Planned Parenthood was among President Obama's buzzwords during the second presidential debate Oct. 16 as the incumbent mentioned the nation's largest abortion provider five times, using it to distinguish himself from Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
In discussions about tax cuts, workplace inequalities, differences between Romney and George W. Bush and earning votes for re-election, Obama found ways to underscore Romney's pledge to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
"We haven't heard from the governor any specifics, beyond Big Bird and eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood, in terms of how he pays for that," Obama said at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., regarding Romney's plan for reducing the nation's $16 trillion debt while lowering tax rates.
Planned Parenthood, in the latest statistics available, reported performing 329,445 abortions in 2010 and received $487.4 million in government funds in 2009-10. In this election season, Obama launched a television ad campaign that made his pro-choice views a major theme. No previous Democratic nominee had ever made abortion a major general election theme in TV ads.
The debate, with a town hall format and CNN's Candy Crowley as moderator, included a question about workplace inequalities, specifically regarding women.
In his response, Obama said women increasingly are the breadwinners in the family and therefore need advocacy such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was the first bill he signed into law.
"This is not just a women's issue. This is a family issue," Obama said. "This is a middle class issue, and that's why we've got to fight for it."
The president noted "there are some other issues that have a bearing on how women succeed in the workplace: for example, their health care."
"A major difference in this campaign is that Gov. Romney feels comfortable having politicians in Washington decide the health care choices that women are making," Obama said. "I think that's a mistake. In my health care bill, I said insurance companies need to provide contraceptive coverage to everybody who is insured, because this is not just a health issue; it's an economic issue for women. It makes a difference. This is money out of that family's pocket."
Romney, Obama said, believes employers should decide whether a woman receives contraception through her insurance coverage. "That's not the kind of advocacy that women need. When Gov. Romney says that we should eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, there are millions of women all across the country who rely on Planned Parenthood for not just contraceptive care," Obama said. "They rely on it for mammograms, for cervical cancer screenings. That's a pocketbook issue for women and families all across the country.
Romney, in his answer regarding workplace inequality, said Massachusetts when he was governor had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state because of special efforts he made to employ qualified women.
"I recognized that if you're going to have women in the workforce, that sometimes they need to be more flexible. My chief of staff, for instance, had two kids that were still in school," Romney said. "She said, 'I can't be here until 7 or 8 at night. I need to be able to get home at 5 so I can be there for making dinner for my kids and being with them when they get home from school.' So we said, 'Fine, let's have a flexible schedule so you can have hours that work for you.'"
Romney noted that 3.5 million more women live in poverty in the United States now than when Obama became president, and he said a strong economy will help women of all ages.
The president worked in another mention of Planned Parenthood when he was asked what he had done to earn re-election in 2012.
"Gov. Romney has made some commitments as well, and I suspect he'll keep those, too. You know, when members of the Republican Congress say, 'We're going to sign a no tax pledge so that we don't ask a dime from millionaires and billionaires to reduce our deficit so we can still invest in education and helping kids go to college,' he said, 'Me too,'" Obama said.
"When they said, 'We're going to cut Planned Parenthood funding,' he said, 'Me too.' ... That is not the kind of leadership that you need, but you should expect that those are promises he's going to keep," Obama said of Romney.
Another discussion of family arose from a question on gun control. When asked what his administration has done to limit the availability of assault weapons, Obama said more enforcement is needed but also that law enforcement and faith groups should work to "catch violent impulses before they occur."
Romney agreed, saying America needs to change its culture of violence through better schools and through parents.
"We need moms and dads helping raise kids. Wherever possible, the benefit of having two parents in the home -- and that's not always possible; a lot of great single moms, single dads," Romney said. "But ... to tell our kids that before they have babies, they ought to think about getting married to someone -- that's a great idea because if there's a two-parent family, the prospect of living in poverty goes down dramatically. The opportunities that the child will be able to achieve increase dramatically.
"So we can make changes in the way our culture works to help bring people away from violence and give them opportunity and bring them in the American system," Romney said.
In the closing question, the candidates were given an opportunity to clear up misconceptions the American public may have about them based on their opponents' campaigns.
Romney said he cares about 100 percent of the American people and wants everyone to have a bright and prosperous future.
"My passion probably flows from the fact that I believe in God, and I believe we're all children of the same God. I believe we have a responsibility to care for one another," Romney said. "I served as a missionary for my church. I served as a pastor in my congregation for about 10 years. I've sat across the table from people who were out of work and worked with them to try and find new work or to help them through tough times."
Obama's only mention of faith in his answer was about Romney.
"I believe Gov. Romney is a good man. He loves his family, cares about his faith," Obama said.
Contact: Erin Roach
Source: Bapitst Press
Citizens to Stand Up for Religious Freedom in Third Coast-to-Coast Event on October 20
This Saturday, just 17 days before Election Day, concerned citizens of Chicago will take to the streets to voice public opposition to the Obama administration's Health and Human Services Mandate. The HHS Mandate forces all employers -- including religious schools and hospitals -- to provide free contraceptives, surgical sterilizations, and abortion-inducing drugs through their health plans, regardless of religious or moral convictions.
Event Details:
What: Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally
When: Saturday, October 20, beginning at noon
Where: Federal Plaza, Adams and Dearborn, Chicago (click to view map)
Who: Thousands of local citizens opposed to Obama's HHS Mandate
The Chicago Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally will assemble downtown at noon on Federal Plaza, Adams and Dearborn, and those gathered will march to Daley Plaza for the main event and rally speakers. Concerned Chicagoans will join citizens coast-to-coast, as rallies take place in 138 other cities from Maine to Hawaii for this national outcry. A nationwide list of rally sites is available at www.StandUpRally.com.
The October 20 Stand Up Rally builds on the tremendous momentum created by two previous nationwide Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rallies held in March and June of this year, with over 125,000 citizens of all faiths attending local rallies at 300 sites coast to coast. With the Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling leaving this issue in voters' hands, the October 20 Stand Up Rallies are expected to draw the largest crowds yet.
The Chicago Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally has been organized by the Pro-Life Action League. Rally speakers include Dr. Erwin Lutzer of Moody Church, Relevant Radio's Father Rocky Hoffman, Roseland Community Hospital OB/Gyn Dr. Pamela Smith, Triune Health Group owners Chris and Mary Anne Yep, Notre Dame graduate student Angela Miceli, and Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League.
"Americans will not tolerate this blatant abuse of their religious freedom," said Eric Scheidler, one of the national co-directors of the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies. "This country was founded upon the solid understanding that freedom of religion was of paramount importance to those who fought to establish our nation. The rallies express our refusal to accept a forced violation of the rights of all Americans. We will be calling on the American people to vote for candidates who will overturn the HHS Mandate and restore religious liberty to America."
Information on the nationwide rallies is available at www.StandUpRally.com.
Contact: Tom Ciesielka
Source: Chicago Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally
Click here for the 2012 General Election IFRL-PAC Endorsements
Our mission is to help those who want their vote to protect the unborn, the disabled and the elderly. Those endangered innocent lives that are being threatened need men and women in government who respect all human life.
Our intent is to elect men and women of all political parties who will speak for and vote for legislation to protect the first and most important right for all of us - our right to life.
When more than one pro-life candidate seeks the same office, IFRL PAC always endorses the pro-life incumbent. There are a few candidates who we recommend over the opponent.
Some Candidates are Recommended this means that the candidate is pro-life but not endorsed.
Candidate Surveys for all candidates that returned surveys are on record at the IFRL office.
If you wish to inquire as to your candidate's positions on the pro-life issues, please call (217) 544-9700 and we will be glad to provide this to you.
Click here for the 2012 General Election IFRL-PAC Endorsements
The tragic case of Sung Eun Grace Lee, the 28-year-old banker dying of brain cancer, made headlines when she won a lawsuit against her parents to have her respirator removed, and then changed her mind. But let's leave the Lees alone. They have enough problems without our looking over their shoulders.
But there's something going on in the reporting of the Lee case that I think does require our focus. The media ubiquitously reported the controversy as involving the "right to die." For example, this Los Angeles Times story headlined, "Grace Sung Eun Lee Fights for Right to Die, Chooses Life." But that is wrong. There is no such thing in the USA as a right to die. And may there never be.
There is a right to refuse medical treatment, the actual issue in the Lee case. That's not the same thing. Indeed, even when refusing treatment is expected to lead to death, people sometimes live Example, Karen Ann Quinlan, whose parents brought the first right to refuse treatment case back in the late 70s, successfully compelling doctors to remove a respirator. But Quinlan unexpectedly breathed on her own and lived for about 10 more years.
Similarly, the late humorist Art Buchwald expected to die from kidney failure soon after he exercised his right to refuse dialysis and entered hospice. But he didn't die. Indeed, he eventually left hospice and lived long enough to write his last book before finally succumbing.
The only type of withdrawal of care that will always result in death is removing food and water, as happened to Terri Schiavo. But even the removal of medically-supplied sustenance isn't a right to die, rather, to not be subjected to an unwanted invasive physical intrusion upon one's body.
But Wesley, what about assisted suicide? Sorry, that doesn't establish a right to die either. The legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia actually creates a right for doctors to participate legally in terminating a qualified patient's life. If someone can't find a willing doctor, he or she has no right to force the physician to participate or refer to a doctor who will.
But surely, some of you might be saying, there is a right to commit suicide. Nope. There is often the power or ability to do so, but that's not the same thing as a right. Indeed, suicides can be forcibly prevented and the suicidal hospitalized involuntarily as long as they remain a lethal threat to themselves.
Bottom line: There is no right to die. It is an advocacy term used to push particular agendas, not an accurate description of the law.
Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: National Review
A just-released national survey shows that a clear majority of Democratic parents with school-aged children support abstinence education.
According to the study conducted by the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), eight out of ten Democratic parents and nine out of ten Republican parents support abstinence education. Valerie Huber, executive director of the NAEA, is not surprised by the findings.
"When we talk to parents and to students, we find pretty much unanimity and support for abstinence education," she accounts. "But we did think it would be a huge surprise to policy makers in Washington who are setting policy that's totally out of touch with their support base."
She finds it particularly interesting that 60 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans oppose President Obama's efforts to entirely eliminate abstinence education funding.
"That particular finding, I think more than any other question on the whole survey, shows that the White House is out of touch with what's not only in the best interest of young people, but what their constituency wants for their children," Huber concludes.
Contact: Bob Kellogg
Source: OneNewsNow.com
Moral theologian Father Thomas Berg is praising the work of Shinya Yamanaka, the winner of this year's Nobel Prize in medicine, for helping to "put human embryonic stem cell research largely out of business."
Yamanaka and John B. Gurdon, researchers in cell biology, were awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries about the generation of stem cells.
"Yamanaka will be remembered in history as the man who put human embryonic stem cell research largely out of business, motivated by reflection on the fact that his own daughters were once human embryos," Fr. Berg, professor of moral theology at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. told CNA Oct. 8.
Gurdon's research was conducted in 1962 and showed that it is possible to reverse the specialization of cells. He removed a nucleus from a frog's intestinal cell and placed it into a frog's egg cell that had its nucleus taken out.
That egg cell was then able to develop into a typical tadpole, and his work was the basis for later research into cloning.
Until Gurdon's findings, it was believed that cell development could only happen in one direction, and that a mature cell nucleus could never become immature and pluripotent. A cell is called pluripotent if it can develop into any type of cell in the body.
Building on Gordon's work, Yamanaka published a paper in 2006 demonstrating that intact, mature cells can become immature stem cells. He inserted genes into mouse cells which reprogrammed those cells so that they became stem cells.
These reprogrammed cells are pluripotent. Yamanaka's breakthrough opened the door to studying disease and developing diagnosis and treatments.
Since this technique can produce a stem cell from any cell, it provides an alternative to embryonic stem cells, which are derived from destroyed human embryos.
"There is every potential for the morally licit use of the technique developed by Dr. Yamanaka--cell reprogramming. No part of the process need involve ethically tainted source cells," said Fr. Berg.
The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community announced that this "is an important milestone in recognising the key role that non-embryonic stem cells play in the development of new medical therapies, as alternatives to human embryonic stem cells."
The announcement of the prize contrasts the success achieved in using non-embryonic stem cells with the disappointing results from embryonic stem cells. The commission's statement noted that "recently GeronCorp., the world's leading embryo research company, announced it was closing down its stem cell programme."
Fr. Berg said that "although tissues developed by this process (cell reprogramming) are not quite ready for robust human trials, much progress continues to be made."
It is hoped that this technique could someday lead to treatments in which a person's own cells are reprogrammed into organs that could replace any failing or damaged system.
Gurdon is a professor at Cambridge University, and Yamanaka is at Kyoto University. They will share the $1.2 million prize.
Contact: Carl Bunderson
Source: CNA/EWTN News
As the number of plaintiffs suing over the controversial HHS mandate reaches 100, a leading religious freedom legal group is hopeful about the outcome of the cases.
Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, explained that "nothing the government has done in the past months changes the fact that the mandate still violates federal law and the Constitution by forcing religious organizations to pay fines for the privilege of practicing their faith."
Duncan told CNA on Oct. 9 that the Becket Fund is still confident as it moves forward with lawsuits against the controversial federal mandate that requires employers to offer health insurance coverage of contraception, sterilization and early abortion drugs, regardless of their religious beliefs.
In issuing the mandate, the Obama administration failed to offer a religious exemption to any group that serves or employs members of other faiths, as well as for-profit companies.
The administration did create a one-year "safe harbor" delaying the mandate from being implemented against objecting religious groups and has promised a future "accommodation" for religious freedom but has not yet given formal details about it.
The mandate has attracted legal action by more than 100 individuals and organizations, ranging from the first suit filed by Belmont Abbey College in Nov. 2011 – before many Americans were even aware of the mandate – to the most recent lawsuit filed by two Baptist universities on Oct. 9.
The plaintiffs include Catholics, Protestants, private individuals, religious organizations and for-profit businesses.
Among the diverse groups bringing lawsuits against the mandate are Eternal World Television Network, Hobby Lobby, the University of Notre Dame and several manufacturing companies.
Seven states have also sued over the mandate, along with numerous dioceses and Catholic Charities affiliates throughout the U.S.
Most of these cases are still waiting to receive a ruling. Bible publisher Tyndale House Publishers will appear at a hearing on Oct. 16, and Hobby Lobby has a hearing scheduled for the end of October.
One Colorado-based company, Hercules Industries, was successful in securing a temporary injunction against the mandate, while Missouri-based O'Brien Industrial Holdings lost its case in a federal district court but is appealing the decision.
In addition, a few cases have been dismissed as being premature, including those filed by Belmont Abbey College and Wheaton College. Courts determined that these plaintiffs were not facing imminent harm because the promised accommodation has not yet been finalized.
The colleges are appealing this decision, arguing that they are indeed suffering immediate injury under the mandate. They explained that their ability to hire new employees is significantly hindered if they cannot guarantee that they will be able to provide health insurance. In addition, they observed that the "safe harbor" does not protect them from private lawsuits by employees for failing to comply with the mandate.
A D.C. circuit court will hear an appeal that combines the cases of both colleges sometime after mid-November.
Emily Hardman, communications director for the Becket Fund, explained Oct. 9 that predicting a timeline for the rulings in the remaining cases is difficult because "each court can set their own times."
Even tougher would be guessing a timeline for a potential Supreme Court ruling, because that would require the cases to work themselves through the judicial system and be accepted for review by the nation's highest court.
However, Hardman observed that many insurance plans renew on Jan. 1, 2013, so the plaintiffs that are not protected by the "safe harbor" are likely to at least receive a ruling on whether they will be granted a temporary injunction by the end of the year.
She also pointed out that the results of the presidential election could offer a wave of relief to all of the plaintiffs at once. Republican candidate Mitt Romney has pledged to repeal the mandate, and his election in November would translate into a victory for everyone who is suing over the mandate.
But even if this happens, there is still need to be cautious, Hardman acknowledged. Some states have similar mandates that threaten religious freedom, although they are generally not as severe.
"The Becket Fund will continue fighting," she stressed.
Hardman said there is a need to engage the "public discussion" about the importance of religious freedom.
She noted that rhetoric about women's health and a "war on women" has become prominent in recent months, and this language could be leading people to believe that women have an inviolable right to free contraception at the expense of their employers.
It is important to counter these claims with facts, Hardman said. She explained that contraception is already widely available at low cost, so there is no crisis in access.
When people "look at what the mandate is actually doing," she said, they realize that returning to the system that was in place before the mandate took effect on Aug. 1 would not mean oppressing women, but leaving them free to purchase contraception as they see fit.
Educating the public about the nature of religious freedom is critical, agreed Duncan.
"Even if this mandate is scrapped, the bad principle behind the mandate must not be forgotten," he said, warning that it could "justify forcing religious people, organizations, and businesses to provide not only drugs their faith forbids, but also services such as abortion and assisted-suicide."
Contact: Michelle Bauman
Source: CNA/EWTN News
Nearly one in 10 registered voters in America say they will only support pro-life candidates who share their position on abortion, a number that is larger than the corresponding data for pro-choice voters, according to a new Gallup poll.
Specifically, 9 percent of registered voters say they will only support pro-life candidates who oppose abortion while 7 percent of all registered voters say they will only back pro-choice candidates who support legalized abortion.
All total, about one in six voters in America are single-issue voters on abortion.
Gallup's Lydia Saad called it a "slight pro-life tilt, albeit one that could potentially benefit pro-life Republican candidate Mitt Romney."
Where do the candidates stand on abortion? Read 'Election 2012: Obama & Romney on abortion' here.In fact, Gallup historical data shows the issue has benefited pro-life candidates in every presidential election dating back to 1996, with pro-lifers ahead by 2 percentage points in every election except for 2004, when 12 percent of voters said they'd support only pro-life candidates and 5 percent said they'd support only pro-choice ones. In 2008, the issue favored pro-lifers, 7 percent to 5 percent.
Two other questions on the survey also favored the pro-life community:
-- 27 percent of pro-lifers and 39 percent of pro-choicers say they don't see abortion as a major issue.
-- 49 percent of pro-lifers but only 43 percent of pro-choicers say a "candidate's position on abortion" is "one of many important factors" they consider.
Pro-choicers, Saad wrote, are more likely to vote for a candidate who disagrees with them.
"Making obvious overtures to abortion issue-voters could hurt Romney and Barack Obama with the broader electorate that may want to see the candidates focusing more single-mindedly on the economy," Gallup's Saad wrote. "It could also backfire by activating abortion voters on the other side to turn out for the opponent. However, it is likely that both candidates are using micro-targeting to find and appeal to these voters as part of a comprehensive campaign strategy to maximize support wherever it exists, particularly in swing states."
The Sept. 24-27 survey was based on interviews with 1,446 adults.
Contact: Michael Foust
Source: Baptist Press
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution last week endorsing guidelines, crafted with input from abortion advocates, supporting abortion as a human right.
The resolution endorses a paper by UN High Commissioner For Human Rights Navi Pillay that refers to abortion as a "sexual and reproductive health right." The nations of New Zealand, Burkina Faso and Colombia are sponsoring the resolution.
Focus on the Family's Director of International Government Affairs Yuri Mantilla said the resolution is "a waste of time."
"The United Nations Human Rights Council should not be focused on trying to promote abortion as a human right," he said. There are so many violations of human rights around the world, and so many crimes against humanity, Mantilla explained, that "it would be more helpful to construct a narrative of international law that is consistent with justice."
Twenty of the 47 council members also oppose the resolution, which was adopted without a vote. The 20 council members submitted an opposition letter, which will accompany it when the UN General Assembly reviews the issue later this month. The resolution's text, according to the opponents, focuses on promoting new rights that are not defined in international human rights declarations, "mainly the reference to 'sexual and reproductive health rights.' "
The UNHRC should focus on "real human rights," he said, including the right to life, family rights and religious freedom.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read the U.N.'s "Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
Contact: Bethany Monk
Source: CitizenLink
Click here for the 2012 General Election IFRL-PAC Endorsements
Our mission is to help those who want their vote to protect the unborn, the disabled and the elderly. Those endangered innocent lives that are being threatened need men and women in government who respect all human life.
Our intent is to elect men and women of all political parties who will speak for and vote for legislation to protect the first and most important right for all of us - our right to life.
When more than one pro-life candidate seeks the same office, IFRL PAC always endorses the pro-life incumbent. There are a few candidates who we recommend over the opponent.
Some Candidates are Recommended this means that the candidate is pro-life but not endorsed.
Candidate Surveys for all candidates that returned surveys are on record at the IFRL office.
If you wish to inquire as to your candidate's positions on the pro-life issues, please call (217) 544-9700 and we will be glad to provide this to you. Click here for the 2012 General Election IFRL-PAC Endorsements
Theodore Shulman, a pro-choice activist who in 2010 threatened to kill several pro-life leaders, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison.
Shulman, 51, pleaded guilty in May to one count of transmitting a threat to injure another person. The targeted victims named in the case are Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, and Princeton University's Robert George.
In January 2010, as the trial of Scott Roeder, a man accused of killing abortionist George Tiller, was under way, Shulman posted a comment on the Catholic news site First Things, threatening that "if Roeder is acquitted, someone will respond by killing" Father Pavone and Mr. George.
Father Pavone stated, "I have already publicly forgiven Mr. Shulman and pray for him every day. I also renew, with my friend Bill Baird, known as the Father of the Pro-Choice movement, the joint statement we made years ago rejecting hatred and violence in word and deed between those on opposite sides of the abortion issue."
For more information, go to www.priestsforlife.org/nonviolence.
Contact: Leslie Palma
Source: Priests for Life
The Radiance Foundation, in partnership with the Virginia Coalition for Life, has launched a wide-scale TooManyAborted.com billboard campaign in Hampton Roads, Virginia, with the messaging: "Fatherhood Begins in the Womb." Twenty billboards and over one hundred bus and light rail posters have been placed throughout the region to raise awareness of the impact of fatherlessness on (born and unborn) children. The pro-family, pro-adoption initiative challenges the culture of abandonment and death that Roe v. Wade has fostered since 1973.
In the early 60s politicians raised the alarm about a 25% fatherlessness rate in the black community. Today, 41% of all U.S. children are born to unmarried women: 35.7% of white children and an astounding 72.3% of black children. Children who grow up in single female-led homes are 5 times more likely to live in poverty. Out of the 1.21 million annual U.S. abortions, 84% are among unmarried women. This is a nationwide crisis. Abortion and poverty have taken the place of fathers.
Infant mortality is nearly 2 times higher among father absent homes. Yet Planned Parenthood of Southeast Virginia (PPSEV) distorted black infant mortality rates to get approval from the Virginia Department of Health for an expansion to their Virginia Beach abortion center. The request was publicly rejected, then approved behind closed doors. PPSEV falsely claims their new medical addition will be used mostly for "urinary incontinence procedures." Ryan Bomberger, Chief Creative Officer of The Radiance Foundation, points out the absurdity: "Planned Parenthood isn't in the business of doing 'urinary incontinence procedures'. Abortion is what they do. Using 43 black infant deaths to justify causing more deaths is despicable." Bomberger, who is black, is an adoptee, adoptive father and Emmy® award-winning creative professional. "We need efforts that uplift the family, encourage responsibility and actually reduce the unintended pregnancy rate. Planned Parenthood has grossly failed at this core Title-X function by not budging the national unintended pregnancy rate since 1995, despite receiving half a billion taxpayer dollars annually."
Star Parker, syndicated columnist and President of C.U.R.E. (Center for Urban Renewal & Education), adds: "Planned Parenthood has injected its venom into urban America for decades. TooManyAborted.com exposes how they've left our inner-cities fatherless and made abortion the number one killer of black Americans." Contact: Ryan Bomberger,
Source: The Radiance Foundation,
According to a lawsuit filed in New York City, doctors are being pressured to declare people brain dead so that their organs may be harvested for transplants.
The whistleblower lawsuit by Patrick McMahon, a former nurse practitioner, claims the non-profit New York Organ Donor Network hired coaches to train employees on how to be more persuasive to doctors and family members.
Rita Marker of the Patients Rights Council tells OneNewsNow the lawsuit is overdue.
"When you have someone who is truly dead, other parts of his or her body can certainly be used for transplant. But the operative word is 'truly' dead," she notes.
"There are so many different definitions of brain death -- you could be considered brain dead in one state, and across the state line, which could be a mile away, you could be considered not dead."
For example, when a person is still breathing on his or her own, that person is not dead.
"But they are stretching the limits of this now, and so there are people who are pushing, pushing, pushing," Marker declares. "And they justify it by saying, Well, this person's going to be dead really soon, anyway. Why can't they be helpful in saving someone else's life? -- that's the rationale. The point, however, is that they are not dead."
Marker poses a different scenario to illustrate her point: If a person's organs were not to be transplanted, and the person was still breathing, would the family agree to go ahead and have him or her buried or cremated while still alive? She believes "they would probably say no. They would be horrified, because the person is actually not dead."
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow.com
Conservatives are generally labeled with this accusation [of conducting a "war on women"] because of the pro-life stance with which the Republican Party aligns. But the pro-life position actually protects women's health against the negative effects of abortion.
The effects of abortion on women are well documented. According to research compiled by FRC in The Top Ten Myths About Abortion, medical complications "include cervical lacerations and injury, uterine perforations, bleeding, hemorrhage, serious infection, pain, and incomplete abortion." The abortifacient RU-486 carries risks similar to those of the abortion procedure.
Psychological complications of abortion include "increased risk of major depression, anxiety disorder, suicidal behaviors, and substance dependence." More recently, Post-Abortion Syndrome (as a subset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) has been identified in women who suffer from effects like guilt feelings, anxiety, and flashbacks.
Of greatest concern, perhaps, are the dangers of abortion to adolescent girls. Sarah Robinson summarizes some of the research:
Adolescents who have had abortions, compared to those who have given birth, report more sleeping problems, frequent marijuana use, and increased need for psychological counseling.
MARRI research demonstrates the link between a woman's upbringing and her likelihood to abort her first child. An intact family structure and weekly religious worship in her family of origin make her least likely to have an abortion. These factors also make her least likely to have a non-marital pregnancy to begin with. Countering the negative effects of abortion in teenagers, which can extend into later life (especially in women who have multiple abortions), begins with restoring the role of the family and religion in the life of young women.
Contact: Sharon Barrett
Source: FRCBlog.com
A pro-life legal ministry is joining in the argument against ObamaCare.
Life Legal Defense Foundation has filed a brief in support of a lawsuit filed against the ObamaCare mandate to provide coverage for contraception, abortifacients and sterilization. Attorney Dana Cody tells OneNewsNow their brief was filed in the case lodged by Legatus and Weingartz Supply Company.
"And we're pointing out to the court that they're forcing employers to violate their religious beliefs to pay for drugs when there are serious health risks that are not being considered," she says.
There is research dating back several decades to review, and it has been examined extensively.
"I mean there are all sorts of complications on down the road and there's literature out there from the World Health Organization and others that call contraceptives carcinogens -- so why are we expected to fund that over our conscientious objections," Cody inquires.
Plus, the "morning-after" pill, Plan B, and the "week-after" pill, Ella, according to the attorney, can terminate a human embryo. So Cody contends people should not have to violate their religious beliefs because "a government agency says women need the drugs" -- and people should consider that when they vote for elected officials, she adds.
"We need to be sure that we're out voting for a candidate who doesn't endorse this sort of strong-arming of the taxpayers," she cautions.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow.com
Bible and Christian book publisher Tyndale House has filed suit against the Obama administration's abortion/contraceptive mandate, asserting it is an unconstitutional violation of religious liberty to force the publisher to pay for drugs that violate its faith tenets.
The mandate requires employers -- with few exceptions -- to carry employee health insurance plans that cover contraceptives and drugs that can cause chemical abortions. The latter drugs often are called "emergency contraceptives" and can act after conception, even after implantation. They come under brand names such as Plan B and ella.
Tyndale is the publisher of The Living Bible as well as books by James Dobson, Tim LaHaye, Bill Bright and Josh McDowell.
At least 30 lawsuits have been filed against the mandate.
Churches and religious conventions are exempt from the mandate, but many religious organizations are not. That means many Christian colleges, hospitals and ministries must comply with the mandate, even though they may staunchly oppose abortion and/or contraceptives. The Tyndale lawsuit, filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), says the publisher opposes only contraceptives that can cause abortions. Employers that fail to comply face hefty fines.
The mandate was implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services after President Obama signed the health care law (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). The law itself does not include the mandate language, although it gives the federal government the power to decide what should and should not be covered under the law.
"This action arises because the federal government has deemed devout publishers of the Bible to be insufficiently 'religious' to enjoy religious freedom in America," the suit states. "The federal government is mandating that Tyndale House Publishers violate its and its owners' beliefs by covering morally objectionable items in their health plan pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010."
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, says Tyndale and its owners "are Christians who are committed to biblical principles," including the "belief that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God from the moment of their conception/fertilization." Tyndale's owners believe the drugs "can cause the death of human beings created in the image and likeness of God shortly after their conception/fertilization."
Controversy over the mandate has made its way into the presidential race, with Mitt Romney running an ad referencing the issue, saying "religious freedom is threatened." His running mate, Paul Ryan, went so far as to say "I can guarantee" that the mandate "will be gone" if Romney is elected. Obama, meanwhile, has said the issue is not about religious freedom but about women's health.
The mandate went into effect Aug. 1, but HHS gave all non-profit religious organizations until August 2013 to comply. Tyndale, though, is a for-profit company and ineligible for the extension. Its employees' new insurance plan year began Oct. 1, meaning Tyndale is in need of immediate relief from the court, the suit states.
Tyndale -- which has 260 full-time employees -- functions as a thoroughly Christian organization, the suit states. For instance:
-- One of its corporate goals is to "honor God."
-- It holds a weekly chapel service for employees.
-- It opens business meetings with prayer.
-- It sends employees on mission projects to support Christian mission organizations, paid for by the company.
-- It contributes 10 percent of its profits each year to Christian organizations.
-- Its trustees must affirm a statement of faith that proclaims, for instance, "there is one God, eternally existent in three persons."
The HHS mandate provides an exemption for churches and church-like bodies provided they are non-profit and meet all four of the following criteria: 1) "The inculcation of religious values is the purpose of the organization"; 2) "The organization primarily employs persons who share the religious tenets of the organization"; 3) "The organization serves primarily persons who share the religious tenets of the organization"; and 4) The organization is a church, an integrated auxiliary of a church, a convention or association of churches, or is an exclusively religious activity of a religious order, under Internal Revenue Code 6033(a)(1) and (a)(3)(A)."
ADF attorney Matt Bowman said Bible publishers "should be free to do business according to the Book that they publish."
"To say that a Bible publisher is not religious is patently absurd. Tyndale House is a prime example of how ridiculous and arbitrary the Obama administration's mandate is," Bowman said. "Americans today clearly agree with America's founders: the federal government's bureaucrats are not qualified to decide what faith is, who the faithful are, and where and how that faith may be lived out."
Contact: Michael Foust
Source: Baptist Press
A new study published in a respected medical journal questions why the World Health Organization (WHO) includes misoprostol as an "essential" medicine, saying it does a poor job of stopping hemorrhage after childbirth and is a possible abortifacient drug.
The Royal Society of Medicine published the study "Rethinking WHO guidance: review of evidence for misoprostol use in the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage" in August. The authors conclude, "Current evidence does not support misoprostol use in home and community settings in low- and middle- income countries" to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.
Misoprostol was originally designated for treating gastric ulcers, but has been used for off-label postpartum hemorrhaging and abortions in developing countries, explained Wendy Wright, vice president for government relations and communications at the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM).
In 2011, WHO designated the drug as an essential for people in developing countries where it is difficult to get prescriptions after heavy lobbying by abortion activists, Wright explained. That means it's more readily available over the counter in those countries — but women who take it to end their pregnancies could find themselves suffering from life-threatening complications.
But after the study's release, "the pro-abortion groups lambasted the researcher and the study's conclusion," Wright said.
Contact: Bethany Monk
Source: CitizenLink
This better not be true: A lawsuit filed in Manhattan accuses an organ collecting organization of pressuring doctors to declare dead and harvest. From the New York Post story:
The New York Organ Donor Network pressured hospital staffers to declare patients brain dead so their body parts could be harvested — and even hired “coaches” to train staffers how to be more persuasive, a bombshell lawsuit charged yesterday. The federally funded nonprofit used a “quota” system, and leaned heavily on the next of kin to sign consent forms when patients were not registered as organ donors, the suit charged. “They’re playing God,” said plaintiff Patrick McMahon, 50, an Air Force combat veteran and nurse practitioner who claims he was fired as a transplant coordinator after just four months for protesting the practice.
So often, as here, these important cases seem to involve a fired righteous whistle blower who may actually be a disgruntled fired employee making trouble.
But the mere filing of this lawsuit is a warning, that should get us thinking about preserving trust and integrity in organ transplant medicine: First, we need binding national standards for declaring death in organ donation cases that are followed universally in hospitals. We don’t have them. Second, there does seem to be a potential to treat some patients as organ farms if the case is seen as hopeless. This utilitarianism needs to be resisted at all quarters. Third, trust in the integrity of the medical system is waning–and with the pressure to cut costs in healthcare growing stronger, it will weaken further–which is why we can never accept a “presumed consent” system of organ donation. Finally, the quality of life ethic poisons all it touches. People who believe–rightly or wrongly–that their loved ones were abandoned for their kidneys and livers will refuse consent.
If we want a thriving organ transplant medical sector, it is up to doctors, hospitals, and the procuring organizations to hold the line, to walk the extra mile to earn and maintain the trust of the people. Allegations such as this need to be seriously investigated, and if true, lanced with the antiseptic of transparency.
Contact: Wesley J. Smith;
Source: Secondhand Smoke
A new development has surfaced for the use of adult stem cells for babies. The information stems from research from the University of Maryland Medical School.
The researchers found that even newborn babies already have adult type stem cells in their hearts. Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council tells OneNewsNow that during heart repair surgery, doctors removed snippets of tissue.
"They grew these cells in the lab and found they grew really well," Prentice says. "They were an adult-type stem cell that shows a lot of promise to be able to put in and repair heart damage, like from a birth defect or some other heart disease that the little baby is born with, or to grow new heart valves and so on."
He suggests it is not too farfetched to believe that at some point in the future those repairs could begin to take place shortly after birth. Prentice indicates there is also the possibility the stem cells could be obtained while the baby is still in the uterus.
"Keep in mind that they're all over your body, even at that point in your life while you're still in the womb," he explains. "They're in the amniotic fluid, they're in the umbilical cord blood -- and with just a few of those cells you could grow and make a heart valve or make new heart tissue, injecting it back in even while you're still in the womb."
Prentice stresses that while there is much more research to be done, the hope is that it will open up a whole new avenue of treatment before an infant comes into the world.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow.com
Pro-Life Nation announces that AbortionDocs.org has surpassed 3,000 document-uploads that reveal a systemic pattern abuse throughout the abortion industry.
"The more than 3,000 documents now online are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exposing the health care crisis that exists in the abortion cartel today," said Troy Newman, President of Pro-Life Nation. "We have really just begun to document abortion abuses that are occurring every day at abortion clinics that the public mistakenly thinks are providing safe abortions."
AbortionDocs.org is an outreach of Pro-Life Nation. It is a searchable database that lists every surgical abortion and medication abortion clinic as well as every known abortionist in the country. Each clinic and abortionist has a profile page with links to documents that include license applications, law suits, disciplinary action, criminal background, 911 recordings, autopsy reports, and more.
In 1991, there were over 2,176 surgical abortion clinics in America. Today there are 660, showing the effectiveness of pro-life efforts over the years.
"AbortionDocs.org is the nation's abortion scorecard. There we can see at a glance the number of abortion clinics dropping as clinics continue to close," said Newman.
Most recently Summit Women's Center in Hartford, Connecticut, permanently closed while the Women's Aid abortion clinic relocated from Lincolnwood, IL to Chicago and stopped providing surgical abortions.
AbortionDocs.org is updated daily and contains the most accurate listing of abortion providers and documentation available. AbortionDocs.org encourages those who have documentation of abortion abuses, such as ambulance photos, court documents, and video clips to submit those documents to AbortionDocs.org for publication.
Contact: Troy Newman, Cheryl Sullenger
Source: Operation Rescue/Pro-Life Nation
Minor children on their parents’ health care plans will have free coverage of sterilization and contraception, including abortion-causing drugs, under the controversial HHS mandate – and depending on the state, they can obtain access without parental consent.
Matt Bowman, senior counsel for the religious liberty legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, said the mandate “tramples parental rights” because it requires them to “pay for and sponsor coverage of abortifacients, sterilization, contraception and education in favor of the same for their own children.”
The Department of Health and Human Services ruled in January 2012 that most employers who have 50 or more employees must provide the coverage as “preventive care” for “all women with reproductive capacity.”
The mandate also requires the coverage for beneficiaries, including minors, on the affected health plans, Bowman told CNA Sept. 20. That means that a minor on her parents’ plan could be sterilized if she finds a doctor willing to perform the procedure.
“She can be sterilized at no cost,” Bowman stated. “Whether her parents will know and/or consent might differ by state. But the Guttmacher Institute and other abortion advocates explicitly advocated for this mandated coverage of minors so that access without parental involvement might be able to increase.”
The Guttmacher Institute, in a Sept. 1 briefing on state policies, said that an increase in minors’ access to reproductive health care over the last 30 years shows a broader recognition that “while parental involvement in minors’ health care decisions is desirable, many minors will not avail themselves of important services if they are forced to involve their parents.”
The institute, the former research arm of abortion provider Planned Parenthood, said that 26 states and the District of Columbia allow all minors 12 years and older to consent to contraceptive services. At least one state, Oregon, allows 15-year-olds to consent to sterilization.
CNA repeatedly contacted the Department of Health and Human Services for comment but did not receive a response.
Employers who do not comply with the mandate face fines of $100 per employee per day. Large employers like the University of Notre Dame could face annual fines in the millions.
There are presently 30 lawsuits challenging the HHS mandate in federal court on religious freedom grounds. The 80 plaintiffs include Catholic dioceses, universities, health care systems and charities.
The mandate’s narrow religious exemption would not apply to many Catholic institutions, despite Catholics’ moral and religious objections to the covered procedures and drugs. Several Protestant institutions have also challenged the law, citing objections to abortion-causing drugs.
The Obama administration has said it will accommodate some religious objections, though the details of those arrangements remain unclear.
Bowman rejected the idea that the Obama administration’s proposed accommodations will affect the coverage of minors.
“The accommodation does not even claim it will change this part of the mandate,” he said.
Legislation to allow all employers with religious or moral objections to opt out of the coverage failed in the U.S. Senate earlier this year.
Defenders of the Obama administration have depicted resistance to the mandate as a “war on women.”
At the same time, a grassroots campaign called The Women Speak for Themselves has garnered the support of 34,000 women. The group says those backing the mandate are trying to “shout down anyone who disagrees” with them by invoking “women’s health,” while ignoring the negative physical and social effects of contraception for women.
Source: CNA/EWTN News
Life Decisions International (LDI) has released a revised edition of The Boycott List, which identifies corporations that support Planned Parenthood, the world's primary abortion-advocacy behemoth.
"As a direct result of the commitment, action and prayers of pro-family people, at least 289 corporations have stopped funding Planned Parenthood," said Kenneth C. Garvey, LDI's Director of Communications. It is estimated that the boycott has cost Planned Parenthood more than $40 million since the Corporate Funding Project (CFP) began. "This should serve as a testament to those who think it impossible to change corporate behavior."
New boycott targets include Intuit (Go-Payment, Lacerte, Mint, ProSeries, QuickBooks, Quicken, SnapTax, TurboTax, etc.) and VIA Rail (train service in Canada).
Some of the corporations continuing as boycott targets are: Adobe, AOL, Arthur Murray, Bank of America, Bikram's Yoga, Chevron, Danone (Dannon products), Darden Restaurants (eateries including Olive Garden, Red Lobster, etc.), eBay (PayPal, etc.), Marriott, Midas, NACCO (Hamilton Beach and Proctor Silex products; Kitchen Collection and Le Gourmet Chef stores), Nike, Pernod Ricard (alcoholic products including Absolute, Ballantine's, Beefeater, Chivas Regal, Kahlúa, Malibu, Royal Salute. etc.), Select Comfort (Sleep Number bed), Southwest Airline (Jet Blue, etc.), Starwood (lodging including Four Points, Sheraton, St. Regis, W, Westin, etc.), TD Bank Group, UBS (financial services), Wells Fargo, Whole Foods, and Wyndham (lodging including Baymont, Days Inn, Dream Hotels, Hawthorne, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Microtel, Night, Ramada, Super 8, Travelodge, TRYP Hotels, Wingate, etc.).
The Boycott List includes a "Dishonorable Mention" section, which identifies nonprofits that are associated with Planned Parenthood and/or its agenda. The only addition to this section is The Lance Armstrong Foundation. Other groups in the "Dishonorable Mention" section include: AARP, American Cancer Society, Boys & Girls Clubs, Camp Fire, Dr. Phil Foundation, Girl Scouts, Girls Inc., Kiwanis Clubs, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Rotary Clubs, Salvation Army, Save the Children, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, YMCA, and YWCA.
Garvey said the ongoing success of the Corporate Funding Project is due to the tenacity of pro-life people who "understand the power of the dollar and are willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of preborn children."
For information about the CFP, including the steps taken before a corporation is placed on The Boycott List and the standards used to place a nonprofit group in the "Dishonorable Mention" section of The Boycott List, please click here.
Source: Life Decisions International
October is "Respect Life" Month; The first Sunday is Respect Life Sunday! This is a project for the entire Family, Council, and Church to celebrate their Respect for Life! Help make this the special Sunday that it is! Step out for a couple of hours on Sunday, October 7, 2012. Proclaim to the entire world that it is "Great to be Alive" on this anniversary of "25 years of Life Chain Across America".
Below is a listing as of today of the cities and towns where organized events are taking place. To check for the latest updates or for a location closer to you, goto; www.lifechain.net
October 7, 2012 - time on each listing
ILLINOIS (For additional information about Life Chains in Illinois, please contact State Director Patty Sprague 618-283-1387)
* ALTON AREA - Broadway from Piasa to Henry St Clark Bridge; 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Mary Ann Morris 618-465-3108
* ARLINGTON HEIGHTS - Euclid Ave at Walnut Ave, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; David Bergquist 847-284-6865
* AURORA - E New York St at Oakhurst Dr, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Chuck Jones 630-896-3826
* BELVIDERE - State Street Bridge, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Dennis Sullivan 815-914-1462
* BERWYN - Ogden Ave at Harlem Ave, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Mary Ann Pater 708-484-1204
* BLOOMINGTON / NORMAL - College Ave at David Anderson Park at east lot, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Jay Talsma 309-828-9250
* BRAIDWOOD - Rt 53 at Hwy 113, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Jim Vehrs
* BROOKFIELD - Ogden Ave at Prairie Ave, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
* CARBONDALE - Main St at Illinois Ave, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Ray Nowaki 618-684-2930
* CHAMPAIGN - Kirby Ave at Hessel Park, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; John & Myrna Buyno 217-352-1007
* CHICAGO - Ashland Ave at Cullerton St, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Liz Gonzalez 312-421-7647
* CHICAGO / BRIGHTON PARK - Archer Ave at California Ave, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Casey Niedos 773-927-0322
CLARKSBURG - Rt 16 at Clarksburg Rd, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* CLINTON COUNTY - communities along new Rte 50, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Esther Koch 618-526-8589
* COLLINSVILLE - Vandalia St (Hwy 159) from Clay St to N Beltline, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Herman Wenos 618-344-4108 or 618-344-8778
COWDEN - Main St, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* CRYSTAL LAKE - Rte 14 at Teckler Blvd, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Nancy Cole 815-455-7265
* DARIEN / WOODRIDGE / DOWNERS GROVE - 75th St west of Lemont Rd, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Betty Girdwain 630-963-0654
* DECATUR - Downtown, 2:30 to 3:30p.m.; signs at Franklin at Wood Sts; Diana Shipley 217-864-5422 or 217-423-8452
* DIXON - S Galena Ave at River St, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; Margaret Brechon 815-288-1156
* DOLLVILLE - Rt 16, noon to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* EDWARDSVILLE - Buchanan at Vandalia, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Peggy Pace 618-659-9336
* EFFINGHAM AREA - Keller Dr at Fayette Ave, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Loretta Koester 217-857-3060
* ELBURN - Rt 47 at Pierce St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Darlene Biggs 630-365-9166
* ELIZABETH - Rt 20 near Elizabeth Garage, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; Marilyn Gollmer 815-541-0354
* FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS / METRO EAST - Hwy 159 at Hwy 50, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Linda Behnken 618-632-8608
* FARMER CITY - Main St at Hwy 54, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Jerry & Judy Hahn 309-928-2109
* FARMINGTON - Rt 116 at Rt 78, Sun, Oct 16, 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.; Fr Bruce King 309-335-0526
* FREEPORT - Hwy 26 / West Ave at Stephenson St, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.; Connie Gogel 815-275-9831
* GALESBURG / KNOX COUNTY - Public square, 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. with a rally until 3:30 p.m.; Mary Norton 309-343-0621 OR Lisa Lindstrom 309-342-7214
* GLEN ELLYN - Roosevelt Rd at Finley Rd, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Carol Wright 630-469-2165
* GRANITE CITY - 3248 Nameoki Rd in front of store, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Kathy Mangi 618-931-7800
* GRAYSLAKE - 1350 State Rt 137 in front of Crossroads Church, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; Gail Bordley 847-362-7120
* GRAYSLAKE / DOWNTOWN - Rt 120 between Lake St and Rt 83, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Ann-Marie Miller 847-212-9297
* GURNEE - Gages Lake Rd at Hunt Club Rd, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Eric & Rosie Smyth 847-231-6084 OR Meegan McNulty 847-855-0117
* HANOVER PARK - Irving Park Rd at East Ave, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.; Maureen Deitche 630-935-8158
* HARVARD - Rt 14 at Rt 173, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Richard Kirchner 815-770-0160
* HERRICK - RR 1 at Herrick Baptist Church, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Pastor Jay Huddleston 618-428-5400
* HIGHLAND - Route 40 at Route 143, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; park at shopping center; Angela Michael 618-654-5800
* HINSDALE - York Rd south of Ogden Ave, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Maureen Sager 708-352-5834
* INGLESIDE - Rt 59 at Wilson Rd, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Sandy Kolseth 847-587-2251
* JERSEYVILLE - State Street, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.;signs at St. Francis Church parking lot at 2:00 p.m.; Marilyn Parsell 618-498-2679
* JOLIET - Six Corners at Raynor and Rt 30, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Karen Hatfield 815-744-6339
* LA GRANGE - Ogden Ave at LaGrange Rd, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Wayne & Marianne Hamilton 708-579-0118
* LAKE VILLA - Milwaukee Ave (Hwy 83) south of Grand Ave (Hwy 132), 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Henry Potrykus 847-388-5570
* LAKEWOOD - Main St, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* LAKEWOOD - Tower Hill-Herrick Rd, Lighthouse Tabernacle Pentecostal Church, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Pastor Brown 217-567-3337
* LANSING - Ridge Rd at Burnham Ave, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.; Cathy Dziubla 219-838-1138 or Dorothy Springer 219-838-1138
* LIBERTYVILLE - Rt 176 (Park Ave) at Rt 21 (Milwaukee Ave), 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; meet at Formation Center at 1:30 p.m.; Renee Tam 847-680-6652
* LISLE - Ogden Ave at Main St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Carole Gassett 630-960-2916
* LITHIA SPRINGS - Rt 16, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* MACOMB - Hwy 136 / 67 between Lafayette and Randolph at Chandler Park, Sun, Oct 14, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.; Connie Kreps 309-776-3058
* MANSFIELD - Hwy 150 at McKinley St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Donnette Coley 217-649-9314
* MARENGO - RT 20 at Rt 23, Sun, Oct 14, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.; Kelly Sergent 630-664-7435
* MASCOUTAH - Rt 177 at Rt 4, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Linda Behnken 618-632-8608
* McHENRY - Rt 31 / Richmond Rd at Pearl, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; signs at St Mary Church at 2:00 p.m.; Karen Verr 815-363-0408
* MENDOTA - Rt 34 at Hwy 251, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; Andy Wujek 815-539-5599 or Tom Schuhler 815-538-1940
* MILLSTADT - Washington St (Rt 158) between Lafayette St and Kossuth St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Mary Thornton 618-476-3365
* MORRIS - Rt 47 (Division St) at Jefferson St, signs at 118 E Jefferson St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Marilou Warrick 815-942-5575 or Renee Zettek 815-941-9121
* Mt. CARMEL - Cherry St at Ninth St, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.; Pat Stouse 618-262-7643
* Mt. VERNON - Broadway at 24th St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Larry Pearson 618-755-4716
* MUNDELEIN - US Rt 45 (Lake St) at Courtland St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Margaret (Peggy) Feinendegen 847-566-7658
* NAPERVILLE - Ogden Ave at Washington, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; JoAnne Mehon 630-357-6876
* NASHVILLE - Rt 127 at Rt 15, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Jennifer Detering 618-920-9829
* NEW LENOX - Cedar Rd at Rt 30, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Melinda Grundhofer 815-424-0371
* NOKOMIS - Main St, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* NOKOMIS - State St at Spruce St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Missy Huber 217-827-0723
* OCONEE - Rt 51 at Southern Baptist Church, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* ORLAND PARK - 96th Ave (LaGrange Rd) from 143rd to 153rd, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; William Beckman 312-422-9300 OR 708-429-2762
* PANA - five locations, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
10 W 2nd St
Rt 51 two miles south of Pana at Celebration Church and Independence Church
Rt 51 five miles south of Pana at Hopewell Baptist Church
Rt 51 at Rt 16 at Knobbs Baptist Church, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Rt 16 at First General Baptist Church
* PARIS - Jasper St at High St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; signs at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 15197 Hwy 150; Pastor Jack Hoffman 217-463-2007
* PEORIA - University at Northmoor, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Daniel Smith 309-691-3611; See Central Illinois Right to Life.
* QUAD CITIES - Middle Rd at Happy Joe Dr, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Vicki Tyler 563-332-0475
* QUINCY - Broadway at 48th St, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Jane Haas 217-224-5483 or 217-257-0533
* RICHMOND - US Rt 12 at Hwy 173, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Laura Brumm 262-279-3061
* RIVERSIDE - Ogden Ave at Harlem Ave, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Katie Kruse 708-442-7515
* ROCKFORD - Alpine Rd at Highcrest Rd, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; signs at Holy Family Church; Joe & Jane Mata 815-505-6006
* St. CHARLES - Rt 64 (Main St) from Kirk Rd to 3rd Ave, Sun, Oct 14, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Virginia Fritz 630-584-6560
* St. CHARLES -Rt 64 (North Ave) at 5th St, Sun, Oct 14, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Larry & Karen Johnson 630-513-0911
* SALEM - Main St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Fr Robert 618-548-0899
* SHELBYVILLE - Rt 16 (E Main St) at the Courthouse. 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* SPRINGFIELD - S Grand at MacArthur / Wabash Aves AND in front of churches along Sangamon Ave, Stevenson Dr and Taylor Ave, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Kathy Cinotto 217-691-4230 or Terry Everett 217-528-2547
* STERLING - Locust St at 6th St, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Jim & Barb Lopez 815-626-2013
* STEWARDSON - Main St, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* STRASBERG - Main St, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* SULLIVAN - Southern Baptist Church, E Jackson St, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Judith Koerner or Diana Litteral 217-774-4874
* TOWER HILL - Rt 51 at Rt 16 at Knobbs Baptist Church, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.; Pastor Randy Miller 217-567-3290
* VANDALIA - Gallatin St at Kennedy Blvd, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Pastor Peter Kolb 618-283-1133
* WAUCONDA - Rt 176 at Mill St half mile east of Rt 12, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Mary Ann Fijalkiewicz 847-526-7101
* WAUKEGAN - Grand Ave at Green Bay Rd, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Pastor Bob Rhyne 847-746-4905
* WAUKEGAN - Washington St at Orchard Ave, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; Pastor George Jones 847-336-0664
* WEST DUNDEE / NORTHERN KANE COUNTY - Rte 72 at Rte 31, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Debbie Schmalen 847-426-7326
* WESTCHESTER - Mannheim Rd at Wight St, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Patricia Meyers 708-865-0374
* WESTERN SPRINGS - Ogden Ave at Wolf Rd AND Ogden Ave at Grand, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Blanche Heaney 708-246-7437
* WOOD DALE - 203 E Irving Park Rd, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Mary Stuhr 630-250-7521
An Illinois appellate court has ruled in favor of two pharmacists who
objected to providing emergency contraception because they said it
infringed upon their religious beliefs.
A lawsuit by Luke Vander Bleek and Glenn Kosirog challenged a 2005
executive order by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich requiring all pharmacists
to fill prescriptions for the so-called morning-after pill.
They argued they were protected by the Illinois Health Care Right of
Conscience Act. That law says health professionals cannot be punished if
they refuse to offer a service because of their conscientious
convictions.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Friday's ruling applies only to the two
pharmacists. But their lawyer, Francis Manion, says the precedent means
the state cannot go after other pharmacists who similarly refuse to
provide the pill.
Source: The Chicago Tribune
The Lancet, a British medical journal, has published new information that questions the need to abort a baby to improve the prognosis for a pregnant patient with cancer.
Dr. Julie Griffin of the Christian Medical Association (CMA) tells OneNewsNow about the study, which was led by respected Belgian cancer physician Frederic Amant. Though his research indicates the possibility of saving both the baby and mother, it does not suggest that outcome can be accomplished in all cases.
Griffin, Dr. Julie"But definitely there is reason to believe that a mother and her preborn child can withstand the throes and the treatment of chemotherapeutics, and both can make it through a pregnancy safely, and the child will do quite well," Dr. Griffin says.
The medical evidence in the study encourages working harder to maintain and salvage the child's life and not to make a hasty decision to abort the child.
"I think that it's something that is supported biblically -- that when we look to save both lives that that is something the Lord wants us to do," the CMA spokesperson suggests. "So we as believers need to continue to point in that direction, and even through the medical evidence that is now pointing towards the importance of both lives and the possibility of both lives being saved."
Still, the question arises of when abortion would be necessary. Griffin says that depends on the "covenant relationship" between the doctor and patient, as well the father. She concludes that it needs to be approached on the basis "of hope and the sanctity of life and weighing the very difficult decisions that sometimes have to be made."
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow.com
I couldn’t believe my eyes: But there it was, right on the front page of the New York Times: “A First: Organs Tailor-Made With Body’s Own Cells.”
The story goes into great detail describing an Iceland research success in which a dying man’s trachea was fabricated using plastic and the patient’s own cells, still functional after several years. And then, it describes the progress being made in more sophisticated experiments. From the story:
Human stem cells are part of the body’s system for building and repairing itself. They begin as a blank slate, but are able to become specialized cells specific to particular tissues or organs like the windpipe. In recent years, scientists have made great advances in understanding how stem cells can differentiate in this way
Wow! Adult stem cells can be transformed into different types of tissues. Who knew? Well, readers of this blog have for years. Not so sure about readers of the NYT.
Scientists are experimenting with interesting approaches:
Labs around the world are now experimenting with scaffolds. In some cases the goal is to use the natural scaffolds themselves to build new organs — to take a donor lung, for example, strip all its cells and reseed it with a patient’s own cells. Why not use what nature has perfected, this line of thinking goes, rather than try to replicate it in a synthetic scaffold?
And perhaps even better:
Because the need for this kind of work is potentially so enormous, “we cannot pretend that we can reseed with the specific cells outside the body,” he said. Instead, he envisions developing even better scaffolds and implanting them without cells, relying on drugs to stimulate the body to send cells to the site. His ultimate dream is to eliminate even the synthetic scaffold. Instead, drugs would enable the body to rebuild its own scaffold. “Don’t touch the patient,” Dr. Macchiarini said. “Just use his body to recreate his own organ. It would be fantastic.”
Congratulations, New York Times. You finally reported the real news about regenerative medicine.
Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: Secondhand Smoke
