The media is turning up the volume of a small number of self-labeled Christians (who counter pro-life efforts) in an attempt to convince Americans that advocating legal restrictions on abortion is NOT being pro-life.
-- From "As abortion foes grow more intense, a new view surfaces" by Michael Paulson, Boston Globe Staff 10/30/08
Over the last few weeks, more than 60 Catholic bishops, articulating their traditional views in ever stronger language, have urged voters to make abortion their top priority in an election dominated by the nation's economic turmoil.
But the urgency of the bishops reflects an increasing concern about a new argument posed by some [self-proclaimed] antiabortion [left-wing] intellectuals and organizations: that the legislative battle to outlaw abortion is hopeless and that antiabortion groups would be better off devoting themselves to preventing unwanted pregnancies and persuading pregnant women to carry their fetuses to term rather than trying to change the laws of the land. The discussion is taking place within evangelical Protestantism, as well as among Roman Catholics, but it is more visible in the Catholic Church because of the high profile of Catholic bishops.
The debate, which Trinity College professor Mark Silk termed "an emerging civil war within the upper reaches of American Catholicism," is playing out in diocesan newspapers, speeches, blogs, and op-ed pages. But the bishops' views do not appear to be having much impact on voters.
[These claims by the Boston Globe are absent substantiation.]
Recent polls have suggested that Catholics are tilting increasingly toward Democrat Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights, and some polls have suggested that Obama is also making incremental gains among evangelicals.
"The banning-abortion position, conservatives will admit, is not a realistic one in this country - it's never going to happen, and they admit it's not going to happen," said Jim Wallis, a leading progressive [self-labeled] evangelical. "Maybe abortion reduction could result in a more prolife outcome than taking what have become symbolic stances that are never going to be achieved" in the United States.
[So-called] Antiabortion Obama supporters have been using the Internet to fuel an argument that has captivated a corner of the blogosphere. A new organization called Catholic Democrats has posted a Q&A on its website suggesting that Democrats would do a better job than Republicans at reducing the abortion rate, and Catholics United, another liberal organization, has launched a direct-mail campaign in swing states urging Catholics to rethink what it means to be "pro-life."
Scholars say the idea of abortion reduction is not new. As president, Bill Clinton wanted to make abortion "safe, legal, and rare."
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver addressed the issue in a recent speech, saying, "People who claim that the abortion struggle is lost as a matter of law, or that supporting an outspoken defender of legal abortion is somehow prolife, are not just wrong; they're betraying the witness of every person who continues the work of defending the unborn child."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Mass. Christians Silenced by Intimidation
It behooves Christian leaders to examine the actual events in Massachusetts to observe empirical evidence of the loss of religious liberty and freedom of speech, here in the "land of the free, and the home of the brave." History buffs will recognize the parallels with Germany leading up to WWII.
Read a summary of brutal intimidation by CLICKING HERE (including tactics by the homosexual advocates against the Christians).
The below is a list of the attacks by the opposition, and lack of support by many Christian institutions to a grassroots effort attempting to petition for a citizens vote on the repeal of a 1913 law that has, for the past few years, been cited to forbid homosexual couples from outside of Massachusetts to be married in Massachusetts.
The Christian petition effort failed because:
Read a summary of brutal intimidation by CLICKING HERE (including tactics by the homosexual advocates against the Christians).
The below is a list of the attacks by the opposition, and lack of support by many Christian institutions to a grassroots effort attempting to petition for a citizens vote on the repeal of a 1913 law that has, for the past few years, been cited to forbid homosexual couples from outside of Massachusetts to be married in Massachusetts.
The Christian petition effort failed because:
- Many people were afraid that if they signed, their names would end up on homosexual web sites and they would be harassed. As we all know, this happened with the Marriage Amendment petition signers, and a lot of people were harassed.
- Homosexual activists terrorized our petition gatherers across the state. They would come up to them and scream horrible things, and then call the police (or store managers) with phony complaints and charges. It happened constantly. Homosexual websites sometimes tracked our signature-gathering activities. And they even tried to intimidate the MassResistance office by sending us a stream of obscene emails.
- The Archdiocese of Boston opposed the effort and took extraordinary steps to thwart it. They contacted every Catholic church in Massachusetts and told them not to allow petitions to be gathered there. Priests spoke from the pulpit against it, and ordered petition gatherers off the property. (Ironically, in July the Archdiocese had publicly denounced the Legislalture's repeal of the 1913 law -- and the Cardinal himself signed our petition!)
- The pro-family group Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) publicly opposed the effort, discouraged people from participating, and refused to help us contact churches they were affiliated with. (Basically, we were told, they were afraid that if we forced a statewide election, it would be too difficult a fight and they wanted to avoid that.)
- Since this actually only affected people in other states, we were counting on out-of-state donors to help us out. For example, we were all ready to mail petitions to 80,000 people who had signed the Marriage Amendment. This would have been a huge boost! But we needed money to at least pay for postage. Unfortunately the out-of-staters we asked (including the American Family Association) all turned us down. What we learned is that, basically, they've given up on Massachusetts. But we haven't.
- Our friend Larry Cirignano, who helped run the Marriage Amendment petition drive, had agreed to come in run this petition drive (for reasonably generous pay). But after taking the first few weeks off to attend the Democratic and Republican national conventions and then a values voter convention, Larry suddenly abandoned this effort to work instead for the Jeff Beatty US Senate campaign. Larry never explained to us why he did this, but he did mention that a certain MFI director had pressured him not to work with us. (This was very hard for us to recover from. But over the last few weeks a stalwart group of people stepped up and did yeomen's work.)
- Unlike with initiative petitions and constitutional amendments, we didn't have months to plan this. We had to act within days of the repeal of the 1913 law, and immediately get to work.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Designer Baby Production Now Science-Reality
Genetic testing . . . allows scientists to test embryos developed in the laboratory so that only "healthy" embryos are implanted into the womb, experts said at the National Press Club on Tuesday.
UPDATE 3/15/15: Secret Designer Babies via Gene-editing Science
-- From "Genetic Testing in a Petri Dish Could Eliminate 'Imperfect' Humans -- Before Implanting in Mom" by Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer, CNSNews.com 10/29/08
"Pre-implantation" screening is done by egg fertilization in a Petri dish and then the embryos are screened so that those with genetic disorders can be eliminated, said panelist Sherri Bale, a medical geneticist and co-founder of GeneDx, a company that offers molecular diagnoses of hereditary disorders.
. . . Bale said. "We're going to test those embryos and we're going to find out which ones don't carry the mutation and those embryos can be implanted back into the mom and then she can have a baby that's virtually guaranteed not to have this disease."
When asked by CNSNews.com whether genetic testing will allow parents to only have what they consider perfect children, panel members did not answer the question directly . . .
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 3/15/15: Secret Designer Babies via Gene-editing Science
-- From "Genetic Testing in a Petri Dish Could Eliminate 'Imperfect' Humans -- Before Implanting in Mom" by Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer, CNSNews.com 10/29/08
"Pre-implantation" screening is done by egg fertilization in a Petri dish and then the embryos are screened so that those with genetic disorders can be eliminated, said panelist Sherri Bale, a medical geneticist and co-founder of GeneDx, a company that offers molecular diagnoses of hereditary disorders.
. . . Bale said. "We're going to test those embryos and we're going to find out which ones don't carry the mutation and those embryos can be implanted back into the mom and then she can have a baby that's virtually guaranteed not to have this disease."
When asked by CNSNews.com whether genetic testing will allow parents to only have what they consider perfect children, panel members did not answer the question directly . . .
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Pro-life Pharmacy Opens in D.C. Suburb
-- From "Full house greets 'faith-based' pharmacy" by Julia Duin, Washington Times 10/22/08
Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy, one of fewer than a dozen pharmacies in the country that refuse to stock any kind of birth control, cigarettes, pornography or condoms, opened with a Catholic bishop's blessing and sprinklings of holy water Tuesday in Chantilly [Virginia].
The store, just off Route 50 in one of Northern Virginia's busiest corridors, refuses to dispense birth control on the grounds that it destroys a developing life and that the hormones in birth-control pills are dangerous to a woman's health. Catholic doctrine forbids the use of artificial birth control.
The DMC Pharmacy is part of a national debate on the rights of pro-life pharmacists versus consumers who insist they dispense birth control. At least two people at the opening said they were Catholic pharmacists who said they had either lost their jobs for not giving out contraceptives or were in danger of doing so.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy, one of fewer than a dozen pharmacies in the country that refuse to stock any kind of birth control, cigarettes, pornography or condoms, opened with a Catholic bishop's blessing and sprinklings of holy water Tuesday in Chantilly [Virginia].
The store, just off Route 50 in one of Northern Virginia's busiest corridors, refuses to dispense birth control on the grounds that it destroys a developing life and that the hormones in birth-control pills are dangerous to a woman's health. Catholic doctrine forbids the use of artificial birth control.
The DMC Pharmacy is part of a national debate on the rights of pro-life pharmacists versus consumers who insist they dispense birth control. At least two people at the opening said they were Catholic pharmacists who said they had either lost their jobs for not giving out contraceptives or were in danger of doing so.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
MN School Forced to Allow Pro-life T-shirts
The Hutchinson School District has settled a lawsuit with the family of a sixth grader over the district's response to anti-abortion T-shirts he wore to school.
-- From "Minn. school district settles T-shirt lawsuit" Associated Press 10/23/08
The district agreed to pay the student $1 damages and $12,500 in legal fees . . .
The settlement allows the student to wear his T-shirts, although the district retained the right to react if the shirts cause substantial disruption in the schools.
The lawsuit claims that during April a middle school principal and several teachers told the student he couldn't wear the shirts, and when he did they made him turn them inside out.
The lawsuit was filed in June by attorneys for the Thomas More Law Center, a Michigan-based Christian legal advocacy group.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Minn. school district settles T-shirt lawsuit" Associated Press 10/23/08
The district agreed to pay the student $1 damages and $12,500 in legal fees . . .
The settlement allows the student to wear his T-shirts, although the district retained the right to react if the shirts cause substantial disruption in the schools.
The lawsuit claims that during April a middle school principal and several teachers told the student he couldn't wear the shirts, and when he did they made him turn them inside out.
The lawsuit was filed in June by attorneys for the Thomas More Law Center, a Michigan-based Christian legal advocacy group.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Abortion Photos Impact N. Carolina Univ.
18-foot-tall anti-abortion exhibit by Carolina Students for Life sparks heated discussion
-- From "Exhibit draws heated response" by Meera Jagannathan, Staff Writer, The Daily Tar Heel 10/23/08
The [university pro-life] group obtained $5,000 from Student Congress in September to bring the exhibit, created by Kansas-based anti-abortion group Justice for All, to campus.
The reaction among UNC students was overwhelmingly negative.
Members of abortion-rights groups also appeared at the exhibition, handing out information and speaking to students walking by.
“I believe in free speech and all of that, but I feel like this is all ill-informed propaganda,” [said first-year student Jaime Willett, referring to the exhibit.]
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Exhibit draws heated response" by Meera Jagannathan, Staff Writer, The Daily Tar Heel 10/23/08
The [university pro-life] group obtained $5,000 from Student Congress in September to bring the exhibit, created by Kansas-based anti-abortion group Justice for All, to campus.
The reaction among UNC students was overwhelmingly negative.
Members of abortion-rights groups also appeared at the exhibition, handing out information and speaking to students walking by.
“I believe in free speech and all of that, but I feel like this is all ill-informed propaganda,” [said first-year student Jaime Willett, referring to the exhibit.]
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Moveon.org's George Soros Bankrolls Abortion-rights Catholics
Billionaire's money buys support from catholic scholars for pro-abortion candidates
-- From "Catholic League claims Catholic political groups are financed by George Soros" posted at Catholic News Agency 10/20/08
The Catholic League’s president Bill Donohue has come out swinging at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United for having ties to the left-wing financier George Soros.
Donohue charges that Soros’ liberal credentials couldn’t be more clear, citing a 2005 campaign by Soros-financed Moveon.org to convince Americans that they should back Democrats efforts to filibuster President George W. Bush’s judicial nominees to the Supreme Court.
Although the incident occurred in 2005, Donohue now says that Soros is financing two organizations that have close ties to the Democrat Party and are “apologists for abortion rights.”
For his part, Donohue believes that George Soros, who is Jewish, is driven to fund Catholic groups because he has an agenda to normalize Catholic support for abortion.
“The reason Soros funds the Catholic Left is the same reason he lavishly funds Catholics for Choice, the pro-abortion group that has twice been condemned as a fraud by Catholic bishops: they all service his agenda, namely, to make support for abortion rights a respectable Catholic position,” Donohue stated on Monday.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Catholic League claims Catholic political groups are financed by George Soros" posted at Catholic News Agency 10/20/08
The Catholic League’s president Bill Donohue has come out swinging at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United for having ties to the left-wing financier George Soros.
Donohue charges that Soros’ liberal credentials couldn’t be more clear, citing a 2005 campaign by Soros-financed Moveon.org to convince Americans that they should back Democrats efforts to filibuster President George W. Bush’s judicial nominees to the Supreme Court.
Although the incident occurred in 2005, Donohue now says that Soros is financing two organizations that have close ties to the Democrat Party and are “apologists for abortion rights.”
For his part, Donohue believes that George Soros, who is Jewish, is driven to fund Catholic groups because he has an agenda to normalize Catholic support for abortion.
“The reason Soros funds the Catholic Left is the same reason he lavishly funds Catholics for Choice, the pro-abortion group that has twice been condemned as a fraud by Catholic bishops: they all service his agenda, namely, to make support for abortion rights a respectable Catholic position,” Donohue stated on Monday.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Solution to Teen Pregnancy: Teach Sex in Kindergarten
... with one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, the British government is bringing sex education to all schools in England — including kindergartens.
-- From "Kindergarten sex ed mandatory in England" Associated Press 10/24/08
While countries like France, Holland and China already require sex education, few places demand that it be introduced at such a young age.
The government hasn’t detailed what the new curriculum will look like, but schools will be asked to provide lessons on relationships and contraception, topics not previously required.
Britain has among the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, with government figures showing that about 39,000 girls between ages 15 and 17 became pregnant in 2006, the year for which the most recent figures are available. An additional 7,200 girls between the ages of 13 and 14 were reported pregnant the same year.
French students get sex ed in middle and high schools. Norwegian students typically get mandatory sex education around age 15. The topic is not mandatory but left up to principals and teachers in Italy.
In Finland, at age 11 or 12 children in school are taught about reproduction but sexual health and human relations begins between age 14 or 15. The Finish children’s watchdog, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, last month proposed distributing free condoms to ninth graders (16 year olds) in schools to the stop spread of sexually transmitted diseases; education authorities rejected it.
In the United States, which lacks a national curriculum, the decision to offer sex education is left to individual states and districts. In recent years, the federal government has funded programs promoting sexual abstinence. The abstinence programs are favored by religious conservatives.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Kindergarten sex ed mandatory in England" Associated Press 10/24/08
While countries like France, Holland and China already require sex education, few places demand that it be introduced at such a young age.
The government hasn’t detailed what the new curriculum will look like, but schools will be asked to provide lessons on relationships and contraception, topics not previously required.
Britain has among the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, with government figures showing that about 39,000 girls between ages 15 and 17 became pregnant in 2006, the year for which the most recent figures are available. An additional 7,200 girls between the ages of 13 and 14 were reported pregnant the same year.
French students get sex ed in middle and high schools. Norwegian students typically get mandatory sex education around age 15. The topic is not mandatory but left up to principals and teachers in Italy.
In Finland, at age 11 or 12 children in school are taught about reproduction but sexual health and human relations begins between age 14 or 15. The Finish children’s watchdog, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, last month proposed distributing free condoms to ninth graders (16 year olds) in schools to the stop spread of sexually transmitted diseases; education authorities rejected it.
In the United States, which lacks a national curriculum, the decision to offer sex education is left to individual states and districts. In recent years, the federal government has funded programs promoting sexual abstinence. The abstinence programs are favored by religious conservatives.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Northern Calif. Students Buck College Trend on Marriage
Students at California's largest 2-year college vote to support student council on stand for traditional marriage, despite vocal homosexual advocates' leading
-- From "Recall Fails In Campus's Prop. 8 Fight" posted at KCRA TV-3 Sacramento 10/23/08
Nine student leaders who voted to support Proposition 8 won't lose their council seats [at American River College in Sacramento for their Sept. 30 vote to support traditional marriage.]
The leader's decision to endorse Prop. 8, a statewide ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage, caused 3,486 people to turn out and vote on the recall [of the student council].
Supporters of gay marriage responded by launching the recall effort, saying that their views were not properly represented.
Officials said the 3,486 people who turned out to vote on the recall on Tuesday and Wednesday is the largest in school history.
-- From "'Gay' advocates fail to unseat Christians" by Chelsea Schilling © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/25/08
Councilman Vladimir Musorivschi said the vote reflected student support of traditional marriage.
"Our campus is made up of a fairly conservative, Christian student body," he said. "Our vote to endorse Prop 8 was simply a reflection of the attitude of the majority of our students."
Several of the students in the audience yelled profanities after the original endorsement. "Gay" advocates chanted "2,4,6,8 we are here to stop the hate; 2,4,6,8 we are here to stop Prop. 8!" and one held a sign that said, "Lesbians are My Posse!"
"They were cursing, 'F--- you!'" Popko said. "They were people who didn't support Prop. 8. They were disruptive, and they couldn't contain themselves, so they were escorted out of the building during the council meeting."
Councilwoman Veronika Vorobyov said she noticed hostility toward her because she supports the Marriage Protection Amendment.
"I'm very, very surprised that the recall election failed because it seemed like a lot of people really hated us and wanted us out of there," she said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, October 24, 2008
On November 4th, Change is Coming to America
Now is the time to stand for God, for country, for truth. Every Christian holds within his vote the power to change the world. One vote can speak for millions of unheard voices. Faith - Life - Marriage - Family.
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Thursday, October 23, 2008
Calif. Elementary School Celebrates Homosexuality
Same-sex marriage advocates dismiss so-called "fear mongering" that allowing same-sex marriage will change what is taught in elementary schools. Well, what has happened in Massachusetts is already happening in California.
-- From "'Coming Out Day' Coming This Week to California Elementary Schools" a Pacific Justice Institute News release 10/22/08
Parents at a K-8 charter school in Hayward [California] were shocked to learn this week the extent to which their school is promoting gay and lesbian ideals to their daughter in kindergarten.
The parents were shocked to see a poster announcing that "Coming Out Day" will be celebrated at the school this coming Thursday, October 23. The school, Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, chose not to tell parents ahead of time, but it is in the midst of celebrating "Ally Week," a pro-homosexual push typically aimed at high school students. When one mother asked her daughter earlier this week what she was learning in kindergarten at the school, the 5-year-old replied, "We're learning to be allies." The mother also learned that her daughter's kindergarten classroom is regularly used during lunchtime for meetings of a Gay Straight Alliance club.
To read the entire press release, CLICK HERE.
-- From "'Coming Out Day' Coming This Week to California Elementary Schools" a Pacific Justice Institute News release 10/22/08
Parents at a K-8 charter school in Hayward [California] were shocked to learn this week the extent to which their school is promoting gay and lesbian ideals to their daughter in kindergarten.
The parents were shocked to see a poster announcing that "Coming Out Day" will be celebrated at the school this coming Thursday, October 23. The school, Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, chose not to tell parents ahead of time, but it is in the midst of celebrating "Ally Week," a pro-homosexual push typically aimed at high school students. When one mother asked her daughter earlier this week what she was learning in kindergarten at the school, the 5-year-old replied, "We're learning to be allies." The mother also learned that her daughter's kindergarten classroom is regularly used during lunchtime for meetings of a Gay Straight Alliance club.
To read the entire press release, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Mass. Same-sex 'Marriage' Actual Results
Anyone who thinks that same-sex “marriage” is a benign eccentricity which won’t affect the average person should consider what it has done in Massachusetts. And this train is moving fast. What has happened so far is only the beginning.
-- From "What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts" by Brian Camenker, MassResistance 10/20/08
Homosexual “marriage” hangs over society like a hammer with the force of law. And it’s only just begun.
It’s pretty clear that the homosexual movement’s obsession with marriage is not because large numbers of them actually want to marry each other. Research shows that homosexual relationships are fundamentally dysfunctional on many levels, and “marriage” as we know it isn’t something they can achieve, or even desire. (In fact, over the last three months, the Sunday Boston Globe’s marriage section hasn’t had any photos of homosexual marriages. In the beginning it was full of them.) This is about putting the legal stamp of approval on homosexuality and imposing it with force throughout the various social and political institutions of a society that would never accept it otherwise. To the rest of America: You've been forewarned.
Read it and weep.
-- From "What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts" by Brian Camenker, MassResistance 10/20/08
Homosexual “marriage” hangs over society like a hammer with the force of law. And it’s only just begun.
It’s pretty clear that the homosexual movement’s obsession with marriage is not because large numbers of them actually want to marry each other. Research shows that homosexual relationships are fundamentally dysfunctional on many levels, and “marriage” as we know it isn’t something they can achieve, or even desire. (In fact, over the last three months, the Sunday Boston Globe’s marriage section hasn’t had any photos of homosexual marriages. In the beginning it was full of them.) This is about putting the legal stamp of approval on homosexuality and imposing it with force throughout the various social and political institutions of a society that would never accept it otherwise. To the rest of America: You've been forewarned.
Read it and weep.
Once again, Catholic Sen. Biden is Wrong on Abortion
. . . Joe Biden is coming under scrutiny for a new interview in which he says he thinks Catholics can support abortion. Biden also comes under fire for misstating the effect of Roe v. Wade and denying that it allows virtually unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy.
-- From "Joe Biden: Catholic Can be Pro-Abortion, Misstates Effect of Roe v. Wade" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 10/21/08
Biden goes on to misrepresent the position of the Catholic Church on abortion in a way that has gotten him in trouble recently.
"But throughout the church's history, we've argued between whether or not it is wrong in every circumstance and the degree of wrong. Catholics have this notion, it's almost a gradation," Biden claimed.
Biden tells the Delaware newspaper that he believes in the trimester-based approach to regulating abortions that allows more limits on abortions as the baby grows.
"I am prepared as a senator to say that the framework of Roe v. Wade based upon this imperfect trimester notion captures the gravity of how you should approach this most serious of decisions relating to life and death," he said.
But Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of National Right to Life, says Biden "badly mischaracterizes the Supreme Court's doctrines on abortion."
"In 1992, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the 'core holdings' of Roe v. Wade on a vote of 5 to 4," Johnson explained. "At the same time, the Court explicitly repudiated any distinction whatever between the first and second trimester, writing, 'We reject the trimester framework, which we do not consider to be part of the essential holding of Roe.'"
That is important because Roe actually allows unlimited abortions at any point in pregnancy, Johnson said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Joe Biden: Catholic Can be Pro-Abortion, Misstates Effect of Roe v. Wade" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 10/21/08
Biden goes on to misrepresent the position of the Catholic Church on abortion in a way that has gotten him in trouble recently.
"But throughout the church's history, we've argued between whether or not it is wrong in every circumstance and the degree of wrong. Catholics have this notion, it's almost a gradation," Biden claimed.
Biden tells the Delaware newspaper that he believes in the trimester-based approach to regulating abortions that allows more limits on abortions as the baby grows.
"I am prepared as a senator to say that the framework of Roe v. Wade based upon this imperfect trimester notion captures the gravity of how you should approach this most serious of decisions relating to life and death," he said.
But Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of National Right to Life, says Biden "badly mischaracterizes the Supreme Court's doctrines on abortion."
"In 1992, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the 'core holdings' of Roe v. Wade on a vote of 5 to 4," Johnson explained. "At the same time, the Court explicitly repudiated any distinction whatever between the first and second trimester, writing, 'We reject the trimester framework, which we do not consider to be part of the essential holding of Roe.'"
That is important because Roe actually allows unlimited abortions at any point in pregnancy, Johnson said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Denver Archbishop Rebuffs Catholics who Say Obama is Pro-Life
"To suggest - as some Catholics do - that Senator Obama is this year's 'real' pro-life candidate requires a peculiar kind of self-hypnosis, or moral confusion, or worse."
-- From "Archbishop criticizes Obama, Catholic allies" by Eric Gorski, Associated Press 10/19/08
Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput labeled Barack Obama the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate from a major party in 35 years while accusing a Catholic Obama ally and other Democratic-friendly Catholic groups of doing a "disservice to the church."
Although the Catholic left is not new, several advocacy groups have either formed or ramped up activities since 2004. Partly, their efforts are a response to attention given to the pro-abortion rights stance of Democrat John Kerry, a Catholic who was criticized by a few bishops who suggested he should be denied or refrain from Communion.
Douglas Kmiec, a Catholic law professor . . . wrote a book making a Catholic case for Obama.
While applauding Kmiec's past record, Chaput said: "I think his activism for Senator Barack Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress pro-lifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Archbishop criticizes Obama, Catholic allies" by Eric Gorski, Associated Press 10/19/08
Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput labeled Barack Obama the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate from a major party in 35 years while accusing a Catholic Obama ally and other Democratic-friendly Catholic groups of doing a "disservice to the church."
Although the Catholic left is not new, several advocacy groups have either formed or ramped up activities since 2004. Partly, their efforts are a response to attention given to the pro-abortion rights stance of Democrat John Kerry, a Catholic who was criticized by a few bishops who suggested he should be denied or refrain from Communion.
Douglas Kmiec, a Catholic law professor . . . wrote a book making a Catholic case for Obama.
While applauding Kmiec's past record, Chaput said: "I think his activism for Senator Barack Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress pro-lifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Pew Survey: Journalism Nearly Void of Christians
The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reported in 2007 that 8 percent of journalists surveyed at national media outlets said they attended church or synagogue weekly. The survey also found 29 percent never attend such services, with 39 percent reporting they go a few times a year.
-- From "Evangelicals are in the news, but not in newsrooms" by Rose French, Associated Press 10/17/08
"Journalism has become more of a white-collar field that draws from elite colleges," said Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and a religion columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. "While there's been heavy gender and racial diversity ... there's a lack of cultural diversity in journalism," including religion.
Many evangelical journalists start out in secular news organizations but they soon join Christian media that offer an environment more accepting of their beliefs and more family-friendly than the long hours and low pay of secular journalism, said Robert Case II, director of the World Journalism Institute, which offers seminars for young evangelicals seeking work in secular media.
"They have to be journalists first," Mattingly said. "You don't need more Christian journalists. You need more journalists who happen to be Christians if they're going to contribute to any real diversity in newsrooms."
Scott Bosley, executive director for the American Society of Newspaper Editors: "I don't think the sole measures of the effectiveness or success of newsrooms in reflecting their communities depends on having precise quotas of folks representing all different ideologies, be they Christian or not," he said. "We have a lot of generalists in newsrooms and they tend to have to learn about a lot of things."
And that final line demonstrates how blind liberals are to their own bias.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Evangelicals are in the news, but not in newsrooms" by Rose French, Associated Press 10/17/08
"Journalism has become more of a white-collar field that draws from elite colleges," said Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and a religion columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. "While there's been heavy gender and racial diversity ... there's a lack of cultural diversity in journalism," including religion.
Many evangelical journalists start out in secular news organizations but they soon join Christian media that offer an environment more accepting of their beliefs and more family-friendly than the long hours and low pay of secular journalism, said Robert Case II, director of the World Journalism Institute, which offers seminars for young evangelicals seeking work in secular media.
"They have to be journalists first," Mattingly said. "You don't need more Christian journalists. You need more journalists who happen to be Christians if they're going to contribute to any real diversity in newsrooms."
Scott Bosley, executive director for the American Society of Newspaper Editors: "I don't think the sole measures of the effectiveness or success of newsrooms in reflecting their communities depends on having precise quotas of folks representing all different ideologies, be they Christian or not," he said. "We have a lot of generalists in newsrooms and they tend to have to learn about a lot of things."
And that final line demonstrates how blind liberals are to their own bias.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Unborn Lives Spared During Prayer Vigil
40 Days For Life oppose abortion industry by using prayer
-- From "268 lives saved, Planned Parenthood irritated" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/17/08
Organizers of a campaign against abortion that is scheduled to end just before the November election are declaring their effort a success, just halfway through the six weeks of work.
"I know 40 Days for Life is on the right track whenever Planned Parenthood cranks up its PR machine," said Shawn Carney, national outreach director of 40 Days for Life. "And if you read some of the things Planned Parenthood and its supporters are publishing these days, it's obvious that the nation's largest abortion chain sees trouble on the horizon."
"By our best estimates, tens of thousands of pro-life people in more than 175 communities in 47 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and two Canadian provinces are participating," said Carney. "Local campaign coordinators report that thus far, at least 268 mothers have left abortion facilities without having abortions."
He said in addition, pro-life pregnancy resource centers are reporting a significant increase in calls for help, and local campaign coordinators are reporting a drop in the number of abortion business customers, a decline of up to 30 or even 50 percent in some locations.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "268 lives saved, Planned Parenthood irritated" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/17/08
Organizers of a campaign against abortion that is scheduled to end just before the November election are declaring their effort a success, just halfway through the six weeks of work.
"I know 40 Days for Life is on the right track whenever Planned Parenthood cranks up its PR machine," said Shawn Carney, national outreach director of 40 Days for Life. "And if you read some of the things Planned Parenthood and its supporters are publishing these days, it's obvious that the nation's largest abortion chain sees trouble on the horizon."
"By our best estimates, tens of thousands of pro-life people in more than 175 communities in 47 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and two Canadian provinces are participating," said Carney. "Local campaign coordinators report that thus far, at least 268 mothers have left abortion facilities without having abortions."
He said in addition, pro-life pregnancy resource centers are reporting a significant increase in calls for help, and local campaign coordinators are reporting a drop in the number of abortion business customers, a decline of up to 30 or even 50 percent in some locations.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, October 17, 2008
CA Teachers' Union Dues Promotes Same-sex Marriage
The California Teachers Assn. donated $1 million this week to defeat a ballot initiative seeking to ban same-sex marriage in California, joining the ranks of wealthy gay rights activists and Hollywood politicos as one of the major donors to the campaign.
-- From "Teachers union donates $1 million to oppose Proposition 8" by Evelyn Larrubia, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 10/17/08
Until now, the largest donation the [same-sex marriage proponents] had received from a labor union was $500,000 from the Service Employees International Union.
"I think the California Teachers Assn. is well-known to be a political group, and it's not the first time it has not represented the true voice of its members," said Sonja Eddings Brown, spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California, the measure's backer.
She said she agreed that the issue is civil rights -- not those of gay couples, but rather those of children to be raised by a mother and a father.
The $1-million donation comes on the heels of an internal poll by opponents of Proposition 8 showing that the campaign to defeat the measure was in trouble. The teachers union had already contributed $250,000 to the campaign this summer.
[Proponents of traditional marriage] ads show what happened in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal and taught to second graders in public schools after a court battle in which parents lost the right to opt their children out of the lessons.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Teachers union donates $1 million to oppose Proposition 8" by Evelyn Larrubia, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 10/17/08
Until now, the largest donation the [same-sex marriage proponents] had received from a labor union was $500,000 from the Service Employees International Union.
"I think the California Teachers Assn. is well-known to be a political group, and it's not the first time it has not represented the true voice of its members," said Sonja Eddings Brown, spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California, the measure's backer.
She said she agreed that the issue is civil rights -- not those of gay couples, but rather those of children to be raised by a mother and a father.
The $1-million donation comes on the heels of an internal poll by opponents of Proposition 8 showing that the campaign to defeat the measure was in trouble. The teachers union had already contributed $250,000 to the campaign this summer.
[Proponents of traditional marriage] ads show what happened in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal and taught to second graders in public schools after a court battle in which parents lost the right to opt their children out of the lessons.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mainstream Media Won't Publish Catholic Poll
Poll shows vast majority of ALL Americans oppose abortion and same-sex marriage, yet none of the mainstream media will print it
Observe the spin:
-- From "Survey: Catholic voters split on abortion, gay marriage" by Ashley Gipson, Religion News Service 10/14/08
U.S. Catholic voters are split on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage between those who attend church at least twice a month and those who attend church less often, according to a survey released Tuesday (Oct. 14) by the Knights of Columbus.
The survey found that both Catholics (73 percent) and non-Catholics (71 percent) agreed that America needs a "moral makeover." Non-practicing Catholics — defined as those who attend church less than twice a month — were more likely to support abortion rights and same-sex marriage than the American population at large.
Seventy-five percent of practicing Catholics oppose same-sex marriage, compared to 54% of non-practicing Catholics. Sixty-five percent of non-practicing Catholics identified themselves as "pro-choice" on abortion, compared to 36% of practicing Catholics.
The survey revealed that 76% of pro-choice non-practicing Catholics said abortion should be significantly restricted.
And now, the poll results:
-- From "Poll: 84% oppose abortion, 70% oppose same-sex marriage" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/14/08
A poll has revealed surprising statistics about Americans: 84 percent agree that abortion should be significantly restricted, and 70 percent say they would vote for a candidate who opposed same-sex marriage.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 for the Knights of Columbus, a 1.7 million-member Catholic men's society formed to provide mutual aid to its members and families, by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
The poll surveyed 1,733 Americans from across the nation, 1,503 of whom are registered voters and 813 of whom are Roman Catholics.
The results on the issue of abortion were particularly unexpected:
Only 8 percent of those polled believed abortion should be available to a woman at any time in her pregnancy
Of the 50 percent who called themselves pro-choice, three-fifths said abortion should only be available in the first three months of pregnancy
71 percent of registered voters said they would support a candidate who maintains that life begins at conception
71 percent of those calling themselves pro-choice said they would approve of significant limits to abortion access beyond our nation's current laws on abortion
84 percent of the total believes abortion should be significantly restricted, favoring a variety of limits, from permitting the procedure only in the first three months of pregnancy, to only in the case of rape or incest, to not at all
When asked about the issue of same-sex marriage, nation-wide agreement was also apparent:
Only 30 percent of those polled support legalizing same-sex marriage
38 percent of Americans oppose any legal recognition of same-sex couples, including civil unions
70 percent of Americans (and 70 percent of Catholics) said they would vote for a candidate who believed marriage should be between one man and one woman
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Observe the spin:
-- From "Survey: Catholic voters split on abortion, gay marriage" by Ashley Gipson, Religion News Service 10/14/08
U.S. Catholic voters are split on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage between those who attend church at least twice a month and those who attend church less often, according to a survey released Tuesday (Oct. 14) by the Knights of Columbus.
The survey found that both Catholics (73 percent) and non-Catholics (71 percent) agreed that America needs a "moral makeover." Non-practicing Catholics — defined as those who attend church less than twice a month — were more likely to support abortion rights and same-sex marriage than the American population at large.
Seventy-five percent of practicing Catholics oppose same-sex marriage, compared to 54% of non-practicing Catholics. Sixty-five percent of non-practicing Catholics identified themselves as "pro-choice" on abortion, compared to 36% of practicing Catholics.
The survey revealed that 76% of pro-choice non-practicing Catholics said abortion should be significantly restricted.
And now, the poll results:
-- From "Poll: 84% oppose abortion, 70% oppose same-sex marriage" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/14/08
A poll has revealed surprising statistics about Americans: 84 percent agree that abortion should be significantly restricted, and 70 percent say they would vote for a candidate who opposed same-sex marriage.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 for the Knights of Columbus, a 1.7 million-member Catholic men's society formed to provide mutual aid to its members and families, by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
The poll surveyed 1,733 Americans from across the nation, 1,503 of whom are registered voters and 813 of whom are Roman Catholics.
The results on the issue of abortion were particularly unexpected:
Only 8 percent of those polled believed abortion should be available to a woman at any time in her pregnancy
Of the 50 percent who called themselves pro-choice, three-fifths said abortion should only be available in the first three months of pregnancy
71 percent of registered voters said they would support a candidate who maintains that life begins at conception
71 percent of those calling themselves pro-choice said they would approve of significant limits to abortion access beyond our nation's current laws on abortion
84 percent of the total believes abortion should be significantly restricted, favoring a variety of limits, from permitting the procedure only in the first three months of pregnancy, to only in the case of rape or incest, to not at all
When asked about the issue of same-sex marriage, nation-wide agreement was also apparent:
Only 30 percent of those polled support legalizing same-sex marriage
38 percent of Americans oppose any legal recognition of same-sex couples, including civil unions
70 percent of Americans (and 70 percent of Catholics) said they would vote for a candidate who believed marriage should be between one man and one woman
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Oral Sex Causes Cancer
With abstinence education the obvious remedy for the epidemic, the media insist rampant sex continue: "You have to be careful. Know who you're with and you have to take precautions. You need to educate yourself."
UPDATE 04/07/09: Swedish Study Shows Oral Sex Causes Cancer
-- From "The Oral Sex Cancer Connection" by Cathy Becker, ABC News 10/15/08
While most HPV infections clear on their own, there is an alarming surge of oral cancers linked to the virus.
Johns Hopkins researchers reported in a study published in February in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that between 1973 and 2004 the incidence of HPV-related oral cancers among people in their 40s nearly doubled. Today more than 34,000 people have oral cancer and 39 percent of those cases are related to HPV, according to data from the American Cancer Society.
"There is absolutely a link between oral sex and oral cancer," said Dr. Ellen Rome, of the Cleveland Clinic.
Men are 35 percent more likely than women to develop HPV-related oral cancer, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But both men and women are susceptible.
While scientists don't know yet how sexual orientation factors into the equation, they know the No. 1 risk factor is a high number of sexual partners. So straight or gay, the more partners, the more risk.
Infection with the virus usually happens in adolescence. And while oral sex today isn't necessarily more prevalent than it was in the past, it certainly is more accepted. And some often presume it is free of risks.
A 2005 study in the Journal Pediatrics found that teens think oral sex is less risky to their health than vaginal sex.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 04/07/09: Swedish Study Shows Oral Sex Causes Cancer
-- From "The Oral Sex Cancer Connection" by Cathy Becker, ABC News 10/15/08
While most HPV infections clear on their own, there is an alarming surge of oral cancers linked to the virus.
Johns Hopkins researchers reported in a study published in February in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that between 1973 and 2004 the incidence of HPV-related oral cancers among people in their 40s nearly doubled. Today more than 34,000 people have oral cancer and 39 percent of those cases are related to HPV, according to data from the American Cancer Society.
"There is absolutely a link between oral sex and oral cancer," said Dr. Ellen Rome, of the Cleveland Clinic.
Men are 35 percent more likely than women to develop HPV-related oral cancer, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But both men and women are susceptible.
While scientists don't know yet how sexual orientation factors into the equation, they know the No. 1 risk factor is a high number of sexual partners. So straight or gay, the more partners, the more risk.
Infection with the virus usually happens in adolescence. And while oral sex today isn't necessarily more prevalent than it was in the past, it certainly is more accepted. And some often presume it is free of risks.
A 2005 study in the Journal Pediatrics found that teens think oral sex is less risky to their health than vaginal sex.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
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