Pro-life blog buzz 10-29-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Right to Life of Michigan links to a video and story about the Michigan State Board of Medicine’s chairman, Dr. George Shade (pictured left), who “single-handedly blocked an investigation into the complaints” about a Muskegon abortion facility which was closed down last year due to unsafe, unsanitary conditions. Apparently Shade and the ex-con abortionist, Dr. Robert Alexander, had a previous mentor-type relationship.

At Priests for Life, Fr. Frank Pavone reflects on the fact that so many Christians – even pastors – will say they are not interested in politics and don’t vote: Everything we can say about the tremendous moral responsibility of those who craft legislation and put it into effect really reflects the moral responsibility of those who put them in those positions in the first place – the voters.

Wesley J. Smith points out the mainstream media’s lockstep misuse of terms such as “fetus” even when children are born alive, and therefore no longer fetuses. This is deliberate dehumanization with an agenda.

Foundation Life reports that at America’s oldest Catholic university – Georgetown – law students will be required to work with the National Women’s Law Center, an abortion advocacy organization: … [T]hat organization’s senior counsel, Kelli Garcia… a radical pro-abortion rights lawyer, wrote the poem titled, ‘Planned Parenthood, Why Do I Love Thee?’ in 2011. The poem was part of a larger effort by Garcia and her group to halt the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood, which is the nation’s largest abortion provider.

But the real outrage is that Garcia is not just senior counsel for the NWLC, she is an adjunct professor at Georgetown. Her bio states that in her work at the NWLC, she “oversees the Center’s efforts to address religious restrictions on women’s access to reproductive health services, including its work on hospital mergers and crisis pregnancy centers.”

Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society, believes forcing students to work with the NWLC makes Georgetown “an active agent of the culture of death. If allowed to continue, this puts Georgetown in direct opposition to the Church.”You know, I’m guessing if one of your adjunct professors is a staunch abortion advocate and your law school unashamedly advertises this fact, your institution is already in opposition to the Catholic Church.

At ProWomanProLife, Andrea Mrozek says she recently learned that New Zealand’s Dr. William Liley, who pioneered amniocentesis in order to save unborn life, took his own life years ago in part because “he saw how his technique was being used both for ‘search and destroy’ missions and to inject saline in a saline abortion.” How awful.

Pro-Life Action League’s Matt Yonke shares some thoughts after attending the showing of After Tiller, a film that glorifies late-term abortionists. He notes how engaged the audience was in the film: It was especially surreal sitting one row in front of a group of hard-core abortion-supporting feminists. Early in the film there is discussion of recent restrictions on abortion, including bans on abortion after 20 weeks. At the mention of the fact that a 20 week old fetus can feel pain, one lady behind us muttered, “Bulls**t!”

But as the camera later panned across a shot of abortionist Leroy Carhart’s horses as he talked of other horses he lost in a fire supposedly started by anti-abortion activists (though this has never been proven), the ladies behind us gasped in horror….

These conflicting sentiments were just one example of the contradictions and moral blindness that were at the root of After Tiller.

He recommends that pro-lifers see the film to keep their passions alive. Here is the trailer:

Pro-life blog buzz 10-25-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Clinic Quotes features some interesting survey statistics about post-abortive women: 66% report their lives are worse for the decision, 81% felt rushed into the decision, 93% felt they did not have enough information to make the decision, and 40-50% were wavering and hoping for another option to present itself.

Josh Brahm shares how the pro-life “equal rights argument” is changing hearts and minds on the abortion issue. The argument consists of “asking pro-choice people if they agree that all human adults have an equal right to life” and why.

Coming Home celebrates a hard-won victory in Washington, D.C. – the availability of a pro-life license plate: The Children First Foundation of DC sponsored the Washington, D.C. “Choose Life” License Plate which was made available for purchase to residents of the District of Columbia on Wednesday, October 23, 2013, by the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles that welcomed the participation of our pro-adoption, non-profit, charitable, and educational organization into their popular DC DMV Organizational Tag Program.

Jivin Jehoshaphat spots a strange story from Minnesota where a man is being defended for a double homicide in which he killed his pregnant wife and preborn child. His defense attorney claims “the death of the fetus was an abortion, not a murder, and the only person whose rights that such an act could have violated — the mother — already was dead.”

The Leading Edge reports that New Zealand is opposing a proposal for morning-after pills to be distributed free of charge women under 25. Apparently, facts got in the way: studies in other countries have shown that availability of emergency contraception has not led to a decrease in abortion or pregnancy rates.

Live Action says Democrat Wendy Davis, now running for governor of Texas after becoming known for her filibuster opposing bans on late-term abortions, now reportedly opposes late-term abortion! How very interesting. Maybe she read some internal polling showing that Texans aren’t quite with her on the issue: Meanwhile, Davis’ new position is that she only supports late-term abortion in cases to protect the life of the mother, of rape or incest, and fetal abnormalities. The only problem with that statement is that Texas Senate Bill 5, which Davis filibustered for over ten hours in an attempt to defeat, and voted against, did have an exception in it if the life of the mother was at risk.

Kansans for Life reports that Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit against Kansas is moving quickly through the courts. Isn’t it interesting how Planned Parenthood fights against factual information? The lawsuit focuses on Kansas’ 2013 Pro-Life Protections Act, specifically the “first-in-the-nation” requirement that the link to the state “Woman’s Right to Know” abortion information website be positioned on a clinic’s home page….

Americans United for Life discusses their legal brief filed in a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act:
AUL argues that the Obama Administration’s “HHS Mandate”—which forces employers to provide insurance coverage for life-ending drugs and devices without regard to the employers’ consciences or religious beliefs—is unconstitutional….
“Forcing a private business to pay for insurance covering life-ending drugs is a constitutional violation unprecedented in American history,” said Dr. [Charmaine] Yoest. “Not only does it violate the First Amendment freedom of conscience, it also tramples on the entrepreneurial spirit that is a fabric of American economic life.

[Davis photo by Stewart F. House, Getty Images via LA Times]

Pro-life blog buzz 10-22-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

The Passionate Pro-lifer describes a recent interaction at a Denver Planned Parenthood where a supposed man of faith (pictured left) defending an abortionist as a “good doctor” tries to tell protesters they don’t know the Bible: 

… [O]ur motley crew at the evil Planned Parenthood child sacrifice center were paid a visit by a businessman from Wyoming.

Our short visit was peppered with lots of “christian” cliches as our friend thanked us for being there and spoke about our need to read the Bible more….

[W]hen we started asking Chris about the abortionist in Jackson, Wyoming where several of us had protested the previous year, it turned out Chris knew Brent Blue. He’s a “really nice guy”….

The three of us who were engaged I the conversation grew more incredulous by the minute. Chris benefits from a killer financially, sees him as a practitioner, thinks he’s a great guy and calls himself a “believing” Christian.

ProWomanProLife links to the story about two teenage girls who were caught last week with a dead baby in a shopping bag. According to the latest reports, the baby was “born alive and then asphyxiated.”

Wesley J. Smith comments on the horrific case of a child being trafficked to the UK – to have her organs harvested: The buyers should be asked: Is your own death really worse than having a child killed or maimed that you might live? Some would clearly say yes. If that isn't evil, what is?

Live Action posts a self-professing pro-choice woman’s experience with RU-486: 

I bled for 14 days. A follow-up ultrasound confirmed that I’d aborted. And that’s when the problems really began.I had been prepared for the possibility that the pill wouldn't work and I’d still need a surgical abortion – that happens in about 5 to 8 percent of cases. I also knew that I might bleed so heavily I’d need surgery to stop it… [But] what blindsided me, apart from being battered by the mifepristone, with a huge, cystic boils that soon covered my neck, shoulders, and back. I was also overcome by fatigue – an utter lack of ability to do anything more strenuous than sleep or lie on the couch…. On top of all that came depression; I sobbed constantly….

It was only when I described my symptoms to my gynecologist that I discovered my experience wasn't all that unusual. (The Mifeprex literature didn't even mention it) “I think it’s under reported, but probably one in 3 women have dramatic side effects,” he told me…. “I've seen a lot of women go through it – I don’t want to call it postpartum, but post event melancholy that’s more dramatic than people want to admit.” He prescribed antidepressants. “One day, you’ll feel just like your old self.” It took 9 months.

Pro-Life New Mexico is happy to support the community baby shower, a project of Students for Life UNM, on October 26-27 in Albuquerque.

ProLife NZ shares the heartwarming story of a family of five who welcomed another member, despite a prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida. They believe “everyone deserves a chance at life, no matter how brief that life may be. That we do not, and should not, make the choice for another that their life is not worth living.”

Reflections of a Paralytic shares a new Population Research Institute video “using cartoons to break down the complexities of pregnancy, illustrating how the [Plan B] drug affects ovulation, conception, and implantation.”

Pro-life blog buzz 10-18-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Abstinence Clearinghouse discusses research which states that STDs and ectopic pregnancies are linked:
According to ehealthmd.com, the connection between STD’s and Ectopic Pregnancies is attributed to the damage caused to the Fallopian tubes. Severe infections can scar the tubes, causing them to become blocked. Women who have previously suffered from infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, have a five times greater risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy….


Josh Brahm says body language matters when dialoguing with someone about a contentious issue like abortion:I prefer not to directly face pro-choice people when I’m in a dialogue with them. If I’m directly facing the person I’m talking to, it feels more like an argument than a dialogue. But if I’m standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them or if we’re both angled towards a common object, I tend to have a better dialogue.

Interestingly enough, Joe Navarro, a 25-year veteran of the FBI and an expert on body language, found the same thing. He says that agents have more success with coaxing information out of interviewees when they avoid direct eye contact.

Big Blue Wave comments on the story of a couple with three children conceived via IVF – two born and one in cold storage – who opts to bury their embryo rather than place him/her for adoption or attempt to carry to term. Apparently, the couple finds the expense of “freezer” costs to be unmanageable and the thought of their child living with someone else to be unbearable. How tragic that death is thought to be preferable to a chance at life. Is burying one’s willfully rejected preborn child in the garden fundamentally different from abortion?

Bound4Life comments on a judge’s denial of an abortion to a 16-year-old girl in foster care who wanted to abort without parental consent. The girl’s lawyer appealed the judge’s ruling, claiming “bias.” (If the judge had allowed it, would he would have been considered “non-biased” by default?) He also objected to the fact that the judge asked the girl if she knew what abortion does to children in utero. Apparently, this teen is mature enough to have an abortion, but not mature enough to answer whether she fully understands the procedure.

Family Research Council says that while Planned Parenthood is celebrating its 97th birthday, there are many foul things about the organization that cannot simply be covered up by birthday cake icing:
Planned Parenthood keeps medical standards low to keep overhead low. This puts women at risk. Hundreds of medical complaints have been filed against the organization, and many women have suffered botched abortions or died because of their practices. Medical citations include: non-medical personnel performing medical functions, failing to disinfect and remove blood stains from tables between abortions, using abortion pills after their expiration date, reusing unsanitary sponges to clean instruments, allowing fetal matter and frozen blood to build up on freezers.

The Lost Generation posts a graphic (below; click to enlarge) showing the dangers of the Mirena IUD:
Why use a “birth control” method that is likely to cause death for a baby/babies you never knew about? Why use a device that hugely increases your odds of suffering an ectopic pregnancy and a miscarriage if you have it removed during pregnancy? Why choose a “contraceptive” that is manufactured by a company that even the FDA calls misleading? Why use the Mirena IUD if you are risking your own health and life in the process, along with your baby’s?

Pro-life blog buzz 10-15-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Kansans for Life describes the latest tactic of the abortion industry – demonizing adoption and those who support adoption, suggesting that it victimizes both the mother and child. I guess dead children and wounded women they can ignore are better? Andrea Grimes, writing at RH Reality Check, a pro-abortion blog, has issued a clarion call to forestall a Texas proposal that would require three hours of adoption counseling prior to any abortion. Her plan? Undermine pro-lifers’ “hold” on the issue by “exposing” adoption as a corrupt, woman-coercing, money-making cartel!Because the abortion industry isn't? Wow. Are we to assume, then, that no one is victimized by the abortion industry?

Judie Brown describes how societal attitudes toward death are changing, almost glamorizing the event. She adds that Obamacare does nothing to change this: It is quite likely that Obama’s Affordable Care Act will sanction “a better way of dying,” which translates into euthanasia. The truth is that one of the organizations advocating so-called assisted suicide, Compassion and Choices, did by its own admission work “tirelessly” with members of Congress in the drafting of certain aspects of Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
So, could Obamacare lead to greater numbers of assisted suicide? You betcha.
Then, there is the question of organ donation and the recent medical journal article that states: “That patients be dead before their organs are recovered is not a foundational ethical requirement.” In other words, doctors should not mind killing to get organs they need for other people.

A Culture of Life showcases a sculpted “display of 14 bronze sculptures depicting the journey from human conception through to birth… in Qatar” by British artist Damien Hirst. The sculptures were commissioned with the “intention of being a celebration of life.”

Clinic Quotes demonstrates how abortionists are encouraged to concern themselves more with abortion advocacy than with patients: At a National Abortion Federation meeting session on the management of complications of first trimester abortions:
“… [A] practitioner warned that if a particularly risky procedure was undertaken in emergency circumstances, and failed, it would not only harm the patient but the “movement” as well.”…
Pro-choice feminists have sometimes put the legality of abortion ahead of the health of women. In some cases, women have died from malpractice and pro-choicers have rallied to support the doctors who killed them. For example, read the story of Bruce Steir.

Abby Johnson reminds us that it is almost time for the annual Girl Scouts cookie sale, posting a helpful sheet to hand to parents explaining why you don’t plan to buy and why they should reconsider if Girl Scouts USA is appropriate for their daughter.

At Coming Home, Dr. Gerard Nadal examines the stats showing the closing of abortions clinics compared to the decrease in abortions. With the record number of clinic closure at 75% and the decrease in abortions of 25%, he believes the numbers just don’t add up: The simple truth is that the opponent has adjusted to our tactics. The butchers such as Gosnell needed to be put away for their crimes. Now the challenge will be how to monitor the hospitals as they make a fundamental philosophical shift by embracing abortion in the era of Obamacare. One approach will be to step up the education of women regarding the dangers of abortion, and their betrayal by cynical governors such as California’s Jerry Brown and New York’s Andrew Cuomo.

Pro-Life in TN comments on the story of a 15-year-old girl living in an abusive situation, coerced into an abortion, who was failed by school officials and a judge – who are now facing legal consequences. Truly awful.

Auburn University’s new Homecoming Queen, Molly Anne Dutton, shares her story of being conceived in rape, adopted, and now bringing awareness to the issue of the victims of sexual assault. Video via The Blaze:

TX: abuse, failure to protect, forced abortion .....all this in Austin, TX not China

Wow, there is so many things wrong with this story, you hardly know where to begin. This occurred in Austin TX where a 15 year old girl was living in the care of a step grandmother (who was her official guardian) and the boyfriend of the grandmother,  a registered sex offender, having served time for offenses against a 13 year old girl.  For some reason, she was not in the care of her biological mother.

In 2011 she pens an essay at school, describing  sexual abuse in her home changing the names as the teacher instructed. The teacher confers with the principal, which is appropriate,  but what happened next caused them to be indicted. They did not report this to the Dept. of Children's Services or other appropriate agency.  They contact the very people  the minor  alleges is guilty of the abuse and failure to protect. They make her apologize for "lying." How outrageous! The teacher and especially the two principals involved disobeyed the law mandating reporting of suspected abuse.

The following year she becomes pregnant. The story says it is by a teen age boyfriend,  but given the fact that she was living with an abuser, there is no evidence to support that.  The guardian try to force her to abort but she wants to carry to term and parent. She reaches out to her biological mother for support.  The mother sues to regain custody and this is where it gets even more outrageous. The mother reaches out to a pro life law firm.  They file a petition to have the minor placed in the care of her mother or state protective custody.   The judge listens to the girl in private chambers and she recounts the abusive situation that she is living in. He rules against her and returns her to the abusive home and they force her to abort. What?? So in Austin TX, a minor can be forced to abort against her wishes!! TN has a law in effect that says that no one can be forced to abort against their wishes regardless of the age. 

Given that she  was so adamant that about not aborting, that she and her mother retain lawyers to try to stop the abortion, what excuse does the abortionist have for performing this abortion? I find it hard to believe  that they did not know she was being forced  into this.  Is this China? No, this happened in Austin TX where Wendy Davis  gained overnight  sensation for filibustering against banning abortions after the fifth month!

Can it get any worse....yes it can. After she is  forced to abort and returned to the abusive situation, she is tied to the bed,  raped,  and witnessed her guardian being murdered. 
There is lots of outrage over what happened to her and that is understandable. There is another victim here and that is the baby  who died  due to the failure of so many people. Who do you go to sue for that?

Pro-life blog buzz 10-11-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

ProLifeBlogs features a post by LifeSiteNews which reports pro-choice violence against a woman participating in a peaceful Life Chain in Toronto. Faye Arellano was attacked and beaten by a knife-wielding man, who was arrested. During the Life Chain, Faye “held a rosary in one hand and a sign in the other which read: ‘Life, the first inalienable right.”

Down on the Pharm comments on California Governor Jerry Brown’s (pictured left) signing into law a bill that will allow non-physicians to perform abortions in the state:  "We know already that abortionists who are physicians have a poor performance record. It would be irrational to expect that people with less medical training would have a better safety record than those who have to undergo four years of medical school and four years of residency."
Pro-lifer Wynette Sills, who is participating in 40 Days for Life in Sacramento, addressed the passage of this law on Facebook – citing scientific facts and posting photos of actual fetal development – and was temporarily blocked from posting on the social media site for a comment that read, “Debi, become informed. Human life begins at conception and every abortion kills a human being. Know your science, rather than just respond with emotions.”

Right to Life of Michigan “circulated petitions throughout the summer to initiate Abortion Insurance Opt-Out legislation. More than 315,000 signatures were submitted to the Secretary of State’s office today sending a strong message to Michigan lawmakers that abortion is not health care”:
Michigan’s Constitution allows the people of the state to initiate legislation through a petition; 258,088 signatures of registered voters needed to be collected in 180 days to initiate the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act. Signatures for the NO Taxes for Abortion Insurance petition drive was collected in less than 4 months. After the Board of Canvassers verifies the signatures, the legislature will have 40 calendar days to respond.


Secular Pro-Life says pro-choicers often ask pro-lifers, “If you had the choice to rescue either an adult or ten frozen embryos from a burning building, which would you choose?” But this question actually proves nothing about the value of human life:
Consider it like a case of triage. Two people are in mortal danger and a doctor can only save one. The doctor will save the person with the greatest chance of survival. Does that mean the other person is less valuable than the person she saves? Of course not. But if she tried to save the person with the most extensive injuries, she may end up losing both. In this case, since the fate of the embryos is uncertain (nor could it ever be certain), saving the adults would be morally justified because they have a 100% chance of survival if you rescue them.Choosing who to save does not equate to the intentional killing of embryos.

Albert Mohler discusses the addictive nature of pornography and how it “hijacks” the male brain:In Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain, [William] Struthers presents key insights from neuroscience that go a long way toward explaining why pornography is such a temptation for the male mind.
“The simplest explanation for why men view pornography (or solicit prostitutes) is that they are driven to seek out sexual intimacy,” he explains. The urge for sexual intimacy is God-given and essential to the male, he acknowledges, but it is easily misdirected. Men are tempted to seek “a shortcut to sexual pleasure via pornography,” and now find this shortcut easily accessed.

[Photos via Bloomberg and Flickr]

Pro-life blog buzz 10-8-13

Pro-life blog buzz 10-8-13

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

• Abstinence Clearinghouse reports that Japan is rescinding its recommendation for the Gardasil vaccine after a reported 2,000 adverse reactions, some quite serious. A report notes that the vaccine has caused adverse reactions in the United States as well, but the Obama administration “[continues] to [recommend] Gardasil, [and] spends large sums of taxpayer dollars promoting it, [keeping] details involving its dangers secret….”
• Down on the Pharm shares an undercover video showing how easy sex-selection abortion is in the UK. The Crown Prosecution Service has no plans to prosecute these abortionists who were breaking the law:

• Judie Brown of American Life League has a mind-boggling post on our “morally fractured society.” She outlines the many ways that reproductive technology has assaulted human dignity:
  
  One need only read the headlines about genetically manipulated human beings to understand the real tragedy as well as the challenge. The Men Having Babies website, for example, exists because of the standard among homosexuals that there is nothing wrong with two men who are attracted to each other engaging the services of a surrogate mother to carry their child!
  In another example, transgender pregnancy is defined as the “last frontier” in assisted reproductive technology. Intrauterine insemination has made it possible for a transgender woman born with a male body and her bisexual lover to have a baby.
  Charlotte Allen writes about the surrogacy business — a direct result of in vitro fertilization’s acceptance. Allen reports from the perspective that surrogate motherhood is acceptable in our culture. She apparently does not view the practice as morally fractured.
  The three-parent embryo is another good example of an experiment with no concern about the potential risks. Actually, the only reason for such research is to prove that science can rid the world of defects in preborn children. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration will hold public hearings on this practice. While we have not heard about this in the media, we also will not hear about the tragic risks associated with it.
  There are so many examples of these reproductive technology horrors that one could write a book about them. But the overriding problem is the public’s acceptance of the manipulation of the human being who is treated as nothing more than a science experiment.
  
• Americans United for Life filed an amicus brief with the North Dakota Supreme Court “on behalf of 49 state legislators in favor of a law that would protect women’s health by regulating sometimes dangerous life-ending drugs.”
• Clinic Quotes gives another example of how the abortion industry opposes informed consent. NARAL calls a Michigan ultrasound law “emotionally manipulative,” even opposing diagnostic ultrasounds for obvious safety reasons (ectopic pregnancy), stating that it is a financial burden to women. They also objected to referring women to places where they could get free ultrasounds, as these places may discourage abortion. Bottom line: the abortion industry is opposed to women’s informed choice and safety.
• Live Action News reminds us that Wednesday, October 9 is National Cupcake for Life Day – a truly sweet way to share the message of life. Happy baking!

- See more at: http://www.jillstanek.com/#sthash.jz31zrl1.

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Abstinence Clearinghouse reports that Japan is rescinding its recommendation for the Gardasil vaccine after a reported 2,000 adverse reactions, some quite serious. A report notes that the vaccine has caused adverse reactions in the United States as well, but the Obama administration “[continues] to [recommend] Gardasil, [and] spends large sums of taxpayer dollars promoting it, [keeping] details involving its dangers secret….”
 
Down on the Pharm shares an undercover video showing how easy sex-selection abortion is in the UK. The Crown Prosecution Service has no plans to prosecute these abortionists who were breaking the law:

Judie Brown of American Life League has a mind-boggling post on our “morally fractured society.” She outlines the many ways that reproductive technology has assaulted human dignity:
One need only read the headlines about genetically manipulated human beings to understand the real tragedy as well as the challenge. The Men Having Babies website, for example, exists because of the standard among homosexuals that there is nothing wrong with two men who are attracted to each other engaging the services of a surrogate mother to carry their child!
In another example, transgender pregnancy is defined as the “last frontier” in assisted reproductive technology. Intrauterine insemination has made it possible for a transgender woman born with a male body and her bisexual lover to have a baby.
Charlotte Allen writes about the surrogacy business — a direct result of in vitro fertilization’s acceptance. Allen reports from the perspective that surrogate motherhood is acceptable in our culture. She apparently does not view the practice as morally fractured.
The three-parent embryo is another good example of an experiment with no concern about the potential risks. Actually, the only reason for such research is to prove that science can rid the world of defects in preborn children. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration will hold public hearings on this practice. While we have not heard about this in the media, we also will not hear about the tragic risks associated with it.
There are so many examples of these reproductive technology horrors that one could write a book about them. But the overriding problem is the public’s acceptance of the manipulation of the human being who is treated as nothing more than a science experiment.

Americans United for Life filed an amicus brief with the North Dakota Supreme Court “on behalf of 49 state legislators in favor of a law that would protect women’s health by regulating sometimes dangerous life-ending drugs.” 

Clinic Quotes gives another example of how the abortion industry opposes informed consent. NARAL calls a Michigan ultrasound law “emotionally manipulative,” even opposing diagnostic ultrasounds for obvious safety reasons (ectopic pregnancy), stating that it is a financial burden to women. They also objected to referring women to places where they could get free ultrasounds, as these places may discourage abortion. Bottom line: the abortion industry is opposed to women’s informed choice and safety. 

Live Action News reminds us that Wednesday, October 9 is National Cupcake for Life Day – a truly sweet way to share the message of life. Happy baking!

Pro-life blog buzz 10-4-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

• According to Wesley J. Smith, former VP candidate Sarah Palin had a point when she talked about Obamacare’s “death panels”: The assisted suicide advocacy organization, the euphemistically named Compassion and Choices (formerly the Hemlock Society) was deeply involved – by the group’s own account – in drafting portions of the Obamacare legislation. So, could Obamacare lead to greater assisted suicide? You betcha.

ProLifeBlogs features an Operation Rescue report about a patient transported by ambulance this week from Summit Medical Center (abortion facility) in Detroit – the second such incident known since March:
Reginald Sharpe, an abortionist with a long and sordid history, was on duty at the time of the emergency. Sharpe was known to have killed a patient in January, 2008 during a botched second trimester abortion. Sharpe reportedly perforated the woman’s uterus and “cut a uterine blood vessel, lacerated her intestines, and liver.” She died eight days later.

Pro-Life Wisconsin posts an article from The Population Research Institute, “[which] provides three reasons overpopulation is a myth, and not an excuse to kill weaker human beings.”

ProWomanProLife features a series of articles on remarkable pro-life women, including Marie-Claire Rear, the president of 1Flesh – a “grassroots movement dedicated to bringing great sex to the entire universe through the power of organic family planning.”

At Priests for Life, Alveda King discusses the government shutdown over a moral position:"Now in 2013 the debate is over a ludicrous issue; birth control and easy access to abortions to be paid for with our money, our tax dollars. Oh, it’s all couched neatly and wrapped up in a “health care for all” bow, but it is still all foolishness. I've been saying that as the mother of two daughters and grandmother to three precious girls, they don’t need free birth control and easy abortions…."

At Secular Pro-Life, Alycia Hartley contrasts public response to a fireman saving a kitten from a burning building, and an abortionist who takes photos of aborted babies to send home with their mothers as mementos of the baby that was just killed: 

 "When we live in a world that is moved by the rescue of a small kitten, yet remains largely unmoved by the daily barbaric killing of pre-born children, something seems very wrong. This disregard towards the unborn finds its epitome in the fact that some parents are not only willing to kill their pre-born children, but to have photographs taken of the murdered baby as a memento."

[Photo via Operation Rescue]

MN: My experience opting out of sex ed class portion of Health class....

Anne Taylor lives in Minneapolis and writes about a personal experience with sex ed classes in her state.

The Common Core thing is slowly catching on in this state.  I’m not a native of MN, but I can tell you they are a little more reserved here & don’t like asking questions.

I recently became part of a group called Minnesotans Against Common Core (MACC).. Linda Bell is the administrator and has been giving talks to area schools, churches  & to parents, especially hit are home school families.

I knew PP was buried in the curriculum somewhere, but now there’s proof!  Click here.

I can tell you a story of how we were treated at my eldest daughter’s school when we opted-out of sex ed during her 6th grade year: 

The Health teacher penalized my child with ‘missing assignments’ for not doing the assignments even though we had permission to opt-out.  With opting-out a student is not required to do any of the assignments, nor can be penalized for it.   It took a lot of email requests(with no reply from the teacher) & about a month to get the missing assignments off my child’s record.  The school counselor ended up having to advocate to have the teacher remove the missing assignments.   Many don’t know there are state laws allowing parents to opt-out of Health class completely, not just the sex ed portion – parents have to ask – it is not a requirement for graduation during Middle school (at least in MN).  We didn't feel it was appropriate for our 11 year old (now in 8th grade), to be taught THC levels and different forms of contraception – and GRADED on it.  It was sad to realize that out of 300+ students, less than 10% of the parents showed for the sex-ed meeting with the Health teacher.  I asked for the text book from the school’s counselor and we reviewed at home according to OUR values.  She is aware of far more than her peers.  At the sex ed family meeting the following year for 7th graders, we were told Abortion wouldn't be discussed and it wasn't mentioned in their text book.  But I stuck to my guts and had my daughter take a study hall that quarter.  My daughter later informed me her peers told her the teacher DID tell the students, “Abortion is a surgical procedure where the fetus is removed from the mother.”  My daughter got a prompt, serious discussion on the reality of what that ‘surgical procedure’ entails. 

Pro-life blog buzz 10-1-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
Down on the Pharm discusses the research of a new chemical pill that can induce an abortion and be taken once a month – just in case: They even suggest the possibility of flushing women once per month to be sure that no undesirable embryos are clinging to life in their reproductive tracts. This type of chemical birth control is touted as possibly preferable to the forms which have been designed largely to reduce the possibility of fertilization. 

40 Days for Life prints a letter received from a woman who observed a campaign from a distance and chose life because of it.

Fletcher Armstrong features a campus outreach at Middle Tennessee State University with the long time volunteers, the Hardin family, whose newest member joined them by adoption from Armenia. (pictured left) 

Bound4Life shares the powerful two-part testimony of a post-abortive woman who found healing after 8 years of hiding her secret. 

American Life League’s Judie Brown argues that education on important life issues is missing from the Catholic Church. She quotes Cardinal Raymond Burke: We as Catholics have not properly combatted it [the culture of death] because we have not been taught our Catholic faith, especially in the depth needed to address these grave evils of our time. This is a failure of catechesis both of children and young people that has been going on for 50 years. It is being addressed, but it needs much more radical attention.

 
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life discusses the killing of preborn babies diagnosed with disabilities:
Two points about the abortion of disabled babies are important. First, ability (or disability) is irrelevant to the worth and dignity of a human being. We do not (or should not) think less of people who have physical and mental handicaps. Parents may not kill their toddler if they learn that she has autism. They may not execute a 10-year-old with spina bifida because they think she would be better off dead. 

Second, it is deeply mistaken to suppose that the life of a disabled person is not worth living. People with disabilities live meaningful and often happy lives. And caring for them, though difficult, is enriching and rewarding, as parents and caregivers attest. 

Live Action reports that a float “which featured the large model of a 12-week-old fetus” will not be allowed at New Zealand’s Alexandra Blossom Festival because of its “anti-abortion” message. Creator Bruce Lietze worked four months on the project. Allowed in the parade will be a statement made famous by Sir Edmund Hillary, which contains profanity. 

A Culture of Life says that euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke is “tak[ing] credit for higher elderly suicide rate in New Zealand. Nitsche is quoted as saying: As a society we should not be alarmed by this trend… and taking steps to prevent access to new developments in end of life strategies or end of life drugs would be counterproductive, forcing people to use undignified and often ineffective methods. 

Josh Brahm gives six tips for arguing analogies clearly:

Where is the red line on abortion?

Like most of you, I sat transfixed over the past two weeks watching breaking and ever changing news about the civil war in Syria. We were rightfully horrified by the allegations that  chemical weapons were  used against their own people including 200 children. Would we  use military force that may lead us into another war?  Those arguing for a strike kept emphasizing the 200 children killed!  As I watched I could not escape the hypocrisy that those who were voicing the loudest concern for the Syrian children were the strongest defenders of abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy in our own country .  in 2012, they also  allocated 542 million of our  tax  dollars to Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider!

 Planned Parenthood's  own research arm,  The Guttmacher Institute,  in their latest report  (2008 ) estimates that  1.21 million abortions occur here every year. This includes  both chemical and surgical abortions.  This is over 3,000 per day. Where is the outcry?  Where is the red line?