping of eating and drinking.” Also excised from the original bill was a provision requiring terminally ill patients to be referred to “Compassion & Choices,” a pro-euthanasia organization formerly known as the Hemlock Society.Continue reading here: California Catholic Daily
DNC NEWS:
Operation Rescue Condemns Police Brutality Against Peaceful Pro-Life Teens At DNC
August 28th, 2008 Two girls, ages 15 and 17, were attacked and arrested without warning by police while peacefully exercising their First Amendment Rights outside Sen. Obama's hotel
Denver, CO - Two young girls were brutally attacked by police Wednesday evening without warning as they were chalking the sidewalk with pro-life messages outside the Westin Hotel, where Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama is staying. The girls were knocked to the ground, kneed in the back, handcuffed, and painfully dragged away.
Arrested were Jayne White, 17, and Julia Giacopuzzi, age 15, who were participating in a peaceful demonstration that was part of A Prayer For Change events.
Also arrested was Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition.
Click picture below to view video of the arrests: 
According to Rev. Mahoney, the group had received permission to sidewalk chalk from Denver City Attorney David Fine and Denver Deputy Chief Police John Lamb and had been "sidewalk chalking" for six days prior to the arrests without incident.
They were later released and are now consulting attorneys in anticipation of possible legal action against the city.
"I am shocked at how cowardly these police officers behaved by attacking little girls without warning or provocation," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Operation Rescue condemns this act of violence against peaceful demonstrators. There was absolutely no reason for it. Police officers are expected to control themselves better than that, and if they can't they should not be in law enforcement. We call for immediate disciplinary action against the officers involved in the brutality incident involving Miss White and Miss Giacopuzzi."
"Operation Rescue spent the week participating in A Prayer For Change with Rev. Mahoney and these young people, who have conducted themselves peacefully and appropriately at all times," said Newman.
Rev. Pat Mahoney is available for comment at 540-538-4741.
According to Rev. Mahoney, the group had received permission to sidewalk chalk from Denver City Attorney David Fine and Denver Deputy Chief Police John Lamb and had been "sidewalk chalking" for six days prior to the arrests without incident.
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About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates. Click here to support Operation Rescue
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Web site: www.operationrescue.org
E-mail: info@operationrescue.org
DNC NEWS:
Peaceful Teenage Demonstrators Arrested at the Democratic National Convention Near Senator Obama's Hotel
DENVER, Aug. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- Police officers use excessive force and brutality in arresting two young women, aged 17 and 15 years old, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver for peacefully demonstrating yards away from where Senator Obama is staying.
View video of arrests
Also arrested was the Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition of Washington, DC.
Jayne White, 17, and Julia Giacopuzzi, 15, both from Lake Arrowhead, California, were arrested in front of the Westin Hotel where Senator Barack Obama is staying while at the Democratic National Convention.
View pictures of the young women arrested
The two young women were arrested, without warning, while peacefully writing pro-life messages on the sidewalk in front of the Westin Hotel with sidewalk chalk where Senator Obama is staying.
Rev. Mahoney was arrested and threatened with a felony for leading the event.
After being arrested, the group was later released.
The group had received permission to sidewalk chalk from Denver City Attorney David Fine and Denver Deputy Chief Police John Lamb and had been "sidewalk chalking" for six days prior to the arrests.
Jayne White, age 17, was rushed from behind, physically forced to the ground, had a police officer dig his knee into the back of her neck, pulled her arms and cuffed her behind her back.
Julia Giacopuzzi, age 15, was rushed by a police officer, had her arms twisted behind her back, lifted up off the ground and then cuffed.
Jayne White, age 17, states, "I was peacefully sidewalk chalking when I was forcefully pushed to ground by a police officer from behind. As I was being cuffed on the ground, the police officer pushed his knee into the back of my neck. I was pulled roughly off the ground and taken away. I was given no warning to stop and was completely shocked when I was arrested. My back was throbbing from his knee."
Julia Giacopuzzi, age 15, comments, "As I was sidewalk chalking, I was rushed by a police officer without warning and lifted up off the ground and was cuffed. I was then dragged by the police into the Westin Hotel."
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, adds, "I am absolutely stunned, sickened and appalled by the excessive use of force by these police officers against these two young women at the Democratic National Convention. They were rushed without warning, physically forced to the ground, had a knee driven into their back, cuffed and dragged away. Their crime was simply writing pro-life messages on the sidewalk yards away from the hotel where Senator Barack Obama is staying. It must be stressed that they had permission from the Denver City Attorney and Police Department to do this and they were given no warning to stop.
I was arrested for simply being accused of being "the leader" of the event.
For the past ten months, I have had numerous news conferences in Denver expressing concerns that free speech rights and the First Amendment might be crushed during the Democratic National Convention. I have said repeatedly that demonstrators are not terrorists and that the city of Denver should do all within their power to ensure civil liberties would be protected.
Sadly, the city of Denver ignored these warnings and the civil rights of two young women and myself were trampled. How is it possible that at the Democratic National Convention two young women could be brutalized by the police just yards away where Senator Obama is staying for writing a political message on the sidewalk? Upon my return to Washington, DC, I will be meeting with our legal team to discuss our legal options against the city of Denver and the Democratic National Convention."
For more information or interviews call:
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney 540.538.4741
Kaitlin Clare 540.538.4822
Dr. King's Dream Includes the Unborn Says Dr. Alveda King
ATLANTA, Aug. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- On this, the 45th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Priests for Life Pastoral Associate Dr. Alveda King released the following statement:
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of God, a man of great compassion, and a man of non-violence, once said, 'The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.' I know in my heart that if Uncle Martin were alive today, he would join with me in the greatest civil rights struggle of this generation - the recognition of the unborn child's basic right to life.
"My uncle Martin would agree that we cannot end poverty, hunger, or suffering by killing those who might suffer. We cannot claim to guarantee equal rights if we deny the rights of the helpless. And we cannot feign ignorance of the fact that those who are torn apart, crushed, or left to die on an abortionist's table are just as human as we are.
"My uncle said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. There is injustice in our land. We have turned being unwanted into a crime penalized by death. Today, I echo the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - let freedom ring. From every mountain top, let freedom ring for all Americans, wanted and unwanted, born and unborn."
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro- life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
FROM LIFESITENEWS.COM
Pro-Life Billboard Vandalized with "Joker" Face Paint and Slogan: "Why So Serious?"
FREEPORT, Illinois, August 27, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A billboard showing a baby's face and the words "Abortion: The Ultimate Child Abuse" was vandalized in the style of Batman: The Dark Knight villain the Joker.
The baby was made up to look like the arch-villain from the recent Batman film, with black spray paint circling the eyes and red duct tape stretched across the mouth in imitation of Joker's signature grotesque smile. Under the pro-life message was spray painted the Joker's famous line from the new movie: "why so serious?"
According to Pro-Life Corner, the duct tape has been removed, but attempts to remove the paint damaged the underlying image. Stephenson County Right to Life, the organization behind the advertisement, will need $400 to replace the sign - a large sum for a small group, says Chris Clukey, the group's spokesperson.
The Joker-themed criminal act is not the first of its type, as other areas have reported similar incidents since the release of the box-office smash hit Batman: The Dark Knight, which features the paint-smeared Joker as the paragon of amoral abandon.
Two weeks ago, the Associated Press reported the arrest of two 18-year-old men in Virginia who scattered terrorist threats on Joker cards.
To donate to Stephenson County Right to Life for a new billboard call 815-815-232-2538, or visit http://prolifecorner.com/?q=support to give via Paypal.
See related LifeSiteNews.com editorial:
Batman The Dark Knight - Should We Fear Imitation of the Joker?
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08081408.html
DNC NEWS
| 'Party Crashers' Final Day at DNC: 'Post Abortive Women' to Disrupt Women's Caucus on August 28, Followed by Press Conference DENVER, Aug. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Once I realized I murdered my child, the burden of turmoil and guilt nearly destroyed me - including an attempted suicide. Abortion kills children, and mars women for the rest of their lives. |
Youngest premature baby born 15 ounces developing normally in Mexico
Shiryu Juárez Medina
.- Shiryu Juárez Medina was born on May 29 in Mexico City at 23 weeks, weighing 15 ounces. He overcame numerous obstacles and with the assistance of specialists and the love of his family he will leave the hospital in a few days, having become the youngest premature baby in the world.
Continue reading this miracle story here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13646
PRO-LIFE MEMORIAL DAY
By Judie Brown
In the midst of all the clamoring, posturing and bickering of the election season, it is easy to get swept up in discussions on how to vote, if one should vote and why it is important to vote. And, of course, it is of the utmost urgency that we take full advantage of our freedoms in America and do all we can to select those men and women who will keep our nation safe from external dangers and internal strife.
Not only do we entrust the implementation of just laws to these people, but we also rely on them to make prudent decisions in matters affecting the rest of the world and those who defend our nation at home and abroad.
As Americans, we commemorate our war heroes and their sacrifices by setting aside one day each year to honor them: Memorial Day. On that day, we remember in prayer and in our hearts the thousands of valiant, heroic men and women have given their very lives to protect our right to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. They are the ones who have secured our liberty and confirmed with their blood the principles that make America great.
So why am I asking you to take time out of your politicking and busy schedule to think about a memorial day of a different sort? The single most important reason is this: Electioneering is not saving preborn babies, and the so-called pro-life individuals who have been elected as a result of our blood, sweat and tears have not even made a dent on restoring personhood to the preborn.
Far too many in this nation have never thought of the struggle to end abortion as a war – a war that has taken more lives than all the wars in the history of America combined.
This is precisely why we set aside a day each October to mourn the loss of the millions of Americans who never had a chance to live. Not a one of them will ever have an opportunity to cast a vote, wear a uniform or defend the borders of this nation. They are dead, and if you put this fact in the proper context, its profoundly tragic dimensions become even clearer. For example, those 744,600 Americans who died prior to birth in 1973 alone would today be 35 years of age and contributing to society in ways we cannot even imagine.
Maybe one of those 35-year-olds would have discovered a cure for Parkinson's disease. Perhaps one of them would have mesmerized a nation with a vision of what it means to follow Christ and never count the cost. It is feasible that at least a few of them would have been among those heroic men and women we honored this past Memorial Day.
But they are all gone – murdered in the wombs of their mothers before they ever had a chance to give a hug, shed a tear or inspire a child. Their loss is our loss, and we must never forget them, lest we forget the real reason why we struggle to end this plague.
American Life League sponsors the annual Pro-Life Memorial Day on the first Monday of October to call attention to these victims of the culture of death. On that day, the Supreme Court starts its new term. It is appropriate to commemorate the aborted children on that day, as it is the United States Supreme Court that imposed the tragic Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions on our nation.
In addition, October is Respect Life Month all across America. We will participate in Life Chain; 40 Days for Life will be well under way and religious services will be held so that Americans can pray for our nation, mothers who have aborted their children and all others affected by this tragedy.
October is the month when leaves change colors, and autumn presents us with an array of colors that please the eye, reminding us of God's awesome gifts. Appropriately, October 6, 2008 is also the day when we will take time out to remember those boys and girls whose fate was intentionally and irrevocably sealed by the slice of a knife, the stab of a needle in the heart or some other grisly practice resulting in premature death.
More than 49,000,000 children have died in this tragic war being waged in the wombs of mothers on a daily basis. To my mind, this sobering fact should prompt anyone truly committed to ending abortion to use October 6 as an opportunity to remember the dead and resolve to actively pursue the protection of those persons not yet created – none of whom should face premature death by abortion.
For details on Pro-Life Memorial Day and the apparel designed for silent, prayerful protests on October 6, see http://www.prolifememorialday.
Judie Brown is president of American Life League and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Respond to Judie
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Katie Walker
Director of Communication
American Life League
1179 Courthouse Road
Stafford, Virginia 22554
540.659.4942
kwalker@all.org
http://www.all.org/
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