Pro-life news brief 7-17-13
by JivinJ, host of the blog, JivinJehoshaphat
- Governor Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island vetoed a Choose Life license plate bill because he claims it violates the separation of church and state:
Chafee wrote to lawmakers in his veto message that the function of a license plate is “to register and identify a motor vehicle.”“It is my belief that state participation in the transmission of funds to this organization would violate the separation of church and state, one of the fundamental principles upon which our state was founded,” he wrote.
- A man in Ireland is trying to prevent his girlfriend from going to Great Britain for an abortion. He claims she is being pressured by her family:
He says his girlfriend’s family is of the view she will be ruined if she has a child with a non-white man. The couple are both foreign nationals.The man sought court orders to stop his girlfriend leaving Ireland until it can be established she is acting from her own free will.
The orders were not granted but his girlfriend did come to court this afternoon.
- A woman in Texas is making and selling voodoo dolls of Governor Rick Perry and donating the proceeds to Planned Parenthood:
“I was inspired to make them because I wanted to figure out something I could make that would send a message and raise money for Planned Parenthood,” said [Michelle] Sinched. “What’s better than sticking pins in Gov. Goodhair or burning him at your own doll sized stake? I would probably best describe myself as pro-choice and pro-life. No one ever wants to face the abortion choice but it happens. I believe no one has the right to make that choice but the woman it affects. - Texas Senator Wendy Davis should really provide some evidence for this claim about post 20 week abortions:
In nearly all of these cases, a family in tragic circumstances has had to make the difficult and private decision to let go of a much-wanted pregnancy because of a major medical concern.Also, notice how Davis brushes off the 20-week ban because post-20 week abortions are only 1% of abortions but then says the lack of a rape exception is “no small matter.” Rape is typically given as a reason for around 1% of all abortions and in all likelihood an even smaller percentage for women who have abortions after 20 weeks. Logic fail.

Um…”let go” of a pregnancy? Likes its somehow a peaceful release of some sort?? LOL. Right….Nice try Davis, but it didn’t work.
Lincoln Chafee needs to brush up on what separation of church and state means.
He has, hence the decision.
No Reality, he hasn’t, hence the decision.
You are wrong. He has made the decision so as to meet the requirements for separation of church and state.
Voodoo dolls…classy.
*eye roll*
So, is Wendy Davis’ 15 minutes over yet?
Also, don’t feed the troll and all that.
Depends JDC, how far do you think the anti-choice politicians can turn back time?
“You are wrong. He has made the decision so as to meet the requirements for separation of church and state.”
I believe that if it doesn’t violate separation of church and state to provide funding to Catholic hospitals (and you can’t deny that the hospitals are providing secular services along with whatever small religious service they might have), then there’s nothing wrong with some money going to a Christian-based organization. CareNet isn’t proselytizing by providing pregnancy care options, and anti-abortion activities are not necessarily religious.
Aw heck JDC. I didn’t see your second comment until after I’d responded to the first. I’ll try to remember ;-)
From CareNet’s site –
“Care Net was influenced by the evangelical leadership of former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop and Christian apologist, Dr. Francis Schaeffer. The organization was founded in 1975 as the Christian Action Council by renowned scholar Dr. Harold O. J. Brown, with its primary focus to engage evangelicals in responding to the abortion crisis.”
“The ultimate aim of Care Net and its network of pregnancy centers is to share the love and truth of Jesus Christ in both word and deed.”
“Care Net is a Christ-centered ministry whose mission is to promote a culture of life within our society in order to serve people facing unplanned pregnancies and related sexual issues.”
“Our vision is a culture where lives are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Chris”
The other groups which receive funding from charity plates don’t have proselytizing as a core focus.
Okay that actually does sound like the main mission is proselytizing.
There is a big difference between evangelizing and proselytizing. Evangelization teaches. Proselytization uses coercion.
Planned Parenthood is a proselytizing organization. They use coercive techniques on fearful women to increase the desperation of their situations — to reject their human nature, their core beliefs, and the love of their family and support network. Just long enough to get that abortion fee.
The CPC’s offer long-term assistance for free to women who choose life — and access to post-abortion healing services for women who don’t.
Meanwhile — Gov. Chaffee made a mistake, even if CareNet is has text that puts evangelization ahead of their primary focus, which is women’s health and service.
The purpose of the charity plates is to facilitate citizens in their practice of free speech and charitable donations. The State is not endorsing any charity that it issues a plate for.
If Rhode Island issues plates for both abortion advocates and pro-life advocates, that is fair to all citizens of Rhode Island.
But if Rhode Island issues plates that fund Planned Parenthood because PP is secular and refuses plates for CareNet because CareNet is a non-denominational Christian enthusiasm, then Gov. Chaffee has discriminated against Christians and established secularism as the official state religion — just like Communist governments did.
Perhaps Gov. Chaffee consulted some constitutional lawyers…. but sometimes constitutional lawyers aren’t fair to the Constitution or to us.
Even if the main mission of CareNet Rhode Island is providing the gospel of Jesus Christ, the state of Rhode Island cannot discriminate against Christians or any other group because it violates their own state law.
Roger Williams came to the Providence area to be free from the dictates of a government upon his conscience. No one is compelled to select the Choose Life license plate, so there is no imposition upon anyone’s conscience.
However, when the state says because of your beliefs you cannot be treated the same way as everyone else, then it’s in the wrong.
So Chafee is pro-choice, except when it comes to letting pro-life people choose their own vanity plate.
Hypocrite.
“Chafee signaled his opposition to the “Choose Life” plate earlier this month, saying he had significant concerns about any proposal to use the state to raise money for a religious group. He cited Rhode Island’s long tradition of separation of church and state, which goes back to its founding by Roger Williams as a haven of tolerance.”
Tolerance? Where is Chafee’s tolerance for “Choose Life” and Christian based organizations?
I hope Rick Perry and the Texas government propose a bill that outlaws all abortions except in the cases of rape and incest. Not because they support those exceptions, because I know they don’t, but because some government needs to call these abortion advocates, like Wendy Davis and PP, on their bluff. A bill of this sort would directly confront the pro-abortion narrative about rape and incest and allow the public to have a real dialogue about the rape and incest exceptions, while also exposing the radical nature of the pro-choice/pro-abortion agenda.
I think it likely that a female who is seeking an abortion late in the pregnancy is MORE likely to have been a victim of forcible rape than others and certainly more apt to have been the victim of statutory rape. A young girl who has been raped is apt to be very frightened and confused. She may become extremely withdrawn and try to deny a condition that is the result of an attack. A teen girl who has not been attacked but has been sexually exploited through statutory rape is also apt to be frightened and confused and in a state of deep denial.
Perhaps much greater emphasis needs to be placed on protecting teen girls from sexual abuse and exploitation. It may also be important for all girls, as soon as they begin menstruating, to keep close track of their periods so that if they become pregnant, they will know early on. This wouldn’t necessarily promote abortion but might help those who are pregnant get the help they need as well as help bring sexual predators to justice.
“voodoo dolls of Governor Rick Perry” SCIENCE!!!!eleven!!
Actually, Lincoln Chafee should have made it more about truth in advertising.
“Choose Fetal Life” would be truer.
“Perhaps much greater emphasis needs to be placed on protecting teen girls from sexual abuse and exploitation. ”
Or you know, we could attempt to do a better job at protecting everyone from sexual abuse and exploitation, regardless of their age and gender.
This is a good example though of why we need more secularly-based Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
I don’t care if they are “Christian-based” if they do good work. What I worry about is that their service of helping pregnant women seems, by their mission statement, to be secondary to “evangelizing” (I won’t use the word proselytizing if it offends you Del, but I do respectfully believe that it fits).
I would support an Islamic based pregnancy center, but if they wished to get government tax dollars I think that their main efforts should not be directed at conversion. That’s church business, not government business, and the government shouldn’t be involved in giving money to such an industry (though I fully support the pregnancy center’s right to do all the evangelizing they want if they aren’t receiving tax dollars to do so). This applies to any religion or secular organization. I don’t think that an atheist pregnancy center should be allowed to have pushing unbelief on people as stated in their mission statement and still receive tax dollars.
Jack – ask me any question you want about CareNet Rhode Island.
I’m a former President and former member of their Board of Directors, and while I cannot officially speak for current policy, I can tell you the counseling process focuses directly on the needs of the clients in a completely non-judgemental and secure environment.
One of the biggest surprises for me when I first began working on the board was the gentleness and trust that the counselors establish, and the attitude that women, when fully informed, are respected in their decisions – even if that means abortion. That doesn’t mean condoning of those who chose that path, but always having an openness and supportive presence if they wish to discuss that experience.
The gospel is never pushed upon anyone, but offered as a part of a comprehensive set of services to address all of a client’s needs: physical, emotional, spiritual and supportive. Not offering what we see as eternal hope would be deeply immoral.
Those who have come to faith through CareNet’s work did so freely. There has been and never will be any deception or coercion involved. I’ve met many women and men whose lives have been changed by both having the child and beginning a journey of faith in Christ.
I want to clarify a statement you make regarding receiving tax dollars. There are no tax dollars from the registration of the choose-life plates being passed along to the organization. A portion of the plate registration fee that is established for that plate is provided, but that is no different than any other group which has charitable plates. That fee is different than regular plates, and any service on behalf of the state to forward the charitable portion is consistent with any other 501(c)3 recognized organization – in other words, non-discriminitory towards Christians. To do what Chafee did so blatantly is direct discrimination, and as I said in an earlier post – is a violation of state law.
That doesn’t mean condoning of those who chose that path, but always having an openness and supportive presence if they wish to discuss that experience.
Should read: That doesn’t mean condemning those who chose that path, but always having an openness and supportive presence if they wish to discuss that experience.
Carenet-RI doesn’t approve of abortion as a moral choice, but doesn’t condemn those who have made that decision. If you have any questions about how this is possible, then you should go study 1 Corinthians 13.
“A portion of the plate registration fee that is established for that plate is provided, but that is no different than any other group which has charitable plates.” – in this case there is a difference.
“the state of Rhode Island cannot discriminate against Christians or any other group because it violates their own state law” – nor can they ignore the requirement for separation of state and church.
“No one is compelled to select the Choose Life license plate, so there is no imposition upon anyone’s conscience.” – what about secular anti-choicers?
“Tolerance? Where is Chafee’s tolerance for “Choose Life” and Christian based organizations?” – there’s a difference between tolerance and privilege.
“To do what Chafee did so blatantly is direct discrimination, and as I said in an earlier post – is a violation of state law.” – then take it to court.
Oh, for crying out loud! Offering the pro-life plates has nothing to do with separation of church and state. No one is being required to attend, fund, or otherwise assist with the pro-life cause or with CareNet. It is simply offering a channel through which to support your cause. It’s a lot more honest than having the option to get vanity plates, really. And a lot more politically ethical than forcing taxpayers to fund Planned Parenthood.
What an obvious cop-out. He may as well have said, “I vetoed the bill because I felt like it, so there!”
“voodoo dolls of Governor Rick Perry” SCIENCE!!!!eleven!!
Yeah. I lost faith in long-distance magic rituals when someone here failed to successfully drive the demons from Nancy Pelosi by typing out an exorcism here.
Yeah. I lost faith in long-distance magic rituals when someone here failed to successfully drive the demons from Nancy Pelosi by typing out an exorcism here.
Yes, it is apparent that the little devils are still with Nancy. Unfortunately, not all exorcisms are successful.
I’ll make the Nancy voodoo dolls if others will provides the the cannula, curette and forceps.
That’s what bumper stickers are for MaryRose.
“And a lot more politically ethical than forcing taxpayers to fund Planned Parenthood.” – actually the funds are for PP to provide services to the public. Just like is done with churches.
“What an obvious cop-out. He may as well have said, “I vetoed the bill because I felt like it, so there!”- noooo MaryRose, he did what was legally required and ethical.
Yes, it is apparent that the little devils are still with Nancy. Unfortunately, not all exorcisms are successful.
He probably should have used all caps.
Del,
Every jot and tittle of your comment at July 18, 2013 at 9:04 am is absolutely spot on.
(Except of course the apostrophe in “CPC’s”. :) )