LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Wesnesday, September 1, 2010
| For pro-life news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com. |
Current Headlines
• Obama
Admin Appeals Ruling Stopping Tax-Funded Embryonic Research
• Gallup
Poll Shows Republicans Lead Election 2010 by Unprecedented 10 Points
• Support
for Obama’s Pro-Abortion Health Care Drops Sharply in August
• Pro-Life
Groups Blast Obama Admin’s Appeal of Embryonic Funding Ruling
• Man
Arrested After Trying to Shoot Pro-Life People With Gun at Abortion Center
• Successful
Tea Party Movement Must Include Pro-Life Issues, Not Just Economy
•
Study Claims Women Seeking Abortions in Pro-Life States Google It More Often
• Abortion
Practitioner Told by Maryland Authorities to Stop Doing Abortions
• Ohio
Senate Race Tightens, Pro-Life Rob Portman Still Leads Lee Fisher
• Colorado
Senate: Buck Leads, Bennet Gets Support From Pro-Abortion Group
• West
Virginia Race Close After Joe Manchin, John Raese Win Primary Elections
• Croatia
Sees Number of Abortions Fall, No Longer Outnumber Births of Children
• Planned
Parenthood Rallies Against Colorado Personhood Amendment 62
—>
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Obama
Admin Appeals Ruling Stopping Tax-Funded Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) — The Obama administration officially filed its appeal
today of a federal judge’s decision striking down President Barack Obama’s
executive order forcing taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research.
The judge said the order contravened a federal law against funding the destruction
of human embryos.
U.S.
district court Judge Royce Lamberth granted
a preliminary injunction against the funding.
Judge
Lamberth’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by stem cell researchers
who said the Obama executive order and subsequent funding from the National
Institutes of Health violated the Dickey amendment, the federal law prohibiting
funding the destruction of human embryos via research.
The
appeal asks Judge Lamberth to put the injunction on hold so taxpayer dollars
can continue to flow to embryonic stem cell research projects while the
lawsuit against the order moves ahead.
The
Obama administration claimed the judge’s order is harming research projects,
even though embryonic stem cell research has yet to overcome numerous problems
in animals and has never helped human patients.
"Numerous
ongoing projects will likely not survive even a temporary gap in funds,
jeopardizing both the potential benefit of the research and the hundreds
of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds already invested in it," the
Obama administration said.
Judge
Lamberth’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by two adult stem
cell researchers who said the Obama executive order and subsequent funding
from the National Institutes of Health violated the Dickey amendment. Full story at LifeNews.com
Gallup
Poll Shows Republicans Lead Election 2010 by Unprecedented 10 Points
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) — When pro-life Republicans took over Congress from
their pro-abortion Democratic rivals in November 1994, the Gallup poll asked
Americans in July whether they planned to vote for their Republican or Democratic
candidate for Congress. This year, GOP candidates lead by an unprecedented
10 percent.
In 1994,
Republicans led by a 49-44 percentage point margin.
Now,
a new Gallup poll released on Monday shows Republicans ahead of Democrats
by a 51-41 percent mark — up from 7 percent in early August (50-43%) and
up from 5 percent in late July (49-44%).
"The
10-percentage-point lead is the GOP’s largest so far this year and is its
largest in Gallup’s history of tracking the midterm generic ballot for Congress,’
the polling firm noted. "This marks the fifth week in a row in which
Republicans have held an advantage over Democrats — one that has ranged
between 3 and 10 points."
"The
Republican leads of 6, 7, and 10 points this month are all higher than any
previous midterm Republican advantage in Gallup’s history of tracking the
generic ballot, which dates to 1942. Prior to this year, the highest such
gap was five points, measured in June 2002 and July 1994," Gallup noted.
Not
only do Republicans lead in the generic party matchup, but Republican voters,
who are mostly pro-life, show much more enthusiasm than their pro-abortion
Democratic counterparts. Full story at LifeNews.com
Support
for Obama’s Pro-Abortion Health Care Program Drops Sharply in August
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) — Support for ObamaCare, the national health care program
President Barack Obama signed into law that contains taxpayer-funded abortions,
dropped sharply in August, according to a new Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.
The results
make it so one issue Democrats hoped to use to perform well in the upcoming
elections will likely work against them.
The Kaiser
poll has support for the pro-abortion government-run health care program dropping
7 percent to just 43 percent. Opposition rose 10 percentage points to 45 percent
— the weakest showing for ObamaCare since Kaiser’s poll in May.
Democrats
hoped support for ObamaCare would increase as the elections drew closer and
it could tout some of the provisions they believe the public would support.
But Drew Altman, president and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation, admits that’s
not happening.
Public
opinion on health reform has been stuck in a fairly narrow band and is not changing
dramatically, he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life
Groups Blast Obama Admin’s Appeal of Embryonic Funding Ruling
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) — The decision
by the Obama administration today to appeal a federal judge’s ruling — saying
President Barack Obama’s executive order making Americans fund embryonic stem
cell research with their tax dollars — is not going over well with pro-life
organizations.
Federal
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth issued the injunction against the government s
use of tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research based on a reading of the
Dickey-Wicker amendment.
That 1996
law prohibits federal funding for research in which a human embryo or embryos
are destroyed and was the foundation for legal challenge when Obama signed his
2009 order which allowed embryos to be destroyed in research paid for with tax
dollars.
The Christian
Medical Association, a party to the original lawsuit that led to the preliminary
injunction, told LifeNews.com today that "politics and greed have driven
grants toward embryonic stem cell research — not a rational strategy to develop
cures."
"The
Obama administration should prioritize curing patients — not fighting the court
ruling that has stopped their illegal funding of embryonic stem cell research,"
said CMA director Dr. David Stevens.
"The
irrational insistence on diverting hundreds of millions of federal dollars away
from proven sources of cures and toward speculative embryonic stem cell research
has been driven by a political calculus and by a tax-dollar-dependent research
community — not by a medical calculus that prioritizes real treatments for
real patients," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Man
Arrested After Trying to Shoot Pro-Life People With Gun at Abortion Center
Albuquerque,
NM (LifeNews.com) — A man was arrested on Saturday outside a late-term
abortion facility in New Mexico after he threatened to shoot two pro-life
women providing alternatives to women going to the Southwestern Women’s
Options abortion center. The abortion center is operated by late-term abortion
practitioner Curtis Boyd.
The
unidentified man and his wife were escorting their daughter to the abortion
center when the wife and daughter walked towards the pro-life sidewalk counselors
to discuss alternatives to abortion.
The
man reportedly became angry and ushered his family towards the abortion
clinic.
"When
we come out, I’m going to put a bullet in your head if you talk to her,"
the man told the pro-life women, whose identities pro-life advocates are
withholding to protect their security.
Former
Operation Rescue intern Bud Shaver said the man then lifted his shirt to
reveal a dark object to the two pro-life women that they described as looking
like a gun. The women called police who, Shaver said, "responded appropriately
and took him away in handcuffs."
Shaver
said the man’s threat had the opposite effect of allowing abortions as a
police SWAT team arrived and shut down the abortion center for two hours,
preventing abortions from taking place.
"They
cleared Boyd’s clinic to search for the gun SWAT style. Everyone, including
staff, had to come out with their hands up," Shaver, who witnessed
the scene, said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Successful
Tea Party Movement Must Include Pro-Life Issues, Not Just Economy
by
Tom Glessner
Political
change is blowing in the wind but it is not the change promised by Barack
Obama when he ran for the presidency. For sure, Obama has brought political
change to the nation, but his transformational policies have meant bigger
government, higher taxes, federal subsidies of abortion on demand, and greater
governmental control over the lives of American citizens.
Hundreds
of thousands of citizens across the nation have raised their voices to protest
Obama s policies of change. They are crying out for a different change
that will honor the integrity of each individual and create an atmosphere
where true liberty in all spheres of life economic, cultural, and
spiritual- reigns. Political pollsters are now predicting a huge seismic
shift in the political landscape this November. The recent Glenn Beck sponsored
rally in Washington D.C., attended by thousands upon thousands of grass
roots activists, indicates that this public outcry of protest is real and
powerful.
The
Tea Party movement is comprised of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents
from all walks of life. The political ruling elite, the corporate world,
and the media have completely failed to comprehend this populist movement
dismissing it as marginal, extreme and even racist. However, this movement
is not composed of ignorant and bigoted individuals, as suggested by the
political class. Rather, it is an authentic grassroots movement of thoughtful
and patriotic people demanding real change from an out-of-touch political
establishment.
The
Tea Party movement, for the most part, centers its protest on economic issues
and concern about the loss of freedom that an ever-growing federal government
brings. These concerns are valid and appropriate. Most leaders of this movement
also believe in the sanctity of life and the need to halt the wholesale
destruction of innocent human life through abortion and other life related
issues such as embryonic stem cell research. However, many in the Tea Party
movement have made it clear that while they are sympathetic with the pro-life
cause, the abortion issue is not formally part of the Tea Party agenda.
Full story at LifeNews.com
Study
Claims Women Seeking Abortions in Pro-Life States Google It More Often
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) — A new study by two Boston Children s Hospital
doctors claims women seeking abortions from pro-life states Google the term
abortion more often than others. Their suggestion is that women in places with
fewer abortion centers and less access to abortion are more likely to search
for it online.
Dr. Ben
Reis and Dr. John Brownstein reviewed the abortion rates and policies of all
50 states and 37 counties. They reviewed that information against the number
of Internet searches for the term, "abortion."
In
places where abortion access is readily available, people can go to their mainstream
health care providers, Reis told the Boston Herald newspaper.
He said
people may be going on the Internet to find alternate routes" in
places that don’t have easy access to local abortion businesses and said the
pattern was found in every states he and his colleague studied.
We
were actually very surprised. There is a very consistent, strong relationship,
Reis told the newspaper.
The study,
published last week in the medical journal BMC Public Health, could have an
impact on the pro-life community in that pro-life advocates and pregnancy centers
reaching out on the Internet may want to focus on keyword advertising and local
optimization to reach these women searching for abortion information online.
Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion
Practitioner Told by Maryland Authorities to Stop Doing Abortions
Annapolis,
MD (LifeNews.com) — Maryland officials have told embattled abortion practitioner
Steven Chase Brigham to stop doing abortions in the state. The move comes after
Pennsylvania officials told him to close his abortion businesses there after
he was found to be employing unlicensed staffers and putting women’s health
at risk.
Brigham
has been issued a cease and desist order by the Maryland State Board of Physicians
ordering him to stop the illegal practice of medicine, including abortions,
at five locations throughout Maryland.
Officials
say Brigham does not and never has been licensed in that state.
The order,
dated August 25, 2010, indicates that Brigham has been practicing illegally
in Maryland since January, 2010.
It referred
to an incident that occurred on August 13, 2010, where Brigham had begun a surgical
procedure reportedly thought to be an abortion. However, something went wrong
and Brigham instructed the woman to travel to his abortion center in Elkton
to complete the alleged abortion "on an urgent basis."
"The
health of Maryland patients is being endangered by the Respondent’s unlicensed
practice of medicine in this State," the order read, according to the pro-life
group Operation Rescue, which provided LifeNews.com with the information. Full story at LifeNews.com
Ohio
Senate Race Tightens, Pro-Life Rob Portman Still Leads Lee Fisher
Columbus,
OH (LifeNews.com) — The Ohio Senate race has tightened in a new poll
conducted by Rasmussen Reports, but pro-life Republican Rob Portman still
leads pro-abortion candidate Lee Fisher. The race is one of several that have
the potential to determine which party controls the Senate, which is currently
run by abortion advocates.
Portman
now picks up 44% support while his opponent, Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher,
earns the backing of 39% in the latest Rasmussen statewide telephone survey
of likely voters.
Seven
percent prefer another candidate and another 11% are undecided.
When leaners
are included in the new totals, Portman still leads. With the leaners, 47%
will vote for Portman and 41% for Fisher. That could mean the large share
of undecided voters will break for Portman as the November election comes
closer.
The race
is a bit closer than it was two weeks ago, when Portman held a 45% to 37%
lead over Fisher. Two weeks ago, Portman led Fisher 48% to 39% when leaners
were included. The latest numbers prompted Rasmussen move this race from a
Leans Republican projection to the toss-up category. Full story at LifeNews.com
Colorado
Senate: Buck Leads, Bennet Gets Support From Pro-Abortion Group
Denver,
CO (LifeNews.com) — A new poll in the Colorado Senate race shows pro-life
Republican candidate Ken Buck still leading pro-abortion Sen. Michael Bennet.
Yesterday, the Colorado affiliate of the pro-abortion group NARAL endorsed
Bennet and the senator reaffirmed his support for abortions.
The latest
Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of likely voters finds Buck picking
up 47% support, while Bennet earns the vote from 44%. Five percent prefer
another candidate while four percent are undecided.
When leaners
are included in the new totals, 49% favor Buck while 45% support Bennett.
Earlier
this month, Rasmussen had Buck leading Bennet by a 46-41 percent margin, showing
both candidates are picking up support following bruising primaries they each
faced in early August, though Rasmussen notes Bennet is picking up more.
"Though
Buck has consistently led the incumbent since March, this is the highest level
of support Bennet has received all year. In each of six previous surveys stretching
back to May, the former Denver school superintendent had earned between 39%
and 42% of the vote," the polling firm indicated. "A county prosecutor,
Buck has captured between 44% to 48% of the vote during that same time frame."
Full story at LifeNews.com
West
Virginia Race Close After Joe Manchin, John Raese Win Primary Elections
Charleston,
WV (LifeNews.com) — The West Virginia race for the U.S. Senate seat formerly
held by the late pro-abortion Robert Byrd is close now. After weeks of pro-life
Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin leading by huge margins, pro-life businessman
John Raese has closed the gap to make it a competitive contest.
Although
both candidates are pro-life, the race could determine whether pro-life Republicans
or pro-abortion Democrats run the Senate.
That
has a huge bearing on whether Congress continues promoting President Barack
Obama’s pro-abortion agenda and approve his pro-abortion judges for the Supreme
Court and other courts.
The
latest statewide telephone survey of likely voters by Rasmussen Reports shows
Manchin attracts 48% of the vote while Raese earns 42% from West Virginia
voters.
Just
after state legislators officially approved a special Senate election this
year to replace Byrd, Manchin led Raese by a 51% to 35% margin. Full story at LifeNews.com
Sees Number of Abortions Fall, No Longer Outnumber Births of Children
Zagreb,
Croatia (LifeNews.com) — The number of abortions in Croatia continues
to fall as it has for the last nine years and abortions no longer outnumber
births of children as they once did. The Croatian Department of Public Health
statistics show there were 10,417 abortions last year, although the figure
also includes the number of miscarriages.
The
government of the eastern European nation says 4,450 abortions were done at
the request of women while the rest are a combination of abortions done supposedly
for medical reasons and miscarriages.
The
Croatia Times says the abortion rate has fallen to the point that it is now
lower than some of its European neighbors.
The
newspaper says the rate is now 101.4 abortions for every 1,000 live births
in Croatia, lower than the 215.4 in the Czech Republic, 167.7 in Germany,
444.6 in Hungary, and 227.3 in Slovania. Full story at LifeNews.com
Planned
Parenthood Rallies Against Colorado Personhood Amendment 62
Denver,
CO (LifeNews.com) — The debate on the personhood amendment in Colorado
began in earnest on Tuesday as Planned Parenthood sponsored a rally on the
steps of the state capital. Backers of the amendment say they are not surprised
the abortion business is behind the main opposition to Amendment 62.
Though
the first effort for a personhood amendment failed by nearly a 3-1 margin
in 2008 as other pro-life groups pointed out concerns, supporters are trying
again.
The
amendment defines unborn children as persons starting at conception and
would draw an almost immediate legal challenge from pro-abortion groups.
Fofi
Mendez, campaign director for the No on 62 Campaign, a group of pro-abortion
organizations including Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, told
AP that the amendment is "a sneaky attempt to provide constitutional
and legal rights to a fertilized egg." Full story at LifeNews.com
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Citing Risks to Women, Rutherford Institute Urges Governor McDonnell to Implement Stringent Health and Safety Regulations for Abortion Clinics
RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 31 /Christian Newswire/ — Pointing out that many centers in which first trimester abortions are performed are treated as regular doctors’ offices and are not subject to even basic licensing requirements, The Rutherford Institute is urging Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) to implement more stringent health and safety regulations for abortion clinics.
In a letter to the governor, Institute president John W. Whitehead calls on McDonnell to use South Carolina’s Code of Regulations § 61-12, which was upheld by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2002, as a model for the Commonwealth to follow in drafting its own regulations. The Institute’s letter, which was copied to members of the General Assembly, comes on the heels of an official opinion issued by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in which he concludes that the Commonwealth can regulate abortion facilities without offending constitutional principles.
A copy of the Institute’s letter to Governor McDonnell is available here.
Under Virginia law, outpatient abortion clinics are defined as outpatient hospitals. However, as Attorney General Cuccinelli recently noted, abortion facilities that limit their practice to reproductive services often characterize themselves as "physicians’ offices," whereby they are legally exempt from licensure requirements that apply to other outpatient hospitals.
Taking issue with this exemption, Whitehead insists that the "nature of the abortion procedure and its inherent risks are reason enough to advocate for increased regulation of abortion clinics in the Commonwealth." Moreover, courts have identified a more fundamental reason for regulating these facilities even more stringently than other outpatient surgical centers. As the Supreme Court has acknowledged, abortion is different "because no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of a potential life."
The Institute’s letter concludes by urging Governor McDonnell to advocate the adoption of common-sense clinic safety regulations for the protection of women undergoing abortions and the promotion of public health. As Whitehead points out, "in light of the serious, invasive nature of abortion and the well-recognized state interest in promoting public health and welfare, the Commonwealth has both the authority and an obligation to its citizens to adopt reasonable, common-sense regulations."
August 31, 2010
Dear Family of Mary!
"Dear children! With great joy, also today, I desire to call you anew: pray, pray, pray. May this time be a time of personal prayer for you. During the day, find a place where you will pray joyfully in a recollected way. I love you and bless you all. Thank you for having responded to my call." (August 25, 2010)
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, Jesus tells the parable of those invited to a wedding banquet, saying that when you are invited you should "go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position’". (Lk 14:10) It is interesting that the host calls such a humble person his "friend".
In another Gospel passage, this time from Matthew, Chapter 25, Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins with their lamps. He explains that when the foolish virgins return with their lamps finally full, the door will be closed. And when they knock and say, "Lord, Lord, open the door for us!", the Bridegroom will reply, "Amen, I say to you, I do not know you." (Mt 25:11-12)
And yet again, in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 13, Jesus tells warns his listeners to strive for the narrow gate, because once the door is closed, "Then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’" (Lk 13:25)
Well, what am I getting at? In each of these Scriptures, Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of Heaven, the Wedding Feast! He is making it clear in each one that the most important thing necessary for us to enter the Feast and be welcomed in, is to be known by the Master. To the virgins who come late, he says very severely, "Amen, I say to you, I do not know you." To those attempting to enter the house after the Master has locked the door he says, "I do not know where you are from." But to the humble guest he says, "My friend, move up to a higher position." What is the connection?
To "know" in the Scriptures generally means to have "experienced" someone. A man "knows" his wife, because they are intimate, they are married. Friends "know" each other because they have spent time together, they have shared their lives, and they have served each other. The humble guest was "known" by the Master as a friend. Clearly it is important to Jesus that we are known by Him.
My point? I think Our Lady understands that it is through a deep personal relationship with Jesus that we will be saved. She wants us to "know" Jesus and she wants Jesus to "know" us. We need to have a loving and intimate relationship with the Lord. That is the way to Heaven. And how best can we develop such a relationship? Through personal prayer. "
May this time be a time of personal prayer for you." Only by spending time in conversation with Jesus can we become friends with Him. We can open our hearts to Him, sharing our deepest thoughts, our truest selves. He can share His heart with us as well. It is the way we will be "known" by Jesus.
We don’t want to get to the door of Heaven only to realize that we haven’t made ourselves known to Jesus. Now is the time for personal prayer! This is not a time to make a "name" for ourselves, it is a time to make a "friend" for ourselves. It is time to draw near to the most merciful Jesus and become best friends with Him. Then, like the humble guest, Jesus will spot us at the door and say, "My friend, move up to a higher position."
"During the day, find a place where you will pray joyfully in a recollected way."
In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
Maryland Orders Dangerous Abortionist To Stop Practicing Illegally
- Written by Operation Rescue
- Posted August 31, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Operation Rescue plans to file a complaint demanding criminal charges against scofflaw abortionist Stephen C. Brigham
Elkton, Maryland – Troubled abortionist Steven Chase Brigham has been issued a cease and desist order by the Maryland State Board of Physicians ordering him to stop the illegal practice of medicine, including abortions, at five locations throughout Maryland because he does not and never has been licensed in that state.
The order, dated August 25, 2010, indicates that Brigham has been practicing illegally in Maryland since January, 2010.
It referred to an incident that occurred on August 13, 2010, where Brigham had begun a surgical procedure presumed to be an abortion, since that is the sole focus of his business. However, something went wrong and Brigham instructed the woman to travel to his abortion clinic in Elkton to complete the procedure “on an urgent basis.”
“The health of Maryland patients is being endangered by the Respondent’s unlicensed practice of medicine in this State,” the order read.
The Maryland locations involved are located in Baltimore, Cheverly, Fredrick, College Park, and Elkton. Currently, all the clinics remain open and staffed by other abortionists.
Brigham operates a number of abortion mills in several states under the name American Women’s Services.
Brigham has been under investigation and discipline throughout his entire 20-year career. He voluntarily retired his medical license in Pennsylvania while under investigation just six years after graduating from medical school. Since then, Brigham had medical licenses revoked in New York and Florida, and received disciplinary action in California and New Jersey. He served 120 days in jail in 1998 for Medicaid fraud.
A judge once ordered him to stop advertising his abortions as “painless” and “safe.”
“The only thing that will stop Brigham from committing illegal abortions that endanger the lives of women is to toss him in jail for a long time,” said Operation Rescue Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger. “Traditional means of discipline simply don’t work with this guy. He has found that he can get away with just about anything without much more than a slap on the wrist. The only way to protect women from Brigham’s predatory and unsafe abortion business is to criminally charge him and order all his mills closed. We plan to file a complaint with the authorities and demand criminal charges before the end of the week.”
MEDIA ADVISORY, Aug. 31 /Christian Newswire/ — Personhood Colorado and Colorado Right to Life, co-sponsors of Colorado’s Personhood Amendment 62, have discovered that their only opposition, "Protect Families Protect Choices", is backed by none other than abortion profiteer Planned Parenthood.
"Protect Families Protect Choices" is co-chaired by Planned Parenthood and NARAL, two of the largest pro-abortion organizations in the United States. Planned Parenthood has reportedly brought in over $1.02 billion dollars in recent years, and NARAL’s financial reports have shown over 6 million.
"’Protect Families Protect Choices’ appears to be a cover group for Planned Parenthood," stated Keith Mason, co-founder of Personhood USA and Manager of the "Yes on 62" campaign. "Of course Planned Parenthood opposes Amendment 62, because it would cut into their profit, and tax dollars for abortion on demand. Who cares more about women: the multi-million- and billion-dollar-per-year organizations who profit from abortion, or the thousands of volunteers who don’t want to see even one more woman hurt by abortion? Clearly, those of us who do not profit from abortion are more invested in speaking the truth — abortion kills babies and harms women. Planned Parenthood and NARAL exploit women for financial gain, and Amendment 62 is primed to put a stop to their profiteering. This is a case of big money versus the people of Colorado, and the people will prevail."
Amendment 62 volunteer researchers have uncovered a myriad of deceptions and outright lies from the abortion-proceeds camp, some of them boldly posted on the groups’ websites.
"Our opposition is relying on scare tactics to frighten voters," explained Leslie Hanks, co-sponsor of Amendment 62. "For example, NARAL’s claims about miscarriages and ectopic pregnancy are patently false. Women would not be investigated for miscarriages, and of course women wouldn’t be denied health care or forced to carry an ectopic pregnancy that would kill both her and the baby. Even the No on 62 slogan is disingenuous — claiming that 62 goes ‘too far’, when any regulation to abortion is ‘too far’ for these abortion profiteers. These false claims are calculated to frighten women away from the truth."
Continued Hanks, "’Protect Families Protect Choices’ is misleading to the public. An organization that profits from the killing of children is not protecting anything or anybody. Amendment 62 supports the human rights of all human beings, while ‘Protect Families Protect Choices’ appears to seek the best interest of Planned Parenthood — lining their pockets."
Man Arrested After Threatening To Gun Down Pro-life Activists At Late-Term Abortion Clinic
- Written by Operation Rescue
- Posted at 10:51 am
Abortion clinic cleared “SWAT style” by police, stopping abortions for nearly two hours
Albuquerque, NM – A man was arrested Saturday, August 28, outside Southwestern Women’s Options, a late-term abortion clinic operated by Curtis Boyd in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after he threatened to shoot two pro-life women who were offering help to abortion-bound women.
The unidentified man and his wife were escorting their daughter into the abortion clinic when the wife and daughter walked over to the pro-life women to discuss alternatives to abortion. The man became angry and ushered his family members toward the clinic.
“When we come out, I’m going to put a bullet in your head if you talk to her,” the man told the pro-life women, whose identities are being withheld for their security.
Witnesses said that the man then lifted his shirt to show the women a dark object that was partially tucked into his trousers. The women recognized the object as a gun and called the police.
“The police responded appropriately and took him away in handcuffs,” said former Operation Rescue intern Bud Shaver, who arrived on the scene in time to witness the arrest and the clearing of the clinic by police.
“They cleared Boyd’s clinic to search for the gun SWAT style. Everyone, including staff, had to come out with their hands up.”
The area was cordoned off and the clinic was closed to patients for nearly two hours while police conducted their investigation.
It is currently unknown if a gun was recovered by police or what charges were brought against the man.
Death threats against pro-lifers have been viewed with greater concern in the wake of the shooting death of activist Jim Pouillon of Owosso, Michigan, who was gunned down last year as he held a pro-life sign outside a local high school. The killer admitted that he murdered Pouillon because he did not agree with his public abortion protests.
Shaver told Operation Rescue that he has been threatened a number of times since he has been in Albuquerque, but the police never responded in the way they did on Saturday.
“We are thankful that no one was injured and that the police took appropriate action,” said Newman. “Violence against pro-lifers has become something that we have to guard against every day. Those who reach out to women in front of abortion clinics should not be afraid to continue to do so, but should always have security and an awareness of their surroundings in mind.”
Patron of midwives, pregnant women, unborn children, and women in labor.
In Mexico, he is invoked for silence and protection against curses.
He was called non natus, “not born,” because he was taken out of his mother’s womb after she died in labor.
He voluntary offered himself as a slave to save others and while in captivity,
he gave comfort to other Christians in captive and hoped to convert his captors to Christianity.
To punish and to stop St. Raymond from preaching, his lips were pierced with a
red-hot iron and his mouth closed with a padlock.
Confessor
DOUBLE / WHITE
Raymond Nonnatus (c.1204-40), a Catalonian, was a pioneer member of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the redemption of Christians enslaved by the Mohammedans. After freeing hundreds of Christian captives in Africa, he gave himself up as a hostage so as not to expose to apostasy those still unransomed. At length he himself was ransomed and he returned to Spain. He died soon after Pope Gregory IX had nominated him a cardinal. He believed with St. John Chrysostom that the greatest charity of all is to contribute to the salvation of a soul.
Mass of a CONFESSOR OF THE FAITH, except
COLLECT
O God, You granted remarkable success to the efforts of the holy confessor Raymond in releasing Christians from the slavery of unbelievers. May his prayers free us from the slavery of sin, so that we may fulfill Your wishes with complete freedom. Through our Lord . . .
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ASIA/
Manila (Agenzia Fides) – Catholic groups that defend the value of human life have launched a campaign to convince members of the Filipino Congress to approve two important documents that promote the value of human life. According to a note sent to Fides, this is the "Citizen Protection Act" and "Protection of the Unborn Child Act 2010,” one concerning the protection of citizens’ rights and the other focused on the protection of unborn children.
The first bill calls for the defense of any citizen against forms of injustice, human rights violations, torture, or abuse of power by the military, stressing the "right to life in every human activity," and calling for a strict control over the issue of firearms, as well as "respect for life in professional and social activities."
The second bill focuses attention on abortion and calls for absolute respect for unborn human life by public and private medical facilities and medical personnel.
The two measures, the note says, are supported by the Catholic Church in the Philippines and, according to activists, will be a test to see the orientation of the new government of President Aquino. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 30/08/2010)
Image by Oxfam International via Flickr
ASIA/
Multan (Agenzia Fides) – Local NGOs have reported to Fides on the building of a dam to save some land and divert floodwater towards other areas inhabited by Christian citizens, in Punjab, near Multan, where inhabitants of the Christian village of Khokharabad suffered damages from deliberately diverted water, causing loss of human life, homes, and crops.
Khokharabad is a Christian village near Muzaffargarh, a city of 250,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Multan, in the southern Punjab Province, central Pakistan. The area was strongly affected by the floods that, according to UN figures, have created more than 800,000 refugees. The village was completely flooded, causing severe damage to the Christian population of the place who are mostly poor people dedicated to subsistence farming.
According to information sent to Fides by some local NGOs operating in the area, the flooding in this case was "guided" by Jamshed Dasti, a local politician of Muzaffargarh and owner of parcels of land near the village. He has seen to the construction of dams and barriers to divert the flow of water to the village and thus save his own possessions.
Image by Oxfam International via Flickr
The inhabitants of Khokharabad were not even notified and had no time to escape: the entire village was wiped out. At least 15 are dead and 377 Christians left homeless.
Taj Masih, one of the leaders of the village, said: "It is an inhumane act. Our village was flooded on purpose. Dasti, just to save his own land preferred to leave 377 people without home or harvest, our only source of livelihood. Now we have nothing."
Dasti has denied any responsibility in the incident, saying that the decision to raise barriers was made by the Department of Agriculture in the District. Department officials, in turn, say they have received orders to do so. The Governor of the District denies having given such orders. Everyone is quick to find a scapegoat, but the fact remains: it has taken place at the expense of Christian citizens. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 08/31/2010)
MEDIA ADVISORY, Aug. 31 /Christian Newswire/ — In August of 1977, Melissa Ohden was ‘marked for death,’ but miraculously she survived.
Facing Life Head-On, the weekly pro-life television program of Life Issues Institute, and recent Emmy award winner for "best of the best" in the category of Interview and Discussion, features saline infusion abortion attempt survivor, Melissa Ohden on its award winning show the week of August 29th and September 6th.
In this two part series, host Brad Mattes takes the Facing Life Head-On audience on the journey of Melissa’s remarkable survival, how her tragic beginning quickly turned into a story of love through adoption, her search for the truth and for her biological family, and how being a survivor has impacted her now as a parent, herself.
Interviews with Melissa’s adoptive mother and with a doctor regarding late term abortion attempts and the impact of these abortions on babies like Melissa give depth to a story, and a life, that is often unheard of: the story and life of the unborn.
To view episode 1 of ‘Marked for Death’ or to find out how you can tune into episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Marked for Life,’ please visit www.facinglife.tv/episode/index.html. For more information on Melissa’s survival, or to inquire about her availability for interviews or speaking requests, please visitwww.melissaohden.com.
I'm Deacon John, age 86, ordained 4/25/87 as a Permanent Deacon for the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Deacon John's Space 