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5082011
By Tom Quiner
If a society allows the weakest in society to be exterminated without raising a finger, anything is possible.
For a generation, America has turned its back on our most vulnerable little ones with unfettered abortion "rights" at the expense of the pre-born.
Does it matter?
The Supreme Court's Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973 negated all legal protections for the pre-born on the books at the state level. Overnight, they were hung out to dry, so to speak.
Since then, America has changed.
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The divorce rate went up.
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Child abuse increased.
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Drug abuse increased.
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Illegitimacy exploded.
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The African-American community was decimated.
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Pornography use increased.
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The nation's replacement birth rate plummeted.
Is there any connection?
How can there not be a correlation? When a nation's top legal body says human life is expendable when it is in the womb, it suggests that the value of human life is conditional, not absolute.
In one fell swoop, the Court degraded the value of humanity, and we have experienced a dramatic increase in social pathology ever since. We invest tremendous resources trying to fix the problems created by the Court's decision to declare war on the womb.
This country has many great human beings who are vocal peace advocates. I notice something about so many of them, though. The same people critical of our wars with Iraq and Afghanistan, these ardent peace advocates, are far too frequently advocates of abortion rights.
And yet one of their fellow peace advocates, the late John Paul II, a man who shared their opinions on those wars, acknowledged peace begins in the womb when he said this:
"America you are beautiful . . . and blessed . . . . The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless. If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life."
In other words, peace begins in the womb.
Another peace advocate, Mother Teresa of Calcutta put it this way:
"I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is Abortion, because it is a war against the child... A direct killing of the innocent child, Murder by the mother herself... And if we can accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love... And we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts..."
Mother Teresa puts it quite simply when she says:
"We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, killings, of wars, or of hatred...If a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for us to kill each other?"
Ronald Reagan put it this way:
"Simple morality dictates that unless and until someone can prove the unborn human is not alive, we must give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it is (alive). And, thus, it should be entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Simple morality doesn't seem so simple in light of America's 53 million abortions since the Roe decision.
And yet it seems so obvious when we listen to Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and Ronald Reagan.
Peace begins in the womb.
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The Price of Inhumanity
By Tom Quiner
From 1980 to 1988, there were 1 million deaths due to the Iran/Iraq war.
From 1980 to 1988, there were 14 million deaths in the U.S. due to abortion.
Before the U.S./Iraq war began, there were an estimated 270 mass graves in Iraq.
It is estimated that those graves hold the bodies of 400,000 people.
In the U.S., our mass graves are found in the dumpsters behind Planned Parenthood. Millions of bodies have been disposed there.
In 2006, 846 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq. Thirty-four thousand Iraqi civilians died. One million, two-hundred fifty thousand babies were aborted in the U.S.
By 2010, the number of U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq had dropped to sixty. The number of Iraqi citizen fatalities dropped to twenty-four hundred. The number of abortion fatalities in the U.S. “dropped” to a mere one million, two-hundred thousand.
In the entire 236 year history of the United States of America, we have lost 1.3 million people to war.
We lose that many to abortion in a single year.
Interestingly, the incidence of civilian casualties in Iraq dropped dramatically with our intervention and the ouster of Saddam Hussein, one of the 20th century’s more prolific mass murderers.
In the U.S., Planned Parenthood is the most prolific agent of death. They are supported with taxpayer money with our president’s blessing.
Even more, the government requires taxpayers to fund the killings.
Even more, our government now requires Catholics and other faith-based organizations to provide abortifacients, sterilization, and contraception for free to their employees in their health care plans.
Inhumanity takes a tremendous toll on civilization. Often, the killing is done in the name of hate.
In the U.S., it is a little different. It is far worse. It is done in the name of apathy and greed, for Planned Parenthood makes billions on the little backs of their victims.
What is the price of all of this carnage? Civilization decays, one life at a time.
What is the solution? That is simple: God. We must remember we were made in His image.
Anything else? Yes, we must elect pro-life politicians.
And in the name of humanity, consider this in November at the voting booth.
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Jul13 |
Life Issues Forum: Hospice for pets - suicide for people?
7/13/2011 8:48:00 AM by MARY MCCLUSKY |
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Mary McClusky
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There’s a certain irony in the Washington state location of the Animal Hospice End of Life Project (AHELP). The organization, with a network of volunteers, provides assistance for pets with special needs, palliative (pain-relieving) care and hospice.
There’s no doubt that pets make wonderful companions, and they should receive suitable care. Yet ironically, Washington State is one of only two states that have legalized assisted suicide for human beings, offering death rather than proper medical care.
Both Washington and neighboring Oregon have shown a policy preference for offering to give people lethal pills instead of providing more costly measures to care for the lives of patients with a terminal disease. A brief look at the current legal situation and review of Catholic teaching on end-of-life care helps to set the right balance of priorities.
Physician-assisted suicide is generally accomplished through a drug overdose, using pills prescribed by a doctor for the purpose of suicide. Oregon became the first state to legalize such activity in 1994. In 2008 Washington followed suit.
Montana is currently considering legislation that would enable doctors to facilitate such killing. Euthanasia, carried out against another person, is “an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering.” The Church teaches that euthanasia is murder and an offense against God and the dignity of the human person.
Catholic teaching recognizes the God-given dignity of every human life from conception to natural death.
“We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for His honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. . . . Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2280-2282).
When members of the human family are at risk of being eliminated because public authorities regard them as financially or emotionally burdensome, we are called to proclaim their inestimable worth. In the autumn of life when those who are elderly, sick or dying are most tempted to fear being a burden to others, they are most in need of protection, care and comfort.
Medicine plays a huge role in ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society are met. Traditional hospice has been around for decades, and the rapidly developing field of palliative care, which provides pain relief, emotional support, and assistance meeting basic needs, has become increasingly available.
It’s fine to improve care for pets, but society’s more important challenge is to improve care for people rather than putting them at risk of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Answering the call of Catholic teaching to encourage palliative care is a great start. For resources on assisted suicide and euthanasia visit www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/euthanas
Mary McClusky is Special Projects Coordinator at the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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Casey Anthony and the Inconsistency of Public Outrage
By: Mike Strain - Stand True Missionary

The Casey Anthony trial has managed to keep the attention of millions of people, and rightfully so. I am a little bit late to hear about the case, as I have been traveling and working for Stand True, but this morning, reports of the trial were still on the news. For anyone who has not seen the articles, a 25-year-old Florida woman named Casey Anthony is charged with the murder of her two year old daughter, Caylee Anthony. Evidence has gone back and forth, and the mother has so far pleaded innocent, although the evidence seems relatively conclusive the other way.
The two-year-old was reported missing in 2008, and the remains were found in the woods in a plastic bag, close to the Anthony home. Chloroform and human decomposition samples were also found as evidence, as well as Google searches on Casey’s computer for “neck breaking”, “how to make chloroform”, and “death”. A CNN report stated that the child was found with duct tape traces over her mouth, and the residue of heart shaped stickers. This story is unbelievable and heartbreaking.
The general public has swarmed over this story, prying for every horrible and tragic detail, in an effort to know how a mother could do such a thing, especially to such a young and beautiful child. The details of the murder are unimaginable and grotesque. They seem quite surreal, coming from a young mother in a suburban Florida neighborhood. As a nation, we seem to ask: “What can cause someone to be so inhuman?”
I believe that the answer lies in a diary entry, written by Casey Anthony, that was dated June 21st, which is as follows, “I have no regrets, just a bit worried. I just want for everything to work out OK. I completely trust my own judgment and know that I made the right decision. I just hope that the end justifies the means. I just want to know what the future will hold for me. I guess I will soon see – This is the happiest that I have been in a very long time. I hope that my happiness will continue to grow– I’ve made new friends that I really like. I’ve surrounded myself with good people– I am finally happy. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t change.” This does not seem like the diary of a woman who has just murdered her child, although it bears chilling similarity to the way that abortion is justified in this country.
How is it that we can obsess over the horror of the Casey Anthony trial and not see the parallels to abortion? There is national lament and outcry over the murder of a two year old, but thousands of unborn children are dismembered and thrown away every day through abortion, and our society turns a blind eye.
The inconsistency about infanticide is astounding. While still a senator, President Obama voted against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which stated that if a baby survived an abortion, it was illegal to kill it. Our President apparently believes that infanticide is permissible if an abortion was the original intent. This quite obviously did not make a big political impact, and his appalling vote on this bill took a back seat to the economy and job creation. However, if a mother kills her two-year-old daughter there is an entire month worth of news describing every little detail.
I don’t mean to downplay tragedy of the Casey Anthony case, but I can’t help but notice the inconsistency of public reaction, and the similarity of rationale for the act of murder. Abortion is often labeled as simply a personal choice, while the rights of the unborn are invisible and never mentioned. The chilling remark of “I made the right decision….This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time” is shockingly similar to the rhetoric that is thrown around by the pro-choice movement. I also don’t mean to say that every woman who has an abortion is exactly like Casey Anthony.
A huge amount of women are pressured, misled, and terribly misinformed about the true nature of abortion. However, it is inconsistent to state that Casey Anthony is a monster, and in the same breath affirm that abortion is morally equivalent to a appendectomy. I am heartbroken to hear about the trial, and anxiously looking to the conclusion. While I obviously don’t support her actions, I am praying that Casey Anthony will not get the death penalty. The death of a mother will not bring back her child. I also hope for more strict legislation in regards to paternal responsibility, and that the father of Caylee Anthony will also be held accountable for being absent in his daughter’s life.
With the trial in mind, I also pray that the thousands of mothers entering abortion clinics today will have their hearts and minds changed towards life, to embrace the beauty of the family or to create another family through adoption. Maybe one day there will be equal outcry for the victims of abortion as there is now for the death of a beautiful little girl. BRYAN'S BLOG
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HT RESPECT LIFE HOME
The Beatitudes: A Call to Be Pro-life
Fr. Frank Pavone
July 10, 2011
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) turn the thinking of the world upside-down regarding what happiness is and how we find it. The Beatitudes shape the work of Christians who are active in the pro-life movement. We therefore continue in this and following columns our reflections on how each beatitude illumines and strengthens our pro-life commitment.
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice; they will be satisfied.” This beatitude speaks to the heart of the pro-life movement. We seek justice first of all by seeking to be right with God and in all our relationships. We also we seek justice by seeking to protect the rights of all, especially the weakest among us, our brothers and sisters in the womb. We are blessed not merely by believing they have a right to life, but by feeling the hunger and thirst, the longing and yearning, that they be protected and that this right be recognized and secured by law.
We also seek justice by working to extend healing and forgiveness to all who have been involved in abortion, that they too will be right with God and know his peace.
“Blessed are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.” At the heart of our religion is the cry for mercy that we direct to the Lord. His mercy does not only mean his forgiveness for the wrong we have done, but also means his protection for us from the power of our spiritual and physical enemies.
But when we seek and receive his mercy, we also incur the duty to extend that mercy to our brothers and sisters who depend on us to protect and rescue them.
Those who need our mercy the most are the children in the womb. They have been deprived of the most basic protection of their lives. Blessed are they who show mercy. Blessed are they who speak up for these children and work to end abortion.
“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” This beatitude impels us to ask ourselves what our deepest longings and desires are, what motivates our choices, and how consistently we want to do what is right. The pure of heart seek to please God before they please themselves, even at the cost of great sacrifice.
Having a pure heart protects us from the temptations of the culture of death. Meeting the needs of a vulnerable child in the womb requires a new and selfless center of gravity. We put the child first and our own plans and conveniences last.
And when we speak up for that child, we stop worrying about the criticism we might receive. The pure of heart don’t care about that. They only care about doing what’s right.
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By Fr. Frank A. Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
July 3, 2011
Devotion to the Eucharist is never isolated from the rest of life. Rather, its purpose is to unite us to Christ, and this union means that we live in His life all the hours of our day. There are particular links between Eucharistic devotion and the fight to end abortion. Abortion is, according to the bishops, "the fundamental human rights issue" (NCCB, "Resolution on Abortion," 1989). Abortion destroys the most defenseless members of society, the babies in the womb. How does the Eucharist help us to be pro-life?
God Loves Small Things
The Eucharist teaches us that the importance of something cannot be judged by its size or appearance. Christ, the Son of God, takes on the appearance of a small piece of bread and cup of wine. Our Faith leads us beyond the appearances. We know that after the consecration there is no more bread or wine on the altar. Now it is Christ who is present, in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The Host is a Divine life and also a human life, because Christ is a Divine Person with both a divine and human nature. Yet the Host certainly does not look or act like the Son of God. Nevertheless, we worship the Host and cry out in our hearts, "My Lord and my God!"
If we can see Christ in the Host, then we can also begin to see Him in the poor, the weak, the terminally ill, and the repulsive and ugly person. We can also see Him in the baby in the womb. This child is hidden behind the "veil" of the womb, much as Christ is hidden behind the "veil" of the Eucharist. Yet Faith takes us beyond appearances, and we can say of the preborn child, "There is a person like me! There is my brother, my sister, for whom Christ died!" Even when this child is a single cell resulting from fertilization, we are not deceived by appearances. He or she is one of us, equal in dignity.
The Victory of Life
The Eucharist is the victory of life. Christ gave us His Body and Blood as a memorial of His Passion and death. In other words, Christ says to us in the Eucharist, "Never forget that I died for you and rose again. Death is conquered and life is victorious. Come to me and share in this life!" If death is conquered, then abortion is conquered. It is up to us to spread this victory of life throughout our world. We do so by living out the Eucharist, namely, by giving our own lives that others may live. We, too, say "This is my body, this is my blood." We give our time, talent, effort, and painful sacrifice so that our brothers and sisters in the womb may be saved.
Practical Suggestions
Because there is a deep link between Eucharistic devotion and pro-life work, we should let that link be seen and heard. Some ways include the following:
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Hold special pro-life holy hours and Masses. (Priests for Life offers a booklet of devotions for pro-life holy hours.)
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In the prayers at holy hours and Masses, offer a petition for an end to abortion.
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Request announced and unannounced Mass intentions for an end to abortion, for aborted children, for mothers who have had abortions, and other pro-life concerns. Masses, which we usually offer for the deceased, can actually be offered for any intention. Besides the benefit of the Mass itself, in the case of announced intentions, the people will be reminded of the need to end abortion.
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At holy hours and other gatherings, always have pro-life literature available.
Let us never tire of worshipping Christ in the Eucharist!
Let us never tire of fighting abortion! In Christ we have the victory!
Amen!

Light and Shadows in the Cause of Life
By Susan E. Wills
May 27, 2011
There was great news this week on the abortion front. The journal Obstetrics & Gynecology reports that abortion rates in the United States continue their steady decline—an 8% drop between 2000 and 2008, to under 20 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44.
The rate in 1981 stood at almost 30 abortions per 1,000 women, so the abortion rate has declined by one-third in the past three decades.
Even more encouraging, teens continue to lead the way. Abortion rates among teens aged 15 to 17 dropped an impressive 22% between 2000 and 2008, and a remarkable 62% since 1984. Much of the decline can reasonably be attributed to teens choosing to remain chaste throughout their high school years. Chastity remains the key, because one in three sexually-active girls (including those contracepting) will become pregnant within 24 months of initiating sexual activity.
Then on May 23, Gallup released a poll that shows record-breaking advances for the pro-life cause: Only 27% of respondents believe abortion should be legal in all circumstances, while 72% oppose legal abortion in all (22%) or certain (50%) circumstances.
When Gallup probed further using two categories—(1) “legal in all or most circumstances” or (2) legal “under few or no circumstances,” only 37% chose the pro-abortion “legal in all or most,” while 61% of respondents chose “legal in few or no circumstances.”
Before breaking out the champagne, we need a little reality check: The dwindling ranks of abortion providers still kill over one million children in the United States every year. Abortion-promoting groups like Planned Parenthood are still enthusiastically supported by the Administration and most Senators, and we are not much closer to overturning Roe v. Wade given the composition of the Supreme Court.
On the plus side, pro-lifers have been very active at the state level to win more protections for unborn children and their mothers.
Of course there are many fronts in these culture wars, and for all the gains against abortion the cause of life may be losing ground elsewhere. We have become a pampered nation, self-indulgent and unaccustomed to sacrifice or suffering. It’s not surprising, then, that assisted suicide has been gaining ground as the “painless” and “dignified” way to end one’s life—or to help end the “burden” of a dependent family member.
A retired couple, still enjoying wealth, independence, and one final gourmet meal at their country club, unwilling to live “lesser” lives in a nursing home when the time comes, are extolled by many as models of courage when they kill themselves with carbon monoxide in the garage of their luxurious home. A 91-year-old woman in California is so busy selling suicide kits online that she doesn’t have time to deposit all the checks. “Exit guides” belonging to the Final Exit Network now make house calls around the country to advise depressed and lonely people how to kill themselves with a plastic bag and a helium tank. Each guide stays long enough to remove the evidence and make it look like a natural death. The Network’s medical director boasts that he has “directed” the suicides of almost 300 patients—far more than the infamous Dr. Kevorkian—and that his role of standing by while vulnerable people kill themselves is “beautiful.”
Yet signs of hope appear on this front as well. The assisted suicide movement, which scored a victory in 2008 by passing a legalization proposal in Washington state, has passed no measure in any other state since. In Idaho this spring, the movement’s efforts created such a backlash that the legislature passed a new ban on assisted suicide. The Vermont governor’s attempt to move a legalization measure through the state legislature failed even to be considered in committee.
At the end of life, as at its beginning, the American people have not yet lost all their moral clarity or their common sense, which is fortunate, because no society ever advanced itself by promoting broader destruction of innocent life.
Susan Wills is Assistant Director for Education & Outreach, USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. To learn more about the bishops’ pro-life activities, visit www.usccb.org/prolife.
March 6, 2011
The pro-life movement is brimming with the vibrancy of youth.
Why so much youthful energy in the cause of life? Because the hearts of the young are open to life and are filled with love of life. The minds of the young are open to the truth about abortion. They dream of a world without Roe v. Wade, and they live as if the dream were true. Their hearts are full of compassion for unborn children and for young women who are confused and suffering, and they look for ways to serve them.
Many in the last generation fought for legal abortion; but more today know that women deserve better, and so fight for true freedom for women. Young people know that the future is in their hands, and their hearts yearn to bring a message of hope and healing to a culture in great need of hearing it.
Among those who defend abortion, there are many who do so despite the pain abortion has brought into their lives, or even sometimes because of it. Many contemplating abortion believe they have no other choice. We listen to them; we understand their sense of isolation and despair. We must strive to know their hearts.
We renew our offer of assistance to anyone considering abortion: If you are overwhelmed by the decisions you face, if you cannot afford medical care, if you are homeless or feel helpless, whatever your needs, we will help you. The Church and her ministries, inspired by the word and example of Jesus Christ, will help you with compassion and without condemnation.
About 350,000 people attended this year’s “March for Life” in Washington D.C. Most of those participants were high school and college age.
Parts of this article are from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Website
February 20, 2011
A GENERATION THAT GREW UP WITH LEGALIZED ABORTION
Each year, for 38 years, pro-life Americans have shown that their commitment will not waver, their efforts will not cease.
Our firm conviction as Catholics that "life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception" (Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no. 51) has been a part of the Church's constant witness since the Apostolic age and has inspired millions to defend human life at every stage. Against the backdrop of a society in which many institutions of influence endorse legal abortion, the pro-life movement has grown year by year, in numbers and in vitality.
In the United States abortion is legal throughout pregnancy. Yet abortion is a violation of human rights incomparable in magnitude and an atrocity for the whole human family. While Roe v. Wade appeared to create a right with some limitations, Doe v. Bolton, which was decided the same day, erased those limitations by creating a "health" exception so broad that it effectively allows abortion for any reason at any time. The lack of any limits to legal abortion was never more clear than in the case of Stenberg v. Carhart in 2000, when the Supreme Court ruled that even the horrific partial-birth abortion procedure could not be restricted.
Most Americans are surprised and shocked to learn about the lack of any meaningful legal limitations for abortion. Most know things have gone too far. Together with those from many other faith communities, we work to bring about a society that recognizes abortion for what it truly is.
Many young people today comprehend the legacy of Roe. They look at 38 years of legal abortion and weep over the 50 million lives destroyed. They are aware that one in every four pregnancies ends in abortion, and they grieve for the world they will soon inherit. They mourn the fact that each year approximately 1.3 million abortions take place, and that thousands of them are done in the sixth month of pregnancy or later, when the child would likely survive if born.
Parts of this article are from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Website
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| Last Updated: 6/17/11 |
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