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Volume 19, Number 2
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March/April 2008
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Luxembourg Legalizes Euthanasia
By a vote of 30 - 26 the Luxembourg Parliament is legalizing euthanasia. If this passes its second reading, which is anticipated, it will become the third country in the European Union to legalize. Almost all members of the Social Christian Party voted against the measure,
but the Greens and others are co-sponsoring and pushing it through.
Kosovo to Legalize Abortion?
This newly independent province (from Serbia) has published a draft copy of its proposed new Constitution. This new paper would remove legal protections from unborn children. A pro-life group will arrive shortly to meet with top government and religious officials to try and reverse this. This province is 90% Muslim and 10% Orthodox Christian.
Neither religion allows abortion, so this is quite out of context.
U.S. Teen Abortion Drops
Data from Alan Guttmacher Institute (of Planned Parenthood) reports that today's U.S. teenagers are about 40% less likely to have an abortion than were their predecessors fifteen years ago. Reasons include: A higher percentage of teenagers are practicing abstinence before marriage. Parental involvement laws are now functional in 32 of the 50 states,
as well as other pro-life legislation limiting accessibility to abortions.
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Cloned Human Animal Hybrid Embryos Created
Britain's Newcastle University has succeeded in creating a human-cow cloned embryo, which lived for three days in their labs.
This occurred after the British government issued them a license to do this.
UK Reproductive Bill Called "Terrifying"
The British Parliament is considering a bill that will allow for the creation of human-animal embryos. It also would abolish the requirement for a father for in vitro fertilization, allowing the screening of embryos for "serious medical conditions" and their creation as a source of genetically matched issue for treatment of siblings. More recently, its Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority has granted British scientists licenses to produce cloned human embryos, to create an embryo with two genetic mothers, to do eugenic "screening" of embryos; and to allow women to be able to donate their ova to research projects.
A pro-life spokesperson called these proposals "terrifying."
Pro-Abortion Party Wins Election in Spain
Spain's Socialist Workers Party in the March election retained control of the Parliament in Spain. Prime Minister Zapatero's administration has been working to expand legal abortion, legalize homosexual marriage, and broaden divorce laws. All of this, combined with one of the
lowest birth rates in Western Europe spells dark days ahead for Spain.
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Uganda VP Opposes Abortion
The Vice President of Uganda, Gilbert Bukenya, stated that he is firmly against abortion and homosexuality
and will oppose any initiative to legalize them in Uganda.
Ecuador Debates New Constitution
Ecuador's President and ruling party have announced that they are opposed to mentioning God in the nation's new Constitution and have called into question the "inviability of life" as it is phrased in the existing Constitution. There is great worry that the new Constitution yet to be adopted in Ecuador will include legal abortions. In recent weeks, two members of the pro-abortion ruling party, Congresswomen, Rossana Queirolo and Diana Acosta, have broken ranks with their party and forcefully argued for protection of unborn life. Since that time, they have been attacked by fellow party members, who have asked them to resign for not following the party line. Congresswoman Queirolo responded saying that she was elected by the people's mandate and that she would not abandon her personal convictions. "I am keeping to my position regarding respect for life from conception to death." In addition, a group of Evangelical Protestant churches have delivered a petition of over 100,000 signatures to the Parliament. Catholics have also organized pro-life events including a March for Life under the banner of
The Life and Future of Ecuador in the diocese of Guayaquil,
its largest city.
England - No to Amnesty International (A.I.)
Catholic bishops in England have written to their over 5,000 parishes instructing them, that they may no longer host meetings for A.I.
This is because of its new pro-abortion policy.
Contraceptives Do Not Prevent Pregnancy
In Canberra, Australia, Marie Stopes International, the international British pro-abortion organization, reported that more than half of the women with an unplanned pregnancy were using birth control when they become pregnant. Forty-three percent were on the pill, and another 27% were using condoms.
So much for these things preventing pregnancy.
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South Korea - Girls Now Accepted
This nation, once one of Asia's most rigidly patriarchal societies is witnessing a major social change. Until recently, most abortions killed little girls, as boys were preferred. But a radical shift has occurred. As women move into the commercial work force, they have been increasingly accepted and valued. This is the first Asian nation to begin to reverse its male over female sex imbalance at birth.
Fearing that the country's population will start to decline in another decade,
its government has also initiated plans to spend large amounts of money promoting childbirth and related social safety nets. This is also a reversal of social policy, as not too many years ago,
they were trying to limit families to two children.
Dominican Republic Antoerh Threat
Last year, a massive effort by pro-lifers squelched an attempt to legalize abortion in this Caribbean republic. Now we hear that another attempt will be made in their National Congress to revive this debate. The Catholic Church and other pro-life
groups have accordingly declared a "red alert" to combat this.
U.S. Presidential Candidate Barack Obama Strongly Pro-Abortion
He recently stated that when his daughters are old enough, that if one becomes pregnant out of wedlock, he said that he would not "punish her with a baby,"
and would allow her to get an abortion.
German Pastor in Jail for Comparison
A city court in Erlangen, Bavaria has sentenced Lutheran Pastor Johannes Lerle to one year in jail for the "crime" of comparing abortion to Nazi holocaust. Jim Hughes, V.P. of the International Right to Life Federation, has called on pro-life activists to contact German authorities and demand freedom of speech and religion for the pastor. Pastor Lerle had compared the murder of thousands of innocent Jews at Auschwitz to the annual abortion toll of 150,000 babies in Germany.
Pope John Paul II in his writings has called
abortion "legal extermination."
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Northern Ireland Again Says "No" to Abortion
Because of legal pressure from the Family Planning Association, the Department of Health had proposed guidelines in January. The draft proposed changing how the abortion law was interpreted and would in practice have legalized abortion. A recent vote in its legislative assembly directed that the Dept. of Health scrap its guidelines, stating that it would have created loopholes in the law similar to those in England and Wales, which have effectively created abortion on demand. Prior to this decision, pro-lifers had delivered signatures of 100,000 people
reaffirming protection for the unborn.
Ulster, Paisley and Archbishop Agree
While Ian Paisley, the Presbyterian leader in Northern Ireland, has always opposed abortion, until now he has refused to meet with a Catholic representative. This has now occurred at a historic meeting between him and Archbishop Sean Brady. This is considered a very significant step toward healing the rift between
Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.
Slovakia Limits Abortion
The Constitutional Court of Slovakia recently ruled that the country's permissive abortion laws were unconstitutional, thus forbidding abortions that had been legal until twenty-four weeks gestation. It stated that a twelve week deadline was "more in line with the prevailing practice of relevant European legislation."
This is considered a partial victory by pro-lifers.
Mental Health Again
The New Zealand government has released figures on abortion showing that 98.9% of the abortions approved were done on mental health grounds. Experience worldwide, of course, has shown that such a reason is a total farce and amounts to abortion on demand for any reason at all. Professor David Ferguson of Canterbury University has responded to this showing that women who have abortions are
40% more likely to have mental health problems and that nearly half of the women he studied, who had abortions "had elevated rates of subsequent mental health problems, including depression, anxiety,
suicidal behaviors and substance abuse disorders."
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Kazakhstan Youth Protest Abortions
This country which is bigger than Western Europe, but has a population of only 15 million, registered 170,000 abortions last year. A leading youth group organization, Volashak, with 35,000 members has called for a ban on induced abortions across the board. They face a difficult task because most citizens there are Muslim, and if the baby is conceived out of wedlock,
it brings shame and disgrace to her family.
Brazil - Pro-life Manifesto
In response to yet another attempt to legalize abortion in Brazil,
a nationwide group of pro-life legislators has met and issued a
Pro-life Manifesto and petition for the creation of a parliamentary committee to monitor illegal abortions. It would reject the use of the morning-after pill. It would make a major effort to place "all the necessary aids at the disposal of pregnant women so that they can have a quality gestation from a medical point of view."
U.S. Congressman Chris Smith spoke at the meeting.
Bishops in Brazil Declare Culture War
Reversing their historical lukewarm position, the Catholic bishops of Brazil have issued what amounts to a declaration of war against abortion. They stated, "Since the 1980s, there has been a strategic plan designed by large international foundations that promotes abortion and population control. They have deliberately camouflaged this under the appearance of false emancipation of women and the defense of supposed sexual and reproductive rights. It has been spread by the creation and financing of international work of NGOs. They have promoted feminism, liberal sex education, homosexuality and abortion." This has included, as prime movers, the United Nations, International Planned Parenthood, and other organizations. The declaration then states, "This has attempted to decriminalize abortion, has engaged in fraud and manipulation of language, has included the distribution of birth control, hedonistic sex education, gender ideology, homosexuality, and euthanasia." This is a new stance by the Brazilian bishops, and looks as if it is inaugurating a very aggressive reaction to the above problems.
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Stem Cells Help Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease has been thought to be totally resistant to treatment as it is a multi-cellular disease with multiple pathologic causes.
Accordingly, a report at the University of South Florida in the journal,
Stem Cells and Development, is extremely interesting. They gave low-dose infusions of human umbilical cord adult stem cells to mice with Alzheimer's like disease with some improvement.
This is a very early study but let's pray that this is a start.
Fish Population Threatened by Hormones
A major study in Canada has found that the female hormone estrogen from birth control pills is not destroyed in a woman's body but passes out in her urine. Such sewage discharge has raised the estrogen level in rivers and lakes. Their research shows that one consequence is that male fish become feminized. Chronic exposure to such estrogen sewage has lead to near extinction of an experimental lake's minnow population,
and significant decline in larger fish.
The UK High Court - Chastity a No-No!
The UK high court has ruled that a teenage girl may not wear a chastity ring to class. Her father reacted by saying, "This country is tolerant of any views except those of Christians" as he was ordered to pay £12,000 in court costs. Her attorney said that she fears that "This will mean that slowly over time people such as school governors, employees, political organizations and others will be allowed to stop
Christians from publicly expressing and practicing their faith."
Women Dies from Contraceptive Pill
Thirty-one year old, Julie Hennessey of Dublin, Ireland, was found dead in her home. The pathologist ruled that her death was due to blood clots caused by oral
contraceptive pills that she was taking.
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Post-Abortive Women Likely to Use Drugs
A few years ago, Dr. David Reardon published a study showing that women who have abortions are much more likely to use drugs and alcohol than non-aborted, pregnant women. This study now has been replicated in Melbourne, Australia. It involved eleven hundred women at the University of Queensland. About one-third of the group had abortions and these were three times more likely to abuse hard drugs than women who were never pregnant or who kept their baby. They were also twice as likely to
be an alcoholic and 1.5 times more likely to suffer from depression.
Nicaragua, Maternal Deaths Decline
International pro-abortion groups have worked incessantly to try to force Nicaragua to reverse its recent total ban on abortion. Wild claims have been made of women dying. However, since this more stringent law has gone into effect, the official statistics show that maternal deaths have declined. Two major pro-life authorities in Nicaragua have published the fact that, "No woman has died in Nicaragua for not having a
therapeutic abortion since the practice was banned in November 2006."
A Catholic Ruling on the Pill
Bishop Elio Sgreccia, President of the Pontifical Academy of Life has said that the morning-after pill cannot be used even in cases of rape, thus absolutely prohibiting its use. This appears to be a response to several bishops' conferences, which have permitted the use of such drugs in Catholic hospitals after assault rape. The Bishop stated, "The position of the Church is the same. The morning-after pill is dangerous and is an abortifacient when there is a conception,
and so it is illicit to be used."
East Germany Kill More Babies
In the Observer (2 March 2008) a study was published revealing that four times more babies are murdered by infanticide in the
former Communist East Germany than in the West.
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J.C. Willke, President,
International Right to Life Fed.
1821 West Galbraith Road
Cincinnati,
Ohio 45239 USA
Phone +1 (513) 729-3600
Fax +1 (513) 729-3636
e-mail:
IRTLF@lifeissues.org
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International
Right to Life Fed., International Office
Ruitersweg 35-37 1211 KT Hilversum
The Netherlands
Phone +31 35 624-4352
Fax +31 35 624-9141
e-mail:
info@schreeuwomleven.nl
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