in this issue:
hot button issues: CRUSADE FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH / ROCK FOR LIFE
abortion: BREAST CANCER / EARLY ABORTION / FAILURE OF BIRTH CONTROL / SAFER THAN CHILDBIRTH?
activism: CATHOLIC CAMPUS CALAMITIES / CONNECTICUT
bush watch: AIDS PREVENTION?
ethics: KILLING NOT KILLING?
euthanasia: CANADA
feminism: FEMINIST FANTASIES
morning-after abortion pills: CALIFORNIA / LIKE ASPIRIN / RISKS
natural family planning: INTEREST VS. USE
stem cells: BABY TEETH
reflection for prayer: EPHESIANS 4:14-16
hot button issues
CRUSADE FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH: ALL’s Crusade is leading a “coalition of the willing” to protest the appearance of Reps. Loretta and Linda Sanchez at Mount St. Mary’s College commencement exercises in Los Angels. The “Catholic” Sanchez sisters are militant supporters of abortion on demand, yet are being presented as role models to the graduates of this Catholic women’s college. The protest will take place outside the campus on May 10 from 2-4 p.m. For more info, contact .
(Reading: “Deadly duo to speak at Catholic college,” American Life League news release, 4/25/03)
ROCK FOR LIFE: The National Pro-life T-shirt Day event sponsored by American Life League’s Rock for Life attracted thousands and thousands of participants nationwide. There have been several reports of students threatened with suspension for wearing shirts with a pro-life message. Those reports have been forwarded to the Thomas More Law Center for action.
(Reading: “Pro-life T-shirt day a huge success despite a few spoilsport principals,” Rock for Life news release, 4/29/03)
abortion
BREAST CANCER: Pro-abortion researchers insist that there is no link between abortion and breast cancer, claiming that the National Cancer Institute has new information that defuses the debate and puts it to rest. The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer begs to differ and has issued a paper offers startling revelations.
(Reading: “No link found between abortion, breast cancer,” Contraceptive Technology Update, 5/03, paid access only; “Abortion not linked to breast cancer,” Associated Press, 3/7/03; “How national Cancer Institute scientists betrayed women,” Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, 3/11/03)
EARLY ABORTION: A recent study found that early abortion services (mifepristone, methotrexate, electric vacuum aspiration and manual vacuum aspiration) were available at most of the sites queried, but the National Abortion Federation member respondents lead researchers to conclude that clinical practice and motivation of individual physician providers is critical to assuring that early abortion services are available and that such availability increases (NAF members participated in the study). The point of this study was to make sure that more and more physicians are offering early abortion to their clients.
(Reading: “Early abortion services in the United States: a provider survey,” Contraception, 67 (2003) 287-294)
FAILURE OF BIRTH CONTROL: French researchers find that many women are not using birth control methods properly and are therefore getting pregnant. In a study of 2,863 women who responded to a questionnaire, they report “33% of pregnancies were estimated to be unplanned, of which 50% ended in abortion. A total of 65% of the reported unplanned pregnancies occurred among women using contraception (21% the pill, 9% IUD, 12% condoms, 23% other method.).’
(Reading: “Contraception: from accessibility to efficiency,” Human Reproduction, 5/03, pp. 994-999)
SAFER THAN CHILDBIRTH? Noted pro-life ob/gyn William F. Colliton recently wrote: “Abortion-related deaths decreased markedly after the 1940s because of the introduction of antibiotics and the skill of physicians, not because of the legalization of abortion in 1973. National Centers for Health Statistics figures show that 39 women died from illegal abortions in 1972, 35 in 1973 and 37 in 1974. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a co-founder of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League and a personal friend, said he fabricated the figure of 10,000 women dying of illegal abortions each year in order to aid the drive to legalize abortion.”
(Reading: “On maternal mortality,” Washington Times, 12/27/02)
activism
CATHOLIC CAMPUS CALAMITIES: The Cardinal Newman Society is tracking anti-lifers on Catholic college campuses as they parade to the forefront to give graduation speeches and receive accolades. An e-mail alert is available by registering online.
CONNECTICUT: Operation Outcry: Silent No More is hosting a special Mother’s Day news conference on the steps of the capitol building in Hartford. Women who regret having abortions will hold signs and share their stories. Event organizers needs to hear from anyone who wishes to attend. E-mail or call 203-820-9898. Annie also has an e-mail news update available upon request.
bush watch
AIDS PREVENTION? HR 1298, the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003, will be up for Congressional approval soon. This $15 billion provides huge amounts of money to go to pro-death family planning agencies, which indicates that failed “condom” programs will continue. News reports indicate that with or without pro-family amendments, president Bush will sign the bill.
(Reading: “Bill to fund AIDS prevention efforts needs work,” Republican National Coalition for Life FaxNotes, 4/30/03; “Bush to back bill on AIDS and abortion,” New York Times, 4/29/03)
ethics
KILLING NOT KILLING? Australian ethicists argue that destroying an “affected” embryo prior to implantation (while still a petri dish individual) is less offensive than aborting an “affected” fetus during pregnancy in the mother’s womb. “A woman sees abortion as a personal physical violation of her integrity, and as the pregnancy proceeds she increasingly identifies with and gives ethical status to the embryo/fetus as it develops in utero and not in the laboratory.”
COMMENT: Yet another reason why in vitro fertilization should be banned.
(Reading: “Is there an ethical difference between preimplantation genetic diagnosis and abortion?” Journal of Medical Ethics, 2003:29:90-92, paid subscribers only)
euthanasia
CANADA: Anti-euthanasia forces are insisting that the Ontario Ministry of Culture launch an impartial investigation into a grant the Trillium Foundation (an agency of the Ministry of Culture) made to the pro-euthanasia group, Dying with Dignity, the largest organization promoting euthanasia in Canada.
(Reading: “Euthanasia Prevention Coalition insists that the Ontario Ministry of Culture take action on suicide grant,” EPC news release, 4/23/03; “Euthanasia Prevention Coalition calls on the Ontario Ministry of Culture to do an independent inquiry of Ontario Trillium Foundation grant,” EPC news release, 2/5/03)
feminism
FEMINIST FANTASIES: Want to know what radical feminists really think? Then you must read Phyllis Schlafly’s new book, “Feminist Fantasies.”
morning-after abortion pills
CALIFORNIA: SB 545, the so-called emergency contraception bill, is still in the hearing process in the state senate. The bill removes the legal requirement that a pharmacist be trained prior to dispensing the morning after pill regimen. The bill states, “It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure equality of access to pharmaceuticals for the women of California.”
(Contact: For details and action plan, e-mail California Right to Life at )
(Reading: SB 545, California General Assembly, 2/20/03)
LIKE ASPIRIN: Eliza Ng, whose research involving 96 women indicates that when the pills are on hand, women will use them whereas if they have to fill a prescription they will not, told an audience that “emergency contraception should be like Tylenol or aspirin.” She is advocating a “supply on hand” and endorses the idea that the pills should be available over-the-counter.
COMMENT: The news report suggests that those who point out that the pills abort the embryo prior to implantation are at odds with “doctors [who] define pregnancy as beginning at implantation,” and voice a “religious” view.
(Reading: “Advanced supply of ‘morning-after’ pill boosts use,” Reuters, 4/29/03)
RISKS: Researchers found that there is a possibility that “progestin affects the tubal function.” Thus there exists the risk that females who use morning after pills could have an ectopic pregnancy according to the study. “Progestin-only pills administered continuously lower the absolute rate of ectopic pregnancy; however, if pregnancy does occur, the chance that it will be ectopic is threefold higher than for pregnancies occurring while using no method.”
(Reading: “Ectopic pregnancies following emergency levonorgestrel contraception,” Contraception, 67 (2003) 267-269)
natural family planning
INTEREST VS. USE: Researchers studied the apparent “disparity between the interest in and the use of modern NFP (excluding calendar method) among women from two populations (Germany and Poland). A 14-page questionnaire was completed and deemed useful by a total of 404 women. A high level of consideration regarding the possibility of using NFP existed, while actual use was affected by several factors including location, desire for more children, access, and cultural support.
(Reading: “Factors influencing the choice to use modern natural family planning,” Contraception, 67:2003:253-258)
stem cells
BABY TEETH: A pediatric dentist at the National Institutes of Health has found baby teeth cells live long, grow rapidly in culture and can be prompted to form specialized dentine, bone and neuronal cells in the lab.
(Reading: “Scientists find baby teeth rich in stem cells,” CBC News, 4/22/03)
reflection for prayer
EPHESIANS 4:14-16: [When men are united in faith and in knowledge of God,] We shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practicing deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work accord to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love.