Friday, May 27, 2011

Lifeissues Newsletter #527

Lifeissues.net: clear thinking about crucial issues

Dear Friends For Life,

Good news for the physically disabled: a wheelchair that climbs stairs. A new wheelchair, designed at the Warsaw University of Technology is fitted with ultra-sound sensors that "see" stairs. These engage a leveling system at the front and transport the wheelchair upstairs with the seat remaining stable in an upright position. Further developmental refinements continue on this chair in Poland.

Surprisingly, most raped women elect to deliver. "Victims and Victors" is a book co-authored by Elliot Institute Director, Dr. David Reardon. It's a book about pregnancies, abortions and children resulting from sexual assault. Conventional wisdom holds that the answer to an assault rape pregnancy is induced abortion, and that the women victims want an abortion. It is thought, says Reardon, that this will help them put the assault behind them, recover more quickly and avoid the additional trauma of the child to be born. His research however, says something quite different. In a survey of 192 women, pregnant from assault rape, nearly 80% said they regretted their abortions while none of the women who carried to term said they wished they had not done so or that they had wished they had chosen abortion instead. Most who had abortions reported being pressured by family members, health care workers, etc. into an abortion. This is particularly true for incest. Many of the women who share their stories in Victims and Victors state that abortion felt like a further violation. "I grieve everyday for my daughter," wrote one woman, who stated, "The trauma of the rape and abuse was only intensified by the abortion." The compassionate answer to this dilemma is to give unconditional support, help and love to the woman and then to allow her to make her own decision completely free from any pressure from others.

God Bless,
Jerry Novotny, OMI

(A Thought) “An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded." - Blessed Pope John Paul II
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For clear thinking about crucial issues, visit LifeIssues.net
(Due to volume of spam received, do not reply to this message but instead send all emails to jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp. Thank you!)


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Lifeissues.net Newsletter #527
May 29, 2011

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(TABLE OF CONTENTS):

1. New software that blocks pornography on the web
2. China's Population Problems
3. The men who gave Aids to rural China
4. Why Contraception Matters
5. Child Porn Among Fastest Growing Internet Businesses
6. Reason Against Abortion
7. Forgotten Fathers and Their Unforgettable Children
8. Rights abuses 'continue in Myanmar'
9. Cancer more compatible with alternate lifestyles
10. Foreign Policy: Why Babies Are Good For The Globe
11. Impact of Abortion on Men
12. Devastating study: Up to 12 million sex-selective abortions in India, and still rising


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(Togetherness): "Pope's Exchange with Space Station Astronauts (Video)" -"I think it must be obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth, and how absurd it is that we fight and kill each one," the pontiff said.

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ITEM #1: New software that blocks pornography on the web

It's called "Saint Light." It's a new computer application created at the University of Ensenada in Mexico. It's designed to filter information and prevent the passage of pornographic content.

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ITEM #2: China's Population Problems

Missing Girls and Rapid Aging: The census figures also confirmed the trend toward a rapidly aging population. Those over 60 years of age comprise 13.3% of China's population, compared to 10.3% in 2000. Meanwhile children under the age of 14 now make up 16.6% of the population, a sharp decrease down from 23% a decade previously.

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ITEM #3: The men who gave Aids to rural China

"I asked Gu: if people don't want to show their faces, what should I do?" Zhao says. "He said: 'If it's like that it's no problem. If no one wants to reveal their face, if no one dares to stand up, it shows how serious the discrimination is'." Gu says: "Together and Love For Life have different prerogatives. Together is informative, while Love for Life works on an emotional level. I just hope that audiences share in the emotions of my characters, and that the film helps cut down discrimination in China. When you only have a short time left in the world, your core humanity is magnified. I want my characters' humanity to shine through; to show that everybody fights for life, everybody loves, and every individual has the right to live with dignity."

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ITEM #4: Why Contraception Matters

I want to show you two things. First, I want to show you why contraception really is a big deal. I want to show you that no matter how passionate you or any of us might be about stopping abortion and divorce, until we start changing our contraceptive views and practices, we're never going to see an end to either of those two evils. Second, I want to bring all this home to us as a Church. What kind of effect, on us, does our complicity with the contraceptive mentality have? And what can we do about it?

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ITEM #5: Child Porn Among Fastest Growing Internet Businesses

Within only a few years, child pornography has become a multi-billion dollar commercial enterprise, and is among the fastest growing businesses on the Internet. 1 Through the use of digital and web cameras, child pornography has become easier and less expensive to produce. Distribution on the Internet has facilitated instant access by thousands and possibly millions of individuals throughout the world. The ability to use credit cards to purchase child pornography has made it easier than ever to obtain.

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ITEM #6: Reason Against Abortion

Abortion Problems of Women. Although interesting and, in some ways, compelling as a reason against abortion, problems continue to surface. One of the many abortion related health problems is that of future sterility. The chance of not being able to bear future children increases. After infection, damage to the cervix is the next leading cause of post-abortion reproductive problems.

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ITEM #7 Forgotten Fathers and Their Unforgettable Children

Because abortion affects both women and men, it must necessarily have an impact on couple and family relationships. Most research supports the conclusion that the vast majority of unmarried couples who participate in an abortion end their relationships within a year, often within weeks. While the outcome for married couples is more mixed, many report that their abortion led them to divorce. One study has found that unsatisfactory or mediocre marital adjustments before an abortion are predictive of greater marital or sexual maladjustments after an abortion.

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ITEM #8: Rights abuses 'continue in Myanmar'

As Myanmar reaches the final stage of its seven-step roadmap to democracy, the system of democratic governance taking shape remains severely limited and is failing to uphold human rights.

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ITEM #9: Cancer more compatible with alternate lifestyles

According to a recent report, homosexual men are twice as likely to get cancer than heterosexual men -- findings that one California-based doctor says show the risks of alternate lifestyles.

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ITEM #10: Foreign Policy: Why Babies Are Good For The Globe

Why is a growing population a good thing? For a start, most people seem to be pretty happy to be alive. The tragedy of suicide remains a comparatively rare cause of death worldwide, thankfully. And only in a very few countries across the globe do most respondents suggest in polls that they are unhappy: in Bangladesh, despite low incomes and poor health, 85 percent of the population suggests they are happy, and in Nigeria and China that number is nearly three quarters. Simply put, having the opportunity to be alive is a good thing, and the more such opportunity exists, the better.

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ITEM #11: Impact of Abortion on Men

Over the years I have spoken with many men who have contacted me looking for help. They seem to fall into these categories. This is a new field. It is possible that much more will be discovered about how men process this experience, but this information is presented as a start in understanding.

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ITEM #12: Devastating study: Up to 12 million sex-selective abortions in India, and still rising

"There were 4 million to 12 million selective abortions from 1980 to 2010 and just in the last decade, about 3 to 6 million, so the problem is increasing," said Dr. Prabhat Jha of the University of Toronto's Center for Global Health Research, and lead author of the study.

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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

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