LifeZine No. 600: 17th Jun 08
Churches and Politicians Unite to Oppose Abortion for Northern Ireland
The leaders of Ireland’s four main Christian Churches have welcomed the cross-party rejection of abortion in Northern Ireland. In a recent letter, Cardinal Seán Brady, Rev Roy Cooper, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rt Rev John Finlay, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Archbishop Alan Harper, Primate of the (Anglican) Church of Ireland, voiced their support for the stance taken by the Assembly parties against a proposed extension of the UK’s 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. In an historic move, the four main political parties in Northern Ireland were for the first time united in their opposition to the abortion plan. This united stand paved the way for victory and the plan to extend abortion to Northern Ireland was defeated. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
The ‘Liberal’ Society in Ireland—Number of Reported STI Cases Treble
At least one in every 10 cases of sexually transmitted infection (STI) reported in Ireland is among teenagers, according to a new report. Data compiled by the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) indicates that close to 10,000 cases of STI were reported to it in 2006 – the latest year for which statistics are available. The report says STI notifications have almost trebled since 1995. Commentators have expressed deep concern that the rate of infection with STIs among young people is rising. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Removal of Need for Father in IVF Challenged
Single women and lesbian couples in the UK were given landmark “parental” rights last night as MPs voted to remove the requirement that fertility clinics consider a child’s need for a father. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill will replace the rule with one recognising a “need for supportive parenting” after opponents of the change were defeated in two votes. The decisions will ensure that fertility clinics cannot turn away lesbians and single women because their children will not have a father or male role model. MPs who rejected the changes said the traditional family would be undermined. Iain Duncan Smith MP, who proposed enshrining the importance of a father and mother, said that the new law would amount to telling couples “fathers are not important, or are less important than mothers”. His criticisms were backed by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’ Connor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, in an interview with The Times. “I think it strange that the Government should want to take away not just the need for a father but the right [to have] a father”, he said. The Times. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
The Abortion Debate in the UK ‘Is Only Just Beginning’
“The politicians may have cast their votes on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill”, but the UK’s Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, wonders if “the conscience of the nation [is] at ease with itself?” Far from settling the issues until the next Bill comes along, he said, the recent extraordinary debates “have in fact woken us all up to the reality of what is being done in our name”. Many people are left deeply uneasy and perplexed , profoundly worried about the direction we are now taking. However, he noted, “it would be wrong for us to think that the debate within society is over. A vote alone cannot and should not close the discussion. Underlying it are crucial questions. What is it to be a human being? What conditions do we need for our flourishing? In what sort of society can we put our faith and know that we are cherished and valued and above all enabled to grow in our search for what is right and true?” The Telegraph. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pope Benedict XVI Says Fighting Hunger Linked With Opposing Abortion
Pope Benedict XVI has told a delegation from Guatemala that fighting child hunger is linked to the pro-life battle against abortion. He said that promoting the best interest of children suffering from hunger is similar to pro-life interests in a child's right to life. The pontiff said that, without the right to life, children die, and without food, children are subjected to death as well. "This primary right to food is intrinsically connected to the protection and the defence of human life, the first and inviolable rock upon which the entire edifice of human rights is founded", the pope said. “The effort to help mothers, above all those who are in great difficulty, to bring children into the world with dignity, thus avoiding the unjustified recourse to abortion, will never be sufficient", the pope added. LifeNews.com. END.
Miracle of Mother and Baby after Ecoptic Pregnancy
A child in Australia has been born at 38 weeks gestation after implanting in her mother's ovary. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the case of Durga Thangaraja was one in a million since survival is so rare. The ectopic nature of the pregnancy was not detected until late in the pregnancy. Doctors are calling her a 'miracle baby' - the little girl who was delivered alive and well after growing in her mother's ovary instead of the womb. Her parents have called the little girl 'Durga' meaning Goddess, because 'she is our little deity', a beaming Mr Thangarajah said. Mail on Sunday. CLICK TO READ MORE.....