January 2019 Newsletter: Pro-Life is Pro-Science

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by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., Life Education Council Board of Trustees

Science Focus of National March for Life

This year’s March for Life plans to fortify its message with science that proves life begins at conception, and with a specific focus on stem-cell research.

“Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science” is the theme for the January 18th Rally and March in Washington, DC, that marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court 1973 Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion nationwide for all nine months of pregnancy. Rally speakers will include Ben Shapiro, editor of The Daily Wire, and Abbey Johnson, former abortion clinic worker who founded And Then There Was None. Political speakers are to be announced.

Jeanne Mancini, pres. of the March for Life, said that “our DNA is present at the moment of fertilization. Science should always be at the service of life, not the reverse. It is important to have a foundation of human dignity for any kind of research.” She called for the passage of H.R. 2918 (Patients First Act) that would require the Dept. of Health & Human Services to support research on adult stem cells, not those taken from aborted babies. David Prentice, research director of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, research arm of Susan B. Anthony List, said adult stem cells “from many different sources [e.g., umbilical cord blood]” would be a suitable replacement. [Catholic New York, 10/25/18]

Participation in the national March for Life is a once-a- year event that is unforgettable. Families, adults, teenagers, religious all make the civic and religious statement to show their opposition to the inhumane practice of abortion. Buses are being provided by hundreds of parishes for the trip to Washington. The Respect Life Office of your area diocese will provide details.

Disrespect for Life Leads to Other Problems

NY Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan recently wrote: “Drugs, war, unjust economic systems, crime, violence, oppression of people, family dysfunction & sexual abuse all start from degrading the innate value of the divine gift of human life.”

“We are pro-life, not just pro-birth. As Cardinal Terence Cooke wrote as he heroically neared his own painful death from cancer, human life is no less sacred when it is vulnerable, weak, or considered ‘inconvenient’.”

“I make no apologies for prioritizing concern for the unborn. If we get that wrong, we’re hardly credible on the other burning issues. If we allow the helpless life of the baby in the sanctuary of the mother’s womb to be thrown away, it’s tough to defend the lives of others who might be considered inconvenient or expendable.” [Catholic New York, 10/25/18]

Maternity Homes Seek to Empower Women

Trauma, homelessness, addiction, broken family life are not good conditions for birthing and raising a baby. That’s why there are over 400 maternity homes in the U.S. that offer pregnant women food, shelter, prenatal care, education and job search assistance. After their babies are born, mothers get help learning to care for an infant through post- partum, and support as they work toward finding independent housing.

Good Counsel Homes was founded by Christopher Bell in 1985 with the support of Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, and now operates seven homes in four states. Sara Moran started Little Flower Maternity Home (Denver) after working at Maggie’s Place (Phoenix) & Several Sources Shelters (NJ).

Many success stories: “A lot of us made something of ourselves,” Shanika Dawson said. “I’m glad the home is still around. A lot of women have accomplished a lot after being there.”

Some crisis pregnancy centers are now opening their own maternity homes in response to the need they see among their clients. Chicago-based Aid for Women is one of 20 pregnancy help centers that offer maternity housing. The agency operates Heather’s House (Des Plaines, IL) for pregnant women and Monica’s House (Chicago) for those making the transition to independent living. [Our Sunday Visitor, 11/18/18]

Regardless of location, these homes deal with common problems faced by pregnant young women: a history of homelessness, incarceration, broken family life, broken relationships, spousal abuse, parental rejection and other trauma. Maternity homes offer these women a different path, one that could lead to a more fulfilling life for themselves and their children.

Quit!

That’s the single word filling the front of a postcard that is designed to be shared with abortion workers. The back of the card explains how And Then There Were None assists workers through a transition out of the abortion industry. The group provides job search resources, financial assistance, free legal counsel, emotional and spiritual support, and no- cost healing retreats. Nearly 500 abortion workers have walked away from the industry.

If you would like to have a set of these cards to hand to abortion facility workers outside of an abortion mill in your area, visit www.AbortionWorker.com, or #ATTWN.

NJ Campaign: Protect Babies in the Womb

Since the summer, tens of thousands of postcards have been signed and sent from Catholics for passage of the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (A-1686/S- 537).

Spearheading the campaign to save babies 20 weeks in the womb from abortion, Holly Wright said: “The 20/20 Project is a collaborative effort of many pro-life groups and individuals throughout the state to attain equal rights for babies in the womb and it is making great headway.” There is substantial medical evidence that babies in the womb feel pain by 20 weeks. The bill states: “Surgeons in the field of maternal and fetal medicine have found it necessary to sedate an unborn child to prevent the unborn child from engaging in vigorous movement in reaction to invasive surgery.”

To participate in the postcard campaign, parishioners are encouraged to meet with their pastor for permission to implement the program. They would then choose a Sunday date and have parishioners receive instruction about the project & how to sign the postcards that are provided. More information is found at www.babiesinthewombfeelpain.com. [The Beacon, Diocese of Paterson, NJ, 12/6/18]

Also, to promote the campaign, NJ drivers are encouraged to obtain & display the 20/20 magnetic decal.

Guidelines for Being a Faithful Pro-Lifer

1. Casual sex is not worth the risks

2. Unplanned pregnancy needs to be faced honestly and with loving support

3. Abortion has many bad physical & emotional effects

4. Healing is possible for those who have had an abortion

5. It is best to be chaste until marriage

6. Marriage is a sacrament between a man and a woman

7. Family planning should use natural means

8. Children are a gift from God

9. Sick or elderly people are to be given normal care and relief of pain

10. Suicide and assisted suicide are morally wrong

11. Abuse of a person by another is always wrong

12. Use of another person as an object is sinful

13. The church offers healing from the effects of all types of abuse

14. Help and protection is to be offered to all human beings, whether sick or poor or elderly or unborn “Life in all its stages is sacred and to be respected”

NFL Player Rae Carruth Released From Prison: Murdered Pregnant Girlfriend, Injuring Her Unborn Baby

Former NFL player Rae Carruth walked out of prison in October after serving 19 years for planning to kill his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn son. A former Carolina Panthers wide receiver in late 1990s, Carruth was found guilty of conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams, and attempting to destroy an unborn child, his son Chancellor. After being shot four times, Adams went into a coma and died a few weeks later, but doctors were able to save her son, Chancellor. He has cerebral palsy and lives with his maternal grandmother, Saundra Adams, who has devoted her life to caring for him. Chancellor’s condition is due to loss of blood and oxygen the night when his mother was shot; he also was born prematurely.

Carruth recently told reporters that he wants custody of his son, but Adams said she will fight to keep her grandson. “I’ve forgiven Rae already, but to have any type of relationship with him, there does have to be some repentance,” Adams she told reporters. “And I think this opens the door. But I can say definitively he’s not ever going to have custody of Chancellor. He will never be raised by a stranger, someone he doesn’t know and who tried to kill him.” She said her daughter refused to abort Chancellor, even though Carruth pressured her repeatedly. [M.Bilger, LifeNews.com, 10/22/18]

“Pro-life beliefs have definitely been gaining ground in recent years.”

That’s what Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said in reaction to a new poll of 3,000 Americans. (Full survey results are avail-able online at TheStateOfTheology.com) The national poll found 52% of Americans agreed that abortion is a sin. Abortion opposition has increased slightly since the 2016 State of Theology survey, when 49% said abortion is a sin.

The Christian group said the survey results show some in the media continue to exaggerate Americans’ support for social liberalism, even as a large number of Americans continue to agree with Biblical ethics. Dr. Mohler said that pastors & local churches have played a big part by teaching about the sanctity of human life. Ultrasound images plainly show the humanity of the child in the womb, and they are provoking the consciences of Americans. [S. Ertelt, LifeNews.com, 10/22/18]

Edited since 2005 by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., tinarifr@shu.edu Past issues posted on the Diocese of Paterson, NJ website. To have your parish receive this newsletter each month free of charge, email your request to the editor.

December 2018 Newsletter

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Building a Fulfilling Marriage

[Ed. note: every month we will present excerpts from Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae, the brief but prophetic papal letter to all people of good will, proclaimed in 1958. Pope Paul VI was canonized in October 2018.]

  • Married love is not confined wholly to the loving inter- change of husband and wife; it also contrives to go beyond this to bring new life into being. “Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the procreation and education of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute in the highest degree to their parents’ welfare.”
  • Parenthood Husband and wife must be fully aware of their obligations in the matter of responsible parenthood, rightly understood. In its biological, emotional, social and environmental aspects, the exercise of responsible parent- hood requires that husband and wife recognize their own duties toward God, themselves, their families and human society. It follows that they are not free to act as they choose in the service of transmitting life, as if it were wholly up to them to decide what is the right course to follow. On the contrary, they are bound to ensure that what they do corresponds to the will of God the Creator. The very nature of marriage and its use makes His will clear; the constant teaching of the Church spells it out.
  • Intimacy The sexual act, in which husband and wife are intimately and chastely united with one another, is the means through which human life is transmitted. The Church urges observance of the precepts of the natural law, which it interprets by its constant doctrine, and teaches that each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life.

“It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” St. Teresa of Calcutta

Incidence of STDs Continues to Rise

Over 110 million Americans have one or more sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and the number keeps rising. Some can pose permanent health problems; some persist for years without any symptoms; others can be treated and cured with antibiotics. The surest way to avoid infection is to practice sexual abstinence while single. If you marry, ensure that your partner is not infected with an STD, and remain sexually faithful during marriage. [STDs: What You Should Know booklet, www.abstinenceresources.com]

Adoption: Sharing New Life & Bringing Joy For each child who is available for adoption in the U.S., approximately 36 couples are waiting, hoping and praying for a chance to adopt. Open adoption helps pregnant women choose from dozens of approved families waiting to adopt. Contact arrangements with the adopting family are flexible and can be changed over time. Adoption services are free, and many expenses through pregnancy are covered through the adoption process. Adoption isn’t “giving your baby away.” Learn about Open Adoption in confidence at 800-923-6784. [www.LifetimeAdoption.com] Healing Brings Peace

For help after having, or participating in, an abortion, seek God’s peace and reconciliation through one of the following organizations:

  • Rachel’s Vineyard 877-467-3463 rachelsvineyard.org
  • National Helpline for Abortion Recovery 866-482-5433 nationalhelpline.org
  • Project Rachel 888-456-4673 hopeafterabortion.com
  • Abortion Recovery International 866-721-7781 abortionrecovery.org

Law Suit Filed Over “Disorderly Conduct”

A case was recently filed by the American Center for Law and Justice on behalf of two pro-life activists challenging the constitutionality of Iowa’s disorderly conduct statute. Two peaceful counselors were arrested on a public sidewalk outside an abortion business for preaching Scripture, carrying pro-life signs, and talking to passers-by.

The ACLJ has a superb track record of protecting free speech outside abortion clinics, having just won victories in two cases, Turco v. Englewood (NJ) and Devine v. City of NY. The ACLJ remains steadfast in its decades-long commitment to defending the free speech rights of those on the front lines who are speaking up to protect the lives of the unborn. “It’s my body, so it’s my choice!”

If the preborn child is just a part of her mother’s body (like an organ) or growing on her mother’s body (like a tumor), this rhetoric might make sense.

But the reality is that from the moment of fertilization, the child in the womb possesses her own individual, complex genetic makeup, separate from her mother’s DNA. A preborn child is definitely not part of the mother’s body – she is her own self, with her own body. [Who Do You Believe, magazine for teens & young adults, www.humanlife.org]

Recommended Books from Notre Dame U.

Great advice and good moral teachings for courting, marriage and raising kids may be found in many recent books from Ignatius Press, EWTN and Notre Dame’s Ave Maria Press. Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak, authors of Just Married, published another book, Then Comes Baby, the Catholic guide to surviving and thriving in the first three years of parenthood. Author Dawn Eden revised and updated the Catholic edition of her book The Thrill of the Chaste, with the theme of “finding fulfillment while keeping your clothes on.” Author & radio personality Patrick Coffin said: “Very few writers can crank out prose that is at once elegant and funny … and spiritually enriching with no treacly aftereffects….”

And from Emmaus Road Press: Sex Au Naturel: What It Is and Why It’s Good for Your Marriage by Patrick Coffin. Making the case against contraception, this book presents a clear and compelling case for the timeless teaching of the Church on “birth control.” Why Cohabiting Couples Have Higher Divorce Rates

First, consider what research shows: most couples who live together never marry. Those who do marry have a divorce rate up to 80% higher than those who waited until after the wedding to live together. Cohabiting couples report greater marital conflict and poorer communication.

Those who cohabit are less likely to be faithful to one another. Cohabiting women are far more likely than wives to suffer domestic violence. Women who cohabit are more than three times as likely to be depressed as married women. Cohabiting couples are less sexually satisfied than married couples.

As to the higher divorce rate, cohabiting partners who marry think less of marriage and are less likely to work tirelessly to preserve it. Having sex during the courtship period hinders their ability to look at each other clearly. And cohabitation undermines commitment. On the one hand, the couple desires complete intimacy, but they also want to leave a way out if their partner does not measure up. This lack of faith in the other sows seeds of doubt and distrust from the start.

Successful marriages are not the result of few annoying qualities in one’s spouse, but the result of choosing to love and forgive the other each day, with all his or her imperfections. Wanting to “test drive” a marriage really shows a lack of understanding of what makes a marriage work. [www.chastity.com; also, www.usccb.org/laity/ marriage/cohabiting.shtml]

“I depend on life support, but I won’t ask for ‘aid in dying’”

That’s what Diane Coleman said recently in a guest newspaper column. “I have an advanced neuromuscular condition and must use breathing support with a mask 18 hours a day.” Regarding so-called assisted suicide laws in some states, “disability groups have pointed out the inherent discrimination and empty pretense of safeguards in these bills. Why does everyone else get suicide prevention, while old, ill and disabled people get suicide assistance? How could a doctor who’s known a person for an average of only 13 weeks know if he or she is being pressured to ask for assisted suicide?” Requests for suicide come from feeling a loss of autonomy, loss of dignity, or feelings of being a burden. Yet these “could be addressed by consumer- directed in-home care services. People who need home care are treated as disposable.”

Regarding assisted suicide bills like those proposed in New Jersey, if “the only other person present at the end is a greedy heir or tired care giver, there are no safeguards to determine whether they self-administered the lethal drug or were cajoled, tricked or forced.”

“We urge [elected officials] to consider the dangers to the many elders, ill and disabled people who are not safe from mistake, coercion and abuse.” [Newark Star-Ledger, 10/28/18]

“We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, of killings, of wars, of hatred. If a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for us to kill each other.” St. Teresa of Calcutta Questions for the New Year

Can Catholics who take God seriously yet request procedures, use certain prescribed drugs, or support health policies that attack the sanctity of unborn children or the elderly, can they still be right with God? Or if they vote for officials who support policies that undermine the dignity of human sexuality and the family, won’t God demand an accounting?

In his remarks to the Phoenix Catholic Physician’s Guild, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver condemned moral indifference in the face of the culture of death as dishonesty towards God and ruinous to America; and reminds us that God will hold us responsible for our lack of action in support of Life.

Edited since 2005 by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., tinarifr@shu.edu

Past issues: posted on the Diocese of Paterson, NJ website. To have your church receive this newsletter each month, email your request to the editor.

November 2018 Newsletter

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50th Anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s Encyclical, Humanae Vitae
[Ed. note: every month we will present excerpts from this short but incisive papal letter to all people of good will. Pope Paul VI was canonized last month.]

The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships. The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings.

  • Conjugal love is not “merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is …, above all, an act of the free will,” meant to help couples “not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way one heart and one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment.”
  • “It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience. Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner’s own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of oneself.”
  • “Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage. Though this fidelity of husband and wife sometimes presents difficulties, [it is] always honorable and meritorious. The example of countless married couples proves … that it is the source of profound and enduring happiness.”
  • “Finally, this love is … not confined wholly to the loving interchange of husband and wife; it also contrives to go beyond this to bring new life into being.” The 2nd Vatican Council states: “Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the procreation and education of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute in the highest degree to their parents’ welfare.” [Full text available online free of charge.]

“Aborting for the Reason of Race, Sex or Disability is Kind of Hitler-esque”
This was the reaction of Lake County (Indiana) pro-life group President Len Reynolds regarding an Indiana Law that prohibits such abortions and also requires abortion facilities to bury or cremate aborted babies rather than dispose of them as medical waste. “Nothing in the Constitution prohibits states from requiring health facilities to provide an element of basic human dignity in disposing of fetuses,” Attorney General Curtis Hill said in a statement.

Recent legal challenges by Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women have prevented the law from being implemented. Hill is now appealing to the Supreme Court for a constitutional ruling. [Dave Brooks, “Planned Parenthood Fights Law Requiring Proper Burial for Aborted Babies,” LifeNews.com, 10/22/18]

“Courage is a group of Catholics who experience same-sex attractions and who are committed to helping one another live chaste lives marked by prayer, fellowship and mutual support. EnCourage provides spiritual support for parents, spouses & other loved ones of people who are involved in homosexual relationships. [Courage International, Inc., http://couragerc.org]

“Can I Guard Myself and My Family from Inappropriate Internet Content?”
What you do online impacts your life offline. According to Covenant Eyes, that is an important reason to have internet content monitored and filtered. Their website has lots of free resources for families to review. Discover how the internet affects your life and the ones you love including cyberbullying, pornography, obsessions, new internet trends, and other issues. If you are interested in protecting your family, you could try their services free for 30 days by using the promo code Patrick. [www.covenanteyes.com]

On Election Day, we will make critical decisions about the types of leaders we will have for years to come. It is essential that we look carefully at the positions of the candidates. This step is critical in fulfilling our responsibilities as faithful citizens, as we must participate in the political process with a fully informed conscience. There are so many issues to consider: the environment, war, immigration, abortion, marriage, taxes, jobs, health care costs, poverty, homelessness, etc. Pro-life Catholics emphasize that the dignity of human life is a bedrock Christian principle: without respect for life, other issues pale in comparison. So our votes must reflect this basic concern.

Natural, Effective and Healthy Family Planning …. and It’s Free
Since 1971, the Couple to Couple League has sought to inspire, educate and support couples in family planning that is natural, effective, healthy and consistent with God’s plan for life, love and marriage.

Natural family planning (NFP) is fertility awareness which is simply knowledge of a couple’s fertility. It is a means of reading the body’s signs of fertility and infertility; applying this knowledge through the Sympto-Thermal Method (STM) which is over 99% effective. A married couple’s application of this knowledge either to try to achieve a pregnancy or to postpone a pregnancy is responsible parenthood. Practicing NFP is 100% natural: no drugs, chemicals or devices. Many today find it to be a positive & refreshing alternative to contraceptive methods. NFP honors our dignity as persons by respecting the natural rhythms and functions of the body. Many couples who use NFP speak of an increased awe and respect for femininity and their mutual fertility, and a greater sense of empowerment through self-knowledge.

Wives can avoid the risks and side effects that come with drugs and devices of contraceptive methods by choosing NFP. Because there are no potentially harmful chemicals, hormones or devices put into your body, NFP is safe. Because it does not interrupt your natural cycles and, instead, respects and informs you of your natural fertility, it is healthy. And because NFP does not involve the continual purchase of medications or devices, it is green, with no negative influence on either your body or the environment.

NFP couples tend to find that their love life improves when they make the switch from contraception. What they discover is that without artificial hormones dulling the wife’s natural sex drive, & with increased respect & communication from managing fertility together, NFP brings a spark and a sizzle that helps keep their intimacy fresh, exciting & fun. NFP couples feel more like a team that extends beyond family planning. Many couples find that NFP helps build a closer relationship to God since they are experiencing marriage as He intended. [For more info, visit www.ccli.org]

David E. Paul, “Culture War as Class War”
“The fight is over nothing less than who has the power to define reality. To lose such a fight [is] to have the weight of the dominant culture pressed firmly against you, peeling away members of your side and undermining the ability and willingness of the remainder to resist. It is to be denied access to elite institutions and networks, and to all the material and social benefits they confer. It is even to have the force of law and thus ultimately the power of the state used against you.” [First Things, Aug/Sep 2018. Author is professor, Williams College]

Entertaining Movies ….. with a Message
Whether in the theater or at home, here are films that you may not have heard much about but will find engaging and enjoyable. (Why not save the list & check-off the boxes as you see the movies?)

  • Gosnell (2018): this could still be in some theaters even though it has suffered a media blackout. Great crime drama with some great acting, based on an actual recent case tried in Philadelphia.
  • October Baby (2011): urged by her lifelong best friend Jason, Hannah, an adoptee, goes with friends on spring-break from Birmingham to New Orleans, planning to stop in Mobile where her birth certificate says she was born.
  • Unprotected (2018 documentary): #MeToo. Sexting. The hook-up culture. Teen depression. Fertility crisis. Divorce. Pornography. How did the culture become so toxic for women? Moving stories and inspiring commentary reveal the devastating effects of 50 years of the sexual revolution.
  • Bella (2006): a drama about characters, relationships and decisions. José was once a rising star with the Real Madrid soccer club before his budding career took an unexpected turn. Nina, already struggling at work, discovers that she is faced with an unwanted pregnancy.
  • Hush (2016): a dramatized documentary that gives equal coverage to pro-choice women, pro-life women and women who are concerned about themselves or their daughters achieving their reproductive goals with optimal chances for long-term health. Fascinating cultural history that has the flavor of investigative journalism.
  • Juno (2007): this outrageously offbeat comedy hit film has rare wisdom, one that knows that following your bliss is often another name for selfishness and immaturity, and the secret to lasting happiness is often a matter of taking what you have and deciding to make it work.
  • Indivisible (2018): just released is the extraordinary true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner & his wife Heather. When war etches battle scars on their hearts, they face one more battle: the fight to save their marriage.

[Tell the editor about other life-affirming and family-supportive movie titles of which you may know.]

Family & ProLife News Briefs for Catholics May 2018

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Cherishing Every Life from Beginning to End

Reasons to Be Pro-Choice?

Recently, NY Times columnist & Catholic Ross Douthat wrote about ‘abortion extremists’ among his liberal friends. Abortion supporters responded in letters to the editor (NYT, 4/15/18). Some of their key points are paraphrased here together with a Catholic response by your editor.

  • Pregnancy exacts a heavy price on women in the U.S. Many die in childbirth; if she keeps her baby and is single, she is more likely to be unemployed; giving up a baby for adoption is heart-wrenching; it is better to have the right to abort the baby. Catholic Response: to reduce deaths during childbirth, pregnant women need better health care and services, not the killing of her baby. Single moms do face greater economic hardships. The Catholic Church provides much needed services to help such women including maternity homes, food banks, hospital services and more. And the Church promotes strong marriages through marriage preparation classes. Killing an unborn baby (“terminating a pregnancy”), like any killing, cannot be justified for economic reasons.
  • Government ban on abortion has its own real dangers. Catholic Response: The notion that regulating abortion will cause women to seek an illegal “back-alley” procedure is a myth. A 2012 study, e.g., reveals that outlawing abortion in Chile not only saved children, but advanced women’s health. Of course, pro-abortionists ignore the real danger to millions of pre-borns who have been “terminated” legally.
  • Pro-choice advocates want to choose reproductive outcomes for themselves & let others choose what they want. Catholic Response: Using misleading terms like “reproductive outcomes” is not helpful. What is really happening is the destruction of a tiny developing human being. The time to choose one’s reproductive outcomes is before one gets pregnant. Abortion destroys a separate living human being.
    [The remaining arguments will be covered in the next issue.]

Radical Pro-abortion Culture War Failing

Outgoing Planned Parenthood (PP) President Cecile Richards just published a book detailing her lifetime of pro-choice activism. The book claims pro-abortionists are “transforming the culture” so they can “quit apologizing for abortion.” 3,547,123 is the number of abortions committed at PP since 2006 when Richards became its president. Ten years of public opinion research shows that Americans consistently support significant restrictions on abortion. This year’s Marist poll on abortion found that more than 75% of Americans would limit abortion to — at most — the first three months of pregnancy. A majority of Americans (56%) said they believe abortion is morally wrong. Love is winning! 52% of respondents, and 52% of women, said having an abortion will more likely cause harm to a woman’s life than good. Likewise, 78% said that our laws can protect both the well-being of women and the lives of the unborn rather than choose between them. The poll makes clear that much of what Planned Parenthood advocates falls far out of the mainstream. For example, 63% of Americans support banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy unless the mother’s life is at risk, while just 33% oppose such a ban. Most Americans also oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for elective abortion procedures – another position PP embraces that places them in a minority. In truth, there is a consensus in our culture on abortion: Americans support major rollbacks on abortion. That’s because the pro-life movement is winning hearts and minds on this issue. [March for Life President Jeanne Mancini on Fox News, 4/3/18]

There’s Nothing Funny About Abortion

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beyond crass … almost beyond belief.

“There is nothing in the least bit funny about abortion. Not for the baby’s mother. Not for the baby’s father. Not for the abortion workers. And, above all, not for the baby, who is brutally terminated in the womb.

There is nothing funny about the remains of abortion (clinically called the ‘products of conception’). Nothing funny about the severed parts of tiny humans – little hands and little legs and little eyes. Nothing funny about Planned Parenthood making money off these dismembered babies.

There is nothing funny about the after-effects of abortion. Nothing funny about the grief and guilt experienced by many a mother (and father). Nothing funny about the women who are unable to conceive after an abortion. Nothing to laugh at, at all.

Yet in the midst of a vulgar, over-the-top ‘comedy’ routine at the annual White House correspondents’ dinner, Michelle Wolf (right) decided to joke about abortion.

This was beyond tasteless. Beyond crass. It almost beyond belief.

Speaking of Vice President Pence, she said that he is ‘very anti-choice. He thinks abortion is murder, which, first of all, don’t knock it ’til you try it – and when you do try it, really knock it. You know, you’ve got to get that baby out of there. And yeah, sure, you can groan all you want. I know a lot of you are very anti-abortion. You know, unless it’s the one you got for your secret mistress.’

Perhaps Wolf was right to raise the issue of hypocrisy. There have been conservative politicians who allegedly urged their mistress to have an abortion. Perhaps some corrupt preachers have done the same.

But to joke about abortion itself. To joke about using violent means to dislodge a little baby from its mother’s womb – how does one respond to this? To repeat her words: ‘when you do try it, really knock it. You know, you’ve got to get that baby out of there.’

How would we respond if she decided to joke about the Holocaust? ‘You better get those ovens super hot! There are a whole lot of Jewish bodies to burn!’

How would we respond if she decided to joke about slavery? ‘How many Africans can you cram into the belly of a ship? Don’t worry about overcrowding. You can toss the extras overboard!’

How would we respond if she decided to joke about human trafficking? “You know why selling people is so much better than selling drugs? You can only sell drugs once.”

We would be horrified with such ‘jokes.’ From the left to the right, we would say, ‘Off limits! There’s nothing to laugh about here.’

And anyone who was idiotic enough to crack such ‘jokes’ would be universally panned, if not banned.

Why, then, is it OK to joke about abortion? About a decision that is terribly painful for many mothers to make. About a gruesome procedure that slices up or burns up or sucks out a helpless human being from the sanctuary of its mother’s belly.

Wolf has been rightly criticized for her savage attack on Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. But Ben Shapiro was correct to tweet: ‘The worst part of Michelle Wolf’s garbage performance last night wasn’t her nasty riff on Huckabee Sanders. It was that dumpster fire abortion joke. But few were as offended by her literally celebrating baby killing as they were by her knocking eye shadow.’

One of the side-effects of abortion is that it desensitizes a culture. As Mother Teresa famously said, ‘Abortion kills twice. It kills the body of the baby and it kills the conscience of the mother.’ And it kills the conscience of the nation.

If you wanted any proof for that, look no farther than the White House correspondents’ dinner, where a comedian thought it funny to crack a joke about abortion on live national TV. And look no farther than the wide-scale absence of outrage on the left in response to her ‘joke.’

Personally, I would love to see the day when Michelle Wolf becomes a passionate pro-life ally. She wouldn’t be the first to make a radical turn.

But for the moment, what we have is shame and woe. Shame for aborting more than 55 million babies. Disgrace for mocking their agony.”

Article created by Dr. Michael Brown on askdrbrown.org

Family & ProLife News Briefs for Catholics (April 2018)

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Joyous Easter Season: Time for Healing & Staying Informed

Healing After Abortion

Though abortion is a serious sin, we know that all sins can be forgiven. But there still remains regret, questions, guilt and other feelings long after someone has had an abortion. These, too, can be healed.The Sisters of Life work not only with those contemplating abortion but also those seeking healing. There is help and hope available, and the pain and sorrow of abortion need not endure for a lifetime. A “Day of Prayer and Healing” offers the opportunity to experience the love and mercy of God and to heal the wounds of abortion. They have only two Saturday sessions left before summer: April 21 and May 26, 2018. For location and confidential registration, or to talk to a Sister, please call the Sisters of Life at (866)-575-0075 (toll free) or email hopeandhealing@sistersoflife.org. And for men who have been involved in an abortion, sign up for a Day of Prayer and Healing for Men: contact Lumina at 877.586.4621 or Lumina@postabortionhelp.org.

“Hero of Legendary Courage & Integrity”

It’s rare to hear that said about an elected official, but that is what Congressman Dan Lipinski (D, IL) was called by Susan B. Anthony List (SBAL) president Marjorie Dannenfelser. “He’s not just a pro-life vote in Congress. He is a leader on this issue.” Lipinski is just one of a few Democrats who work hard for the pro-life cause. He co-chairs the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, speaks at anti-abortion rallies, and regularly sponsors legislation that seeks to restrict the termination of unborn babies. In the general election, SBAL will continue to support Lipinski over his Republican opponent, Arthur Jones, a Nazi and Holocaust denier. It is hoped that Lipinski’s success will embolden other Dems to vote against abortion rights. “We just think it’s important that the issue remains bipartisan,” Mallory Quigley said. “[Lipinski] is the model for how we want pro-life Democrats to act in Congress, to choose pro-life principles over party when those two things clash.” [Christina Cauterucci, Why an Anti-Abortion Advocacy Group Went All-In for an Illinois Democrat, Slate, 3/21/18] THE LIFE ISSUE IS POWERFUL. In the Lipinski primary, SBA List was outspent nearly 10 to 1 by the abortion lobby, yet its candidate won. Planned Parenthood spent $474,000 in the election. Radical abortion group NARAL spent $430,000. And pro-abortion women’s group EMILY’s List spent $250,000. ed. by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., tinarifr@shu.edu over 30,000 readers; for free subscription, email the editor.

“The Program Changed My Mind About Sex Before Marriage”

That was one of many positive comments from students who attended an all-day “True Love Waits” middle-school retreat on March 4, and the “Free to Love” retreat for high schoolers on March 18. These programs are offered to schools by LIFENET at very reasonable cost. They engage students with skits and discussion groups. If your local school might be a good place to host a pro-life retreat, contact Christine Flaherty at 973-497-4500 or www.lifneteducation.org

Family & ProLife News Briefs for Catholics (March 2018)

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Legal & Social Battles Continue on Life Issues

Gov. Phil Murphy Forces NJ Taxpayers to Fund Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz

Murphy bragged the legislation giving $7.5 million yearly to Planned Parenthood is his first bill as the new governor: “New Jersey will once again stand strong for Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights.” “Today, Governor Murphy thumbed his nose at the hardworking citizens of NJ and signed two bills which will use $7.5M of our tax money to fund the salaries and operation expenses of his favorite constituency, Planned Parenthood, regardless of their past record showing they engaged in Medicaid fraud,” said Marie Tasy, executive director of NJ Right to Life. The U.S. Inspector General for Health & Human Services found that the New Jersey-based family planning clinics run by the Planned Parenthood abortion business were billing Medicaid for services that did not qualify as family planning. The Inspector General recommended that New Jersey repay $2,219,746 to the federal government, which it did. “NJ Health officials testified that STDs have gone up in every state in the nation, but that NJ actually had one of the lowest increases in the nation, even though Planned Parenthood has not received state funding for the past eight years,” Tasy said. [Micaiah Bilger, 2/21/18, LifeNews.com]

8,500 Pro-Life Billboards Planned

That’s the 2018 goal of Prolife Across America that has been sponsoring highway billboards for almost three decades, bringing its life-saving messages to cities and states across America. [prolifeacrossamerica.org] The year’s theme is “Believe in Miracles.” A key element of the group’s campaign is offering assistance through their toll-free Hotline. Typical calls are like this: “I’m pregnant but everyone says to get an abortion. I need someone to talk to. Can you help me?” The Hotline connects callers with the help they need: pregnancy info, medical care, post-abortion services.

 

R.I.P.: Billy Graham Said “My Heart Aches for America” Because of Abortion

While Reverend Graham was noted for his evangelical work in calling people to a relationship with Jesus Christ and repentance from sin, he also had a solid devotion to biblical principles. He said abortion has taken America’s morality downhill — so far that the nation is on par with cities in the Old testament that God destroyed because of their lack of sexual morality. Millions of babies continue to be aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle. In a 2012 open letter that addressed concerns about moral issues, Graham wrote: “My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance.” Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins said: “At a time in which so many leaders in politics, pulpits
and entertainment have proven flawed, the Rev. Billy Graham stands as an example of humble leadership, noteworthy for not only his scandal-free life, but for his consistency in calling for a life of faith and service. He is an example for us all of dignity, integrity and tireless courage in communicating timeless truths with love and respect.” “The legacy we leave behind for our children, grandchildren,
and this great nation is crucial,” Graham said. “I urge you to vote for those who protect the sanctity of life
and support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman. Vote for biblical values and pray with me that America will remain one nation under God.” [Steven Ertelt, 2/21/18, LifeNews.com]

Tis the Season

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Presenting our first annual 2017 Pro-Life Awards winners and losers:

Rah! For the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for electing a conservative pro-life Archbishop to head its Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

Bah! To N.J. voters for electing a vehemently pro-abortion Governor.

Big Rah! For the court in Texas that nixed a law suit against the folks who taped Planned Parenthood employees boasting about harvesting and selling aborted baby body parts.

Big Bah! To Planned Parenthood for bringing the suit.

Bigger Rah! To N.J. Congressman Chris Smith for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion bill which passed in the House and could make the Hyde Amendment permanent.

Bigger Bah! To Oregon Governor Katherine Brown for signing law to pay for all abortions including for illegals and handing the $10.2 million bill to taxpayers.

Biggest Rah of All! To the U.S. Senate for putting Judge Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court!

Then there is you, our donors.  In 2017 you made it possible for the Life Education Council to develop and execute life-saving endeavors, some never before achieved.  We’ve saved the best Rah’s for you.

Pregnancy resource centers: you wanted more advertisements on buses running through their neighborhoods 24/7 where residents could see their phone numbers, call and get appointments for free ultrasound screenings.  As one center, Life Choices, wrote: “Transforming the hearts and minds of the mothers we serve is our daily mission – but first we must get them to walk through our doors.  This is why the bus ads are so exciting!”

Another center, Care Net, for which we sponsored billboards told us:  “We have had great feedback from donors who have seen the billboards and are very pleased to see this type of advertising.  God bless your continued work in the fight; so thankful to be in partnership.”

And Lighthouse shared a photo of one of the babies saved by the bus ads.

You also expanded the Choose Life banner program.  344 have been produced; 334 distributed even into other states, and you have turned the banner itself into a nationally recognized pro-life icon.  More banners than ever were televised in the January March for Life.

Also, for the first time, a Choose Life banner bears the contact information of a pregnancy resource center close by.  It is displayed at St. John the Apostle Church, Linden.

Reinforcing your commitment to pregnancy resource centers you donated $1,200 to Lighthouse to provide pre- and post-partum care for a baby you helped save from abortion.

You gave $3,000 to the Patient’s Rights Action Fund for YouTube videos opposing N.J.’s doctor assisted suicide bill.  The videos reported that the drugs that would be administered to patients were some of the same banned for use in capital punishment cases because they are inhumane.   The bill has not been enacted.

You also told us how you’d like your donations used in 2018.  When we asked if you favored our sponsoring a True Love Waits program, you overwhelming said “yes.”  Some of you told us it would be better to prevent unwanted pregnancies than to have young women consider aborting.

Prevention is what True Love Waits is about.  In a series of sessions led by trained speakers and counselors, students in public schools, Catholic schools and church classes learn the many positives of abstinence before marriage, including avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and low self-esteem.  Most of the students in the program resolve to remain abstinent.   So, we’ll contribute up to $2,000 to the Respect Life Office of the Archdioceses of Newark to help underwrite the cost of one of the programs.

We told you we are going to speak in a louder voice in 2018 by setting up social media accounts.

Fortunately, an experienced social media manager has agreed to join us.   She is Nicole Herbig, a student at Pillar College, formerly Somerset Christian College.  Nicole has broad background in administrative work, including managing accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

She will be responsible for frequent posting of our blogs which we anticipate will bring the Life Education Council a wider audience and potentially new donors.  We will provide Nicole a monthly stipend of $100.

What we propose to do in 2018 and what we can do depends on your commitment to our agenda.

It always does.  So, we maintain our confidence that you will continue your generous support.  That is especially true at year’s end when you can add up your annual LEC donations and deduct all of them from your 2017 federal income taxes.

A year from now, when we again celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we’ll compile another Pro-Life Awards list.  What a terrific gift it would be to have a list with more winners and fewer losers.  We pray that the Babe born in Bethlehem will help us protect the babies in the womb.

We wish you a happy and holy Christmas.

Jeff Danco, Luke Amoroso, Neil Sullivan, Marisol Rodriguez, Adolf Schimpf, Frank Tinari,

Betty LaRosa, Trustees

Christmas, 2017

Sulli5@aol.com; bettylarosa1@gmail.com

 

A Letter to Our Donors

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Bus Ad
Jane Roe is dead. May she rest in peace. But plenty of Jane Roe’s are still with us, and they need us.

In 1971 Normal McCovey wanted an abortion. Feminist attorneys determined to overturn anti-abortion laws and a Supreme Court majority waiting for a case that would make it possible saw their chance in Ms. McCovey. She later said that she had been used as a “pawn.”

In 1973 the deadly fate of over 55 million unborn babies – thus far – was sealed. Her baby had already been adopted.

The Roe v Wade decision resolved nothing, which is why the Jane Roe’s of today are still pawns in the hands of the billion dollar abortion industry. That shouldn’t be because there are alternatives. If only women knew it!

Throughout the United States are pregnancy resource centers. These centers resolve the key question the Roe decision ignored. “When does life begin?”

Many of these centers offer free ultrasound screenings letting women see their growing, moving unborn babies and their beating hearts. From then on, the claim by abortion proponents that the unborn is a mere blob of cells, falls flat, and over 85% of the women choose to give birth.

The centers also resolve the coercive question frequently asked by abortion clinics: “If you can’t afford an abortion, how can you afford to raise a child?” The answer from the resource centers is: “We’ll help you.” And they do with parenting classes, obtaining medical care, pre-and post-natal supplies and, in the case of Lighthouse, Paterson, even job and educational opportunities.

If, as is claimed, abortions are declining, these centers can reasonably be credited. The Life Education Council has been directing women to these centers for more than twenty years through our billboards, Choose Life banners and now, bus advertising. Most carry the 800 help line number that directs women to centers as close to their homes as possible.

Last year you helped us do even better. We developed an ad campaign so successful that it just about brings some centers directly to the women. We’re on a roll! Literally!!

Have you ever seen a picture of a mother holding in her arms the baby she once considered aborting?

The mother in the picture we were shown was one of those who’d seen our bus ad for a pregnancy resource center right nearby, called the number, went in and saw her baby on ultrasound. “That’s my baby!” she announced.

That is far from an unusual event at those centers, and we want to help make it more common by getting more women to walk through those doors.

Our next bus ad campaign will be run through Middlesex County in the vicinity of Woodbridge and Plainfield (where there is a Planned Parenthood clinic.) That is the area served by Life Choices pregnancy resource center.

The bus ads in both English and Spanish will begin rolling in May and will go on rolling for eight weeks. They will feature the center’s phone, text number and address and offer free pregnancy testing and ultrasound. The buses displaying 16 queen size exterior ads and 30 interior posters will be on the roads 24/7 reaching a large pedestrian and commuter audiences.

We have been able to keep the cost of this campaign at about $2,500, lower than comparable estimates, although art work and printing will be extra. We also continue to meet the demands for Choose Life banners, the production cost for which remains at $120.

As always, you know that every dollar you donate is tax-deductible and is used strictly to support our life saving programs. We pay no salaries, no bonuses, no travel expenses. We are a 501(c) (3) and are all volunteers.

You have to wonder how history would have been different had Norma McCovey seen a Choose Life banner or a bus ad for a pregnancy resource center. If she’d had the opportunity to speak with a trained, dedicated pro-life counsellor instead of feminist lawyers, would she have allowed herself to be a pawn in a deadly legal case?

From our experience with those pro-life counsellors we know she would have heard about love and life, concepts that later turned her against abortion. The Jane Roe’s still with us need to hear those words, and their unborn babies need for their mothers to hear those words, and that’s why we ask you to support our efforts.

This is the time of year when we celebrate the Resurrection … life restored. So, we hope you will consider making a special Easter donation to help us convince pregnant women to get the help they need so that their babies will live.

Gratefully,

Dr. Jeff Danco, Luke Amoroso, Marisol Rodriguez, Neil Sullivan, Adolf Schimpf, PhD, Betty LaRosa, Trustees.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, January 17, 2016

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John 10:10 – “Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Proverbs 24:11-12
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?”

Life! Life!

This past Sunday was “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.” Across America there are sermons addressing the value of human life and reminding us what God has to say about this gift He has given each of us.

The reason we observe this special day is to protest the slaughter of the innocent unborn that has been going on in our country for many years, and to bring awareness to God’s people about this sin in our society.

Let me say in the beginning, that there is NO SIN that God will not forgive. And there are NO CONSEQUENCES that God cannot heal!

God is “pro life!” The Scripture teaches that His people are to be pro life, for God is all about life and life abundantly!

Therefore, in any protest we involve ourselves in, violence, or any other destruction of property or life would NOT be God’s way of opposing this ill in our society!

The Value of Human Life

Psalm 139:13-16
“For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

  • Who is it that gives life?
  • Who is it that forms the baby in the womb?
  • Who is it, in His appointed time, will take life?
  • It is God Almighty and Him alone!

We either believe the Bible or we do not. The subject of abortion does NOT come with an exemption when it comes to Life!

I have heard people say, “I will do with my body what I want to do?” What’s wrong with that statement?

  • First of all, the statement is quite prideful, arrogant and misguided. It is God who will do with our bodies what He chooses to do since He is the Creator – we are the created!
  • Secondly, the child in the womb is NOT the body of the mother; it is a separate, distinct creation of God!

For example, remember, over a decade ago when Jeff Peterson was found guilty for not only killing his wife, but killing his unborn child as well? What hypocrisy!

What about the teenage Christian girl who finds herself pregnant while still in school? In some cases, I have heard that the “Christian” parents have agreed with the daughter to get an abortion! What hypocrisy!

Abortion is not so much terminating a pregnancy, it is murdering a child, a child of God’s creation!

I see this blatant hypocrisy in the news almost every day:

  • There are many who will vehemently defend the rights of animals, but NOT the unborn child.
  • There are many who would like to remove every gun from the American people, for fear that someone might become a victim of a shooting, but they have no problem pulling the trigger on abortion at any stage in pregnancy.
  • There are those who would have the government determine what discipline is correct for our children, but have no problem taking the child’s life in the womb! What hypocrisy!

Defending Human Life

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 – “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 who is ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

Abortion has long been a demonic stronghold in our society. In the “Judgment of the Nations,” (Matt. 25) America will have to give an account before Jesus Christ!

Praise God, abortions are on the decline! Praise God, Congress has recently voted to defund Planned Parenthood! But there is still a battle to be won. What can we do?

  • Prayer and Protests must continue.
  • Speak out for Life whenever we get an opportunity.
  • Vote for candidates who are pro life.
  • Support you local Crisis Pregnancy Center.
  • Educate our children about the truth of the sin of abortion.

When the Lord sees His people standing strong for what He desires, and defending the most helpless humans on earth (the unborn child), He will then step in and do the rest!

May it be that we will look back in a few short years and say, “Praise God, we have overcome the two greatest crimes against humanity in our nation’s history:

  • The Evil of Slavery
  • The Killing of the Unborn Child!”

Questions for Reflection

  • Have you or someone close to you been part of an abortion? Have you found forgiveness through Jesus Christ?
  • Have you made the issue of abortion a matter of prayer and fasting?
  • Have you been faithful to lovingly speak out in defense of the unborn?