Friday, January 21, 2011

Lifeissues Newsletter #509

Lifeissues.net: clear thinking about crucial issues


For clear thinking about crucial issues, visit LifeIssues.net

Dear Friends for Life,

De-Christianization of Europe is serious. "The de-Christianization of Europe, the removal of Christian principles and institutions from the daily life of a country, has created a religious and social vacuum that is being filled by Islam," a prominent U.S. Catholic speaker said on Thursday. Raymond de Souza, the Program Director for Portuguese-speaking countries for Human Life International told an audience of the world's pro-life and pro-family leaders that "Europe is being culturally Islamized." He said that the failure of Christianity in Europe, has led to "the greatest Jihad ever carried out by Islam, which takes the form not of physical battles, but as a silent Jihad through demographic take-over."

In Spain the Socialist Government promotes free sex. "Sex is for enjoyment as much as we can or want." This is from the Spanish government in a pamphlet distributed to high school students. "Enjoying sex is natural and commendable. Learn the best ways to enjoy it with security and tranquility." This also endorses homosexual relationships and bestiality.

Most French women agree abortion is bad. Eighty-three percent of women in France believe that abortion causes lasting psychological damage and sixty-one percent believe that there are too many abortions in France. In a nationwide poll they agreed that abortion "leaves psychological traces that are difficult for women to experience." Two-thirds said that they should consider the possibility of putting their children up for adoption as an alternative.

God Bless, 
Jerry Novotny, OMI

(A Thought) "We don't love qualities; we love a person; sometimes by reason of their defects as well as their qualities." - Jacques Maritain

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Lifeissues.net Newsletter #509
January 23, 2011

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(TABLE OF CONTENTS):

1. Miracle Baby Survives Against All Odds
2. Korean professors form anti-abortion group
3. Vietnam: Franciscans priority to ethnic groups
4. UN rights review gives Nepal Catholics hope
5. Myanmar's HIV/AIDS sufferers a neglected lot
6. In-the-Womb Transplants with Adult Stem Cells
7. 10,000th Adult Stem Cell Transplant
8. Kermit the Dog
9. Program Brings Values and Virtues to Sex Ed
10. Religious hospitals' restrictions spark conflicts
11. 35,000 forced abortions per day in China
12. More Down syndrome babies will die


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(Focus on Asia): "http://www.tfpstudentaction.org/resources/forgotten-truths/age-ideals-samuel-..." target="_blank" style="color: #5c4520;">We Grow Old by Deserting Our Ideals" - This uplifting poem makes a powerful point. People like to stay young, don't they? Well, if we keep our noble ideals alive, we will remain youthful even in old age. I think you will truly enjoy this poem:

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ITEM #1: Miracle Baby Survives Against All Odds

Ireland's smallest surviving premature baby is thriving at home with her parents. Tiny Sive McDonald weighed just 420g—less than a pound—when she arrived into the world at 23 and a half weeks. She was smaller than the palm of her father's hand at full stretch. Her parents, Aisling McDonald (32) and her husband, John (30) were given "no hope" when baby Sive had to be delivered 16 weeks premature on June 11 last year.

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ITEM #2: Korean professors form anti-abortion group

"We will try to promote the respect for life," said Martin Nam Myeong-jin, chairperson of the association. People today just don't care about killing the fetus in the womb, said the medical professor of Gachon University of Medicine and Science. The professors in medicine, mathematics, law, bio-ethics, music and philanthropy said in their statement today that it is their responsibility as intellectuals in Korean society to condemn abortion.

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ITEM #3: Franciscans to give top priority to ethnic groups

"We have to bring key advantages to marginalized people...like ways of evangelization as our Father Saint Francis Assisi did," said Father Francis Xavier Vu Phan Long, Vietnam Franciscan (www.ofmvn.org) provincial superior for the Order of Friars Minor.

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ITEM #4: UN rights review gives Nepal Catholics hope

Catholics in Nepal hope the latest UN Human Rights Council review of rights in the former Hindu kingdom, which starts Jan. 24, will examine what they see as breaches of international law concerning religious freedom and discrimination against women.

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ITEM #5: Myanmar's HIV/AIDS sufferers a neglected lot

Away from the capital, care workers report that the stigma against the disease still acts as a barrier to treatment. Spread of the virus has been worsened as sufferers are ostracized when people "find out one of their family members contracted the virus," retired nurse Lucy Joi told ucanews.com. She works at the Church-run Hope Center, a facility in the north of the country which is like a home for patients whose relatives and families cannot cope and for those who live in the mountain villages, too far away to receive regular medical support.

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ITEM #6: In-the-Womb Transplants with Adult Stem Cells

Transplanting adult stem cells into babies while still in the womb could potentially treat numerous genetic problems. But despite the fact that the immature immune system of an unborn baby can tolerate donor transplants, with little risk of graft rejection, most previous attempts to transplant blood stem cells into a human fetus have been unsuccessful. Now researchers at the University of California-San Francisco have an answer-match the transplant to the mother.

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ITEM #7  City of Hope Does 10,000th Adult Stem Cell Transplant

Adult stem cells continue to improve health and save lives around the world. One of the pioneering sites, City of Hope in Duarte, California, has now done its 10,000th adult stem cell transplant. It is one of the first transplant sites in the world to reach this milestone.

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ITEM #8: Kermit the Dog

There can be no better starting place for the exploitation of tragedy than the case of Dr. Kermit Gosnell. Just Wednesday, he was charged with murder. He stands accused of delivering seven babies and then using scissors to kill each one of them. He was also charged with murder in the death of a woman who suffered an overdose of painkillers while awaiting an abortion.

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ITEM #9: Innovative Program Brings Values and Virtues to Sex Education


What passes for "sex education" these days is often considered pornographic and highly offensive to traditional community standards. One popular American book, targeted at ten-year-olds, displays pages of naked cartoon figures engaged in sexual intercourse. A recently released UNESCO curriculum encourages masturbation for children as young as five. Meanwhile, UN agencies and international advocacy groups routinely denounce abstinence programs.

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ITEM #10: Religious hospitals' restrictions sparking conflicts, scrutiny

(must read) In Texas, a Catholic bishop made two hospitals cease doing tube-tying operations for women who are not going to have more babies. In Oregon, another bishop cast a medical center out of his diocese for refusing to discontinue the same procedure. In Arizona, a nun was excommunicated and the hospital where she works was expelled from the church after 116 years for allowing doctors to terminate a pregnancy to save a woman's life.

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ITEM #11: 35,000 forced abortions per day in China as Chinese president visits U.S.

35,000 forced abortions per day in China as Chinese president visits U.S.

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ITEM #12: More Down syndrome babies will die with new 98% accurate test: disability rights campaigners

In some parts of the Western world the abortion rate for babies diagnosed with Down syndrome is already as high as 90%.


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YOU CAN CHANGE SOCIETY:

1. BE INFORMED: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Visit Lifeissues.net Website for insights into current Life Issues www.lifeissues.net. Access to all prior Newsletters is located in the Archives on main page.

2. PRAY DAILY: for the courage to be God's presence in society and to strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

3. BECOME INVOLVED: Several years ago Fr. Jerry created a project entitled, "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia". The project appeals for donations to help finance plane travel for lectures and seminars to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is centered on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Universities, Parishes, Hospitals and Family/Pro Life related groups. The lectures place emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Life Issues, Trends and Challenges".

For information about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group in Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp

To become a supportive Missionary participant for this Asian project, kindly send your donations to:

** Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI 

** LifeIssues.net, Editor

** Akebono-cho 1-15-9

** Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072

(or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824)

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Contact EDITOR:

Jerry Novotny, OMI

Akebono-cho 1-15-9

Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072 

[tel/fax: 088-843-0406] 

[email: jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp]

["Due to volume of spam received, we're asking you not to reply to this message but instead send all correspondence to jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp. Thank you! Editor"]

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Websites by Editor:

English LifeIssues Site: http://www.lifeissues.net,

Japanese LifeIssues Site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,

OMI Site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html