LifeZine No. 594: 27th May 08
The Irish Council for Bioethics Criticised for 'Utilitarian’ Approach to Human Life
The Irish Council for Bioethics has been criticised for approving destructive research on human IVF embryos. Spokesman for the Irish Bishops Commission on Bioethics, Fr Kevin Doran, said that the Council had been wrong to talk in terms of giving rights to embryos, since such rights derived from their nature and were human rights, which could not be granted. He also said the Council was being “utilitarian” by suggesting that, while it was reluctant to permit the destruction of embryos, it might allow the practice if it was useful. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Harvard 'Expert' Challenged on Embryo Views
Professor Vincent Twomey SVD, writing recently in "The Irish Times" pointed out that Harvard’s Dr Stephen Sullivan (I.T. April 25th) calls William Reville's article on embryonic stem cell research "a classic example of jumbled thought". In fact, it is Dr Sullivan's letter that qualifies for such a description, he noted. He continued, "To begin with, Dr Sullivan rejects Professor Reville's contention that the life of each one of us begins at conception by countering that ‘life’ in general began many years ago in the (mythological) ‘primordial soup’.” The "logical contradiction" here, according to Professor Twomey, “is in Dr Sullivan's mind”. “He is unable to distinguish between life in general and the life of any one human being in particular. This is otherwise called ‘fudging the issue’.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
British Abortion Advocates Harass MP Working to Limit Late-Term Abortions
Putting up with vandalism and harassment are nothing new for pro-life advocates and now a member of the British Parliament is the latest victim of these tactics. Nadine Dorries, who is campaigning to reduce late-term abortions, revealed that she has been the target of threats and harassment. Dorries, a Conservative Party MP who opposes late-term abortions but is not fully pro-life, is leading an effort to tighten the limit on late-term abortions from 24 to 20 weeks into pregnancy. That has earned her significant publicity in the British media but also the scorn of extreme abortion advocates who want to allow late-term abortions. "The hounds of hell are chasing me", Dorries said. "Scary, threatening angry and downright nasty phone calls. A message smeared on my window. This is all meant to destabilise or distract me. I have a very clear message to those who are attempting to do this - back off". "You will not stop me, you will not undermine me, you do not scare me. In fact, you make me much more determined than I ever was before. You give me strength", she added. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Charities Criticise British Government for Failing Expectant Mothers and Their Unborn Babies
The health charity Médecins du Monde UK frequently sees pregnant women, some worryingly in the later stages of pregnancy, who have been unable to access maternity care in the UK because they are immigrants. This situation puts mothers and their unborn children at risk and is a direct result of the 2004 NHS overseas visitors charging regulations. That is why a group of doctors representing the People's Health Movement-UK went to Geneva to give evidence to the UN committee on economic, social and cultural rights. They argued that these charging regulations violate the obligation of the UK government to provide healthcare to expectant mothers and their unborn babies without discrimination. The Guardian. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
New Report Urges the EU to Support Pro-Family Policies
An abortion takes place somewhere in Europe every 27 seconds according to a report to the EU parliament by the Spanish Institute for Family Policy. Lower birth rates and increasing abortion rates are causing a demographic crisis. The report, “The Evolution of the Family in Europe 2008”, sets forth nation-by-nation critical demographic indicators that point to continent-wide lower birth rates, higher divorce rates, increasing abortion rates as well as a trend to postpone marriage. The report calls on the EU to promote the family as a universal institution with attendant rights through various means, such as creating an EU Commission for the Family and encouraging cooperation among member states in promoting family-friendly policies. C-Fam. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Abortifacient Morning After Pill Now Sold off the Shelf in Canada
Canada’s National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) has announced that the abortifacient drug, the morning-after pill (MAP), will be available over the counter without either a doctor’s prescription or a pharmacist’s approval being required. The only regulatory recommendation made by NAPRA is that the drug be stocked close to the pharmacy dispensary so that customers may ask questions if they choose. Canada is now the fifth country to allow MAP’s to be sold as an over-the-counter product along with Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and India. The drug, whose generic name is levonorgestrel, is marketed under the brand name “Plan B” in Canada and the US. LifeSiteNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....