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Communique – Jan. 5, 2007

in this issue:

hot button issues: PELOSI / PERSONHOOD
abortion: NEW YORK TIMES DISTORTS
eugenics: DOWN SYNDROME
euthanasia: VERMONT
in vitro fertilization: FATHERLESS
organ donation: CARDIAC DEATH
perinatal hospice: ALEXANDRA’S HOUSE
persistent vegetative state: WILLKE
planned parenthood: YOUTH OUTREACH
zinger: CATHOLICS FOR A FREE CHOICE
reflection for prayer: GALLATIANS 1:12

hot button issues

PELOSI: American Life League greeted Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s election as House Speaker with demonstrations and newspaper ads, all pointing to the fact that Pelosi’s pro-abortion legislative stance is incompatible with her claim that she is a faithful Catholic.

(Reading: “Pro-abortion Pelosi honored at Trinity College,” American Life League news release, 1/3/07; “ALL asks archbishops to address ‘Catholic’ Pelosi,” American Life League news release, 1/3/07; “Will you speak for the house of God?” American Life League ad, 1/3/07)

PERSONHOOD: In a commentary noting the importance of pursuing legislation establishing the personhood of the preborn, ALL’s Jim Sedlak notes, “If the truth about the personhood of the human being from its point of creation was ever to be written into law, Planned Parenthood would be virtually out of business. One third of Planned Parenthood’s clinic income comes from the killing of human beings who are in the first nine months of their lives.”

(Reading: “Personhood and Planned Parenthood,” American Life League, 1/5/07)

abortion

NEW YORK TIMES DISTORTS: Byron Calame, public editor of the New York Times, exposed the fallacious report on a woman in El Salvador who allegedly aborted her child and was sentenced to jail time. The truth is that the woman did not abort her baby, but rather killed her newborn. As Calame points out, the pro-abortion organization IPAS used the false report to raise money for its “work.” As of the writing of the commentary, the Times’ standards editor reportedly stated that he was not ready to “order up a correction or Editors’ Note.”

(Reading: “Truth, justice, abortion and the Times Magazine,” New York Times, 12/31/06)

eugenics

DOWN SYNDROME: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has chosen to recommend that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered a choice of tests to detect the possibility of Down syndrome. The risks associated with such testing increase according to the age of the expectant mother.

(Reading: “Down screening urged for all pregnant women,” Associated Press, 1/2/07)

euthanasia

VERMONT: Death with Dignity Vermont will make physician-assisted-suicide legalization a primary goal in the coming legislative session. The proposed bill can be reviewed online.

in vitro fertilization

FATHERLESS: An excellent analysis of the problems facing the children conceived through in vitro fertilization can be found online.

(Reading: “Fatherless families: spread of IVF leaves children in the dark,” Zenit News Service, 12/26/06)

organ donation

CARDIAC DEATH: Christopher James Doig, M.D., exposes the problems surrounding the idea that organ donation can occur following “cardiac death.” He points out that this practice “is a major change in end-of-life practice and poses significant ethical problems for end-of-life decision-making in intensive care units.

(Reading: “Is the Canadian health care system ready for donation after cardiac death? A note of caution,” Canadian Medical Association Journal, 10/10/06, pp. 905-906)

perinatal hospice

ALEXANDRA’S HOUSE: Alexandra’s House is designed to offer housing to families and their babies throughout the experience of delivering a baby with a fatal or major birth defect. Alexandra’s House also provides safe and loving refuge for abandoned newborns and abused or neglected infants, whether otherwise healthy or medically fragile.

persistent vegetative state

WILLKE: John Willke, MD has exposed the fallacy in the argument that persistent vegetative state can be equated with “vegetable.”

(Reading: “Persistent Vegetative State: It’s not what we thought,” Life Issues, 10/06)

planned parenthood

YOUTH OUTREACH: A Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood affiliate, backed by a United Way grant, has started the Curve, a group for “people between the ages of 14 and 21 who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning their sexuality.” Planned Parenthood promotes the effort on the MySpace youth-oriented web site, but does not disclose meeting locations “to protect the safety of the attendees.”

(Reading: “York group offers ‘safe space’ for gay, lesbian teens,” Hanover [Pa.] Evening Sun, 1/2/07)

zinger

CATHOLICS FOR A FREE CHOICE: The organization’s news release attacking American Life League’s voter guideis worth reading.

COMMENT: Never has being accused of bad “behavior” been so delightful. Ms. Kissling alleges that ALL “needs to learn that campaign regulations are for everyone.” Indeed they are, and the truth is for everyone as well.

(Reading: “American Life League–laying out specific criteria for judging candidates–egregiously violates federal IRS regulations,” Catholics for a Free Choice, 11/6/06)

reflection for prayer

GALLATIANS 1:12: If I were trying to win man’s approval, I would surely not be serving Christ.