Planned Parenthood: Lies and Murder

Planned Parenthood: Lies and Murder

Warning: The above video demonstrates a very important, but very disturbing truth.

Planned Parenthood is finally on the defensive.  For years, many of us in the pro-life movement have known the disgusting, behind-the-scenes workings of the abortion industry.  And for a long time, we have been ringing the bell, but no one has been listening.  Now the Center for Medical Progress, with their undercover videos, have exposed the shocking truth to the world, and the abortion industry, especially its giant Planned Parenthood, is finally feeling some heat.

Despite the release of numerous undercover videos exposing illegal and disgusting acts, it is amazing how many people have no idea of the firestorm taking place.  This is largely because of a well-orchestrated media “cone of silence” that has tried to keep the revelations found on the videos quiet, downplayed, or falsely discredited.

For those who have not seen the videos (and please don’t watch them after you have eaten), they show officials from Planned Parenthood or representatives from companies who buy fetal tissue discussing with an undercover investigative reporter the ins-and-outs of their business dealings.  (The above video also shows a former stem cell research employee discussing an experience that led to her conversion from the industry.)

Why are these videos creating such a stir (among those who have been exposed to them)?  Abortion has always been disgusting, but everyone knows that Planned Parenthood is involved in it on a multi-million dollar scale; and though many people don’t know much about the exploitation of children through the use of their body parts, the American public has had a surprising tolerance for medical research on human subjects, with or without their consent.  Nazi Germany would be proud.

There are many things in these videos that are finally striking a chord in even some of the hardest of hearts.  First, the buying and selling of fetal body parts is illegal.  Companies have found ways around this law by paying exorbitant amounts for “shipping and handling” or some other service, and claiming that the body parts themselves are being donated and not being sold.  The haggling over prices on the videos clearly exposes this game for the scam that it is.

Second, although Planned Parenthood likes to lie that it is all about women’s health, the videos clearly show PP representatives explaining how they can adjust the abortion procedures they use specifically in order to get more “intact specimens.”  Despite showing that women’s health is clearly not the priority, this is also against the law.

Finally, the cavalier attitude displayed on the videos is what is most sickening.  We hear representatives talking about the difficulty of getting intact specimens because “the abdomens are almost always ripped open.”  We see one “doctor” holding a little baby’s heart and explaining how without the proper care the heart will be “smooshed” between her fingers.  People talk about the good fortune of getting a “delivery” (live birth) because that can produce an entirely intact fetus.  Nevermind that this living baby, under the law, should be cared for; not left to die so that it can be sold at a premium.  All of these things make it impossible for pro-choicers to continue to deny that abortion kills a child.

The response from the abortion lobby has been swift.  There have been legal battles over the videos.  The public is constantly being deceived with the line that these are “heavily edited” videos whose real meaning can’t be discerned.  Although the videos most people have seen are heavily edited - portions of conversations that last better than an hour sometimes - the full, unedited versions are available, and prove that the editing did not falsely portray innocent business.

The fallout has also already begun.  Numerous companies and states have withdrawn financial support from Planned Parenthood, and at least one research company has terminated its relationship as well.  Republicans in Congress pushed a bill to stop federal funding of the massive abortion giant, but Planned Parenthood’s faithful Democratic allies in the Senate promptly shut that down.  They have also found loyal supporters in both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.

So what’s next?  What I hope for is that what Father Frank Pavone has been saying will finally come to pass: “America will not reject abortion until America sees abortion.”  Hopefully these videos from the powerful pro-life warriors at CMP will finally help America take an honest look at abortion.

Note: I always like to include, in any post about abortion, a reminder of the healing that is available for the countless people suffering from abortion.  God continues to love you desperately, and He makes all things new.  Visit hopeafterabortion.com for one organization that seeks to help in this desperately needed ministry.

Nine Months in Four Minutes

Nine Months in Four Minutes

The Supreme Court and the HHS Mandate

The Supreme Court and the HHS Mandate

Like everyone interested in the freedom of religion and with an understanding of the potential impact on the future of our country, I was greatly relieved to see Hobby Lobby vindicated by the Supreme Court Monday in its battle against the HHS mandate.  By the narrowest 5-4 margin, sanity held the day, but there are many things that still concern me greatly.

            The first is the limited scope of the court’s decision.  Fox News reported that:  “The court stressed that its ruling on Monday applies only to corporations that are under the control of just a few people in which there is no essential difference between the business and its owners.” Why?  How can the court justify any business being forced to pay for the services demanded by the HHS mandate?  And upon whose judgment will we rely to determine which companies qualify?

            The dissent sounds at times as though the sky is falling, and that civilization is under attack by the ruling.  Is it not true that contraception / abortifacient coverage has never been required until Obamacare’s putrid mandate?  Somehow women were not left on the streets to die.  Framing this whole debate around the issue of women’s health is incredibly misleading to begin with.  The claim that the court’s ruling will somehow have disastrous consequences is simply ridiculous.  The one part of the dissent which I pray is true is the statement: “Although the Court attempts to cabin its language to closely held corporations, its logic extends to corporations of any size, public or private. Little doubt that RFRA claims will proliferate.”

            The biggest problem with the decision is that the court gave any credence to the idea that the government can force any employers to provide morally objectionable coverage for its employees.  Don’t get me wrong, I am elated that Hobby Lobby won its case.  But to think that we have won a decisive blow for religious freedom is naïve.  The battle is far from over.

Foreknown

Foreknown

As the world wishes to deny the pain of those involved in abortion, it is important for us who wish to defend life to acknowledge that pain and be sources of healing.  The following is a powerful video of a family discussing the pain from past abortions and the healing and wholeness they have found. 

Go For the Knockout

Go for the Knockout

It’s said that you shouldn’t kick a man when he’s down.  That’s good, Christian advice.  But anyone who’s ever seen a prize fight also knows that when a fighter has his opponent weak and on the ropes, he goes for the knockout.

We, as people of God, are in one heck of a fight, and at least one of our adversaries is on the ropes.  We need to go for the knockout.

I’m talking about the Affordable Care Act – Obamacare.  There are many reasons for Catholics to oppose this law.  First, and most obviously, by funding abortion and forcing Christians to violate their consciences by participating in objectionable activities, the law can be defined as objectionably evil.

There are other problems with it, as well.  Its movement toward government-run health care is a dangerous trend and violates the social justice principle of subsidiarity.  The establishment of death panels, only a glimpse of what’s to come, I believe, makes little account of the dignity of every human person.  And as the law has begun to take effect, many of the problems that opponents predicted are coming to bear.

The law is on the ropes.  Just last week we saw another delay in the implementation of a key part.  Perhaps this was a prudent act to improve its implementation.  But certainly Democrats are excited that much of the pain to come won’t hit until after the upcoming election.

The stated goal of providing health insurance and quality care for everyone is a laudable one.  The problem is that Obamacare is not the way to get there.  Unfortunately, there have been many alternate proposals in recent years, none of which have been given proper consideration in Washington, or coverage by the media.

As the election season comes upon us, however, it is time to make our move, to go for the knockout.  Obamacare remains as unpopular as ever.  We must actively promote alternate ideas, and support candidates willing to repeal Obamacare.

As Hobby Lobby, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and others fight in court for our religious freedoms, we need to support groups like the Thomas More Society and the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty.

We need to get educated, write letters, call talk shows, canvas neighborhoods, and put our money where our mouth is, as we are able.  Another key element is working to ensure the integrity of our elections, which has been rightly called into question.  It is important that we contact our Secretary of State, for whichever state in which we live, and demand that the nonsense of 2012 is not repeated.  We can support project veritas, which is on the ground seeking legitimate election results.

And most of all, we must do everything with Christian charity.  We are not driven by a desire simply to repeal Obamacare, but to replace it, with a truly moral, compassionate solution that respects religious liberty and the right to life, provides quality health care services and coverage to all people without consideration of their “worth,” and that is implementable.  It is quite a job, but if we “work as though all depends on us and pray as though all depends on God,” we can have good reason for hope.   

Life on the Rock

Life on the Rock

The video below is a Life on the Rock episode featuring Kathy DiFiore, the inspiration for the film Gimme Shelter, and one of the women from her shelters.  It is long, but worth a watch.

Movie Review - 'Gimme Shelter'

Movie Review – ‘Gimme Shelter’

Gimme Shelter is based on the true story of Apple Bailey, a girl who grew up with a drug-addicted mother, a father she never knew, and in and out of foster homes.  At the age of 16, Apple finds herself pregnant and the victim of abuse, and decides to run away from her mother’s destructive lifestyle.

She seeks out the father she has never known, Tom, a Wall Street millionaire with a wife and two small children.  Tom’s wife is not pleased with having Apple in their home.  After Apple’s pregnancy is confirmed with an ultrasound, she is given an ultimatum: abort the baby or leave.

As Tom’s wife takes Apple to the clinic, she can’t take the eyes off her baby’s tiny form in the ultrasound picture.  Apple, who never wanted an abortion in the first place, runs off.  After a car accident she finds herself in a hospital, where an old priest, Father McCarthy, takes an interest in helping her.

Through God’s Grace, and the help of Father McCarthy, Apple finds herself at the shelter for teen mothers opened by Kathy DiFiore.  Here, for the first time, she finds support and a true family.

Gimme Shelter tells the true story of the shelter started by DiFiore who, in service to the Lord, opened her home and her heart to countless at-risk women and their babies.  During the credits, viewers are introduced to the real-life Apple Bailey and Kathy DiFiore.

The film is not suitable for children due to the mature subject matter and the lack of a message on sexual morality.  Of course, that’s not the theme of this film.  It is powerfully pro-life, and brings to light many issues that are so prevalent with women who find themselves in crisis pregnancies.

Surveys show again and again that most young women who have abortions say they would have chosen life if they had found just one person to support them in that decision.  More often, they are faced with pressure to abort, either from parents or boyfriends, as Apple received from her father.  (Her father, though, seems to have a bit of a conversion once he falls in love with Apple’s baby).

Many young girls make heroically courageous choices to give life to their babies and need someone to respect their dignity and offer them hope.

The film also clearly shows what data consistently prove: women who have ultrasounds – hear their baby’s heartbeat and see its pictures – are overwhelmingly more likely to choose life.  This is likely why some pro-abortion groups try to force crisis pregnancy clinics to obtain medical certification to perform an ultrasound procedure, while their own clinics, which perform surgery, are often immune.  It is also why groups like the Knights of Columbus have ultrasound initiatives that pay for the machines.

Gimme Shelter is a powerful film that defends the dignity of young women who are scared and pressured, but determined to fight for the lives of their children.  It also promotes the dignity of the unborn child, whose value is no less than yours or mine.  Finally, it highlights the important work of crisis pregnancy centers and shelters for unwed mothers.  Hopefully it will inspire changes of heart and an awareness of our need to support these wonderful institutions and the young women they serve.

Papal Nuncio at the Walk for Life

Papal Nuncio at the Walk for Life

Action - Urge Gov. Perry to Save a Life!

Action – Urge Gov. Perry to Save a Life!

Update: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/marlise-munoz-removed-from-life-support-baby-executed-by-judicial-tyranny-p

 
This weekend, a judge ordered the murder of an innocent person.  In a tragic story, Marlise Munoz suffered a pulmonary embolism and has been declared brain dead.  She is currently 22 weeks pregnant.  Texas law states that a pregnant mother must be kept on life support for the sake of the unborn child’s life.  Munoz’s baby is alive and many experts have contended it has an excellent chance of survival.

However, a district judge has ordered that Mrs. Munoz be taken off life support by Monday evening, which will kill the little baby.  Why?  Is Mrs. Munoz suffering by being kept on life support so her child could live?  No.  There would seem to be no benefit (besides the saving of a few dollars) to turning the machine off now.  The only consequence would be the death of the child.  I wonder if the fact that the child may have deformed lower extremities came into play.  Either way, Adolf Hitler would be proud.

I’m sure the family, stricken with grief, is thinking of Mrs. Munoz, and I don’t blame them.  But the law is in place for a reason, so that, during these emotional and trying times for a family, a child’s life would be protected.  Yet again we see a judge disregarding the law and ruling according to his own personal whims.

Could our system be more broken?  If anything is left to be done, we must do it.  We must urge Governor Perry of Texas to intervene to save this child’s life. 

And as always, we must pray.  We can not judge the motives of anyone involved in this case.  We must pray for them and for justice for this little child, and for its mother, may her last heroic act on this earth be the giving of life, and may she rest in peace.

Walk for Life

Walk for Life

A Day that Lives in Infamy

A Day that Lives in Infamy

Tomorrow, January 22, is the 41^st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, legalizing abortion on demand.  Catholics are being asked to observe the event with prayer and fasting, as acts of reparation to God, Who is so much offended, and to obtain the grace necessary for our country to protect all human life.

Please consider skipping a meal or denying yourself something this day.  Below is a prayer to end abortion.  May God forgive and heal our nation.

 

Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Give us, Lord, the grace,
Not to be silent,
Not to be passive,
Not to be forgetful of the unborn.
Please bless the pro-life movement,
Let us never stop defending life
Until all our brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Dr. King

Prayer to God the Father of All Life

Prayer to God the Father of All Life

Eternal God, You have revealed Yourself as the Father of all Life. We praise You for the Fatherly care which You extend to all creation, and especially to us, made in Your image and likeness.

Father, extend Your hand of protection to those threatened by abortion, and save them from its destructive power. Give Your strength to all fathers, that they may never give in to the fears that may tempt them to facilitate abortions.

Bless our families and bless our land, that we may have the joy of welcoming and nurturing the life of which You are the source and the Eternal Father. Amen.

Right to Life Month

Right to Life Month

October is Right to Life Month.  As Catholics, we believe in the value and dignity of every human life, and we fight for the right of every person to life, from conception to natural death.  There is no other Catholic position on this issue.  This month, we as a Church highlight the importance of this issue; we attempt to educate, evangelize, inspire, and ultimately convert hearts.

Pope John Paul II (and many, many others) have spoken about the right to life as being the fundamental right, from which all other rights flow.  This is, of course, because without life, one can not enjoy any other right.  One can not experience a right to health, or education, or liberty, if one has not first had his right to his very life respected.  This is the fundamental moral issue of our time, and the threats which we as Catholics must fight are many.

The primary of these threats is abortion.  Abortion is the greatest evil of our age, from my perspective.  Not only are so many people denied their right to life by abortion, it tears at the heart the family, which is the fundamental building block of society, and is sacred to God.  We must never lose our focus on saving as many babies as possible, and on changing laws so that our country can once again be a place where the most innocent human lives are valued and this great scourge can be eradicated.

Of course, our pro-life work in this area focuses on more than just babies.  There are many crisis pregnancy centers that desperately need our support.  Christians are well known for their support of women in crisis pregnancies.  As Father Frank Pavone, the founder of Priests for Life says, “Women don’t get abortions because of freedom of choice; they get abortions because they feel they have no choice.”  We, as Christians, have to show them that they do have a choice, that there are many people who want to love and support them.

Another critical area of pro-life ministry is post-abortion healing.  There are untold millions of women and men suffering so grievously for the mistake of a past abortion.  They desperately need to see the loving Face and feel the healing Touch of Christ.  We, His Hands and Feet, must bring that to them.  There are ministries like Hope After Abortion, Rachel’s Vineyard and others, that help women and men to feel God’s forgiveness and love, and be made new.  If we know someone whom we can help in this way, we have to try and help them believe that they can truly heal and find forgiveness and rebirth in Christ.

Another threat to life that is gaining steam is euthanasia.  We have seen this evil spread in Europe and now in many U.S. states.  It is my belief that it will also be one of the evil fruits of Obamacare if it is allowed to take root.  We need not only fight against the lie that euthanasia is an act of charity, we need to show true charity to those who are suffering.  We need to support ethical research into palliative care, and most of all, truly love those whom God has placed in our lives who need help enduring and finding meaning in their suffering.  And we need, once again, to be a nation that reveres and honors our elderly.

The Culture of Death we oppose has also claimed many people with disabilities.  Currently 90% of babies with Down Syndrome are aborted, often under pressure from a physician.  They are seen as useless, a burden, and possessing a life not worth living.  If there’s one message that we must send to the world, it is that all life is precious, everyone has value, and there’s no such thing as a life not worth living.  We must see the value and beauty in our disabled brothers and sisters, and if we are disabled ourselves, be lights to the world.  Those suffering with a disability are perhaps the most powerful spiritual lights there are, with the ability to inspire people, and bring about miracles with their prayers.

The most controversial issue we must confront this Right to Life Month is capital punishment.  I do not want to imply that it is on a level with issues like abortion.  It is not.  There is more flexibility in the Catholic understanding of this issue, and the execution of the guilty is very different than the death of the innocent.  However, both John Paul II and Benedict XVI made very strong statements against capital punishment in practice, if not its outright prohibition in theory.  The fact that it is essentially never necessary for the protection of society in our day and age makes it difficult to justify.  And cases like that of Alessandro Serenelli should give us all fruit for meditation.

There are, of course, many other threats to the right to life: war, human trafficking, human rights abuses at home and abroad.  But what we are being encouraged to do this month is take a step.  One more step in the defense and honor of all human life that can become a permanent habit.

Perhaps we can remember these issues more in our prayer intentions (there is still time to make a novena before the end of the month).  Perhaps we can occasionally join a prayer group in front of an abortion clinic.  Perhaps we are being called to be more politically active, perhaps to support a local pregnancy center or an assisted living facility or hospice.  There are countless ways to live a pro-life spirituality as a Catholic.

As always, the most important thing is prayer.  The more we can unite our hearts with His Heart, the more we will be a people of life, and the more souls and lives we will save, and maybe, God willing, even a culture.

Link - Grieving the Loss of a Child

Link – Grieving the Loss of a Child

Losing a child during pregnancy is a pain that many people have to suffer, and is often misunderstood.  The following link is a beautiful, heartfelt reflection by Christine Ostendorf on this experience.  Her thoughts encourage us to consider the term, “miscarriage,” as if the mother had somehow carried her baby wrongly.  As Ostendorf quotes Kimberly Hahn: “If the goal of Christian parenting is getting your children to heaven, then we have already succeeded with this child.”

“I had not miscarried my baby,” says Ostendorf, “I carried her with love and strength to the place we all aim for, heaven.”

Also in the article’s comments is the pastoral wisdom of a priest, who says, "A baby is a baby no matter how small. Some are born so that we may care for them, and some go straight to heaven to intercede for us;" as well as a link to the Shrine of the Holy Innocents, where parents can enroll their children whom they’ve lost.

http://catholicexchange.com/miscarriage-a-pro-life-term/

Pro-Life Ad Rejected

Pro-Life Ad Rejected

 

The above is a pro-life paid advertisement by Heroic Media, that was rejected by The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times for being “too controversial.”  These bastions of “unbiased news reporting” have consistently run stories and opinion pieces with a pro-abortion slant, but apparently a pro-life organization, unlike for-profit businesses, can not even purchase space in their pages.

I think it would be valuable for pro-lifers to voice their displeasure.  In fairness, The Chicago Tribune eventually accepted an alternate pro-life ad from Heroic Media.

Pope Francis on Abortion

Pope Francis on Abortion

“Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world”

“Our response to this mentality [the 'throwaway culture' that abortion promotes] is a ‘yes’ to life, decisive and without hesitation. ‘The first right of the human person is his life. He has other goods and some are precious, but this one is fundamental –- the condition for all the others’”



“On the one hand we see progress in the field of medicine, thanks to the work of scientists who passionately and unreservedly dedicate themselves to the search for new cures. On the other hand, however, we also encounter the risk that doctors lose sight of their identity in the service of life.”



“While new rights are attributed to or indeed almost presumed by the individual, life is not always protected as the primary value and the primordial right of every human being. The ultimate aim of medicine remains the defense and promotion of life.”

Kathy Ireland on Being Pro-Life

Kathy Ireland on Being Pro-Life

 

Obama's Real Syria Problem

Obama’s Real Syria Problem

Barack Obama is considering military action against Syria for apparently using chemical warfare against innocent civilians.  Any military action would not include boots on the ground, occupation, or have as its goal the overthrow of the Assad regime.  The objective would be to punish Syria and to drive home the point to all nations that the international community will enforce the norm against using chemical weapons.

But Mr. Obama has a credibility problem, and it does not just stem from the British Parliament’s vote against military action and the impossibility of getting the endorsement of the UN security council.  No, the heart of Mr. Obama’s credibility problem is that he has long been a strong supporter of chemical warfare against innocent civilians.

Millions of unborn children are aborted through chemical attacks in the United States, and Mr. Obama has been an outspoken supporter.  Not only that, he has opposed efforts at recognizing the pain caused to both the babies and their mothers, and he has forced taxpayers and even religious institutions to pay for the brutality, in contradiction to American law.

So when Mr. Obama gives a stern warning about the brutality of the Syrian attacks, their violation of international norms, and the punishment they merit, a reasonable person doesn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

But the problem is not only Obama’s.  It’s one that has plagued our country since at least 1973.  We have heard, in recent years, the debate over whether the United States should be “the world’s policeman,” and whether we have the military capability to do so.  But a more fundamental question is whether a society that is increasingly built on the culture of death has any moral capability to be a leader at all, let alone enforce the values of human rights and human dignity.

A fundamental principle in philosophy is that one can not give what one does not possess.  As our culture no longer possesses justice and righteousness, there is no way we can give them to anyone else.  The use and proliferation of chemical weapons is something no one should want, but as we consider the need to deter Syria, we must first focus on repentance for ourselves.

'Duck Dynasty' - A Voice for Life

‘Duck Dynasty’ – A Voice for Life