LifeZine No. 541: 12th Nov 07
AI’s Links with IFPA Queried as Protests Mark Irish Section’s AGM
Present and former members of Amnesty International (Ireland) protested over its new abortion policy at the organisation’s AGM, which was held recently in Cork. Over 40 people protested outside the meeting with placards condemning Amnesty’s pro-abortion position. Placards read: “Amnesty has betrayed its mission, its dependants, and its supporters"; "No amnesty for the unborn"; "If life is a Human Right, why is Amnesty seeking Abortion". Much anger was displayed during the meeting over the mixed messages on the subject of AI’s new pro-abortion stance given by Amnesty's Noeleen Hartigan, spokeswoman and Programme Director. She had previously stated that the Irish branch of AI would not campaign actively for abortion. Members who had sought clarification on this vital “opt out” issue, however, were not given any. Also at the AGM, Ms Hartigan confirmed that she was the same Noeleen Hartigan who had been Chairperson of Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Details:
CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Dr Alveda King Visits Ireland
Dr Alveda King, niece of assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jnr., paid a short visit to Ireland recently. She was the keynote speaker on Friday at Stormont Parliament in Northern Ireland at the official launch of the All-Party Pro-Life Group of the Northern Ireland Assembly. She later travelled to Dublin to address University College Dublin’s Students for Life Society. Dr King is a national spokesperson for Silent No More Awareness in the US, a support group comprising of women who had abortions and regret the decision. She spoke about the serious consequences of abortion for women as well as the unborn child. “I am a member of a group who regret their abortions. I’m post-abortive so I know this. When we abort a child, we violate his or her rights. We the mothers suffer tremendously, and our families suffer.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Women Reveal the Untold Consequences of Abortion
In the UK, an All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group of MPs and Peers heard recently from women who had undergone abortions, about the adverse effects they had faced following the procedure. Also present were international academics who gave presentations on the links between abortion and breast cancer risk. The hearing took place in advance of the fortieth anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act. One woman, who had an abortion at 17, spoke emotionally about her decision and the trauma and guilt that she felt afterwards. "Women celebrate choice but from my experience the choice of [abortion] is cheap: cheap for the Government, it cheapens the lives that we hold in our wombs and we are cheating ourselves as women if we think the current abortion system is adequate." Patricia Casey, Professor of Psychiatry at University College Dublin and Consultant Psychiatrist, presented evidence, showing conclusively a causal link between abortion and psychological conditions such as depression. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Increased Attention to be Given to Elderly Patient Nutrition and Feeding
Patient nutrition and feeding will form part of nurses' training in future, as part of the UK government's plan to improve the nutrition of elderly patients in hospitals and care homes. A recent report stated that a third of patients were malnourished. Department of Health.
CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pharmacists Have a Right to Conscientious Objection
Pope Benedict has said that pharmacists have a right to conscientious objection in regard to dispensing abortifacient or euthanasia-inducing drugs. Speaking to participants at the International Congress of Catholic Pharmacists in Rome, he told them they should inform patients of the ethical implications of using these drugs. The Independent, 30 October. END.
Economic Aid and Abortion
One of the most hidden forms of exploitation regularly deployed by rich nations on poorer ones is the imposition of an abortion and a compulsory family planning culture as a condition of aid. The practice is known to observers of international affairs but has gone largely unnoticed by the western public. So too has the collaboration of certain UN diplomats and non-governmental organisations. The recent case of the Netherlands demanding repeal of pro-life laws in impoverished and war-devastated Nicaragua offers a revealing example . Dutch foreign policy has been directed towards enforced secularisation without regard for the Catholic culture or the value of human life. Moreover, from a nation that until half a century ago operated a colony in what is now Indonesia (previously named Dutch East Indies), this latest development amounts to a reinvention of imperialism under the guise of medical aid and humanitarian relief. Significantly, the practice has also been followed by France, the UK and Sweden at various stages, and with tacit approval from senior functionaries of organisations operating under direction from the United Nations. The Word. CLICK TO READ MORE.....