Pro-Life News & World Review October 10, 2007

Recent Posts by Vote Life, Canada!

The Call from Vote Life, Canada! for Catholic Bishops to Convene Emergency Session is Thankfully Getting Some Traction

Eric Alcock Asked to Join Editorial Board of Newfoundland & Labrador's Largest Newspaper, The Telegram

Life Chain in Quebec City Faces Off With Anarchist and Communist “Pro-Choice” Demonstrators

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News & Views—Canada

Bill Whatcott thrown off tv and radio again
The worst crime of all in Edmonton is the killing of 5000 unborn children annually, so I stared into the tv camera and told Edmontonians, 5000 unborn children being killed annually in city abortion clinics is a far more serious issue than local gun violence. As soon as I said that, Mr. Layton threw me off the air.

From Chatelaine, a condescending rant by yesterday's feminist
Barbara Kay, National Post
A jubilant Montreal Gazette headline announced on Monday: "We've got babies on the brain." July births in Quebec -- 7,400 -- are the highest monthly total this decade, and 2007 the busiest year for maternity wards since 1996. Many women are even having third babies. Great news for demographers, but to certain ideologues cause for outrage.

Abortion doctor Henry Morgentaler portrayed as womanizer in documentary film
TORONTO -- A documentary about the life of abortion doctor Henry Morgentaler portrays the controversial figure as a charismatic ladies' man who has found it difficult to maintain monogamous relationships. The film "Henry," …makes its Canadian premiere at a Toronto screening Tuesday…

Abortion waits growing in Alberta
Edmonton Sun - Alberta’s rising population means a rising demand for abortions and waiting lists stretching to three weeks. “There’s a lot of immigration to Alberta, so all our resources are strained,” said Celia Posyniak, executive director of the Kensington Clinic in Calgary. “Once we pass a two-week waiting period, we advise women about the other options available – and refer about 100 women a month to other clinics.”

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News—Roman Catholic

Catholic Church Tries to Shake Off its Scandals With Abortion Letter
Irish Newspaper Accuses Bishops of Insincerity
A strongly-worded pastoral letter distributed yesterday at Masses throughout the Republic and the North reaffirmed the Catholic Church's uncompromising opposition to abortion. Although it is hardly news-shattering that Catholic bishops have repeated their unwavering pro-life message, what is striking is that their lordships are shaking off the debilitating shackles of the clerical child abuse scandals which seriously damaged their moral authority.

“We have to work with the legislators we have, not the ones we wish we had”
The Archdiocese of San Francisco is co-sponsoring an Oct. 27 gathering at St. Mary's Cathedral to spotlight the UN Millennium Development Goals…What are these Millennium Development Goals? Are they compatible with the Catholic Church’s view of the common good? And is St. Mary’s Cathedral providing a platform for pro-abortion politicians who are opponents of Catholic principles?

Secularism is Undermining the Very Foundations of Democratic Society, Pope Warns
VATICAN, October 5, 2007 (CWNews.com/LifeSiteNews.com) - By denying the existence of natural law, secularism is undermining the very foundations of democratic society, Pope Benedict XVI argued in an October 5 private audience with members of the International Theological Commission.

The consistency of Archbishop Burke
GetReligion - Washington, DC,USA—Remember four years ago when St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke roiled various groups by saying he would deny Democratic Sen. John Kerry communion if he presented himself for it? Four years later the most prominent Roman Catholic running for the highest office in the land is a Republican and, shockingly, Burke has the same position on communion as he did before.

Interfaith Alliance to Archbishop Burke: Butt out
Bruce Tomaso at DallasNews Religion covers the story.
Washington, DC – The Interfaith Alliance, a liberal group, criticized Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke for publicly declaring that presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani should be denied communion because of his stance on abortion. ...

Teaching the truth about human life before birth
The Tidings - Los Angeles, CA—Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, is chairman of the USCCB Committee for Pro-Life Activities. He introduces the theme of the 2007 Respect Life Sunday “The Infant in My Womb Leaped for Joy.”

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News—Evangelical

Survey: Top Issues of Concern for American Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals recently surveyed its leadership and found little concern centered on national politics or the war in Iraq. Culture concerns including consumerism, materialism, family finances and the preservation of traditional families were listed as top issues of concern to the evangelical leaders representing about 30 million members.

Giuliani, Evangelical Rift Grows Over Abortion
WASHINGTON – Conservative evangelical leaders have long openly expressed dismay over the prospect of being forced to choose between two pro-choice presidential candidates. But now, a coalition of evangelicals has gone as far as to threaten to pull their support for the Republican Party if such a candidate is selected for the last stretch of the White House race.

Evangelical fold gets new leader
Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN—An Eden Prairie pastor steps into the national spotlight at a political turning point, and he's already turning heads by preaching about climate change as a religious issue.…62-year-old Anderson is gaining an even bigger pulpit: the presidency of the National Association of Evangelicals.

U.N. Secretary-General to Address Evangelical Leaders
WASHINGTON – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will address a group of socially concerned evangelical leaders next week during a Global Leaders Dinner. Religious leaders gathering outside of Washington next Thursday will be informed about the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the importance of this time in history to make a lasting impact on poverty.

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Elections—USA

Clinton Pledges to Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton said Thursday that if elected she would sign executive order reversing President Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

LifeSiteNews report
Clinton Pledges to Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Huckabee Declines Christian-Backed Third Party
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said he would not seek, nor accept an invitation to run for president through a third political party supported by Christian conservative leaders upset over the prospect of a pro-choice Republican candidate like Rudy Giuliani.

Rudy Giuliani Falls to Fourth in Iowa, Pro-Abortion Stance Upsets 75%
Asked for their concerns about voting for a particular candidate, 55 percent of Republican voters in Iowa said the fact that Giuliani "supports abortion rights" is a "major factor" in preventing them for voting for him. Another 20 percent said abortion is a "minor factor."

If Giuliani gets nomination Republican Party will be useless to Christian conservatives
Religious right aims 'to hurt' GOP
Washington Times—Religious conservative leaders say they don't expect to win if they carry through with preparations to run their own presidential candidate next year.

The Audacity of Nuance
The Washington Times
…Barack Obama won a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America last year. "The issue of abortion, I don't think has gone away….I don't think people take the issue lightly. A lot of people have arrived in the view that I've arrived at, which is that there is a moral implication to these issues, but that the women involved are in the best position to make that determination.”

Barack Obama Promotes Abortion, Slams Abstinence in Iowa Speech
Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- Campaigning in Iowa over the weekend, pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama attempted to moderate his views on abortion and abstinence education. However, he made it clear he has no interest in limiting or reducing abortions and his pro-abstinence stance is tempered by his backing of sexual education.

Obama Breaks 'God Talk' Tradition
The freshman Illinois senator stood in the pulpit of a Pentecostal church Sunday to challenge the partisan religious perception by telling some 4,000 worshippers that faith “plays every role” in his life. “It’s what keeps me grounded. It’s what keeps my eyes set on the greatest of heights,” Obama told members of the Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, S.C., according to The Associated Press.

Kentucky Gubernatorial Candidates Beshear, Fletcher Debate Abortion
Frankfort, KY (LifeNews.com) -- Kentucky's gubernatorial candidates, abortion advocate Steve Beshear and pro-life Gov. Ernie Fletcher, debated the issue of abortion on Wednesday in a televised debate. Beshear, a Democrat, tried to play down his pro-abortion views in a state that is strongly pro-life, regardless of political party.

WCPO-TV in Cincinnati covered the debate and has video.

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News—World

Abortion Ship Operator Heads to Pro-Life Malta to Promote Abortions There
Valleta, Malta (LifeNews.com) -- The head of the pro-abortion group that operates the abortion ship that has targeted the people of Ireland, Portugal and Poland is heading to Malta, one of the few European nations that makes abortion illegal. Rebecca Gomperts will visit the island nation on Wednesday to deliver a speech advocating legal abortions.

Update:
Malta Bishops Blast Abortion as Abortion Ship Director Speaks There

New Zealand Right to Life Wins Court Ruling on 1977 Abortion Law
Wellington, New Zealand (LifeNews.com) -- The leading pro-life group in New Zealand has won the first court battle on its challenge of a 1977 abortion law. Right to Life of New Zealand took the law to the nation's high court saying that it was intended to provide abortion guidelines but has, instead, been used to promote unlimited abortions for any reason.

British MPs to Propose Bill Investigating Abortion Breast Cancer Link
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- Members of the British parliament want to add an amendment to an abortion bill the legislative body will debate next month as the nation marks 40 years of legalized abortion. Labour Party MPs Claire Curtis-Thomas and Geraldine Smith say they want the abortion bill amended to tell women of the abortion-breast cancer link.

Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires Rages Against Abortion "Death Sentence"
BUENOS AIRES, October 5, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In the wake of a clandestine abortion performed on a retarded woman with the help of the nation's health minister, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio and other Catholic authorities have let loose a torrent of criticism against the promoters of the "death sentence" for unborn children in Argentina, as well as other anti-life policies and customs.

Mexican Catholics launch campaign supporting lax abortion laws
MEXICO CITY (CNS) – Two groups of Mexican Catholics announced they are launching a nationwide campaign by distributing leaflets at Sunday Masses in support of the law allowing abortions in Mexico City, the capital.

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News—United Nations

UNICEF: **** the children
Blogger Gerald Augustinus from The Cafeteria Is Closed blogs
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has joined with the sponsors of a new drive to promote legal abortion, the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-Fam) reports.

LifeSiteNews carried a report as well
UNICEF Among Sponsors of New Campaign Promoting Abortion

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Eye-Catching Items

Man Gets '20 Years for Killing Unborn Baby'
OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha man was sentenced on Friday in his sister's death and the death of her unborn baby. William Floyd will have to serve the rest of his life in prison for fatally shooting Destiny Davis in 2003. A judge also sentenced him to 20 years for the death of the woman's unborn child.

Mother Charged With Trying to Sell Newborn
A new mother was arrested at a Manhattan hospital Friday and charged with trying to sell her 2-day-old baby for $25,000, authorities said. Yue Fan Chau, 36, of Flushing, accepted $5,000 in cash and a $20,000 check at NYU Downtown Hospital from an undercover agent for her newborn baby boy "Brian," according to Queens District .Attorney Richard Brown.

Anti-religion book a nominee for National Book Awards
Provocative author Christopher Hitchens has been nominated for a U.S. National Book Award for his bestselling work, God is Not Great. His book joins a list of non-fiction nominees…None is as controversial as Hitchens's work, which provoked a storm of naysayers with its claim that religion poisons everything.

Woman Who Killed Pregnant Mom, Stole Unborn Baby Faked Pregnancies
Carl Bowman, former husband of Lisa Montgomery, testified to that effect during Montgomery's trial on Wednesday. Montgomery made national headlines in December 2004 when she strangled Bobbie Jo Stinnett to death and cut open her stomach to steal her unborn child.

Daughter Unhappy With Plea Deal in Forced Abortion-Kidnapping Case
Nicholas and Lola Kampf are accused of kidnapping Katelyn and taking her to New York and forcing her to have an abortion. They supposedly tied her hands and feet and put her in the back of their car.

Out-of-wedlock births can prove fatal for Kurd women
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — She is 18, unmarried and eight months pregnant. She hates it when the baby shifts and kicks in her womb. "I don't hate the child," she said. "But the movements keep reminding me of my past." After she gives birth in secrecy, she will give up her child for what she describes as her family's honor. Then she will travel home to the Kurdish area of northwestern Iran to find a husband who knows nothing of her story.

LAKE OF FIRE Theatrical Trailer
Filmmaker Tony Kaye, best known for "American History X," has been working on LAKE OF FIRE for the past fifteen years...the film's title comes from one person's description of what awaits abortionists in hell.

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Research & Reports

Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to Three Embryonic Stem Cell Researchers
Stockholm, Sweden (LifeNews.com) -- Three researchers who work with controversial embryonic stem cells shared the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for their role in looking at mouse genes and using their studies to determine the human genes that cause diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Study: What Teens are Looking for, Learning in Church
What teens expect most when it comes to churches is to worship or make a connection with God, a new Barna study showed.…many teens grow up concluding that Christianity is boring, old-fashioned and out of touch with reality. Rather than simply giving teens dos and don’ts, effective youth ministry should help them become engaged, thoughtful Christ followers who have sophisticated, biblical responses to life."

Science Web Site Misleads Women Saying Abortion-Breast Cancer Link a Myth
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A leading web site on science issues ran an article on Tuesday from its "junk science" reporter that misleads women by saying the abortion-breast cancer link is nonexistent. It also says there is little or no way to prevent breast cancer, despite studies showing that having children helps protect women from the disease.

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Commentary, Letters & Stories

Abortion: Bad doctor, good law
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com--More commentary—this time from a “pro-choice” perspective—concerning Rose Acuna, the New Jersey woman who sued her doctor over an abortion.

American Life League speaks out on two recent news developments

U.S. Supreme Court is wrong on contraception ruling
Court finds religious objections to birth control coverage irrelevant
I wholeheartedly agree with attorney Kevin Baine, who stated, “A church ought to be able to run its affairs and organize relationships with its employees in a way that’s consistent with moral values and teachings.” Apparently the court finds it unacceptable to concur and prefers to side with the proponents of such laws including Planned Parenthood.

Judie Brown commentary: Devil wins in Connecticut:
Catholic Conference of Bishops in Connecticut okays rape treatment policy for hospitals
Commentary by Judie Brown
When I read the news, my first thought was, "This can't be true!" But unfortunately, it is. The Connecticut Catholic Conference caved in to political pressure and agreed to provide the morning-after pill to victims of sexual assault when “appropriate testing” is used to determine that the victim is not already with child.

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40 Days for Life

Heated Debate on Abortion in Nanuet
NANUET -- Planned Parenthood's rally yesterday in response to a nationwide anti-abortion campaign generated heated arguments…Reina Schiffrin, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, said the goal of yesterday's rally was to respond to the 40-day vigil against abortion that is taking place in 90 communities nationwide through November.

City Objects To Signs in Yards
Durango Herald, CO -- As part of a [40 Days for Life national] protest, anti-abortion advocates in Durango are distributing yard signs that call attention to their cause. But the city of Durango is warning its residents that displaying those signs in yards without first obtaining a $20 permit is a violation of city code.

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Life Chain 07

Respect Life Sunday kicks off pro-life month
From the weekly newspaper of Archbishop Raymond Burke’s Diocese
Respect Life Month in the St. Louis Archdiocese will culminate with the annual Respect Life Convention, the archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate’s major fund-raising and education event. This year’s convention, "Pray That They Will Have Life — 2007," will take place Sunday, Oct. 28, at the Adam’s Mark Hotel Downtown.

US National Life Chain Sunday 2007 - October 7 - Life Chain's 20th Year
From LifeSiteNews.com

Pro-Life Advocates Tell America: Abortion Kills Children, Hurts Women
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) Millions of pro-life advocates lined the streets of hundreds of communities across America on Sunday braving cold winds or heat and humidity to tell their neighbors an important message. The annual LifeChain is an opportunity to let people know that abortion kills children and hurts women.

Nationwide Life Chain Stands for Sanctify of Life
The Christian Post reports on Life Chain
Ann Cook said the annual life chain in Long Island usually receives a lot of mixed reactions from people as they pass by, but for some reason during this past weekend’s National Life Chain event, she saw a more positive response from the public. “There were a lot of honks in support,” Cook, a chairperson for Stand Up for Life Committee of the Long Island Coalition for Life, told The Christian Post.

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Canadian Bloggers Speak Up

Good postings from Canadian bloggers on last week’s tragic news that Turan Cocelli, who was charged with killing his 25-year-old Toronto wife, Aysun Sesen, would not be charged in the simultaneous death of her seven-month-old fetus.

Our warped moral intuitions
From True Blue Joanne at Joanne's Journey

As you were: No dead baby here, no sir.
From blogger A. Carlton Sallet at Upper Canada Catholic

Marriage is good for you and your kids
Blogger StatGuy at Magic Statistics
Cohabitation may be increasingly popular compared to marriage, but the previously well-documented health and social benefits of marriage persist. A comprehensive and wide-ranging study by Britain’s central statistical agency presents much evidence that marriage is associated with better health for both adults and children.

Fringe parties undeterred by long odds
Blogger Suzanne at BigBlueWave brings up an important point about elections and voting.
We need to allow for some non-victory-related elements to be part of our action. Because if it's only about winning, it almost becomes undemocratic because you figure: why do this at all? Why vote, if my vote doesn't elect the guy? There's gotta to be more to politics than sending an MPP to Toronto. And there is.