Saturday, February 28, 2009

President Obama Continues Losing Streak on Cabinet Appointments with Nomination of Governor Sebelius as HHS Secretary

KS Gov. Sebelius To Get HHS Nod; Obama Continues To Show Poor Judgment in Cabinet Picks

February 28th, 2009

Operation Rescue Vows to Oppose Sebelius' Confirmation

Washington, DC - It is being widely reported this evening that President Barack Obama will nominate Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services on Monday.

"Obama's lack of judgment when it comes to cabinet appointments is especially evident in his choice of Sebelius," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Operation Rescue vows to aggressively oppose Sebelius' confirmation in the Senate. Her cozy connections to late-term abortionist George Tiller and involvement in numerous abortion scandals makes her unfit to serve."

Sebelius has supported, and even partied with Tiller, who faces trial next month on 19 charges of criminal abortions.

For details of Sebelius' extreme abortion entanglements visit Operation Rescue's Sebelius Fact Page.

________________________________

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. 

________________________________
Web site:
www.operationrescue.org

E-mail: info@operationrescue.org

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following statements may be attributed to Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Washington, DC based Christian Defense Coalition:

President Obama continues losing streak on Cabinet appointments with nomination of Governor Sebelius as HHS Secretary.

President Obama nominates a governor who radically supports abortion rights and is closely linked with indicted late-term abortion provider George Tiller.

The President also affirms his status as "The Abortion President" by nominating a radical extremist on abortion rights to oversee the nation's health care and social programs.

The record of Governor Sebelius on abortion is extreme and outside of the mainstream of the majority of Americans.

The Governor has blocked legislation that would have stopped late-term abortions, she impeded the investigation into the death of a young woman at Dr. George Tiller's abortion clinic and Catholic Church officials have told her not to receive communion because of her radical support of abortion.

This nomination paves the way for taxpayer funded abortions as part of the Administration's health care policies.

The Christian Defense Coalition asks why President Obama would nominate such a divisive and extremist candidate after he campaigned on brining unity and civility to government.

The Christian Defense Coalition vows a vocal, public and national campaign to prevent a person who so devalues human life and social justice to become HHS Secretary.

If the President is looking for a fight with the pro-life and pro-family movement, he certainly is going to get one.

For more information or interviews call Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney at 540.538.4741




BULLETIN -- KANSAS GOV. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS ACCEPTS OBAMA'S HHS SECRETARY NOMINATION

Reuters: President Obama has nominated Kansas Gov. Sebelius to head the Dept. of Health and Human Services and she accepted. http://twitthis.com/bh2sqp

“Collecting blood money from kids”

Parents Television Council wants California to appeal federal court ruling invalidating state law that restricted sales of sexually explicit and violent video games to minors


News release from Parents Television Council
Feb. 23, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- In response to a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that struck down a California law designed to prevent the sale of adult video games to minors, the Parents Television Council has called on its members to voice their support for California state Sen. Leland Yee's call for the decision to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sen. Yee, D-San Francisco, was the author of the legislation, which passed the California State legislature in 2005. This law was later shot down due to the video game industry's lawyers. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appealed, and the Ninth Circuit Court issued its ruling, saying that the law violates the rights of minors under the Constitution's First and 14th amendments.

"Let's be clear on what – exactly – is going on here: The video game industry has established a policy to 'protect' children from a harmful product, yet they file lawsuit after lawsuit to oppose any enforcement of that same policy," said Parents Television Council president Tim Winter. "And they base their legal argument on a child's 'right' to purchase the very product that they openly admit should not be purchased by a child. This is the most outrageous example of a non sequitur that I've ever seen, and the result is a tragic consequence on America's children.

"How does the video game industry even have legal standing to sue on behalf of children who wouldn't be able to pay them for the very products they admit that kids shouldn't be buying? I'll tell you how: greed. The only motivation for the industry to sue is to keep collecting blood money from kids who aren't supposed to be able to buy these games without their parents present at the time of purchase.

"There are very responsible retailers out there – Wal-Mart and Game Stop come to mind – who take their obligation not to sell these games to kids very seriously. Yet industry representatives claim this law is unfairly biased against them. They must be forgetting that the goal of this law was solely to enforce the video game industry's own retail guidelines not to sell M-rated or AO-rated video games to children."

The Parents Television Council's 2008 "Secret Shopper" campaign revealed that video game retailers sold Mature (M)-rated video games to minors 36% of the time.

"If the industry actually followed its own rules, then this law would have absolutely no financial impact whatsoever on the industry," said Winter. "But of course the industry doesn't follow its own rules, and they don't want a consequence for violating them."

Winter continued, "Shockingly, the Court's ruling claims that there isn't enough research to support that children are affected by video game violence. Yet countless independent studies confirm what most parents instinctively know to be true: repeated exposure to graphic sexual, violent and profanity-laced video games has a harmful and long-term effect on children. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine – and countless other objective studies – have proven violent video games do have an effect by using functional magnetic resonance imaging technology to observe which areas of the brain are stimulated when a subject plays violent video games.

"This federal court decision is a disgrace and should be of great concern to all parents – not just in California but across our nation. We applaud state Sen. Yee's efforts to see that this decision goes to the U.S. Supreme Court and we are encouraging our members to do voice their concern as well," Winter concluded.



“We are making progress”

New poll shows Californians overwhelming support parental notification, while approval of unrestricted abortion loses ground


A poll released Wednesday, Feb. 25, by the Public Policy Institute of California shows support for unrestricted abortion in the state is slipping, and that 61 percent of "likely voters" favor a parental notification law.

Continue reading here: http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=236d7074-23f0-4eec-b430-8f95b9142709





Friday, February 27, 2009

HLI President Slams Obama's and Congress' 'Anti-Life One-Upmanship'


FRONT ROYAL, VA, Feb. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- Father Thomas J. Euteneuer, president of Human Life International (HLI), today lambasted President Barack Obama for his decision to reverse the Bush administration's action guaranteeing freedom of conscience for medical providers, as well as the members of Congress who voted to restore funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

"Any pretense of 'moderation' on life issues was long ago dispensed with," said Fr. Euteneuer. "But with the rescinding of the Mexico City Policy, the appointment of dozens of radical anti-life cabinet members and staff, the enormous increase in funding for contraception and irresponsible sex advocacy, and now these grave insults to human life and dignity... one shudders to think what could be next."

"It's as if the president and Congress are trying to outdo each other for the dishonor of who can forward the most extreme anti-life agenda," said Father Euteneuer.

On Wednesday, Congress approved the restoration of funding to the UNFPA as part of a $410 billion Omnibus spending bill approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Funding for the UNFPA was eliminated under President George W. Bush after it became known that UNFPA supported the enforcement of China's one-child policy, which often includes forced abortion and sterilization. The 1998 report (Clowes, B., "Why the United States Should Not Resume UNFPA Funding", 1999, PRI) which brought this to light was authored by HLI's director of research and training, Brian Clowes, PhD.

"What advocate of human rights thinks coerced abortion and sterilization is a good idea? Yet everyone knows that the UNFPA has been shown to support this policy in China and has refused to distance itself from the practice," said Fr. Euteneuer.

"Like everyone who believes in human dignity, I am tired of these cowards in Congress trying to sneak these destructive, anti-life measures into bills that are supposed to be helping our country emerge from this recession," said Fr. Euteneuer. "And I'm tired of President Obama's 'Choice for me, but not for thee' hypocrisy. His audacity is not of hope, but of the destruction of freedom and human life!"


  

TERRI'S NEWS ALERT: This Saturday on America's Lifeline Our Guest Will Be Jill Stanek!

February 27, 2009

This Saturday on America's Lifeline Our Guest Will Be Jill Stanek!

Don't forget to tune into America's Lifeline on Talk Radio 860 WGUL this Saturday, February 28 at 3pm, ET. America's Lifeline is also streamed worldwide via the internet at Talk Radio 860 WGUL. For those outside the Tampa area, simply log onto terrisfight.org and click on the 860 TALK RADIO LOGO button.

This Saturday, February 28, on America's Lifeline we will have very special guest Jill Stanek!

Jill Stanek was a registered nurse at Christ Hospital in Illinois when she made the shocking discovery that babies were being aborted alive and allowed to die without medical care. Her commitment to Christ led her to risk her job, reputation, and friendships to stop the terrible practices of abortion and infanticide and made the decision to go public exposing what was happening at the hospital.

Since that time Jill has become a national figure in the effort to protect both born and pre-born infants. She has now testified twice before the Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives and in several state legislatures and has written testimony that has been read several times in key U.S. Congressional debates on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban and Born Alive Infants Protection Act.

On August 5, 2002, President George W. Bush invited Jill to his signing of the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which will protect live aborted children from infanticide and was honored when she was publicly thanked for her help with the bill by the President during his speech.

In January 2003, Jill was named by World Magazine as one of the 30 most prominent pro-life leaders in the movement over the past 30 years. She writes about pro-life issues as a weekly columnist for WorldNetDaily.com and also hosts the most read pro-life blog in the U.S. - www.jillstanek.com.

Jill is a member of Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, Illinois. She and husband Rich have three children and four grandsons.

So join us this Saturday at 3 PM, ET on Talk Radio 860 WGUL for America's Lifeline!


America's Lifeline is hosted by Sheila Liaugminas, former Time magazine reporter and a previous host on the popular radio show The Right Questions and Issues and Answers on Relevant Radio. The program will be co-hosted by Bobby Schindler and Suzanne Vitadamo, directors of Terri's Foundation and brother and sister of Terri Schiavo.

Can you help?

Click on the icon to make a donation to Terri's Foundation. Thank you!

Not yet available



FROM MARK MALLETT - SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT -

The School of Compromise

Betrayed by kiss copy
Betrayed By a Kiss, by Michael D. O’Brien

TO enter the school of love does not mean one must suddenly enroll in the school of compromise. By this I mean that love, if it is genuine, is always truthful.


THE POLITICALLY CORRECT WAVE

The world of common sense has been swept away by a wave of political correctness that has attempted to make everyone "nice," but not necessarily honest. The Archbishop of Denver put it well recently:

I think modern life, including life in the Church, suffers from a phony unwillingness to offend that poses as prudence and good manners, but too often turns out to be cowardice. Human beings owe each other respect and appropriate courtesy. But we also owe each other the truth—which means candor. —Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Political Vocation, February 23rd, 2009, Toronto, Canada

Nowhere has this cowardice been more evident than in the battle against the "culture of compromise" in human sexuality. It is due in part to a lack of solid teaching on human sexuality and marriage:

…there’s no easy way to say it. The Church in the United States has done a poor job of forming the faith and conscience of Catholics for more than 40 years. And now we’re harvesting the results—in the public square, in our families and in the confusion of our personal lives.Ibid.

The same could be said for Canada, if not most of the Western world. And thus, minds are being easily swayed by emotional and seemingly logical statements such as those from the makers of the pro-gay film, Milk. In Sean Penn’s acceptance speech for "Best Actor" at the recent Academy Awards, he lashed out at the "culture of ignorance" for opposing "gay rights":

I think that these are largely taught limitations and ignorances, this kind of thing, and it’s a really, it’s very sad in a way, because it’s a demonstration of such emotional cowardice to be so afraid to be extending the same rights to a fellow man as you would want for yourself.www.LifeSiteNews.com, February 23, 2009

The movie’s writer, Dustin Lance Black ("Best Original Screenplay"), sounded even more reasonable:

If Harvey [the story’s main gay character] had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight, who have been told that they are "less than" by their churches, by the government or by their families—that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. www.LifeSiteNews.com, February 23, 2009

This sounds nice, and it is true that each individual is a "beautiful, wonderful creature of value" (however, the unborn, aged, and terminally ill are almost never extended this value in the minds of many of these "humans rights" champions.) According to this thinking, why not apply "equal rights" to all of the polygamists who want multiple spouses? Or how about all those who want legal status with their "spouse"… who just happens to be an animal? And then there’s the well-organized groups who feel that pedophilia should be decriminalized. Why would they not be entitled to "marriage"? Because it doesn’t seem right? It doesn’t feel right? But neither did gay marriage 20 years ago, and now it is being enshrined as a universal right by those who are graduating from the School of Compromise. Perhaps those who oppose polygamy, and pedophile or animal marriage should cease their feelings of intolerance at once!

FAITH AND REASON

Up until this generation, it has been universally recognized that marriage is not a product of a religious group, but a basic human and social principle rooted in natural law itself. For example, if a judge rules that gravity doesn’t exist, regardless of his authority, he will not make a dent in the laws of physics. He may jump off of the top of the Supreme Court building, but he will not fly; he will crash to the ground. Gravity remains now and always a natural law, whether the Supreme Court says so or not. So too, true marriage is based on reality: the union of a man and woman, which forms a unique social and genetic building block for civilization. They alone can naturally beget unique children. They alone form a natural marriage. Unlike slavery of blacks, which was immoral based on the principles of natural law and inherent human dignity, alternative definitions of marriage flow from an ideology divorced from reason.

But once this logical foundation is destroyed, how do people discern what is moral, and how will they be able to know what ensures a healthy civilization and what will destroy it? Who decides today’s moral code? And when the foundations crumble still further, who will decide tomorrow’s?

Indeed, once morality leaves the orbit of truth, it can gravitate just about anywhere.

TRUE TOLERANCE

History is full of characters who sat on the high seats of power while legitimizing everything from immorality to serious atrocities in the name of "truth." The only "truth" they would tolerate was their agenda for social reconstruction or revolution. So too at times have evils been committed by "religious." But the answer is certainly not to annihilate religion, as many propose today, but rather to embrace truth as written in natural law and from which the moral order has been derived. For from this flows the inherent dignity and value of every person, regardless of color or creed. This truth continues to be found in the major religions, but is revealed in its fullness as the "gate of salvation" in the Catholic Church. Thus, the "separation" of Church and state is a bit of a misnomer; the Church is necessary to enlighten the state and to keep her pointed in the direction of true order. The separation should be one of logistics, not a destructive split between faith and reason.

Moral conscience requires that, in every occasion, Christians give witness to the whole moral truth, which is contradicted both by approval of homosexual acts and unjust discrimination against homosexual persons… men and women with homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided" (John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, 73). They are called, like other Christians, to live the virtue of chastity. The homosexual inclination is however “objectively disordered” and homosexual practices are “sins gravely contrary to chastity"… Those who would move from tolerance to the legitimization of specific rights for cohabiting homosexual persons need to be reminded that the approval or legalization of evil is something far different from the toleration of evil. In those situations where homosexual unions have been legally recognized or have been given the legal status and rights belonging to marriage, clear and emphatic opposition is a duty. —Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons; n. 4-6

This statement is clear: Christians today may tolerate evil—that is, that which is not good—to the extent that they respect the free will of others. But genuine tolerance never can mean cooperation with clearly evil choices (either explicitly by our actions, or implicitly by our silence.) As did our Lord, Christians are obliged to speak the truth when fellow human souls are tending toward actions which displace them from the moral order and lead them away from the Creator. To do so is in itself an act of love. For whoever sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). The truth, however, can set them free (John 8:32).

Man cannot attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his very nature. —POPE PAUL VI, Humanae Vitae, Encyclical, n. 31; July 25th, 1968

Sadly, fewer and fewer Christians are proclaiming the truth because, I imagine in part, it is simply uncomfortable to do so. It is "confrontational" to suggest that two persons of the same-sex, or different sex for that matter, should not co-habit, but remain chaste. We have fallen into the habit of trying to be "nice" at the expense of truth.

The cost can be measured in lost souls.

Unless we are willing in this late hour to be "fools for Christ," we will easily be swept away in the New World Order in which one may belong, so long as he leaves the Christian God in the drawer.

Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35)

It is the Divine Judge—not the earthly ones—to whom we will be accountable.

Relativism, that is, letting oneself be tossed and ‛swept along by every wind of teaching’, appears the sole attitude acceptable to today’s standards. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI), Pre-conclave Homily, April 18th 2005

Those who challenge this new paganism are faced with a difficult option. Either they conform to this philosophy or they are faced with the prospect of martyrdom. —Fr. John Hardon (1914-2000), How to Be a Loyal Catholic Today? By Being Loyal to the Bishop of Rome; http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/intro/loyalty.htm

FURTHER READING:

Published in: DAILY JOURNAL, THE HARD TRUTH | on February 27th, 2009 |

Scranton's Bishop Instructs Ministers: No Communion for Public Sinners

FROM EWTN.COM:


Feb. 27, 2009 (CWNews.com) - Bishop Joseph Martino-- who has emerged during the past year as the American bishop most determined to call pro-abortion politicians to account-- has now issued an order that in his Scranton, Pennsylvania diocese, "Those whose unworthiness to receive Holy Communion is known publicly to the Church must be refused Holy Communion in order to prevent sacrilege and to prevent the Catholic in question from committing further grave sin through unworthy reception."

Bishop Martino's directive was conveyed by the diocesan chancellor, James Earley, in an official notice dated February 26. The crucial concluding portion of notice reads:

Therefore, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, Bishop of Scranton, reminds all ministers of Holy Communion, ordinary and extraordinary, that:

1. To administer the Sacred Body and Blood of the Lord is a serious duty which they have received from the Church, and no one having accepted this responsibility has the right to ignore the Church's law in this regard;

2. Those whose unworthiness to receive Holy Communion is known publicly to the Church must be refused Holy Communion in order to prevent sacrilege and to prevent the Catholic in question from committing further grave sin through unworthy reception.

The official notice does not mention any individual by name. However it is impossible to overlook the fact that on the same day, February 26, the Scranton diocese also posted an open letter from Bishop Martino of Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey, in which the bishop-- for the second time-- reminded the Catholic lawmaker of his moral obligation "to oppose abortion and other clear evils."

Earlier in the month, in a first rebuke to Senator Casey, Bishop Martino had warned that the senator's vote against an extension of the Mexico City policy-- which prohibited US taxpayer funding of abortion advocacy abroad-- was a violation of the legislator's moral obligation. "Your failure to reverse this vote will regrettably mean that you persist formally in cooperating with the evil brought about by this hideous and unnecessary policy," the bishop wrote.

The February 26 notice from the Scranton diocese notes that the #915 of the Code of Canon Law instructs Eucharistic ministers not to administer the Blessed Sacrament to Catholics "who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin." [emphasis added] The official notice goes on to quote then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in his 2004 message to the bishops of the United States:

Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person's formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church's teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

Thus Bishop Martino has clearly drawn the connection between public support for legal abortion and obstinate perserverance in grave sin, pointing toward the inevitable conclusion that a lawmaker who supports abortion must be barred from receiving the Eucharist.

Obama's Suppression of Health Care Workers' Conscience Rights will Worsen Breast Cancer, Premature Birth Epidemics


MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- A Los Angeles Times story today reveals that President Obama plans to rescind a regulation put in place last year by the Bush Administration that protects health care workers' rights to follow their consciences by refusing to participate in abortion and the distribution of cancer-causing hormonal steroids (i.e. hormonal contraceptives/abortifacients). [1]

"Obama's decision hurts women's health," declared Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer. "Basic medical texts acknowledge that women can help prevent breast cancer by having more children, starting at a younger age, and breastfeeding them longer. The woman who chooses not to have a baby (i.e. abortion), therefore, has a higher breast cancer risk than the one who has a baby. Additionally, the World Health Organization classified combined (estrogen + progestin) hormonal contraceptives as Group 1 carcinogens in 2006. [2] Why aren't women being told?

"Instead, the government is physically abusing women through its determined pursuit of an antiquated population control policy. The Obama Administration is sacrificing scientific integrity and women's health in order to pursue an ideological agenda.

"A half-century of research shows that abortion further increases risk by leaving the mother's breasts with more places for cancers to start. [3,4] This phenomenon finds additional biological support in epidemiological studies reporting that premature birth before 32 weeks gestation increases breast cancer risk. [5,6,7,8] The Institute of Medicine acknowledges that abortion puts mothers at risk for premature birth. [9]

"The Obama Administration should not mandate abortion as the standard of care because abortion is bad medicine. Two hundred years ago, bloodletting was the standard of care, and some patients died. Also, doctors did not wash their hands before delivering babies, so women died of childbed fever. Medicine has only progressed since that time because there were courageous doctors and scientists willing to challenge their peers to bring their practices up-to-date as new scientific evidence became available.

"If Obama rescinds the conscience-protecting regulation, women will not be given their rights to know about a large body of scientific evidence implicating abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer, premature birth, placenta previa, suicide and other forms of emotional harm." [10]

"The Mexico City Policy was rescinded late on a Friday afternoon last month. When there is a cowardly decision to be made on abortion in a low profile way, Obama does it on Fridays when journalists are less likely to pay attention."

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.

References available online at:
www.abortionbreastcancer.com/press_releases/ 090227/index.htm




RIGHTS OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS THREATENED


It was reported today that the Obama administration is planning to rescind the rule issued in December by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that protects the rights of health care workers at federally-funded facilities to refuse to perform or be involved in medical procedures that violate their consciences, such as abortion. The "conscience rule" went into effect last month.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue discussed the ramifications of this action:

"This regulation gives health care workers the right to be free from discriminatory edicts invoked by those who have no respect for their conscience rights. No one in the health care field should ever be compelled by law to perform or assist in a procedure that violates his or her conscience. This should be an elementary right, yet there are those who want to trespass on it.

This would be another step in the wrong direction for an administration which is promoting abortion by overturning the Mexico City Policy, promising to support the United Nations Population Fund and considering the nomination of radical abortion rights supporter Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be the Secretary of HHS. This action would be the most offensive since it compromises the rights of Catholics to act according to their conscience. 

"It is imperative that President Obama not rescind this morally critical regulation. Catholics will be watching very closely."


Care Net Opposes Obama Decision to Overturn Protections for Pro-Life Docs




LANSDOWNE, VA, Feb. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde responded to news Friday that President Obama has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to overturn regulations that protect medical professionals from being forced to perform or refer for abortion. "Our nation's physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers have the right to practice medicine without violating their conscience. To remove these protections is to ultimately remove these individuals of integrity from the field of medicine entirely," Delahoyde said. "That's not an action that we as Americans should be willing to accept."

Delahoyde said that her network of 1,160 pregnancy center affiliates will feel the damaging blow of this action, if implemented. "Pregnancy centers empower women facing unplanned pregnancy to choose abortion alternatives," Delahoyde said. "To accomplish this, we offer critical, free medical services, such as limited obstetrical ultrasounds and STD testing. Because of our commitment to providing alternatives to abortion, we rely on the availability of pro-life medical professionals - nurses, OB-GYNs, nurse practitioners, sonographers, and others. If the rights of these individuals are violated, then they will simply leave the field of practice or not enter it altogether. With more than 470 pregnancy centers in the Care Net network that offer medical services, we're simply not willing to take that risk."

Care Net will be mobilizing its network and supporters to provide comment to the Department of Health and Human Services on the Administration's proposal to overturn the regulations. In addition, Care Net has filed as an intervener in a lawsuit filed by state attorney generals and Planned Parenthood that challenges the federal regulations protecting the right of conscience.

Care Net's National Medical Consultant Sandy Christiansen, MD was interviewed by CNN to share her story of discrimination during her residency. Dr. Christiansen now serves as the medical director of Care Net Pregnancy Center of Frederick, MD. Dr. Christiansen's story is available on the Care Net website.

For interviews with Melinda Delahoyde or Dr. Sandy Christiansen, contact the Care Net press office.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius commented on the abortion issue:

Fact Check: Gov. Sebelius Disingenuous With Abortion Remarks

February 27th, 2009

Washington, DC - Earlier this week, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius commented on the abortion issue, saying, "While my beliefs teach me that abortion is morally unacceptable, as a public official, I have worked hard to ensure that abortions are rare, safe and within the bounds of the law."

"Sebelius' remarks require a serious fact check," said Operation Rescue Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger. "Her statement is so misleading that it is an embarrassment. Sebelius is trying to hoodwink the American people by grossly misrepresenting the reality of her radical abortion policies."

Sebelius is considered a front runner for the cabinet position of Secretary of Health and Human Services, where she would have an opportunity to advance her extremist abortion agenda.

Fact Check:

1. "I have worked hard to ensure that abortions are rare..." Yet, in 2008, Sebelius vetoed SB 386 that would have informed women that if they are being coerced in to an abortion, they have the right to refuse. Sebelius' veto insured that coerced abortions, a huge national problem, continue in Kansas, effectively insuring a higher number of abortions. (View documentation of coerced abortions in Kansas.)

2. "I have worked hard to ensure that abortions are...safe..." This statement is completely without any basis in fact. Sebelius vetoed bills that would have provided safety regulations in spite of evidence of several botched abortions requiring emergency hospitalization, including one abortion death.  Operation Rescue bought and closed one of the mills that Sebelius referred to as meeting "the highest standards of medical care in the country." The building was unsafe, with mold and roach infestations, out of code plumbing and electrical, and filthy conditions. (View documentation.)

3. "I have worked hard to ensure that abortions are... within the bounds of the law." In April, 2007, Sebelius hosted a party honoring late-term abortionist George Tiller and his entire staff while Tiller was under investigation by the Attorney General and Kansas Board of Healing Arts. Two months later, Tiller was criminally charged. In May of 2007, Sebelius attended a raucous party given by Planned Parenthood on the occasion of her birthday. Five months later, Planned Parenthood was charged with 107 criminal counts, including 23 felonies related to illegal abortions. (Documentation: Tiller Party, PP Party)

"Sebelius' patently false statements about her abortion record continue to show that she is not fit to serve," said Sullenger.

________________________________

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. 

________________________________
Web site:
www.operationrescue.org

E-mail: info@operationrescue.org


Fr. Frank Pavone: "Are we ignoring the unborn because it's 'inconvenient' for us to defend them?"



Intention:

May God's people understand that the Lazarus of the 21st Century is the unborn child, and respond accordingly.


Scripture:

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire."

But Abraham replied, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us."


--Luke 16:19-31

Reflection:

The rich man did not go to hell because he was rich. He went to hell because he ignored the other man. He thought that because Lazarus had less that he was worth less. He failed to recognize that Lazarus was his brother. Lazarus was waiting at the door of the rich man for scraps of food; the Lazarus of our day, the unborn child, is waiting at the door of the womb for birth itself. God does not only prohibit aborting the unborn; he prohibits ignoring them.

Prayer:

Father, I thank you for the life that I possess, and for the birth that you granted me. I hear the cries of the Lazarus of our day; I see them sitting at the door. Grant that I may never ignore them, and that through this 40 Days campaign, I may stir many others to pay attention to them as well. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life


President Obama Starts Process of Removing Doctors' Protections on Abortions


by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 27
, 2009

 

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The White House quietly announced on Friday that President Barack Obama is starting the process of overturning protections President Bush put in place to make sure medical staff and centers are not forced to do abortions. The move is the latest that will add to Obama's growing pro-abortion record.

Existing federal laws already make it so doctors and hospitals are not required to perform abortions. Because those laws aren't always followed, the Bush administration added additional protections.

Continue reading here: http://www.lifenews.com/nat4865.html




Thursday, February 26, 2009

Fr. Tom Euteneuer: Of Lent and Life



  Spirit & Life®
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)
Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 04, Number 09 | Friday, February 27, 2009
..................................................................................
Of Lent and Life

Dear Spirit and Life Readers,

The Scriptures and our Church both tell us that Lent is not a season for timid creatures. If in Lent we were to simply jump through the hoops of fasting and abstinence on the days prescribed, we would be rightly accused of a sort of spiritual minimalism. But God is not served by minimalists - He wants tested saints of faith to be channels of His Life to the world! That is what Lent calls us to be.

How will we embrace God's Life so deeply this season? The answer is simple. By first jettisoning the baggage we have accumulated in our lives over the past year. I am talking here about interior personal baggage that we have picked up at the cheap convenience stores of human frailty and about which we let ourselves off the hook continuously: pettiness, every sort of self-indulgence, backbiting, selfish attitudes, worldliness, gossip and the like. Withdrawing permission for anti-Christian behaviors at the core of our beings and ridding ourselves of these faults and imperfections is the first order of business for Lent. It is the basic Gospel call to conversion of heart, and there is no growth in the spiritual life if we do not repent of the things that keep us far away from God. Will we accept the challenge of removing the blockages to God's grace this Lent?

If so, this interior purification is just the first step to embracing His Life. The Church gives us three more: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. They seem so commonplace, yet these practices can create a consuming fire within us, transforming us into spiritually strong men and women of Christ. These practices are not spiritual drudgery; they are spiritual life! We don't put on our calendars that we have to "embrace life today"! We only have to live life each day, and in the same way, Lent asks us to consciously live those things which are channels of spiritual life for us.

Make prayer a passion, not a duty. Ask God for the grace to understand the true nature of prayer which is the very soul of our spiritual lives. If we don't pray, we suffocate spiritually. We wouldn't allow that to happen to our physical bodies, yet through negligence and any number of excuses we drop prayer off our list of priorities and end up spiritually suffocating our souls. There is no time like the present to commit ourselves to a strong prayer life. The interior benefits are truly life-giving.

Fasting makes us spiritual men and women in a way that few other practices can because fasting is a voluntary renunciation of desires of the flesh. No truly spiritual person can live without this practice. So here is a simple Lenten challenge - skip a meal. I guarantee that you will not die! Quite the contrary - you will find yourself filled with divine light in the depth of your being and a vibrancy of life like you have never felt before. Really try it.

Finally, make sure you go above and beyond the call of duty to help your neighbor. Almsgiving, namely, the voluntary deprivation of personal resources for the sake of another, is inconvenient, and sometimes radically so. No matter. Do it anyway and trust God to send it back to you many-fold. When even the smallest deeds of kindness and generosity are done with a completely childlike heart that expects nothing in return, the actual return is a full measure of God's grace and blessing. I would rather have that than all the money in the world.

Be faithful to Lent. It is a deep training program in life, divine Life that is. Let's not lose the opportunity to become deeply spiritual men and women this Lent, and God will then make us a channel of His Life to others.

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International




Copyright 2009 - Human Life International
Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.

Human Life International
4 Family Life Lane -- Front Royal, VA 22630 U.S.A.
Phone: (540) 635-7884 Fax: (540) 622-6247
E-mail: hli@hli.org Website: www.hli.org



TEACHINGS TO LIFT YOU UP "Keep Close To Me" by RITA RING Post 101, December 16, 1993

Keep Close To Me 

God's Blue Book I Cover

December 16, 1993 - Message from Mary

Mary speaks: My daughter, you have been given special blessings. You do not know what you received. Keep close to me. I am your mother and I love you. I am with you in a special way. Little one, you are called by your mother to this job. I am with you in it. Don't ever think I am not with you. Your mother is always with you. Stay close to me now, little one. Give me your worries and doubts.

R. This Christmas I am given My Mother in a special way. She is truly our loving Mother!

http://www.sofc.org/

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights of the Unborn



"The Negro cannot win if he is willing to sacrifice the futures of his children for immediate personal comfort and safety."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968

MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 26 /Christian Newswire/ -- "I say today that we as Christians must press on, in the conviction that we are 'a colony of heaven,' called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, we must remain big in commitment. We must be too God intoxicated to be 'astronomically intimidated.' By our effort and example may God use us, as imperfect vessels that we are, to bring an end to such ancient evils as infanticide, abortion, racism, and oppression." -- Dr. Alveda C. King, reflections on "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

In 1939, Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, outlined her plan to eliminate the Black community: "The most successful, educational appeal to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their rebellious members."

Dr. King was among a select group of Negro leaders hand-picked to promote a seemingly beneficial plan to promote healthy family planning. It was a plan of wolf in sheep's clothing and Trojan Horse proportions. Dr. King, a man of love, peace, non-violence and strong Christian faith would be assassinated before the truth of the Planned Parenthood map for genocide would be made public after the passage of Roe v. Wade. The abortion agenda is in direct conflict with the teachings of Dr. King.

In 1966, Martin Luther King, Jr., a non-violent supporter of natural family planning, received the Planned Parenthood Margaret Sanger Award. In his acceptance speech, Dr. King pointed to the benefits of family planning among Negro families and the "kinship" between the civil rights movement and Margaret Sanger's early efforts. His hopeful speech would not include abortion: "Our sure beginning in the struggle for equality by non-violent direct action may not have been so resolute without the tradition established by Margaret Sanger and people like her."

As Dr. King's niece, I too once accepted the lies of Planned Parenthood until the truth of the violence of abortion was revealed to me. If Planned Parenthood had announced that over 50 million babies would be aborted in the onslaught of their agenda, I would never have aborted a child. Dr. King would never have agreed with the violent violation of the civil rights of the millions of aborted babies, and Planned Parenthood's subsequent blitz of women's health problems related to chemical and artificial birth control methods.

This conclusion leads me to remind my readers that I too have a dream. It's in my genes. How can the dream survive if we murder the children?

Dr. Alveda C. King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life, is a mother, grandmother, ordained minister, author and artistic producer.

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.



TERRI'S NEWS ALERT: Rolling Stone Satires the Death of Terri Schiavo

February 26, 2009 (Pro-Life Pulse)

Rolling Stone Satires the Death of Terri Schiavo

Rolling Stone magazine contained a mock interview with outgoing President George Bush that is - WARNING - offensive for sexual explicitness and foul language.

Standard fare. But following is a section from the "interview" that is egregious to the memory of Terri Schindler Schiavo.

Such contempt for the dead, particularly disabled, is unthinkable to me. I can't imagine, for instance, Rolling Stone satiring Joseph and Rose Kennedy's lobotomized daughter Rose Marie, who died just 2-1/2 months before Terri. There's certainly plenty of fodder there for the imaginative.

(continue reading...)


SBA List President Hosts CPAC Panel on New Challenges and Opportunities for Social Conservative Movement

From CPAC: Social Issues Still Inspire, Drive Voters


WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 /Christian Newswire/ -- Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser will be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. on February 26-28, 2009.

"The defense of innocent human life remains the relevant, driving force for millions of American voters. President Obama and Congress cannot continue their assault on the unborn without consequences," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. "President Obama's decision to send taxpayer dollars to overseas abortion providers is his least popular so far. Fifty-eight percent of Americans disapprove of taxpayer-funded subsidies for abortion abroad, and those sentiments extend to funding abortion here at home. Yet just this week the Abortion Bailout Agenda continued, as Congress proposed sending $50 million in taxpayer funds to the pro- abortion United Nations Population Fund, an organization connected with coercive abortion practices in China."

Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser will moderate the panel, "New Challenges in the Culture Wars" on Thursday February 26, 2009 1:50-2:30pm in the Regency Ballroom of the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Other panelists include Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ), Dr. Janice Crouse of the Beverly LaHaye Institute and Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel and Liberty University School of Law.

In addition to hosting a booth in the Exhibition Hall, the Susan B. Anthony List will host a special reception for CPAC attendees on Saturday, February 28, 2009 from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM in the Empire Ballroom of the Omni Shoreham Hotel. The Susan B. Anthony List is a Co-Sponsor of the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 152,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process.

www.sba-list.org



--
Blessings+
Deacon John

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Ave Maria University to Host National Mass for Terri’s Day in Florida

 
Recent Cases Highlight Significance for Terri's Day Mass

Contact: Margaret Sciarrino, Priests for Life, (718) 980-4400, ext. 251; Bobby Schindler, Terri's Foundation, (727) 490-7603

NEW YORK, February 25/ - Terri's Foundation and Priests for Life are happy to announce that Ave Maria University will host "The National Mass for Terri's Day" at the Ave Maria Oratory at Ave Maria University, located near Naples, Florida.

Father Frank Pavone, President of Priests for Life, will be the main celebrant, along with Father Thomas Euteneuer, President of Human Life International.

Priests for Life and Terri's Foundation established the "International Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Terri Schindler Schiavo, and All of Our Vulnerable Brothers and Sisters" ("Terri's Day") last year. Its purpose is to foster education, prayer, and activism regarding discrimination against the disabled, and advocacy for people in situations similar to what Terri and her family faced so that no one will again suffer as she did. Terri's Day is recognized each year on March 31st, the date of Terri's death.

"As we just witnessed with Italy's Eluana Englaro's tragic death by dehydration, people with disabilities, like my sister Terri, are routinely being denied their most basic rights. These cases are spreading like a virus and my family is committed to stopping this form of discrimination against people with disabilities," noted Terri's brother Bobby Schindler.

In addition, it is critical to raise the awareness of the potential threat of hospital "ethics committees" across the country that are seeking to remove food and water even from those who are not terminally ill. Indeed, in all but ten states doctors and hospitals have been empowered to disregard advance directives when they call for treatment, food or fluids.

All are invited to attend "The National Mass for Terri's Day" on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 5:15 PM ET. Address: Ave Maria University 5050 Ave Maria Boulevard, Ave Maria FL 34142-9505

You can visit Terri's Foundation (www.TerrisFight.org) and Priests for Life (www.priestsforlife.org) to learn more about defending the vulnerable. The website www.TerrisDay.org also provides suggestions for observing Terri's Day.

Terri's Foundation is dedicated to promoting the Culture of Life, embracing the true meaning of compassion by opposing the practice of euthanasia.

Priests for Life is the largest Catholic organization exclusively dedicated to fighting abortion and euthanasia.



BREAKING NEWS! Abortionist Tiller To Stand Trial involving illegal late-term abortions.

BREAKING NEWS! Abortionist Tiller To Stand Trial

February 25th, 2009

Wichita, KS - Moments ago District Court Judge Clark V. Owens released his decision denying the motions filed by late-term abortionist George R. Tiller, which asked the judge to suppress evidence against him and dismiss the 19 pending criminal charges involving illegal late-term abortions.

Judge Owens addressed all the concerns that Tiller's attorneys brought up over six days of testimony, especially those alleging outrageous governmental conduct involving former Attorney General Phill Kline.

Judge Owens ruled:

While Phill Kline testified that he would like for all abortions to be outlawed, his investigations made no attempts to prevent lawful abortions from being performed in the State of Kansas. His procedures have certainly been questioned by the Kansas Supreme Court, but his conduct in the investigation does not merit the sanction of the dismissal of the charges or suppression of evidence.

The motion to dismiss or suppress is therefore denied.

"This decision brings us one step closer to justice," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We continue to pray that true justice will be served on behalf of the innocent, viable babies wrongfully killed by Tiller."

Read Judge Owen's full decision

________________________________

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. 

________________________________
Web site:
www.operationrescue.org

E-mail: info@operationrescue.org