Pro-life blog buzz 8-13-13
by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
- American Life League’s Judie Brown says the silence of the Catholic Church on social issues, especially abortion, has led to a worldly state of mind among those who consider themselves Catholic:
… [T]he results of a recent Quinnipiac poll… show[ed] that 54 percent of Catholics believe that abortion should be legal in all or at least most cases, while 59 percent of born-again Christians oppose at least some abortion.As Catholics have gone the way of contraception, so too have they followed the status quo on abortion. This might be shocking to some, but when we realize how little has been said about contraception and abortion from the pulpit in the past 50 years, we come to understand why Catholics are no different in their views on sexual morality than the average population of this nation.
- Live Action joins Georgia Right to Life in praising Gov. Nathan Deal for working with the Department of Community Health to exempt abortion coverage from state employees’ healthcare packages, relieving taxpayers from subsidizing abortions. GA RTL encourages legislators to continue to work to pass this legislatively so future administrations cannot undo this. Live Action urges readers to “check with your state legislators to find out if your state is using your taxpayer funds to pay for other people’s abortions.”
- Americans United for Life’s Charmaine Yoest asks “When will abortion come with a warning label?”:
Numerous, well-documented studies in peer-reviewed medical journals demonstrate that abortion poses significant medical risks for women. At every turn, the abortion industry fights to remain unregulated, unmonitored and secretive, lobbying to keep women ignorant about what will happen to their own bodies and to keep responsible adults away from vulnerable girls being pressured to buy an abortion. - A Culture of Life shares the testimony of Christina Martin, originally posted at Live Action. Christina’s mother decided not to abort her, and later, her story was used to save the life of another child.
- Expose Abortion shares jarring testimony from an abortion witness:
I was helping the doctor hold the baby [to keep it in the birth canal]. The other nurse got the instrument [a large syringe with a large needle], handed it to the doctor, and he inserted it into the base of the skull. Then he pulled the baby out. Its little hands were grasping. When the baby quit grasping, then he delivered it. He used the syringe to suction out the brains. - Culture Campaign reports that Orlando, Florida abortionist James Scott Pendergraft, who has lost his license five times and says he “loves what he does and is proficient at it,” has reopened a clinic with borrowed equipment after a $36M malpractice lawsuit over a botched abortion. The clinic performs “fast” abortions 24/7 — no waiting,” and even coupons for those willing to come on Sunday.
Local station Eyewitness News 9 spotlights this well:
[Deal photo via Live Action/NRTL News]
Judie Brown is correct. There have been a few outspoken priests, but for the most part a lot of Catholic shepherds have been afraid of alienating or offending people, more so than offending God.
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I tend to agree with you ninek. What sort of message/s do you think might be implied by that?
Have they lost faith? Do they simply not fear god (do they have an ‘out’)? Do they believe they can reconcile a certain position which others can’t? It’s a bit ‘can of worms’ really.
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Wow, good questions. Perhaps their fear of God is more abstract than in generations past. Or they may be more afraid of empty pews than of God. Or both.
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I sense that ‘born-agains’ are more, let’s say ‘confirmed’, in their adherence to the basic tenets espoused by their leaders than are those who have a life-long, almost innate, belief. I see quite a difference between the ‘traditionalists’ and the ‘evangelicals’.
Could it be that the old school, almost innately religious are ensconced in a theatre which has undergone various transformations over time whilst the evangelicals, or born-agains, have chosen to be a part of a ‘this is how it is right now!’ culture? Is it a bit ‘this week’s favorite’ in some sense?
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@Reality:
The Evangelical Christians are simply working at being Christians. There is nothing wrong with them, except that 41% of their members seem to approve of killing children under some circumstances. That’s still too high for a religion of life.
The Catholic problem is a bit more complex. I’ll have to post about that after I do a few chores this evening.
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Are evangelicals less likely to display what some might call pragmatism, some compromise and others betrayal?
Ah, chores Del. I’ve always liked washing the dishes but am glad I’ve got a machine to do it nowadays. And aren’t laundry appliances great. Better than the process my mum had to go through when I was a young child. If I could afford it I’d get one of those vacuum devices that wanders around on its own. Cat mightn’t like it though.
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It seems to me that the difference between the Catholic church and Evangelicals here is simple.
The Catholic church has historically, and for a very long time, opposed to abortion. At the founding of the US, every colony-turned-state followed British common law in not making abortion illegal prior to “quickening.” In that same period, the colonies/states had mostly Anglican and Congregationalist churches, though there were also Quakers, etc. The Catholic church in the US grew with later immigration, the formerly French territories becoming part of the US, etc.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Catholic church was the strongest voice against liberal revision of state laws against abortion. Evangelicals were among the many Protestants who sought more liberal revision of those same state laws and continued in this vein even to the late 1970s, while the Catholic church toned down its anti-abortion rhetoric for a time. See, e.g., http://www.leftinalabama.com/diary/10246/god-was-prochoice-in-1968 and http://awaypoint.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/when-god-was-pro-choice-and-why-he-changed-his-mind/.
Thus, when the Catholic church returned to the battle over abortion, it was returning to its own strongly anti-abortion historical position. In contrast, Evangelicals in the renewed anti-abortion movement were actually opposing what previously many Evangelicals supported, whether strongly or in a weaker, more nuanced way.
The latter is a “conversion” phenomenon, whereas for Catholics, the anti-abortion position is a tradition which they may or may not support. And “conversion” produces very strict, strong, outspoken style. One can see this in the very different anti-smoking movement. Its biggest voices are those of people who once smoked and then quit – theirs is also a “conversion” phenomenon.
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I’m back… I had to sweep out the hangar in preparation for this weekend’s Fly-In Pancake Breakfast. Then unload some chairs and tables. We’ll set up a tent in my back yard and feed about 900 people on Sunday morning.
The Catholic problem is that we used to be poor immigrant families with a distinct cultural identity. Back in the day we all voted for Democrats, because they were a pro-family party who were more tolerant toward Catholics.
During the cultural shift of the 60’s and 70’s, many Catholics lost their identity and strove for acceptance and assimilation. A great many followed the Democratic Party down that path toward secularism and license. These folks still show up on polls as “Catholic,” but they aren’t. They still like to call themselves “Catholic,” but they don’t believe what Catholicism teaches. They don’t even know Jesus or have a personal relationship with Him.
We should hear more bold preaching from the ambo about life and marriage, but these people won’t hear it — because they don’t come to Mass. They aren’t Catholic. They just like to say that they are, and skew all of the poll statistics.
There are some 75 million self-identifying Catholics in America. 31 million of these actually go to Mass on Sundays. I estimate that about half of these (12 to 15 million Catholic Americans) participate in the New Evangelization. These are the ones who come to mind when you think of Catholics, praying on the sidewalks and volunteering for charities. There aren’t enough of us yet, but our numbers are growing.
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Other news:
Where are the “women’s advocates” to speak out against (or perhaps even for) Pendergraft and his chop shop? Where is NARAL? Where is NAF?
If Pendergraft is another monster like Gosnell and Karpen, they should be shutting him down. And if he is truly a “victim of politics,” they should be supporting him.
Where are they? Why are they silent? Are they afraid?
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Praying against “I LOVE WHAT I DO JAMES!!!”
Dear God shut this man’s mill. Render him unable to perform any more murders of precious little ones made in Your image. Let him be stopped at every turn and send more warriors to pray against him at his mill. Wake us up Lord!! The battle is spiritual. You are bigger than any man or any mill.
Cause James to leave the biz altogether and turn to You. Repent James Repent!!!
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If Abortion Were a Prescription video. From my precious sister friends of Operation Outcry.
http://vimeo.com/14249448
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My word, that’s a whole lot of sweeping Del! Ever heard of leaf blowers? That’s how I de-leaf my deck.
Maybe tuna sandwiches would be an easier choice of provisioning ;-)
What you and choiceone say appears to fit with what I sensed, to an extent at least. Perhaps it takes the avidness of a newly found something or other to drive ‘purity’ of concepts and ‘teachings’ – like choiceone’s smoking analogy? The rest are ‘christmas catholics’?
Does the presence of the evangelical movement in its current form, size and committment fall into the same paradigm as movie-going? Numbers are up when times are tough and drop when better times return.
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Wow, Carla. And the video of your testimony never fails to break our hearts. :(
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Oh Hans.
The end is so much better than the beginning. :) I have been rescued.
But I know what you mean.
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WOW!!! Carla the video was GREAT thank you for sharing it with us. God bless you. Hugs to you my sister.
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Judy Brown’s comments are a bit of a mixed bag. True, the issue of artificial contraception and to a lesser extent, abortion, have not been the topic of homilies on a consistent basis. But that does not make the Church weak on abortion.
If I understand Judy correctly what she is saying is that a whole lot of other things have gotten the attention of the Bishops and clergy and this is reflected in the majority of the faithful. Can’t disagree with her on that.
But, having said that there are still millions of strong prolifers in the Church who are responsible for a large percentage of the activism and financial support of the cause. I cannot imagine the prolife movement being the force it is today without the contributions and leadership from a great many Catholic laymen and priests, and numbered among them is Judy Brown herself and the great Joe Scheidler. The annual March for Life was started by a Catholic and of the hundreds of thousands who go each year most of the groups are identified as having associations with Catholic organizations and schools.
From the earliest days post Roe v Wade until the present moment the prolife movement has enjoyed the significant contribution of Catholics. Pope John Paul II at an outdoor Mass on the Washington Mall in 1979 issued the clarion call to Catholics in the United States saying: “All human life is sacred — a precious gift from God. And so we will stand up every timethat human life is threatened, when the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, we will stand up and proclaim that no one has the authority to destroy unborn life.”
All of the above is why the Church is viciously attacked by proaborts.
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Great testimonies at the vimeo site but I am especially partial to one of them!
Have fun at the pancake breakfast, Del!
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Hugs to you Praxedes and Prolifer L!!
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What choiceone and Del have said about Catholics is true.
Those ‘so called’ Catholics you see in public life, Kennedy, Pelosi, Biden, Sibelius are not repeat NOT Catholics. They are Cinos, Catholic in name only. They do not practice the laws (yes there are church laws) of Catholicism. For Pelosi you can see that in many of her rather inane interviews where she interprets Catholicism for the interviewer. Her own bishop corrected her on one of them.
I have been a lifelong Catholic and though at times I have ‘fallen away’, I have always come back. My wife and I did not practice birth control (condoms, pills, etc.) as we knew it was wrong. We did practice the rhythm method. We go to Mass each Sunday, we raised our children Catholics, we taught them the faith. We have done what we thought was right and have followed the laws of the Church. I really don’t like to judge, but some of these people in public life make me sick when they claim to be Catholic.
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I do too want to thank you for the shared clip Carla. Very powerful. God bless you and the women.
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The Church is the voice of reason but does America adhere? Everytime I look at my paper currency, the statement “In God We Trust” rings ironic.
How can we expect non-practicing Catholics to fully engage if this statement stares them in the face daily and yet they observe the O-administration contradict this fundamental truth our nation was built on.
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It’s so sad to see nurses assist in abortions. It seems like some doctors are in the profession for prestige and money; nurses are the ones who provide one to one care. I remember when I had my daughter the nurse was so kind and helpful. I was crying, screaming – I had a natural childbirth and it was alot more painful than I thought it would be – and wet the bed twice. I felt so bad that she had to change the sheets. I told her “you’re a good nurse” and she said “that’s the nicest thing I’ve heard all day.” She had red hair and her name was Mary. I’ll never forget her.
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The problem is Thomas R., it shouldn’t be there. It started being printed on notes in the 50’s and does not represent every citizen of the US.
You may find it ironic to see it there whilst others live in ways you don’t agree with. There is no reason why others should adhere to it or find any meaning in it.
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Reality says:
August 14, 2013 at 6:48 pm
The problem is Thomas R., it shouldn’t be there. It started being printed on notes in the 50?s and does not represent every citizen of the US.
It doesn’t matter whether citizen agrees with it. It only matters that our culture (and the government that serves us) recognizes the reality of God. That reality is foundational to our culture.
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What you describe Del, is a theocracy. An even bigger problem.
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Del: “It only matters that our culture (and the government that serves us) recognizes the reality of God.” I agree 100 percent, but I also ask: do the current leaders do? That is the more pertinent question.
This issue presents even a bigger irony – that while this statement appears on our currency, our government is based on the separation of Church and State. This is the peak of hypocrisy.
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Reality: “You may find it ironic to see it there whilst others live in ways you don’t agree with.”
I did ask you in another thread to read my comments literally and not provide your own interpretation. I wrote “the Church is the voice of reason but does America adhere? Every time I look at my paper currency, the statement “In God We Trust” rings ironic.”
What I am addressing here is the discrepancy between actions and words especially as it relates to the current batch of dems in the White House and Congress. Others may live as they wish but I take exception with our government’s hypocritical stance: ie. Pres O talking out of two ends of his mouth in relation to this statement, his actions are a non sequitur.
More concretely “reality” it is the discrepancy between this statement on our currency and our government condoning abortion.
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Reality,
Dennis Prager, a conservative Jewish pundit, speaks of “The American Trinity.”
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/11/13/the_american_trinity_116146.html
http://www.prageruniversity.com/Political-Science/The-American-Trinity.html#.Ug0GHj-2eV4
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… [T]he results of a recent Quinnipiac poll… show[ed] that 54 percent of Catholics believe that abortion should be legal in all or at least most cases, while 59 percent of born-again Christians oppose at least some abortion.
Typical dishonest poll. They didn’t ask how often people attend mass. ”Roman Catholics” who don’t go to mass may follow the trend of the general population, but those who attend mass are very very pro life.
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“I did ask you in another thread to read my comments literally and not provide your own interpretation.” and yet your very statement is one of interpretation, or at least personal viewpoint. If we were to make the statement free of such things, rather than read “the Church is the voice of reason but does America adhere? Every time I look at my paper currency, the statement “In God We Trust” rings ironic.” it would begin “I believe the Church is……..”
The real irony is that the words don’t belong there. The US is not a theocracy and currency is for the use of all citizens, not just those who believe in a christian god. It is discriminatory and an act of exclusion.
It’s no different to suddenly finding currency with something along the lines of “A Democrat Nation” after the democrats won a majority across all levels of government.
And the government needs to function for everyone, not just those who adhere to one particluar stream of one branch of one religion. The diversity amongst christians alone indicates it would be nigh on impossible to do so.
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