| Spirit & Life® | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63) Human Life International e-Newsletter Volume 05, Number 13 | Friday, April 2, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Piercing the Darkness Good Friday Even a casual observer of American society can tell that there is a certain sinister chaos spreading throughout every aspect of public life these days. Naturally, as it filters through society it finds its way into our homes, families and personal lives as well. The reports of monumental breakups and takeovers, meltdowns, dysfunctions, cutbacks, disasters, protests, catastrophic events, scandals, and just plain moral chaos are, shall we say, legion, and it does not look like there will be any let up in the dismantling of our formerly decent society any time soon. Public officials and the movers-and-shakers of social communications long ago divorced American culture from authentic Christian values, and the result is that modern America has found itself first wandering then running down a very slippery slope to moral and social anarchy. The darkness has settled upon us. This idea came home to me this week when I attended the 5th Anniversary Mass of Terri Schindler Schiavo at Ave Maria University in FL. How well I remember the horrible killing scene in Pinellas Park, FL in 2005 when the combined efforts of pro-lifers and some political allies were not able to stop the forward motion of such raw evil. From the Florida circuit courts all the way up to the US Supreme Court, the corrupt judiciaries refused to intervene and even ordered her killing, with impunity. The US Congress was almost laughably powerless to help. The utter uselessness of the bishop and clergy in the diocese where Terri was murdered was a microcosm of the Church Impotent rather than the Church Militant. The thousands of calls that the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation now gets in their attempt to stop other similar killings are an indication that this same darkness is now penetrating our society at an alarming level. Every aspect of American society is touched by this chaos: the pervasive and unstoppable corruption in government, the major media, Hollywood, academia, healthcare, and even within our own churches! All of this corruption is multiplying the shadows over our society and penetrating into every aspect of personal and family life as we speak. What I find most alarming, as an exorcist, is the spread of truly occult phenomena in our youth culture. It used to be that vampires had to go back into their coffins with the first streaks of dawn. Now handsome young vampires are sullying the covers of every gossip magazine and tantalizing prime time audiences with their evil - and teenage girls are just swooning for them.... Don't be fooled: the vampire culture is the spawn of the Harry Potter culture that has washed over our youth for a decade and still seduces parents into thinking it is all just "harmless entertainment." Kids dressing up as sorcerers, blogging about vampires, dabbling in Wicca - it's just plain seductive and evil. Our Baptismal Promises demand that we "reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises," and that includes demons, witches and vampires! If I were anything other than a Christian, I would probably despair of the status of the culture all around us. Yes, there are movements fighting to take the culture and politics back, but most of these are just about political power and, if they have an effect at all, they will just install another version of corruption in place of the political devils they cast out. The reason I don't despair in the face of all this darkness, though, is because I remember that once-upon-a-time Evil had its Hour. I am not talking about sixty-minutes of willowy darkness. I am talking about the worst crime ever committed in history, the blackest deed ever known to man: the killing of the Son of God on Calvary. The corrupt politicians, clergy and laity of the day were all implicated in the crime. Worst of all, the devil was sitting back gloating at his masterpiece of evil. But much to the devil's surprise, evil did not win the Day...because at that very moment of deepest darkness, the Son of God did something utterly unforeseen and caught the whole wicked world unaware: He shattered the darkness and rose from the dead! Who would have imagined! Ever after, those who persevere through Good Friday looking toward the joy of Easter Sunday find themselves immersed in the same eternal mystery of Light. Christ has pierced the darkness and given us Hope! We can sing the great "Te Deum" hymn with the greatest fervor now in every dark hour of our lives: "In you Lord is our hope - and we shall never hope in vain!" Sincerely, Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, President, Human Life International |
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| Copyright 2010 - 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday, April 2, 2010
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer: Piercing the Darkness
Thomas More Society Undaunted by Ruling; Will Press Forward with Vigorous ND88 Defense
Judge Scopelitis' ruling confirms that evidence of defense is fact-based; does not speak to merits of ND88's legal defense
CHICAGO, April 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Thomas More Society announced today that their motion to dismiss filed in St. Joseph County Superior Court has been denied by Judge Scopelitis. In light of the recent death of Linda Schmidt from terminal cancer and the mounting serious health complications and personal challenges experienced by several members of the ND88, the Thomas More Society continues to explore every legal opportunity to bring relief to these peaceful pro-lifers. This includes petitioning the Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C, president of Notre Dame, to request that the charges be dropped.
"We understand Judge Scopelitis' ruling to have been a strict application of a procedural rule, and we respect that decision. However, he did not rule on the merits of our legal defenses or our constitutional challenges to the validity of the charges. As such, we fully plan on presenting a vigorous defense of these prayerful individuals who bravely stood in defense of the Catholic Church's pro-life teachings," said Tom Dixon, lead attorney for the ND88, and a Notre Dame Law alumnus. In denying the motion to dismiss, "Judge Scopelitis confirmed that the evidence related to our defenses is fact-based. It is important to differentiate, though, that this decision does not speak to the merits of our legal defense, which we look forward to presenting after we have had the opportunity to conduct and complete discovery," Dixon added.
"We are honored to represent these brave Americans, but the speedy dismissal of these charges does not only benefit our clients," observed Peter Breen, TMS executive director and legal counsel, who is also a Notre Dame alumnus. "In these tough economic times--as we see state, city and personal budgets tested to their limits-- such a dismissal would benefit the residents of St. Joseph County and the already-overburdened judiciary. Fr. Jenkins obstinance in refusing to ask that these charges be dropped is saddling St. Joseph County taxpayers with the considerable costs related to this case and unnecessarily bogging down the courts."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Obama Abortion Agenda Abroad: "It's curious and curiouser"
No Maternal Health without 'Reproductive' Health
The following is an excerpt from a March 31 story from the Toronto Globe and Mail.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is seeking to make maternal health the centrepiece of the G8 summit he is hosting in Ontario in June, was initially reluctant to include contraception as part of the agenda, and he has insisted the plan would leave out abortion.
But the U.S. Secretary of State was blunt in her disagreement with this approach yesterday.
"You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health," Ms. Clinton said at a news conference after a meeting of G8 foreign ministers in Gatineau, Que. "And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.
It was the third time in a two-day visit to Canada that Ms. Clinton gave her Canadian hosts a headache.
Her willingness to ruffle feathers here - on Monday, she criticized Canada's convening of a meeting on the Arctic and publicly asked for Ottawa to keep troops in Afghanistan past a 2011 deadline - is hinting at underlying tensions between Washington and Ottawa that have surprised some diplomatic observers.
"It's curious and curiouser," said Colin Robertson, a former senior diplomat at Canada's embassy in Washington, now a senior fellow with the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute.
Sometimes you just have to say, loud and clear, "Enough!"
That's what we said when we recently heard about the appalling parody of my sister's tragic circumstances on an episode of Fox's "The Family Guy" program called "Terri Schiavo: The Musical." We were outraged that Fox and its sponsors would so heartlessly ridicule my sister's death by forced starvation.
Now we hope you will join us in expressing that outrage to the sponsors of "The Family Guy" by immediately signing our "Enough is Enough!" Petition. After you sign it, please send it out through your email, Facebook, My Space, or Twitter page to all of your friends, family, or fellow worshippers.
It's difficult to adequately convey the pain we felt as Terri was mocked and her agonizing suffering ridiculed. I was shocked at the complete cruelty and bigotry the program showed toward our beloved sister as well as toward the efforts of my family to care for her and attempt to save her life.
But there is an even bigger issue here.
Aside from the obvious pain this caused my family, the inferences of the program are clear: there is a growing, deep-rooted prejudice against people with brain-injuries and other cognitive disabilities.
The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation has given encouragement and support to over 1,000 families with loved ones living with brain injuries.
If Fox Prime and its advertisers have their way, our national leaders will increasingly demand that doctors, hospitals, and families do what the characters called for at the end of "Terri Schiavo: The Musical"—pull the plug! Instead of caring for the brain-injured the message is simple: kill the brain-injured!
That's why I need you to immediately sign our "Enough is Enough!" Petition aimed at the sponsors of "The Family Guy." I will personally see to it your petitions are delivered to the company executives!
• We MUST let companies like Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dentyne, Sonic Drive-In, Sprint, and Apple Computers know that this sort of bare-faced bigotry dehumanizes those with disabilities and dismisses the efforts of those who work tirelessly to ensure that people with disabilities receive the proper care. |
Please join us now in urging the sponsors and advertisers of "The Family Guy" to stop advertising on the program and STOP supporting such an ugly, cruel and hateful message. Take a moment right now and sign our "Enough is Enough!" Petition to the sponsors of "The Family Guy"!
Thank you for standing with us as we stand for the rights of people with disabilities.
Bobby Schindler
World Congress of Families Warns of Attempt to Smuggle Abortion into Kenyan Constitution
WASHINGTON, April 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- The World Congress of Families urges the government of Kenya not to abandon the unborn by adopting language that would facilitate abortion, in a draft of a new constitution.
WCF Communications Director Don Feder noted that the draft constitution, currently being debated in the Kenyan legislature, has contradictory provisions: "On the one hand, Section 26 states that every person has a right to life, and that life begins at conception. However, this is totally negated by the next section, which allows abortion when, in the 'opinion of a trained health professional (not necessarily a physician), there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law.'"
Groups like the Center for Reproductive Rights are urging Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to push this abortion loophole on Kenya -- not that she needs much urging.
Feder countered: "An exception to a ban on abortion for the 'health of the mother' is virtually abortion-on- demand. You can always find an obliging 'health professional' -- including mental-health workers -- who will certify that any condition would endanger a woman's health unless a pregnancy is terminated. That's the way mother's-health exceptions work in the United States, and why pro-lifers have fought them so hard."
The World Congress of Families Communications Director noted that abortion does more to jeopardize a mother's health (including making her more susceptible to breast cancer) than does carrying a child to term.
In its publication, "Does legalizing abortion protect women's health," the National Right to Life Committee (a World Congress of Families Partner) notes: "The lack of modern medicine and quality health care, not the prohibition on abortion, results in high maternal mortality rates. Legalized abortion actually leads to more abortions -- and in the developing world, where maternal health care is poor, legalization would increase the number of women who die or are harmed by abortion."
Feder addressed the June 2009 World Congress of Families Dialogue of Civilizations in Abuja, Nigeria, co- sponsored by the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage (FACH). He also spoke at the conference "Media And The Common Good" at Strathmore University in Nairobi, in November 2006.
"Wherever I've traveled in Africa, local leaders have told me they resented the attempts of Western elites to subvert the family values which are the foundation of traditional African culture," Feder disclosed.
On a recent speaking tour of the United States, Theresa Okafor (organizer of the Abuja conference and an FACH director) said Africans emphatically reject the "conspiracy to strip Africa of its cherished values by international organizations like Planned Parenthood and the United Nations."
Feder asserted: "Africa's wealth lies with its strong families as much as in its natural resources. Legalized abortion -- under whatever guise -- will weaken the African family as it has families in the West." The Amsterdam Declaration, adopted by World Congress of Families V in 2009, declares, "We call on them (governments) to protect every human being from conception to natural death."
For more information on the World Congress of Families, please visit www.worldcongress.org. To schedule an interview with a WCF spokesman, contact Larry at 815-964-5819 or larry@profam.org.
The World Congress of Families (WCF) is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and people of goodwill from more than 60 countries that seek to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society (as found in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). The WCF was founded in 1997 by Allan Carlson and is a project of The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society in Rockford, Illinois (www.profam.org). To date, there have been five World Congresses of Families - Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004) and Warsaw, Poland (2007). The fifth World Congress of Families was held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, August 10-12, 2009 (www.worldcongress.nl and www.worldcongress.org).
Governors Declare April as Abortion Recovery/Awareness Month
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- Governor Rick Perry of Texas and Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota have declared April as Abortion Recovery/Awareness Month.
"Ending a pregnancy through abortion interrupts the natural birth process and creates significant trauma and stress for those involved in the pregnancy. An abortion is a tragic ending, not only because of the loss of a life, but also because of the physical and psychological trauma caused by the procedure itself." said Governor Rick Perry of Texas.
"Abortion Recovery Month encourages and promotes healing opportunities and raises awareness of the aftermath of abortion experienced by individuals and families." said Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota. "Abortion recovery programs help individuals heal by providing counseling, support groups, encouragement, and education."
"We thank Governor Perry and Governor Pawlenty for their understanding of the consequences of abortion, and their willingness to protect women and the unborn." said Lisa Dudley, Director of Operation Outcry.
"I would like to encourage anyone hurt by abortion either directly or indirectly to seek healing. Many women and men hurt by abortion, as I was, suffer from guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts, to name a few symptoms." said Molly White, Operation Outcry leader in Texas.
There are several resources available including A.R.I.N. www.abortionrecovery.com and The National Help Line for Abortion Recovery 1-866-482-LIFE where caring people who have experienced abortion are there to help. ARIN Abortion Recovery InterNational introduced the concept of and designated April as Abortion Recovery Month a few years ago. This year other governors are considering similar proclamations in their states.
"As abortion recovery leaders we are so pleased that Governor Pawlenty recognizes the need for understanding and healing for those hurt by abortion." said Julie Webber, Operation Outcry Minnesota leader.
If you would like any more information or to set up an interview, please contact our Media Director Tracy Reynolds at 650-400-0436 or tracyrv@hotmail.com. You can view these proclamations at www.abortionrecoveryinternational.org.
Mississippi Personhood Amendment Officially on 2011 Ballot
JACKSON, Miss., April 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has notified Personhood Mississippi that enough valid voter signatures have been certified to ensure a spot on the November 2011 ballot.
The Mississippi Personhood Amendment states "The term 'person' or 'persons' shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof."
"The Legislature of the State of Mississippi has passed just about every restriction on abortion that can be passed. Still, about 3,000 preborn persons are murdered annually here. The churches and pro-life people of Mississippi are rising up to stop this slaughter, to recognize children as innocent persons, and to protect them by love and by law. We believe that the Mississippi Personhood Amendment will be voted into the Constitution, and defended," commented Les Riley, sponsor of the Personhood amendment.
On February 16, the citizen-led grassroots organization Personhood Mississippi submitted over 130,000 signatures, affirming the personhood rights of preborn babies in Mississippi. The Personhood Amendment is the fourth ballot initiative since 1992 to be placed on the State Ballot. This was the first all citizen grassroots led effort to make the ballot in State history.
"Glory to God! Mississippi has become the first state in the South to attempt to end baby-murder by recognizing the personhood of preborn children and protecting them," added Cal Zastrow, co-founder of Personhood USA.
For More Information Call: Les Riley 662-760- 8695, Cal Zastrow 601-454-4819
Personhood Mississippi is a statewide grassroots organization of concerned citizens who value human life. Personhood Mississippi is sponsoring the Personhood Amendment to the Mississippi constitution, stating "Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi: SECTION 1. Article III of the constitution of the state of Mississippi is hearby amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION TO READ: Section 33. Person defined. As used in this Article III of the state constitution, "The term 'person' or 'persons' shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof." This initiative shall not require any additional revenue for implementation."
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