Healthy Son Despite Doctors Advice to Abort

What an incredible illustration of why abortion for alleged fetal anomalies is such a terrible idea!

This story comes from the British Telegraph about little Kai Purdy who, while still in the womb, was alleged by doctors to have several problems and doctors advised terminating him.

Terminate a child because he has some problems. Think of that the next time your toddler or the toddler of someone you know gets sick or has "some problems." Just terminate him?

Doctors said Kai could have a fatal chromosome defect and a life threatening heart condition. Notice they said "could." A heart condition that could require surgery, and Edwards Syndrome--the presence of an 18th chromosome--with a life expectancy of about four months if he survived birth. Twice doctors counseled abortion and twice Kai's parents rejected it.

Though he spent six months in intensive care when he was born prematurely, Kai is doing well. He has had some problems, but as the picture in the article shows, he's doing fine. And at 9 months old, he's beaten the four-month lifespan he was prescribed more than once over again.

Even with our knowledge and instruments available today, doctors cannot and do not know everything.

In a world of disease and imperfection, sometimes children do die, even before leaving the womb. But sometimes God intervenes, and sometimes doctors were wrong to begin with.

Better to leave life and death up to the Author of Life, and not take death into our own hands by killing innocent children.

Now the Abortion Industry Wants In On The Action

As reported by OneNewsNow:

Abortion industry asks Obama for billions in funding
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 12/29/2008 3:30:00 AM

A major abortion provider wants taxpayers to fork over more money, even while the economy is down.

Over 50 pro-abortion groups have submitted a 55-page wish list called "Advancing Reproductive Rights and Health in a New Administration" to the incoming Obama administration. Jim Sedlak of American Life League's (ALL) Stop Planned Parenthood, or Stopp International, has tallied the cost.

'They want unfettered abortion. They want the government paying for all of its programs,' he contends. 'In fact, [if] you total up everything that they've asked Obama for, Planned Parenthood and their friends want the taxpayers to give them $4.6 billion next year.'

And why not? Everyone else is clawing for a place at the public teats. Besides, the abortion industry has never had such opportunity as now with the election of a socialist president and congress.

The Gods of Liberalism are Ancient

J. Matt Barber's column today at CNS News points out a spiritual truth about liberalism.

He mentions a sermon he heard a few weeks ago at Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg, VA by Pastor John Mabray:

In his sermon, Pastor Mabray illustrated that, although they've now assumed a more contemporary flair, the fundamentals of Baal worship remain alive and well today. The principal pillars of Baalism were child sacrifice, sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and pantheism (reverence of creation over the Creator).

Ritualistic Baal worship, in sum, looked a little like this: Adults would gather around the altar of Baal. Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity.

Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants – men and women alike – would engage in bisexual orgies. The ritual of convenience was intended to produce economic prosperity by prompting Baal to bring rain for the fertility of "mother earth."

To revisit the key point I bold-typed above, modern liberalism and ancient paganism are strikingly similar in their practice of child sacrifice, sexual license and reverence of creation over the Creator.

These are some points I know Pastor Steve Hickey at Voices Carry has preached and taught on before.

And, as Barber points out, the ancient gods are in ascension in America right now:

Nonetheless, the aforementioned pillars of postmodern Baalism – abortion, sexual relativism and radical environmentalism – will almost certainly make rapid headway over the next four to eight years, with or without help from the Christian left. The gods of liberalism have a new high priest in Barack Obama, and enjoy many devout followers in the Democratic-controlled Congress, liberal media and halls of academia.

There is indeed nothing new under the sun. The human race keeps doing the same old stupid thing and repeating the same old sins.

Which points out another area where liberalism is dead wrong: we aren't evolving up morally any more than we are evolving up biologically.

Dakota Voice Poll Closed

Last week's Dakota Voice poll is now closed. The poll was actually a survey question to measure awareness of a public policy issue.

The question was:

What percentage of abortions in SD in 2007 were because "The mother did not desire to have the child"?

I gave a hint last week when the poll opened, stating the answer could be found at the website for the South Dakota Department of Health.

Some respondents may not have seen this hint, or simply didn't take the time to look up the stats, or (based on the perception fed to them by the "mainstream" media) thought the number was much lower than it actually is.

Still, the majority of respondents answered correctly:

1.7% (11%)

33.5% (6%)

83.2% (75%)

5.2% (6%)

The answer was an astonishing 83.2% of abortions in South Dakota in 2007 were performed because "the mother did not desire to have the child. In other words, essentially retroactive birth control.

Incidentally, I didn't pull those other answer choices out of thin air; I took them from the same DOH report. The percentage of abortions done for rape/incest was 1.7% (even though these children are just as human as the child conceived in love). The percentage of abortions performed because "The mother could not afford the child" was the second largest at 33.5% (even though poor women have been having children for thousands of years, and still do, and many agencies such as crisis pregnancy centers and adoption agencies exist to help women of limited financial means). Finally, 5.2% of the abortions were done because of the stated reason "The mother’s emotional health was at risk" (however, there is no specific requirement for documenting a compelling hazard exists, so we don't know how many of these were even remotely genuine...and what's more, would killing your 2-month old be permissible if "The mother’s emotional health was at risk"?)

Thanks to all who participated in the survey. When someone insists abortions are "necessary," I encourage you to remember these percentages.

Next week's survey question has just been posted:

According to the CDC, what is the largest source of AIDS transmission?

- Homosexual contact & injected drug use
- Injected drug use
- High-risk heterosexual contact
- Homosexual contact
- Other

Hint: you can find this information at the website of the Centers for Disease Control.

Obama Popularity May Tank When Americans See His Liberal Policies

Polls show most people like the way President-elect Barack Obama is handling the transition, but that popularity could go away when Americans start seeing just how liberal Obama really is.

He plans to push the Freedom of Choice Act which would reverse practically every abortion restriction in the country--including the ban on the barbaric partial birth abortion procedure.

Obama also wants to get rid of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that protects the states from having the concept of homosexual "marriage" imposed on them by other states via the activist court system.

Did voters pay more attention to style than substance? Bet on it.

A poll shows most Americans are conservative on issues such as abortion and the courts, but will the new administration's policies mirror those sentiments?

Evagelical Leader Resigns after Controversial Remarks on Abortion, Homosexuality

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Fri, Dec. 12 2008 08:12 AM EST

Long-time evangelical lobbyist Richard Cizik has resigned as the vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, the group announced Thursday.

After nearly three decades at the helm of the NAE’s political arm, Cizik has decided to leave the organization after a storm of controversy enshrouded him following remarks he made about abortion and gay marriage in a recent interview.

NAE President Leith Anderson explained, in a letter to the group’s board of directors, that Cizik in the interview had “responded to questions and made statements that did not appropriately represent the values and convictions of NAE and our constituents.”

Although Cizik later expressed regret, apologized, and affirmed the NAE’s values, there was “a loss of trust in his credibility as a spokesperson among leaders and constituents,” Anderson wrote.

“[B]ecause Richard traveled to a previously scheduled international conference in Europe shortly after the airing of the broadcast it was not possible to meet with him until his return,” the NAE president explained. “He and I have recently met together and mutually concluded that his resignation is a difficult but appropriate decision.”

In a National Public Radio (NPR) interview last week, Cizik said that a pro-life Christian could still find reason to support an abortion rights candidate, and admitted he voted for now President-elect Barack Obama in the Virginia primary.

He also conceded to believe in homosexual civil unions, which the overwhelming majority of NAE constituencies do not support. Regarding gay marriage, Cizik said he currently does not support redefining marriage, but is “shifting” on the issue.

His comments sparked a firestorm of protest and criticism by pro-life, pro-traditional marriage Christians – including NAE members and constituencies - and forced the NAE president to release a letter last week reassuring the group’s board of directors that Cizik has confirmed his support of NAE values and positions.

But apparently the letter was not enough to cool down the heat directed at Cizik and subsequently the NAE. Cizik resigned Wednesday night.

The former NAE VP is perhaps best known for his advocacy on climate change – a cause that has inflamed the anger of prominent conservative Christian leaders who declared that he does not speak for them and many evangelicals when he states global warming is real and mainly human-caused.

Arguing that Cizik misrepresented evangelicals, the group of prominent evangelical leaders – which included Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family - attempted to get Cizik fired, but failed in 2007.

Time magazine, however, applauded Cizik for his climate change advocacy and rewarded him by naming him as one of its top 100 most influential people in the world for 2008.

But aside from the divisive issue of climate change, Cizik has been a tireless advocate on behalf of a long and diverse list of issues during his 28-year tenure at NAE. Those issues include anti-persecution legislation, laws against human trafficking, pro-family bills, protection of children, justice and compassion for the poor and vulnerable, sanctity of human life, opposition to abortion on demand, and more recently the campaign against the genocide in Darfur.

Prominent evangelical figure Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship, in response to Cizik’s resignation, said:

“He was gradually, over a period of time, separating himself from the mainstream of evangelical belief and conviction. So I'm not surprised,” Colson said, according to Christianity Today magazine. “I'm sorry for him, but I'm not disappointed for the evangelical movement.”

Meanwhile, Mark Tooley of the conservative Washington-based Institute on Religion and Democracy commented:

“Both Rev. Cizik and the NAE leadership made a wise decision in his departure. Cizik had lost credibility for advocating positions that were not those of the NAE or most Evangelicals,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of IRD, Tooley hopes the NAE can “now focus on theological and ethical convictions that evangelicals hold strongly in common.”

Tooley added that he wishes Cizik well and expressed gratitude for his “long history of service to evangelicals” that has “laid the groundwork for many opportunities.”

The National Association of Evangelicals is composed of over 50 denominations and 45,000 churches, representing about 30 million constituents. The NAE vice president’s resignation is the latest leadership controversy for the organization, which was just settling down after its former president, Ted Haggard, resigned due to a drug and sex allegation scandal in 2006.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

On the Sidelines No More

VoteYesForLife.com published an email today from someone who regrets their disengaged attitude during the election:

Dear Respecter of Life,

I was one of those who were dreadfully naive about the vote last month on measure 11. I assumed it would pass and was shocked when it didn’t.

My personal reasons and excuses for not becoming aware of the battle on behalf of the unborn and not doing all I could to educate people along with Yes For Life…well, those reasons and excuses meant nothing when the measure was voted down.

I have mourned the ignorance of our state, and I’m ready to help in whatever ways I can. Would you please add me to your email list for notifications and opportunities to volunteer?

May you be blessed in this season of celebrating the most unplanned of all pregnancies - Jesus Christ.

It takes a big person to admit when they've been wrong, so I appreciate this statement from this person, regrettable as the outcome is.

I hope that many more good people will (a) recognize their own inaction, (b) the cost and the damage of that inaction, and (c) resolve not to stand on the sidelines anymore.

I believe it was Edmund Burke who said:

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

Giving the Gift of Death at Christmas

These barbarians at Planned Parenthood really are over the top, aren't they?

A few years ago, the nation's largest purveyor of death via abortion came out with Christmas cards that mocked the Christian "Peace on Earth" phrase with "Choice on Earth." At a time when we celebrate the birth of Christ, Planned Parenthood celebrates the death of millions of babies like Christ once was.

Now Planned Butchery has come out with gift certificates for Christmas. Yes, you can give the gift of death to someone. Maybe you could sign the card for your friend, "Thinking of you and the death of your little one during this Christmas season."

I imagine this kind of cold-hearted filth from Planned Parenthood stems from one of two things: (1) either their consciences are so seared that they don't see anything whatsoever wrong with this kind of garbage, or (2) their consciences are so seared that they just enjoy mocking life, Christianity and anything decent.

What's next: Christmas cards that, instead of saying "Merry Christmas" read "Deadly Christmas"?

These people (and I use the term loosely) are beyond pathetic.

And yes, they get taxpayer funding. Our government takes money out of your pocket and gives it to these savages. Something nice to think of at Christmas...

Fox News: A number of Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana and Illinois are offering gift certificates for their services this Christmas. Officials say the vouchers enable people to give their loved ones "the gift of life" — that would help pay for annual checkups and birth control — but also can be used for abortions.

Planned Parenthood Nurse Apparently Condones Rape of 13 Y.O.

Herald-Times(Bloomington, IN)

Planned Parenthood suspends employee after video on abortion counseling

A local Planned Parenthood employee has been suspended after the release of a video surreptitiously shot at a clinic which shows a woman who identifies herself as a 13-year-old being given advice that is a violation of the organization’s policies.
[…]
A press release, sent by e-mail today from liveactionfilms.org, identifies the video as being shot on June 24 by UCLA student Lila Rose. It shows a blond haired female and a nurse, identified as “Diana.” The nurse’s face is blurred during the interaction.

In the video, the “patient,” who is accompanied by another female identified as a friend, states that her name is Brianna. She tells the nurse she is 13 years old and has missed her monthly period. The nurse responds that anyone under the age of 13 needs parental consent to get an abortion in Indiana. “Brianna” further reveals that she doesn’t want to explain who the father is because he could get in trouble. She later says that the father is 31 years old.

In the video, which has breaks and cuts, the nurse advises how to lie about the father’s age. The “patient” is then shown a piece of paper which Rose alleges showed her that she could get an abortion in Illinois without parental consent.

Rose, who has done previous videos at Planned Parenthoods in Los Angeles, where she posed as a pregnant teenager under 18, is a 20-year-old history major. She said Wednesday that Indiana is just one of many states chosen by liveactionfilms.org for “audits.” She called Bloomington a “major” clinic in the state, explaining why it was chosen. She said she expects videos of other clinics will be released that show similar scenarios.

“In the vast majority of cases, you’re going to find sexual abuse cover-up,” Rose said in a telephone interview.

Rose said the scenarios are similar, in which a “young girl” purports to abort a pregnancy by a much older man. She said Indiana’s case is one of the more “severe” cases because of the extreme age differences.
[…]
Rose said one of the concerns she had was that the clinic advice directed the teen to avoid reporting the abuse, which put her back in the hands of her abuser.

This is not the first time that Planned Parenthood has been embarrassed by illegal and/or immoral behavior by employed staff. Why do they continue to get government funding when they have been shown to have utter disregard for not only the law, but for women in general?

Video at Metacafe.

2007 South Dakota Abortion Statistics Released

The South Dakota Department of Health has now released the abortion statistics for 2007.

Abortionists are required by state law to record and report statistics on abortions performed in South Dakota.

The latest report showed some changes but no major ones.

The number of abortions performed in 2007 dropped by 7% to 707 from the previous year; that's 41 less lives taken in 2007 than in the previous year.

The reasons women gave for obtaining an abortion changed some, but not by any major factors.

As has been the case as long as statistics have been kept, the #1 reason for abortion in South Dakota is "The mother did not desire to have the child" at 83.2%. In 2006 it was 84.6%.

In South Dakota's latest abortion ban which was voted down last month, exceptions were provided for the life of the mother, the health of the mother, rape and incest. In 2007, only 1.7% were done for the reason "The mother would suffer substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function if the pregnancy continued;" requirements to demonstrate this risk are not currently clearly defined as they were in the 2008 bill. Rape and incest abortions made up 1.7% of the total; in 2006 the number was 0.4%.

The statistics indicated that in 2007 "fetal abnormalities" were present in 1.3% of the abortions. The report does not elaborate on the nature and severity of these abnormalities.

Most of the abortions (225) were done at 8 weeks gestation. At this stage of development, the unborn child has a beating heart, blood is flowing through their veins, and the eyes and lungs and arms and legs and fingers and toes are starting to form. Evidence is growing that unborn children may feel pain at as little as 7 weeks development. A little more than 1% of the abortions in 2007 were done at 14 weeks or more.

Many of the abortions done in 2007 were repeat abortions, with 21.1% having had one previous abortion and 8.3% having had more than one previous abortion.

Some 309, or 44%, of abortions in 2007 were performed on women with no living children, and 5% done on women with four or more living children.

Clearly the overwhelming majority of abortions in South Dakota are still being done as retroactive birth control. Obviously more needs to be done to save the lives of over 700 children a year being sacrificed on the altar of convenience.

A Call to Repent for Obama Vote by Another Catholic Priest

A Catholic priest in Modesto, CA, Rev. Joseph Illo, sent his parishioners at St. Joseph's Catholic Church a letter telling them they should confess if they voted for Barack Obama because Obama supports abortion.

This is the second priest we've heard about recently who has said something like this.

It is heartening to see many leaders in the Catholic Church starting to take a strong stand in holding elected officials who claim to be Catholic accountable for their public policy stances. And now we're seeing Catholic leaders starting to hold average parishioners accountable for how they exercise their vote.

It's too bad it's taken this long, but it's great to see those who confess Christ taking a stand of accountability to Christ's teachings. While some in the Protestant world are doing this, many more should follow the example of courageous leaders like Rev. Illo.

Abortion not only destroys human life created in the image of God, it destroys human life, period. The unborn child has from the moment of conception human DNA. That human DNA is unique from all other people on earth, making the child not a part of its mother's body she is free to discard, but a separate and unique human being.

The only scientific difference between the unborn child and the child outside the womb is a matter of development. If the lesser-developed child inside the womb has less innate value than the one outside the womb, then it should follow that the toddler has less value--and less human dignity--than the fully-developed adult. Do we accept this contention?

The reporter in the video below has a lot of gall, asking "if it's morally wrong to use the pulpit to preach politics."

When the pastor is addressing clear moral issues, this is akin to asking, "Is it morally wrong to speak against immoral issues from the pulpit?" Think about that for a second...

READ MORE...

Nun Claims God is Pro-Abortion

It's bad when Christians not only fail to live up to the teachings of the Bible, but give a testimony in opposition to that teaching. It's even worse when such decayed theology comes from a leader in the Christian community.

LifeSiteNews features a commentary by Judie Brown concerning a letter written by a nun to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

According to the article, God is apparently pro-abortion:

GOD IS PRO-CHOICE

"Even though Catholic bishops are already pressing President-elect Barack Obama on the issue of abortion, it is time they begin to realize that 54% of Catholics who voted for him do not agree with the bishops telling people how to vote.

"Obama may be pro-choice, but so is God. God gave everyone a free will and he does not pressure people into using that free will to do what is right. Obama promised to do what he can to prevent abortion. What more need he do when so many other pressures to make changes are upon him?

"Yes, abortion is the killing of an innocent life. So is war and violent killing on the street. I have often seen many starving babies in hospitals in Honduras and witnessed their pain. In these cases, abortion might have been the lesser of two evils, and even the most merciful alternative.

"I challenge our bishops to dwell more on unjust economic issues that both create and perpetuate the need for children to die of starvation, and for women to choose abortion. It would be better to aim at eliminating poverty rather than focus only on abortion. Poverty in our country and the world at large is a disgrace that cries to heaven for vengeance.

"Sr. Arlene Welding, SSSF; Campellsport, WI"

I have a few questions for Sister Welding:

1. You said: "Even though Catholic bishops are already pressing President-elect Barack Obama on the issue of abortion, it is time they begin to realize that 54% of Catholics who voted for him do not agree with the bishops telling people how to vote." When did the morality of an issue suddenly become determined by majority vote?

2. You said: "Obama may be pro-choice, but so is God. God gave everyone a free will and he does not pressure people into using that free will to do what is right." God does indeed graciously give us a choice of whether to choose right or wrong. However, where do you find ANYWHERE in the Bible that God (a) doesn't care which we choose, or (b) that making the choice for evil is free from negative consequence--ostensibly something everyone would want to avoid?

3. You said: "Yes, abortion is the killing of an innocent life. So is war and violent killing on the street." By this logic, if war and violent killing on the street make abortion morally acceptable, couldn't we just as easily take that logic to mean that, if we accept abortion to be morally acceptable, then violent killing on the street is also morally acceptable?

4. You said: "I have often seen many starving babies in hospitals in Honduras and witnessed their pain. In these cases, abortion might have been the lesser of two evils" Though forced starvation is morally reprehensible, how do you reason that starvation (where human life remains) is more less morally acceptable than murder (where human life does NOT remain)? Also, how do you reason that death (where there is no possible remedy) is superior to starvation (where there are possible remedies)?

5. You said: "It would be better to aim at eliminating poverty rather than focus only on abortion." This is a disingenuous statement, as both Catholic and Protestant forces are well known for fighting poverty and hunger around the world; they are not focusing only on abortion. Further, why do you assume one must be done at the expense of the other?

This nun is obviously possessed--at best--of a fundamental lack of common sense. She is also dangerously bereft of moral discernment. It's hard to imagine how she managed to get through her religious training to become a nun with such a severe lack of moral compass.

Perhaps the more likely explanation for her moral bankruptcy is one common to many Christians--even Christian leaders: rather than following Christ's admonition to be "in the world, but not of the world," she has allowed her thinking to become conformed to the dark and twisted wisdom of a fallen world.

Each of us will be held accountable for the things we laud and promote. But those in positions of authority where others look to them for guidance will be held to an even higher standard.

If this nun doesn't get right with her God before it's too late, it won't be pretty. Promotion of or even ambivalence toward the taking of innocent human life is no small matter.

Still Another Study Points to Link Between Abortion, Mental Health Problems

On the heels of a report last week published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research pointing to a link between abortion and mental health problems in women, this week LifeNews reports on a New Zealand report published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

The New Zealand study conducted by researchers at Otago University found a 30% increase in mental health problems among women who had abortions.

They surveyed 500 women who live in the city of Christchurch, located on the southern of the two New Zealand islands. It included 284 women who had a total of 686 pregnancies and 117 women who had a total of 153 abortions.

The women were asked whether the pregnancy was wanted or unwanted, and if this had caused them to be upset or distressed. They were also given a mental health assessment during each interview, to see if they met the diagnostic criteria for major depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol dependence and illicit drug dependence.

Ultimately, the New Zealand team concluded that abortion more adversely affects women's mental health while childbirth and miscarriages do not.

The American Psychological Association (APA) has shown itself to be a more-and-more politically motivated group, and issued a statement earlier this year which found no link between abortion and mental health problems.

This statement was roundly refuted by many other health professionals and the testimony of women who have had abortions, only to find themselves plagued by depression, anxiety, substance abuse and a host of other problems.

Dr. Rachel M. MacNair, an APA member, denounced the APA statement as politically motivated and based on very shallow research.

And now we see the results of two separate studies released within the last week refuting the APA statement.

Abortion not only ends a human life, but hurts the women who choose to take the life of their unborn child.

Study Finds Significant Link Between Abortion, Mental Health Problems

A few months ago the American Psychological Association (APA) released a report claiming abortion was not detrimental to women's mental health.

Many professionals and women who have had abortions found this claim incredible. A group of 100 scientists, medical and mental health experts released a statement strongly disagreeing with this conclusion which has been roundly refuted by the testimony of many post-abortive women.

An APA member and insider, Dr. Rachel M. MacNair, went on record stating this finding was politically motivated and based on very shallow research.

A new report was just released today and published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. The study was headed by Dr. Priscilla Coleman, a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University, along with Catherine Coyle of Edgewood College, researcher Martha Shuping and psychologist Dr. Vincent Rue.

As LifeNews reports, the results were pretty startling:

The researchers found women who had abortions, compared with those who didn't had a 120% risk for alcohol abuse, with or without dependence, a 145% increased risk of alcohol dependence, 79% increased risk of drug abuse with or without dependence and a 126% increase in the risk of drug dependence.

For mood disorders, the experience of an abortion increased risk of developing bipolar disorder by 167%, major depression without hierarchy by 45% and major depression with hierarchy by 48%.

For anxiety disorders, there was a 111% increased risk for panic disorders, 44% increased risk for panic attacks, 59% increased risk for PTSD, 95% increased risk for agoraphobia with or without panic disorder and a 93% increased risk for agoraphobia without panic disorder.

Overall, mental health problems rose 17 percent in post-abortive women compared to women who haven't had an abortion. The LifeNews article also says the risks of each particular mental health problem rose as high as 145% for post-abortive women.

Unfortunately many "professionals" expect average people in the public to kneel in worship at the altar of their degrees and other credentials, but findings such as the one released by the APA a few months ago simply don't pass the smell test--even for ordinary people.

When professional organizations make what are obviously politically motivated statements, they not only put people at risk, they also squander their own credibility.

With the number of propaganda pronouncements coming from the medical community in the past few decades, it won't be long before their "professional" opinion is totally worthless.

Pro-Life Ads Coming to MTV

With the large amount of time people--especially young people--spend watching television, if you want to reach the culture, that's where to go.

So it is that Virtue Media is headed into one of the central arenas where young people are found to bring the message of life: MTV.

In small markets where they've run ads before, they've seen significant reductions in abortion rates.

A large ad campaign at MTV is sure to get young people exposed to information they'll likely never hear about from the "mainstream" media. And maybe some lives will be saved because of it.

I was pro-abortion until about 15 years ago. I was pro-abortion because I hadn't considered anything deeper than the meaningless pap the "mainstream" media calls "information." I was pro-abortion, but unlike some pro-abortionists, I was open to the truth. When I took the time to go find the facts on my own...it wasn't long before I realized I'd been on the wrong side of the life issue.

Maybe there are some young people like me that this campaign will reach.

Virtue Media is encouraging young Americans to choose life.

Liberal Myopia on Parade in History

There are certain things you can see coming from a mile away, and (ironically) liberal myopia is definitely one of them.

So it was this morning as I published today's "American Minute" by historian William Federer. The piece highlighted Sojourner Truth's Christian faith and her inspired work in the abolitionist movement.

Realizing how liberals have hijacked every civil rights figure possible and distort them to further their demonization of America and Christianity, I was virtually certain that liberal drool would come dripping out from some corner of the Left in response. And I was not mistaken.

Because she felt I and her readers needed a history lesson, in response Anna at DakotaWomen posted a speech by Sojourner Truth which is often cited by feminists.

Anna says she has "a feeling Sojourner wouldn't be allowed into some of the higher-profile fundamentalist churches in South Dakota were she living today and making speeches like that."

Really? I wonder which "higher-profile fundamentalist churches" she means, and why she believes that.

Interestingly, the version of Sojourner Truth's speech published by Marcus Robinson about a month after it was given is significantly different than the version published some 12 years later and quoted by DakotaWomen.

The version published by Robinson was a little more Christ-centered (acknowledging that Jesus "never spurned woman from him") and a little less useful for fueling feminist loathing for Christianity, so you'll have to decide which is more likely to be accurate and in harmony with the Christian faith expressed by Sojourner Truth in today's American Minute.

Its interesting, too, that the issue with which Sojourner Truth is most closely identified--the abolition of slavery--bears striking similarities with the most pressing civil rights issue of today: abortion.

You see, some people in the 1800s felt black people weren't really human, and as such didn't deserve human rights and full protection under the law.

Some people today feel that unborn children still inside their mother's wombs aren't human either and consequently don't deserve civil rights and equal protection under the law.

They manage to believe this despite the fact that these children--different from other children only in development--have human DNA, unique human DNA that makes them separate and distinct from their mother (in other words, not a part of the woman's body), with all the genetic material they'll ever need for the rest of their life already present.

As you can see, the discrimination based on skin color of the 1800s was no more scientific and fact-based than is today's discrimination based on developmental level.

And as the ironies mount, we see that the fringe element within Christendom who in the 1800s attempted to justify their denial of humanity did so then in defiance of the plain teaching of Scripture, just as a fringe element does today.

A further irony is that many of those who perpetuate this denial of human rights are women, and since abortion is decimating the next generation of black children at a higher rate than any other ethnicity, it is perhaps most ironic that this denial of human rights is most acute in the black community.

It seems so hard for humans to learn from history, doesn't it? Thankfully, as genuine Christianity has promoted human dignity for women and black Americans, so Christianity will continue to promote the dignity and worth of the most innocent and vulnerable human beings in society.

On a final note, notice that while the storm troopers of myopia over at DakotaWomen might be afraid to link to a "truth site" (they consider the truth about liberal errors to be "hate") I've experienced no anxiety in linking to them. Perhaps I'm just more tolerant that the apostles of tolerance at DakotaWomen.

Life Prizes Announces $600,000 Pro-Life Award Winners

Inaugural Year of the Gerard Health Foundation Honor Awards Pro-Life Movement’s Greatest Heroes

Natick, MA – The Gerard Health Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of its inaugural Life Prizes award, granted to six individuals or groups that have made unsurpassed strides in preserving and upholding the sanctity of human life. These winners have demonstrated their leadership and progress in pro-life achievements through public advocacy, scientific research, legal action, outreach and public discourse activities.

The first award of its kind, Life Prizes is overseen by Executive Director Cathy Ruse who worked in conjunction with members of the Selection Advisory Committee to evaluate the more than 100 nominations submitted to the Foundation and select the recipient winners of the $600,000 in shared prize money. The four advisors comprising the Selection Advisory Committee have helped advance pro-life principles and practices in their advocacy and include Archbishop of Denver Charles Chaput, the Reverend Dr. Alveda King, Ambassador Ray Flynn and Professor Hadley Arkes of Amherst College.

“We were impressed by the exceptional caliber of all those nominated for the initial year of Life Prizes, and reminded of the heroism, sacrifice, and valor in the efforts of leaders from across the country,” stated Cathy Ruse. “The six winners that were chosen are examples for us and for our children of the type of initiative and action that is needed to promote life throughout our country. We are thrilled with the work they have been doing and are excited to see how that work will continue.”

The $600,000 in prize money will be divided among the following six winners:

- American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) – Association of pro-life physicians that saves lives by remaining steadfastly committed to life within a stridently pro-abortion profession and which conducts research, writing, and public advocacy especially on the negative impact of abortion on women.

- Richard Doerflinger – Associate Director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, bioethics expert, consummate researcher, and has been involved in almost every major pro-life legislative initiative since 1980. He has contributed behind the scenes to all major pro-life statements from the Catholic bishops during the last quarter century.

- Margaret “Peggy” Hartshorn – President, Heartbeat International, a preeminent network of more than 1,000 pregnancy resource centers spread throughout the world that has directly saved the lives of innumerable unborn children and their mothers from abortion through vital pregnancy support.

- Jill Stanek – Nurse who first publicly exposed infanticide of abortion survivors, Born-Alive Infant Protection Act proponent and chief witness, and prolific writer who uses the media and her popular blog to continue revealing the truth about late-term abortion.

- Lila Rose – Founder of student pro-life organization Live Action and President of its UCLA chapter. She has launched several successful, undercover investigations that exposed the racism and statutory rape cover-up by Planned Parenthood.

- Kay Coles James – Founder and President of The Gloucester Institute, an outreach and education initiative for young African Americans focused on developing solutions for the challenges facing communities today, utilizing lessons learned from the civil rights movement, including a recognition that the first civil right is life itself.She and her husband, Charles James, have worked to advance the pro-life cause for three decades as advocates in the highest levels of government, including the Reagan and both Bush presidential administrations and as founders of a pregnancy resource center and Black Americans for Life.

“The accomplishments of these pro-life heroes are diverse, valiant, and nothing short of inspiring,” stated Raymond Ruddy, President of the Gerard Health Foundation. “They are the movement’s most successful champions of life and their achievements will inspire future pro-life generations to be bold and brilliant in undertaking the many challenges that lie ahead in spreading a culture of life.”

After the initial nomination process made on behalf of more than 100 esteemed nominators, the Life Prizes’ Selection Advisory Committee assisted the Gerard Health Foundation in the difficult job of narrowing the finalists down to secure the six prominent recipients. The awards will be given at an invitation-only ceremony held at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC on January 23, 2009.

Obama Likely to Gut Pro-Life Policies

Among the executive orders President Barack Obama is likely to sign upon inauguration:

- Repeal EO preventing foreign aid from going to pro-abortion groups

- Remove restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research (there is NO reason to fund human-life-destroying embryonic stem cell research when adult stem cell research has already produced around 80 successful therapies)

The president-elect's transition team says the Democrat will sign several executive orders Jan. 20. Life advocates fear the outcome.

A Look at the Harsh Reality of Abortion

The abortion debate often ends in a stalemate of a woman's right to choose vs. the right of a baby to life. The procedure that ends the life an unborn baby remains abstract for most people, but to truly understand the argument of those of us opposed to this gruesome practice I decided to post this Youtube video. As a physician who has witnessed this procedure first-hand while in med school I can attest that the depictions shown here are typical and are not unusual occurrences.

This video contains very graphic images that I hope most viewers will find very disturbing. Be forewarned.

With the election of Barrack Obama it is unlikely we'll see an end to this abom- ination anytime soon, but let us pray that hearts will be moved and our country will recognise the evil that has produced the deaths of over 40 million innocent lives.

Tom Daschle: A 'Health' Secretary Who Promotes Unhealthy Practices

The news is out that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle to be his Health Secretary, and one has to marvel that such a supporter of unhealthy practices should be chosen to shepherd the nation's health interest.

The South Dakota Left is predictably all aglow at the news. Daschle remains one of the few icons of liberal salvation here, and liberals have lamented Daschle's fall from grace in 2004. They have been in sackcloth and ashes on his behalf ever since.

However, traditional, God-fearing South Dakotans may be concerned that Daschle will yet again lead the nation to believe that people from the Rushmore State are far more liberal than we really are. In fact, many of us may just be embarrassed-in-advance for the dark path we suspect he will help take the nation down.

Tom Daschle had a nice ride from South Dakotans...until 2004 when an unprecedented campaign to inform voters about the real Tom Daschle swept the state.

You see, Daschle had for years operated as the typical federal Democrat does in South Dakota: legislate to the Left in Washington D.C., then come home for election and talk some reasonable "centrist" smack to the voters.

But in 2004 a coalition of bloggers, pro-family groups and individuals worked tirelessly to ensure the people of South Dakota knew they weren't getting the representation they expected. When South Dakotans found out about Daschle's D.C. residency (we thought he was a resident of our state, not the District of Columbia), his million dollar mansion in D.C. for which he was receiving a tax break, his Jaguar (that really went over well with the average Ford-or-Chevy driver in South Dakota), his criticism of the president on the eve of the Iraq invasion, and his liberal record, the voters gave him his walking papers and elected John Thune in his place. This was the first time a senate majority or minority leader had been put out to pasture by the voters in over 50 years.

One of the liberal positions South Dakotans got up to speed on that year was Daschle's strong support for abortion...

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