Week in Review – November 1—SCOTUS surprise
In a totally surprising move last Friday, the US Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments in two cases involving the Texas Heartbeat law. The court has “fast-tracked” two Texas cases involving the state’s regulation of abortion.
In doing so, SCOTUS also refused to halt the Heartbeat law from being enforced—so the existing law putting major restrictions on abortions of babies older than six weeks gestation continues in effect.
SCOTUS scheduled oral arguments for November 1. On that day, it will address the cases brought forward by abortion providers and the US Department of Justice against the ban, according to a court opinion from Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Friday. It will review the procedural merits of both cases rather than the constitutionality of abortion.
The court is expected to focus on the way the law is enforced rather than the specifics of the abortions that the law does not permit—i.e., most abortions after a heartbeat can be detected.
The uniqueness of this law is that the state is specifically prohibited from enforcing the law. No law enforcement personnel or any other employee of the state is allowed to enforce the law’s requirements. The enforcement is left to ordinary citizens who can file lawsuits against any abortionist who commits the abortion after the heartbeat is heard. These same citizens can also sue anyone who facilitated the abortion. Presumably, that would include whoever drove the mother to the appointment, anyone who paid for some or all the abortion fees, and potentially many more who were involved.
This unique method of enforcement was also used in Lubbock, Texas, in a city ordinance that outlawed abortion within city limits. In the Lubbock case, only relatives of the dead baby— mother, father, grandparents, siblings, and half-siblings—could sue. However, the Heartbeat Law allows anyone to sue. The only abortionist in Lubbock is Planned Parenthood and it immediately stopped doing abortions once the ordinance went into effect, so there have been no lawsuits, so far, in Lubbock.
It is not clear what the SCOTUS hearing on Monday will entail and what the arguments from each side will be. However, the fact that SCOTUS did not put the Heartbeat Law on hold gives hope that the court will ultimately find the mechanism of enforcement will be upheld.
In other news this week, the city of Portland, Oregon, is making news with a new bereavement leave policy for all city employees. The policy states, in part: “Employees may be granted up to three (3) days of leave with pay for the death of “(1) a relative or (2) any individual related by close affinity (#1 and #2 are collectively referred to as a ‘qualifying decedent’); or (3) due to pregnancy loss including miscarriage, stillbirth, or other loss.” “Other loss” is defined as any other loss of pregnancy, including termination, irrespective of whether deemed medically necessary, and loss incurred during fertility treatment.
For a further discussion of this, please read Judie Brown’s commentary as linked in this Pro-Life This Week newsletter.
ALL in the News – ALL Exec Says ‘Joe Biden is no more Catholic than is Lucifer’; Article Delves Deep into MBW Story
Today, ALL officials released a press statement on President Biden’s upcoming meeting with Pope Francis. ALL urges the pope to hold Biden accountable for inciting abortion evil for the past 40 years. The statement appeared online here.
Catholic World Report published an in-depth look at the Marian Blue Wave program, and the story of an abortionist attempting to bribe MBW prayer partners. The story delves deeper into the sordid history of that particular late-term abortion facility.
Last week, Jim Sedlak was interviewed by Ed Martin on the Pro America Report. Jim discussed ALL’s National Network of Fighters Against Planned Parenthood, a community of watchdogs ready to pounce on the abortion giant. The interview was spurred by this press release from ALL. The radio show can be heard here.
Twice a week, Judie Brown’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s Tuesday commentary, Babies on the Margins of Society, appeared on the ALL home page. Each commentary is also featured as a part of Judie’s recurring column on Renew America.
Jim Sedlak’s Pro-Life Activism from Creation to Death is a weekly talk-radio program on the Radio Maria USA network. The show can be heard live every Friday at noon (Eastern Time). Each show features an update on what is happening in the pro-life world, and frequently guests will appear on the show to provide first-hand updates and experiences.
Video of the Week – Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League, talks about the Covert National Network as an Ever-Present Thorn in Planned Parenthood’s Side.
From the Phillis Schlafly Eagles “Pro-America Report“:
Jim explains that Pro-Life advocates should be happy that the Supreme Court will once again look at abortion and they should be praying that the Supreme Court will ban all abortions.
Action Item of the Week – This week, let us acknowledge we are on a journey.
Each week we bring you specific ideas on what action you can take to help restore a culture of life in the United States.
This week, we ask you to pause and consider the bigger picture. The Catholic Church presents us with two special days this coming Monday and Tuesday—All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
Today we ask you to take time to give some thought to specific readings from the Mass on those two days (use the links provided for each day to see all the readings for that day):
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
2 Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel, 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Wisdom 3:1-9
1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. 2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, 3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. 4 For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. 5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; 6 like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. 7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth and will run like sparks through the stubble. 8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever. 9 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.
Let us ever do what is right in the Lord while we are on earth so we will be welcomed by the Lord after our bodily death.
Pro-life Social Media – ‘Just declare him a saint already’: Reuters Describes Biden as ‘Devout Roman Catholic’
Joe Biden was baptized in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Thus, it would be fair to identify him as “Roman Catholic.” Reuters’ report of Biden’s upcoming visit with the pope became an editorial by tweeting this doozy:
Devout Roman Catholic Joe Biden meets Pope Francis in the Vatican at a time when the U.S. president is under pressure from conservatives in the Church for his conflicted position in the dispute over abortion rights https://t.co/NWD8bDc4EY pic.twitter.com/sNosE9uYrd
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 27, 2021
Catholic is the faith to which he ascribes. “Devout” is a matter of opinion. Since Reuters is NOT a Catholic news outlet, it certainly has no authority to claim Biden is devout or irreligious.
There is nothing “devout” about a supposed Catholic who publicly praises planned parenthood, supports and promotes abortion and who wants to force taxpayers to fund the murder of babies in the womb.
— Marcus Hock (@marcus1320) October 28, 2021
Oh he’s devoted all right, just not to God
— Dave (@stronkdaddy) October 27, 2021
"Devout" is editorializing, but I guess that ship sailed a while ago, huh?
— Albion's Feed & Seed (cephalic index 77) (@nan_point) October 27, 2021
Pray for Joe Biden's conversion
— Catholic Boss Nass (Beef Jerky Czar) (@BossCatholic) October 27, 2021
We have a prayer card for that.
Can we get a Reuters fact check on the definition of the word “devout”? Because I don’t think it means what you think it means
— drnimrod (@drnimrod) October 28, 2021
"devout" pic.twitter.com/xr13fuDC57
— Radical Catholic (@RadicalCath) October 27, 2021
One cannot be considered a “devout” member of a religion if one does not affirm (is devoted to) the teachings of that same religion. This is pure gaslighting cloaking itself as journalism and it is unethical.
— Multiclassing Cleric (@lukei4655) October 28, 2021
Reuters? Ethical?
"Devout" ????
Why not just declare him a saint already since he can do no wrong?
— Nicole (@Nicole_in_DC) October 27, 2021
