LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report 2/24/12

LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Friday, February 24, 2012

For pro-life news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com.

Current Headlines

Top Stories
• Texas Defunds Planned Parenthood Despite Obama Admin Attacks
• 40 Days for Life Already Saves 24 Babies From Abortion
• I m Committed to Abstinence, Virgin is Not a Dirty Word
• Planned Parenthood Fraud Totals $100 Million in Tax Dollars

More Pro-Life News
• Muslims Should Take Pro-Life View Opposing Abortion
• Mother: There s Nothing Down About Down Syndrome!
• If Ultrasound is Rape, Arrest Planned Parenthood Staffers
• Nine Pro-Life Books on Abortion Issues You Should Read
• Washington Bill Forcing Abortion Coverage Heads to Senate
• Abortion After My Rape Just Added to My Pain, Guilt
• McDonnell: Cuccinnelli Brought Up Ultrasound Legal Issues
• Alaska Legislature OKs Bill for Choose Life License Plates

—> Tell Obama: Stop This Pro-Abortion Mandate – Sign the Petition and pass it on!

Texas Defunds Planned Parenthood Despite Obama Admin Attacks
The state of Texas is defying attacks form the Obama administration in the form of threats to revoke federal funding if the state cuts of its funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and state lawmakers have directed the Texas Health and Human Services commissioner to sign a rule yesterday that officially bans Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses from participating in the Texas Women s Health Program.

In December, the Obama Administration refused to renew funding for Texas Women s Health Program (WHP) because of new state rules that disqualify abortion business affiliates from participation in the program. The WHP encompasses Medicaid family planning services for low income women. The program started through authorizing legislation in 2005 and was renewed in the recent 82nd Legislative Session with new pro-life rules. www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/texas-defunds-planned-parenthood-despite-obama-admin-attacks/

40 Days for Life Already Saves 24 Babies From Abortion
The 40 Days for Life kickoff off events this week have helped generate a spirit of Christian unity and media coverage, too!

Here are two great examples, including one from a first-time campaign in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/40-days-for-life-already-saves-24-babies-from-abortion/

Looking for a Pro-Life Speaker?

Looking for a pro-life speaker for your next banquet, conference or convention? LifeNews.com editor and CEO Steven Ertelt is available to speak to your pro-life group or crisis pregnancy center to present a message about how the pro-life community is winning the abortion battle. Mr. Ertelt can help you fill a spot for a keynote speaker or workshop presenter for your event and help you stay below budget at the same time. For more information, email news@LifeNews.com

I m Committed to Abstinence, Virgin is Not a Dirty Word
In case you hadn t noticed, this is going to be an intensely personal blog post.

I ll just kick it off with the juicy stuff so you don t have to wait around: I haven t had sexual intercourse in almost four years. Now, this is not to say I haven t done anything I wouldn t do if Jesus were in the room. I am not perfect. But for the past three and a half years, in the ball park of my love life, there have been no home runs.

I admit I am not a virgin. I am also not sexually repressed. I am not, like the virgin adult character on Glee, a frigid obsessive-compulsive with serious psychological problems. I am also not, as far as I know, completely repulsive, although if there s one thing I ve learned from observing the world around me, it s that if you are female, it doesn t matter what you look like; somebody thinks you are juuuust fine, and that somebody probably has an ad on Craigslist right now. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/im-committed-to-abstinence-virgin-is-not-a-dirty-word/

Planned Parenthood Fraud Totals $100 Million in Tax Dollars
Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has described 2011 as the most difficult year in [Planned Parenthood s] history. Well, welcome to 2012.

The Alliance Defense Fund, in conjunction with the Susan B. Anthony List, released its summary report on publicly available federal and state audits that identify waste, abuse, and potential fraud by Planned Parenthood and state family planning programs and reveal systemic misuse of nearly $100 million taxpayer dollars. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/planned-parenthood-fraud-totals-100-million-in-tax-dollars/

Muslims Should Take Pro-Life View Opposing Abortion
Life s fragility should remind us of the greatness of God, and the goodness of God s creation should inspire us to respect life. Adapted from remarks made in the Princeton University Chapel for Respect Life Sunday.

In a world preoccupied with material wealth and convenience, the gift of life is often minimized and sometimes forgotten altogether. Modernity encourages us to view unwanted life as a burden that will hold us back. For Muslims, however, just as for many in other faith traditions, life must be acknowledged, always and everywhere, as a true blessing. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/muslims-should-take-pro-life-view-opposing-abortion/

Mother: There s Nothing Down About Down Syndrome!
While I was pregnant I would sit on my bed and look at Riley s name printed on the wall. I felt that something was a little off. Nothing was wrong, but something wasn t right. How neat it was that I knew she was special before I even met her

Jennifer peaks her head into the living room where her three daughters are playing house. Sarah and Jaimee giggle as they push their little six month old sister, Riley, around in a carriage that is supposed to be for their baby dolls. Riley simply smiles at all the attention. Mom, come look at Riley! they suddenly exclaim, she is smiling! From the doorway, Jennifer can t help but smile herself at the scene. In her eyes it is nothing less than picture perfect. Her children are right where they should be with her.

But, if some people had it their way Riley wouldn t be here. Why? She has Down- Syndrome; Trisomy 21 to be exact. Which somehow labels her as less deserving of life by many in today s society. What a loss for them. They have no idea of the joy that comes from having a child with special needs , but Jennifer does. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/mother-theres-nothing-down-about-down-syndrome/

If Ultrasound is Rape, Arrest Planned Parenthood Staffers
Having an ultrasound is now considered rape, according to the latest talking points from the largest abortion chain in the nation, Planned Parenthood, over the controversy about the Virginia ultrasound bill.

If this sounds illogical and absurd, that s because it is.

In a 2003 study of Planned Parenthood and other independently owned abortion facilities, 99 percent of these clinics admitted that they either always or sometimes perform an ultrasound in association with a surgical abortion. Further, it was stated that vaginal ultrasounds were always performed before the early surgical abortion at 83 percent of these sites, 16 percent under certain conditions, and only 1 percent never did them.

Additionally, the study revealed that after an abortion was performed, vaginal ultrasounds were also always performed at 26 percent of these sites, under certain conditions at 66 percent of these sites, and never at 8 percent. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/if-ultrasound-is-rape-arrest-planned-parenthood-staffers/

Nine Pro-Life Books on Abortion Issues You Should Read
I used to have quite the collection of pro-life books. I ve been into this issue since I was a very young teenager. Now, I ve thinned down my collection and have a few definite favorites. For anyone out there who d like to increase their knowledge or expand their thinking on the issue, here are my reviews and recommendations. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/nine-pro-life-books-on-abortion-issues-you-should-read/

Looking for a Pro-Life Speaker?

Looking for a pro-life speaker for your next banquet, conference or convention? LifeNews.com editor and CEO Steven Ertelt is available to speak to your pro-life group or crisis pregnancy center to present a message about how the pro-life community is winning the abortion battle. Mr. Ertelt can help you fill a spot for a keynote speaker or workshop presenter for your event and help you stay below budget at the same time. For more information, email news@LifeNews.com

Washington Bill Forcing Abortion Coverage Heads to Senate
The bill the Washington state House approved that would require that any insurance policy sold to state residents for maternity coverage also require policyholders to pay for coverage of abortions is headed to a state Senate vote. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/washington-bill-forcing-abortion-coverage-heads-to-senate/

Abortion After My Rape Just Added to My Pain, Guilt
My story is not an easy one to tell. However, I think it s important to try, because I know what it s like to feel alone. I don t know who needs to hear this, but I believe in the deepest part of my heart that what I ve experienced has not been in vain. If talking about what has happened in my life can help one less person to feel like she is struggling by herself, then I will try. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/abortion-after-my-rape-just-added-to-my-pain-guilt/

McDonnell: Cuccinnelli Brought Up Ultrasound Legal Issues
In his first remarks since calling for changes, that have been made and accepted by the legislature, to the pro-life pre-abortion ultrasound bill in Virginia, Gov. Bob McDonnell says he requested the changes because of legal concerns. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/mcdonnell-cuccinnelli-brought-up-ultrasound-legal-issues/

Alaska Legislature OKs Bill for Choose Life License Plates
Legislation allowing Alaskans to purchase specialty plates with either pro-life or pro-abortion messages was passed by the Alaska Legislature on Feb. 24 and now awaits Governor Sean Parnell s signature to become law. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/24/alaska-legislature-oks-bill-for-choose-life-license-plates/

 

Encourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com

Heroic News: “Gingrich says Wash same-sex law passed ‘right way’” plus 12 more

ALL PRO-LIFE TODAY REPORT 2/24/2012

Friday, February 24, 2012

Dark Times Require Bright Light     By Judie Brown                            When dark times come, and they will, it is not only comforting, but necessary to rely on the Lord and His teachings. Yet, when dark times come, many people flounder and do not know what to do or how to act. This is why we need strong Church leaders who will guide us, who will teach us, who will be that shining beacon that is so necessary in life. Today's commentary reflects on the dark times of late and calls for leaders to be that bright light which we so desperately need.  [Click here to read more.]                                                HEADLINES Texas defies Obama: Defunds Planned Parenthood despite threats of funding cut-offs Jill Stanek If there was any hope that the state was seeking a compromise with the federal government over Texas' Women's Health Program, it's fading fast. At the direction of lawmakers and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Texas Health and Human Services commissioner signed a rule on Thursday that formally bans Planned Parenthood clinics and other "affiliates of abortion providers" from participating in the program – something the Obama administration has said is a deal-breaker for the nearly $40 million-per-year state-federal Medicaid program. The rule, signed by Commissioner Tom Suehs on Thursday, takes effect March 14. Black pro-life leader: 'We don't have to kill our children to be successful' Life Site News A black pro-life leader is fighting back against comments from the black outreach director of Planned Parenthood [who said] that advocates for the unborn "[couldn't] care less" about children once they are born. Ludwig Gaines, the African American leadership and engagement director for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told a reporter from CNSNews.com that those who supported an abortion ban under consideration in Congress were guilty of "hypocrisy" that "needs to be exposed." Planned Parenthood created Indiana Girl Scouts sex ed program Life News Yet another link between the Planned Parenthood abortion business and the Girl Scouts has come to light and it is giving pro-life advocates further pause about their involvement in the organization. Indiana Right to Life has learned the city of Bloomington, Indiana web site in 2009 reported the direct involvement of a Planned Parenthood "health and sexuality" educator in the development of a Girl Scouts program targeted to girls as young as five years old.

 

Vote is close – urgent calls needed

Dear Friend of CV, 

Every bishop in the country just received an urgent letter from Cardinal Timothy Dolan. 

Here’s what he wrote: 

In the United States, religious liberty does not depend on the benevolence of who is regulating us. It is our “first freedom” and respect for it must be broad and inclusive—not narrow and exclusive. Catholics and other people of faith and good will are not second class citizens. And it is not for the government to decide which of our ministries is “religious enough” to warrant religious freedom protection. 

Those are powerful words from Cardinal Dolan. But he also had a very urgent request. He called upon every Catholic in America to immediately contact their legislators to support the Respect for the Rights of Conscience Act. 

The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday or Wednesday of next week on this legislation, which would repeal the HHS mandate – and provide conscience protections for ALL Americans. 

The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri and it would protect the rights of conscience for religious organizations and for businesses so they wouldn’t be forced by the federal government to pay for medical procedures which violate their moral beliefs. 

My sources in Washington tell me that we are in need of several critical swing votes, especially the following Senators. 

Here are ten Senators we need to contact IMMEDIATELY: 

202-224-2043 – Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota 
202-224-2523 – Sen. Susan Collins of Maine 
202-224-5344 – Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine 
202-224-5824 – Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana 
202-224-4041 – Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut 

202-224-3954 – Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia 
202-224-6154 – Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri 
202-224-5274 – Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida 
202-224-2353 – Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas 
202-224-2644 – Sen. Jon Tester of Montana 
.

If you get a busy signal, try calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. 

If one of these Senators represents your state, it is critical that you call their office and tell them to Vote YES on the Blunt Amendment. 

Please also forward this message to all of your friends and family. We need everyone to call. 

If you don’t live in a state on this list, but know someone who does, please forward this message immediately. 

We’re also running web-based ads in these states encouraging people to call their Senator to protect religious liberty. 

Please consider a gift of $14 or $28 to fuel this campaign. 

Senator Blunt’s legislation would stop the HHS mandate’s assault on our religious freedom. It would protect the rights of conscience of all Americans. 

The Bishops are counting on Catholics everywhere to help them get this done. 

Please call and please help us get the word out. 

The time is now. 

Brian Burch, President
CatholicVote.org 

Bill to Allow Organ Farming from Unconscious Patients!

Good grief!  A Maryland state legislator has filed a bill that would allow surrogate decision makers to “donate” kidneys and liver lobes.  From HB 449:

THIS SUBSECTION APPLIES ONLY TO A PATIENT WHO HAS  BEEN CERTIFIED UNDER § 5–606(B) OF THIS SUBTITLE TO BE IN A PERSISTENT 8 VEGETATIVE STATE. 

(3) A PERSON AUTHORIZED TO MAKE HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR ANOTHER UNDER THIS SECTION MAY AUTHORIZE THE DONATION OF A NONVITAL ORGAN IF THE DONATION IS BASED ON:

(I) THE WISHES OF THE PATIENT AS PREVIOUSLY EXPRESSED BY THE PATIENT; OR

(II) A DETERMINATION BY THE SURROGATE THAT THE DONATION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PATIENT’S RELEVANT RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS AND PERSONAL VALUES.

Unconscious patients would hardly seem to be in a state of health to permit such surgeries. But surely when people can’t make their own decisions, surrogates–as fiduciaries–must work solely for the medical benefit of the incompetent person.

I know people will say, “What if it is the patient’s child” or some such.  But we can’t do it!  We can’t treat incompetent patients as objects for the benefit of others.  This proposal is merely the latest attempt to permit unconscious patients to be used as so many organ farms. And if the surgery kills the patient, why then other organs might be available. I repeat: Good grief.

via firstthings.com

Comment from Maureen:
Wow, what a great way to discourage people from signing organ donation cards! Hit your head, and they’ll steal all your organs while you’re out!

Oh, and if the patient wakes up and wants his kidney or liver back, is there a return policy? Can the patient claim a pound of flesh from the doctors and the “guardian”?

We Are Under Full-Scale Attack

via hosted.verticalresponse.com

https://972571342a-custmedia.vresp.com/0e23882301/MIM_Graphic_NewSiteHeader_P…

As you may have read or heard, we are under a heavy, sustained attack by the porn industry, by the group Anonymous, and by literally tens of thousands of pornography advocates. Let me explain:

Last Friday, on her airplane flight to speak at a conference in Houston, our executive director, Dawn Hawkins, witnessed the man in front of her viewing violent pornography on his iPad – he wasn’t hiding it and it was of young girls and may have been child porn.

The Delta flight attendant refused to ask the man to refrain from looking at it. So Dawn told him to stop and then, when she left the plane, reported the man to Delta and to the airport police because, especially if it was child porn, it must be reported as a violation of federal law. Then she made a short YouTube video about the experience to call attention to the need for airlines to protect passengers from those, like this man, who view porn on planes.

Soon after the video was up, the porn industry, through their trade magazine, Adult Video News, attacked Dawn in an editorial, not the man looking at porn on the plane, for being uncomfortable at being forced to look at porn in a public place.

Then a foul-mouthed man posted a YouTube video harshly criticizing Dawn for the same, but this video was viewed by tens of thousands of porn supporters who made very threatening, sexually-oriented comments about Dawn.

This led to the international group “Anonymous” taking up the cause of attacking Dawn. They somehow got Dawn’s personal cell phone number, as well as her parent’s personal information, and posted it on their website urging people to harass her. Both Dawn and her family have been under sustained attack with threatening calls for the last 24 hours. (I had not realized that promotion of pornography was such an important issue with Anonymous – the group that has been hacking many corporate and government websites!)

I now fear for Dawn’s safety.

Can you imagine the depths of depravity of the attackers? What did Dawn do but bravely stand up for what is right – when no one else would! Her attackers are outraged and are urging public support for the man and for the right to view pornography on airplanes.

Now our office is under attack as well. We had to take down our websites temporarily to prevent these people from doing what they said they would do – hack them. Many are also calling our office with harassing messages.

We have instituted security measures to protect Dawn and our staff. We are in contact with the FBI. That is all I can say on this so far.

When Dawn and our staff got involved in this fight, we all knew that we were up against many distorted people. We recognized that this would not be easy.

We want you to know that bullying tactics will not stop us from declaring the truth – that PORNOGRAPHY HARMS! Not only have millions of lives been harmed, but there is now a wealth of evidence – scientific proof – that pornography is wreaking havoc on our society. It seems that NO FAMILY is untouched.

We will not let the pornographers and their patrons to win this war. Please continue your support and help spread the word to other supporters.

We are grateful for the support of so many of you – YOU know what we are up against. In addition to the hateful messages and threats, we have received many messages of support and encouragement. A majority of Americans are on our side.

Please keep Dawn and our staff in your prayers.

Patrick A. Trueman
President & CEO Morality in Media

https://www.kintera.org/site/c.7pLILRPuEfLWH/b.7546525/k.2C09/Donate_Now/apps…

The Chirpy Priest

Clerical Narcissism and Lent

The following excerpt is from a story by George Weigel on the First Things website February 22. 

Since the introduction of the new liturgical texts this past November, I’ve attended Mass in Australia, California, New York, Rome, Washington, and Phoenix, and in none of these venues have I detected any of the calamities confidently predicted by opponents of the new texts. 

Not only has there been no visible distress over “consubstantial”; the People of God seem to have rather quickly and painlessly adjusted to the changes, so that, three months into the process, it’s a rare “And also with you” that escapes the lips of an unthinking congregant. In fact, most of the people who’ve spoken to me about the changes have applauded them. 

Things are not-quite-the-same with priests. 

One implicit purpose of the new translations, with their deliberate recovery of a sacral vocabulary and their adoption of a more formal literary rhythm, was to discipline the tendency of priests to turn the Mass into an expression of the celebrant’s personality. 

The difficulties some priests have had with adjusting to the changes suggests that this tendency was, in fact, a real problem in implementing the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. 

Prominent Catholic psychologist Paul Vitz once wrote of this as a problem of “clerical narcissism,” and while the phrase undoubtedly stings, there’s something to it—something that needs correcting. 

At Mass in the cathedral church of a major American city recently, I ran headlong into the problem in a rather striking way. The celebrant in question seemed not to understand that the invitation to the penitential rite is now prescribed, and not a matter for personal chattiness. 

Having failed to set up the Missal properly before Mass, he nattered on about his difficulty with “new books” while searching for the Collect of the day. He belted out those parts of the Offertory that the Missal prescribes as being said “quietly.” 

He rearranged several phrases in Eucharistic Prayer II to his liking. And he prefaced the Prayer after Communion with another voluble commentary on the difficulty of finding the right page. 

I’m sure the priest in question is not a wicked or ill-intentioned man; he doubtless imagines that he’s making the Mass more user-friendly by taking liberties with the Missal. 

But, objectively speaking, he’s a prime example of clerical vanity: a man who imagines that his chirpy personality is the key to what Vatican II called the people’s “full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations.” 

Click here for whole story