Archive for the “Pro-life” Category

Letters to the editor. From the Delaware Online

Catholic Church has made no exception regarding abortion since ancient times

In his interview with The News Journal published Oct. 19, Sen. Joe Biden presents a seriously erroneous picture of Catholic teaching on abortion. He said, “I know that my church has wrestled with this for 2,000 years,” and claimed repeatedly that the Church has a nuanced view of the subject that leaves a great deal of room for uncertainty and debate.

This is simply incorrect. The teaching of the Church is clear and not open to debate. Abortion is a grave sin because it is the wrongful taking of an innocent human life. The Church received the tradition opposing abortion from Judaism. In the Greco-Roman world, early Christians were identifiable by their rejection of the common practices of abortion and infanticide.

The Didache, probably the earliest Christian writing apart from the New Testament, explicitly condemns abortion without exceptions. It tells us there is a “way of life” and a “way of death” and abortion is a part of the way of death. This has been the consistent teaching of the Church ever since.

It was also the position of Protestant reformers without exception. It was the teaching of Pope John XXIII as well as Pope John Paul II. It is the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI and the bishops of the Church, including me as shepherd of this diocese.

Some ancient and medieval theologians did see a difference between early abortions and ones that occurred later in term because with the limited medical knowledge of the time they did not know then what we scientifically know now: that a fetus is a living human being from conception.

Nevertheless, they universally condemned all abortions.

Of course, we now know that a fetus is a living human being from the very start. Thus, abortions take innocent human lives no matter when they occur. Since there is no gradation in the Church’s teaching on abortion, there is no way the medically obsolete division of pregnancy into three trimesters by Roe v. Wade can have any bearing on the rightness or wrongness of abortion. Taking an innocent life in the womb is wrong at any stage of pregnancy.

The Declaration of Independence lists life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as God-given rights. Life is listed first, and it is the principal function of the state to protect the lives of citizens. This understanding of the state’s primary obligation to protect human life is also fundamental to Catholic social doctrine to which the senator points. Without life all other rights are meaningless.

This Sunday, all the parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington will pray the Litany of St. Thomas More, martyr and patron saint of statesmen, politicians and lawyers. We will ask St. Thomas More to intercede so all statesmen and politicians may be courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life. We hope Sen. Biden will carefully listen to the Church’s 2,000 years of testimony on abortion and that he will join in the defense and promotion of the sanctity of life.

Most Rev. W. Francis Malooly, bishop, Catholic Diocese of Wilmington

The Ron Paul wingnuts are at it again folks. One of the looniest wingnuts is Jim Martindale. Today he sent this to several local and state officials, and one of those elected officials found it funny enough to forward to yours truly. It tells how the Bush administration is secretly planning to “Suspend the US Constitution”.

Believe it or not, this Martindale is also an appointed precinct committeeman. Now that’s scary.

From: Jim Martindale [mailto:genesis821jim@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 10:17 AM
Subject: Fw: Secret Plan to Suspend US Constitution. CRG E-Newsletter

Gentlemen:

I pray that you have not deleted this yet or that you have found it in your spam folder, and will please read every syllable of this recounting of the militarization of our police forces. I well-remember, Bill, your words in this regards during a phone conversation several months ago. This well-documented piece substantially puts the pieces together so that anyone can see the plan. So often, you as public servants, are so busy with the daily routines there isn’t time to put a perspective to the day in which we are living.

Please, please, please is all I can say. I have made acquaintance with a retired 30 year veteran sheriff from Iowa (cc’d here) who understands the thrust of this article and I believe is uniquely prepared and qualified to speak to the issues of public safety in our county and city. I have asked him to consider coming to our fair city to speak and be prepared to answer questions as regards this encroachment of (para) military force into our everyday lives. Once again please, get acquainted with this man and the rapidly deteriorating situation.

These comments are from Jim in an email I received recently after I had forwarded his editorial comments on News With Views to numerous friends:

Thanks for your consideration.

Jim Martindale

Jim Martindale
17535 SR #1
Spencerville, IN 46788
315-408-2584 verizon cell
260-918-0246 home office
genesis821jim@yahoo.com
www.genesistillage.org
In Service to the King of Kings

Dear Jim,

thank you for most sincerely for sharing my writings with others. You have my profound thanks for doing so.

Many people have an uneasy feeling that things are in fact very wrong and have picked up on many matters that do not add up and have every appearance of being very inimical to a sound and healthy society and nation. They are afraid to express their uneasiness and suspicions out of fear of being labeled a nutcase and being ridiculed. The fact is that it is they who are sound of mind and perception and those who ridicule them are the real crackpots.

So what I try to do is step up and speak for the many very levelheaded and well-informed people in this country. It really does not bother me if some call me a fruitcake since I know that I am not, and I am not going to let those who try to hide their villainous, self-serving and greedy activities intimidate me.

I try to write logically and with common sense, many of those good people whom I addressed above are capable of doing the same, they just do not realize it. All that is necessary is to be absolutely truthful, honest and unafraid. That is all we can do in the face of tyranny, if enough people step up maybe we will see a beginning of a turnaround, but if we remain silent we can expect that we will continue to be ruled over by despots. Even so come soon, Lord Jesus.

Again, I am most grateful for your support, and pray God’s blessings upon you.

Respectfully,

Jim Schwiesow

—– Original Message —–

From: Globalresearch.ca

To: genesis821jim@yahoo.com

Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 8:18 AM

Subject: Secret Plan to Suspend US Constitution. CRG E-Newsletter

Secret Bush Administration Plan to Suspend US Constitution

“Continuity of Government” (COG) Provisions activated in 2001

By Tom Burghardt
Global Research, October 6, 2008
Antifascist Calling…

Ten months before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved an updated version of the U.S. Army’s secret operational Continuity of Government (COG) plans.

A draft document published by the whistleblowing website Wikileaks entitled, “Army Regulation 500-3, Emergency Employment of Army and Other Resources. Army Continuity of Operations (COOP) Program,” dated 19 January 2001, spells out changes in Army doctrine.

Issued by Headquarters, Department of the Army and signed off by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the Secretary of the Army, the document is affixed with a warning: “Destruction Notice: Destroy by any method that will prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document.” The restricted document as published by Wikileaks states:

History. This regulation is a revision of the original regulation that was effective on 10 July 1989. Since that time, no changes have been published to amend the original.

Summary. This regulation on the Army Continuity of Operations (COOP) Program has been revised to update Army COOP policy and extend the requirement for all-hazards COOP planning to all Army organizations. Classified information contained in the 1989 version of this AR has been removed and placed in a classified HQDA Operations Plan (OPLAN).

Applicability. This regulation applies to the Active Army, the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR), and when federalized to the Army National Guard (ARNG). In the event of conflict between this regulation and approved OSD or JCS publications, the provisions of the latter will apply. (”Army Regulation 500-3, Emergency Employment of Army and Other Resources. Army Continuity of Operations (COOP) Program,” 19 January 2001, p. 3) [emphasis added]

“All-hazards COOP planning” is described as the means by which “the Army remains capable of continuing mission-essential operations during any situation, including military attack, terrorist activities, and natural or man-made disasters.” While the Army stresses the updates described in AR 500-3 relate to chemical, biological, nuclear attacks, “natural disasters” and “technical or man-made disasters or accidents,” current Army doctrine is also heavily weighted towards contingency planning for “civil disturbances.”

Two national “civil disturbance” plans, Garden Plot and Cable Splicer have been operational since the 1960s.

The wingnuttery continues here.

Whack-a-ding-dong!

AWB

Fort Wayne, IN., September 18, 2008 - The Allen County Right to Life Political Action Committee (ACRL- PAC) today endorsed a number of Federal, State, and Local candidates seeking elected office in the Indiana general election being held November 4th.

“This year’s general election will indeed be a historic opportunity for the cause of life and we are again pleased to have a solid slate of pro-life candidates on the ballot in the fall,” said ACRL PAC Communications Director, Cathie Humbarger. “We believe attitudes and actions in response to life issues are core indicators that speak to the judgment and character of candidates, and demonstrate how they are likely to govern on the many other issues important to voters” remarked Humbarger. 

Read the rest of this entry »

H/T: Hoosier Pundit

Joe Biden had this to say today:

“I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy, because there’s joy to it as well, the joy and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect,” Biden said at a rally in Columbia, Missouri. “Well, guess what folks? If you care about it, why don’t you support stem cell research?”

In a word about Joe Biden.

Bitch

AWB

From Reuters

DALLAS - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama side-stepped a pointed query about abortion on Saturday by “mega-pastor” Rick Warren during a televised forum.

Asked at what point a baby gets “human rights,” Obama, who strongly supports abortion rights, said: “… whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.”

He went on to reiterate his view that it was important to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

What? Did he forget about making this statement?

“A woman’s ability to decide how many children to have and when, without interference from the government, is one of the most fundamental rights we possess. It is not just an issue of choice, but equality and opportunity for all women.

“I have consistently advocated for reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. I oppose any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling in this case.

Damn liar. Meanwhile..

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who followed Obama onto the stage of the nationally televised event, was more blunt and more emphatic.

He said a baby’s human rights began “at the moment of conception … I have a 25-year pro-life record.”

This says it all.

AWB

From Brad the Designer comes this interesting take on the “coalition” variants of the Obama campaign logo:

Cross post from Hoosier Access

AWB

UPDATE: I took the image off, it just ripped at my heart all night. I’ve linked to it below.

First, I want to apologize for the graphic example and it truly breaks my heart. I cried just putting it here. However it makes the point and it’s part of what we’re dealing with when it comes to abortion. Think about it next time you vote for someone.

Again, my sincere apologies.

From the Urinal Gayzette

The Allen County Commissioners are considering a local law that would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges to local hospitals.

Why shouldn’t a doctor performing the act of killing a human and endangering the life of the mother not have have admitting privileges at a local hospital? How will the patient know where to receive follow-up care? The butcher should have the responsibility to follow the patient from the gruesome act of killing her child, to helping save her life because he botched the procedure.

Earlier this year U.S. Senators David Vitter, George Voinovich and Sam Brownback, (yes, they are all Republicans) introduced the Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act. It would require physicians who perform abortions to hold admitting privileges at a hospital that the they can travel to in one hour or less.

In spite of what the left will tell you, abortions carry a risk. Doctors who provide abortions should, at the very least hold admitting privileges at a hospital close to the abortion clinic.

The commissioners heard the request Friday from Dr. Geoff Cly, who wants the county to require all surgeons and doctors that provide outpatient invasive procedures to have ties to a local hospital and have on-call, after-hours staff to handle emergencies.

[...]

A similar battle has been waged previously in the Indiana legislature.

This year, Cly testified in support of Senate Bill 146, which would have required physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital in the county or in a county adjacent to where the abortion is performed, and to notify the patient of the hospital location where the patient can receive follow-up care by the physician.

Cly told a committee of legislators stories of abortions performed in Allen County by doctors from other areas in which the procedure had complications, including leaving portions of the fetus inside the woman.

There was little discussion over this section of the bill, though another portion requiring doctors to tell women seeking an abortion that her fetus might feel pain has been controversial.

The bill passed the Senate this year but did not receive a hearing in the Indiana House.

It got Pelosi’d, go figure.

What are your thoughts?

AWB

Nikki and Benji didn’t do Jill Long-Thompson any favors with this article.

INDIANAPOLIS – Republicans are urging Hoosier voters to “follow the money” as they leveled criticism this week at Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jill Long Thompson for raising most of her campaign cash outside Indiana’s borders.

The Indiana Republican Party broke down contributions from the first quarter of 2008 and found that more than 70 percent of Jill Long Thompson’s fundraising came from Washington, D.C. – her old stomping grounds as a U.S. congresswoman.

And 74% of the total thru the March 31^st reporting date is from Emily’s list, the pro-abortion PAC.

“Jill Long Thompson’s reliance on her friends in Washington, D.C., to fund her campaign raises serious questions about her plan for Indiana,” said Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark. “Why are these special interests playing such a big role in her campaign?”

By comparison, in the first quarter of 2008, 71 percent of Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels’ contributions came from Indiana; 10 percent came from D.C. and 19 percent came from other states.

The next set of campaign finance reports aren’t due until July 15, but the GOP noted that according to Long Thompson’s supplemental filings – which are required for large donations – she has received $805,000 from out-of-state sources in the second quarter of 2008.

Washington-based EMILY’S List has given $100,000 since the May 6 primary, and the Service Employees International Union gave $500,000.

EMILY’S List supports “pro-choice ABORTION” women running for Congress or governor, and the SEIU represents 2 million workers in four key sectors: hospital systems, long-term care, property services and public services.

“Jill Long Thompson should change her campaign name from ‘Hoosiers for Jill’ to ‘D.C. Special Interests for Jill,’ because Hoosiers don’t appear to be supporting her campaign,” Clark quipped in a statement.

When asked about Clark’s criticism of her fundraising, Long Thompson at first deflected the question with complaints about Daniels’ recent commercials.

Imagine that.