LifeZine No. 468: 1st Mar 07
Special Book Offer from Family & Life!
“How do you bring a friend or relative back into the Church? First, you pray. Then, you follow Patrick Madrid’s advice in ‘Search and Rescue’”—Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York. You do not have to become a biblical scholar or a theologian to be an effective spokesman for the Catholic Faith. In fact, even though you do not know all the answers and cannot explain every aspect of the Faith, you can begin winning souls to the Church right now … using prayer, friendship, and common sense. This classic book is now available from Family & Life. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Referendum on Children’s Rights—‘Bill's Fatal Ambiguities Must be Addressed’
Although there is much to be welcomed in the proposed children’s rights Constitutional amendment, “the text is fatally ambiguous” on some important issues, “reflecting the ambiguities of the political debate up to this point”. This is according to barrister and lecturer in Constitutional Law, Eoin Carolan writing in “The Irish Times”. He pointed out, “There is a significant risk that the text will, in its current form, change nothing.” The argument can be made, he added, that by simply restating an existing law (albeit in constitutional form) “the amendment may not substantially alter the way in which the law operates in practice”. The best interests of the child are, after all, a factor to which the courts already have regard. A striking feature of the political debate on this issue, he argued, has been the “lack of a clear vision on the part of any party”. “Mantra-like recitations” of the importance of children's rights have been preferred to detailed engagement with the more difficult or controversial question. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
London’s Harley Street Bans Abortion Clinics
Clinics offering abortions and cosmetic surgery have been banned from opening in the UK's most famous medical district. The move has been made by Howard de Walden Estate, which owns many of the properties in London's Harley Street. Officials said they were trying to move away from “lifestyle procedures” to become a centre of medical excellence. Because of this stand, babies who would otherwise die will now live. The Howard de Walden Estate said no new licences would be granted for either cosmetic surgery or abortions and those currently practising such procedures would not have their licences renewed. Simon Baynham, managing director of the Howard de Walden Estate, told the “Estates Gazette” magazine: “There are still doctors doing certain procedures that we'd rather were not here”. Other banned procedures include euthanasia and cloning, although neither can be practised legally in the UK. Julia Millington of the Prolife Alliance said: “We congratulate Howard de Walden on their stand.”
BBC. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
British Report: Abortions Occurring Despite Available Contraception
A new British report found that abortions are on the increase in the UK despite the widespread availability of contraception. Abortion advocates frequently cite making contraception and birth control more available as the best answer for reducing abortions, but the study shows that's not happening. The report, sponsored by the contraception manufacturer Schering Health Care finds that women in their late 20s and 30s are having abortions at the same rate as teenagers. Annually, there are nearly 200,000 abortions in the UK. Michaela Aston, of the pro-life group LIFE, said promoting birth control is “an inadequate solution to high levels of abortion in long-term relationships”. She added, “We are not surprised that a contraceptive company is calling for increased sales of contraception but this knee-jerk reaction does not get to the heart of the matter.” Aston indicated that adoption was a better solution—especially with so many couples on waiting lists for children. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Malta Government: EU Will not Bully Us to Legalise Abortion
Government leaders in Malta said they would not cave in to pressure from the United Nations and European Union leaders to legalise abortion. In a statement, the government said it has always told the UN and EU that abortion must be left for individual countries to decide, and that it will continue to keep abortion illegal. Officials said the Maltese people remain resolutely opposed to legalising abortion. Malta is one of the few European nations to have made abortion illegal and government officials have rejected pressure from the EU to promote abortions there. Malta has also come under pressure from the United Nations to reverse its pro-life laws. In December 2004, the nation's Catholic bishops condemned a United Nation's campaign pressurising the pro-life country to overturn its pro-life laws. “Abortion is and remains the murder of innocent persons, whatever the reason behind it”, the bishops said. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Doctor’s Own Fear of Death Can be Linked to Hastening Death of Sick Newborns
According to a report in the “Irish Medical Times”, new research has found that doctors who fear their own death are more prepared than other doctors to hasten the death of sick newborns for whom further medical treatment is considered futile. Neonatologists in New Zealand and Australia said they sometimes withheld or withdrew life-sustaining treatment of newborns with severe mental and/or physical disability and those for whom further medical treatment was considered to be “overly burdensome” or futile. Doctors who said they were not prepared to hasten death had significantly less fear of the “dying process” and of “premature death” than those prepared to hasten death with painkillers or sedatives. The study suggested that doctors’ fear of the dying process or of premature death might unconsciously motivate them to hasten a newborn’s death in order to relieve their own death anxiety. Irish Medical Times. February 16. END.