LifeZine No. 464: 15th Feb 07
Family & Life’s ‘Journey Toward Forgiveness’ Project
Family & Life’s new project is called the “Journey Toward Forgiveness” and is aimed at women (and men) who suffer the devastating problems of Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS). We need funds to print leaflets about the “Journey Toward Forgiveness”. We need funds to upgrade our Internet website with life-changing information about the “Journey Toward Forgiveness” project. Moreover, we need funds to help sponsor retreats and conferences about the “Journey Toward Forgiveness”. Please help Family & Life to develop the new “Journey Toward Forgiveness” project and to support other baby-saving and educational projects. Readers can see the variety and number of Family & Life’s projects by clicking on the “Campaigns” section of our website at: http://www.familyandlife.org/Bio-Ethics-Research.html Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Children and Parents Could be Big Losers in Constitutional Referendum—Supreme Court Judgement ‘Deserves Close Attention’
At first sight, it seems like a great idea to clarify children’s rights in the Irish Constitution, a move backed by the Government, the Children’s Rights Alliance and the media. However, according to the Irish family newspaper, “Alive!” “Many people do not realise that this may mean watering down parents’ rights to protect their children, and increasing the power to State or private agencies to override parents”. “Alive!” pointed out that the judgement of Justice Adrian Hardiman of the Supreme Court in the recent “Baby Ann” case throws important light on this debate and “deserves close attention”. According to Justice Hardiman, “If the prerogatives of the parents in enabling and protecting the rights of the child were to be diluted, the question would immediately arise: to whom are the powers removed from the parents to be transferred, and on what conditions?” He added: “In the ordinary way the rearing of a child by his or her biological parent can be expected to be in the child’s best interests, both in the short term and also, and importantly, in the longer term. I decry any tendency to diminish the significance of this factor.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Life Campaigners Challenge Abortion Industry on Contraception-Abortion Link
In the UK, Michaela Aston of the pro-life charity LIFE, said clinics such as Marie Stopes and BPAS were naïve, “if they continue to believe that the wholesale provision of contraceptives and the morning after pill is the answer to unplanned pregnancy and STIs”. In the UK, she said, there has never been more provision of contraception, and there have never been more abortions and STIs. She pointed out: “The easy availability of contraception is bound to increase the number of abortions, because it encourages people to believe that they can have sex without thinking about the consequences. This is of course a mistaken belief, as abortion providers admit themselves. Even the very best contraception fails sometimes, and condoms have a failure rate of up to 15%, as the abortion provider BPAS has admitted. Abortion is a serious act, which ends a human life, and should not be seen as just another form of contraception. If we accept this, we accept the trivialisation of human life.” LIFE. ICN. END.
Swiss Catholic Bishops Query Fate of Frozen Embryos
Catholic bishops in Switzerland have asked their government to account for the use of and fate of frozen embryos. The bioethics commission of the Swiss episcopal conference reported that there were gaps in official statistics since 2001 and called upon the federal office to provide the missing information. Zenit. END.
Abortion Referendum Void in Portugal
The Portuguese abortion referendum held on February 11, which the Socialist government hoped would loosen Portugal's abortion law, is non-binding because of lack of voter participation. Sunday's referendum aimed to liberalise abortion up to the 10th week of pregnancy. National law requires a 50% turnout in a referendum for the ballot to be valid, but on Sunday, only 43.6% of registered voters went to the polls. 59.25% of those who participated voted to lift the abortion ban, while 40.75% voted to retain it. Despite the non-binding referendum, Prime Minister José Sócrates vowed that “abortion will no longer be a crime” in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy and he said he would use his majority in parliament to push through new laws on abortion. Portugal is 94% Catholic. Zenit. END.
Martial Arts and Film Legend Chuck Norris Now Fights Abortion
“Instead of killing we say aborting; instead of dissect we say research.” Those words were published last January 22, the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade by none other than martial arts legend and action film star Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris is a Hollywood film star famous for his martial arts films beginning in 1973 with “Return of the Dragon” with Bruce Lee, and especially for his role as Walker in the 1993-2001 hit television series “Walker, Texas Ranger”. Now, the renowned martial arts champion takes on the culture of death as a recommitted Christian in a column at WorldNetDaily.com entitled “The aftermath of legalized abortion.” He stated: “In an evolutionary, self-centred world, in which man is nothing more than a glorified ape aimlessly shooting for stars of deification, it's not difficult to understand how the slippery slope of human degradation has led from foetal devaluing to discarding.” LifeSiteNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....