News

 Here's an article on how to conduct health care for women and how the faith and academic communities can be supportive.

Dr. Anne Nolte is described as a natural-family-planning physician who does not prescribe contraceptives nor refer for abortions.

Further, as the story continues, because of funding difficulties, a local medical school stepped forward to aid and expand the work of this New York City physician.

Now with a second physician on board, there are two locales in women can seek medical support and not compromise their faith.

The adverse after-effects of an abortion upon the health of the woman is garnering ever greater evidence. May it be the physical, social, or psychological, science is corroborating what faith traditions have long asserted - the destructive nature of abortions.

A recent example regarding the psychological effects may be found in the British Journal of Psychiatry. American academic Priscilla Coleman's research covers nearly a million women and reports that nearly 81% of post-abortive women experience an increase risk of mental health problems.

News stories on the report may be found here and here.

Also, the pro-abortion community tried to discredit this research;an examination of this criticism may be found here.

Alex Schadenberg, President of Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, writes "Please vote NO on Sky News assisted suicide Poll question."

Sky News includes the poll as part of a story of a woman heading into terminal phase of cancer and who travelled to Switzerland to get euthanised. The story and poll are available here.

Please vote; at writing of this article, 86% of respondents favour that assisted suicide be made legal.

JOIN THOUSANDS DECEMBER 9,

FOR DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER FOR P.E.I.

Dear Friends of Brian Jenkins,

P.E.I., Canada's "Sanctuary of Life," is Under Siege

Peter Ryan, Executive Director of New Brunswick Right to Life Association has called for a day of prayer and fasting in petition for P.E.I., Friday December 9.  Recently Pro-Abortion advocates, teamed with the media have been raising their voices in protest against the lack of abortion availablitiy throughout Prince Edward Island.

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Unfortunately abortions are available in P.E.I. mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">For a woman to get an abortion in a hosptial in P.E.I she needs two referrals. One of them being from her family doctor. The cost of these abortions are covered as long as they are a medical necessity.

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">If a woman wants to avoid getting signatures to get an abortion, she can go to the private Morgantaler Clinic in Fredricton, PEI, but has to pay for it out of her own pocket. PEI's Health Care system does not cover abortions done in private facilities. 

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Whats the problem in the Pro-Abortion activists world? mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">Clearly abortion is available in the province. What the issue for the Pro-Abortion activists really is, is that there is no abortion on demand. A great deal of pressure is being put on Doctors to step forward and begin providing more abortions for women who want them. 

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">Kandace Hagen of the PEI Reproductive Rights organization, a group founded this year in PEI to push for easier access to abortion, said that it would be "very beneficial" to have more doctors performing abortions; it would "reduce the wait time" and become more "medically accessible for Island women." 

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Prayer and fasting for protection mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">"We at New Brunswick Right to Life are worried the worst is about to happen in the coming weeks and months. We feel a deep need to pray for God's protection on the Island." Said Ryan in his e-mail petitioning others to join the day of prayer and fasting, "God has spared the Island all these years. May He preserve the Sanctuary of Life now. If P.E.I. succumbs to the pressure, all Canada will be the poorer. Lord, have mercy: keep the Island abortion-free".

We at Alberta Pro Life join in Peters petition and now ask you to join

us in prayer and fasting on December 9.

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Want to get more involved?

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:
EN-CA">Want to be more involved in the Pro-Life movement and don't know how? Below are a few suggestions 

1. "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Contact  "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">your local Pro-Life group to find out how you can get more involved. You can google search for one in your local area or look on Alberta Pro-Life's website for a list of Pro-Life groups in the province

2. "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Write   "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">to your local Pro-Life MP's and tell them of your support. Write to Pro-Choice MP's and share with them your stance on life.  

3. "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Join "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"> the Alberta Pro-Life Facebook page and invite your friends
4. mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;
   mso-fareast-language:EN-CA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Talk to your Priest or Pastor at your parish to find out how you can share Pro-Life news and "happenings" in Alberta and Canada

Thank you for all your efforts in fighting to protect the dignity and value of all life. Let us continue forward joyfully in hope, keeping our eyes on the Ressurected Christ.

Sincerely,

Naomi Senten (Alberta Pro-Life)

Warmest Christmas and Season's greetings.

Here at the Quebec Life Coalition, as the year 2011 comes to a close, we wish to thank you for your generous support over the past year. Together we have been able to work on building a more just society, one that defends life, from the womb until old age, respecting all persons, irrespective of handicaps and health.

In this period, two issues have garnered most of our time and resources – the abortion and the euthanasia/assisted suicide issues.

In the abortion debate, over the past year we have been active in various ways. For example, this past May, we forcefully brought our message before our elected officials as we chartered a bus and travelled to our nation's capital to participate in the National March for Life.

Again in May, we also visited our provincial capital, carrying our message of life with us. These we held our annual congress, with distinguished speakers promoting the family. This is no small feat in a Quebec society that is more akin to a culture of death for, lest we forget, the Quebec National Assembly voted 109-0 (out of 125 members) on May 18, 2010, in favour of a woman's right to choose and the right to abortion.

In addition to having carried our pro-life message to politicians, twice this year we brought it to the public. For 40 days each time, we coordinated peaceful, prayerful vigils outside one of the more infamous abortion mills in the country right here in Montreal, daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As for the second topic, euthanasia is occupying more of our attention over the next little while. Currently British Columbia courts are listening to arguments regarding the constitutionality of Canada's laws opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide. A woman with degenerative muscle syndrome – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease, is challenging the laws preventing her to end her life.

We at the Quebec Life Coalition are watching the unfolding of this story closely as well as the relating articles and events stemming from this court proceeding.

Your contributions, either on-going or occasional basis, will permit us to keep abreast of these as well as a few new fronts such as:

• The defund abortion movement in neighbouring Ontario;
• The Quebec government's undermining of parental authority, first by forbidding of religious education in state-funded day-cares and now in family-run day-cares ;
• Challenges to P.E.I.`s ban on performing abortions on their island.

Again all of our work – including this monthly newsletter and our new pregnancy toll-free help line, would not be possible without a core group of individuals out there supporting us spiritually and financially.

Wishing one and all a blessed Christmas!

Brian A. Jenkins

English and Ethnic Community Outreach Coordinator

Quebec Life Coalition

p.s. We are in the second week of our Christmas fundraising campaign -- Thanks for donating; no amount is too great or too small !

Same-Sex Attraction: A Parent's Guide. Eds. John F. Harvey and Gerard V. Bradley. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2003.

While perusing the holdings in the book stall after mass one Sunday, I came across this particular title. Scanning its table of contents, I discovered that it is an anthology of essays from top scholars, one of whom I am particularly fond of - Fr. Benedict Ashely, op. I decided then to purchase it and I'm glad I did.

Twelve writers have contributed to the fourteen articles appearing therein - one contributor having written two articles and the other coming from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The essays are grouped into four themes - science, morality, law, and pastoral considerations. The articles are fully footnoted.

I haven't read the entire book but will share some early impressions after having read the introduction and section dealing with pastoral considerations. Complementary information may be found here and a review here.

The introduction is written by a co-editor, Fr. Harvey, director of Courage, a Catholic homosexual-recovery agency. In addition to summarizing the essays, he mentions the motivation behind the book. The editors "weighed the need for a book which parents of persons with same-sex attraction (SSA) could read to understand the nature of the homosexual condition and the immorality of homogental acts."

The first essay in the patoral section is written by Helen Hull Hitchcock and is entitled "The Teaching of the Church." Ms. Hitchcock surveys the history of the Protestant and Catholic churches to see how these are informing supporting parents of persons with SSA. The picture she describes is that parents are not given a clear and consistant message from church leaders as a whole. For example, in the Catholic tradition the magisterium has been consistent but not other religious, citing cases of sisters, priests, and even bishops at variance with the Vatican.

In the next essay, written by Alan P. Medinger and entitled "Calling Oneself Gay or Lesbian Clouds One's Self-Perception," I was particularly struck by the distinction between "Identity" and "Life Style." The author, who describes his own movement away from a gay identity and its limitations, encourages parents to adopt a three-fold stance with these persons. Namely, 

1. See the child as a whole person instead of the "the homosexual" person;
2. Love them and not accept their homosexual identity; and
3. Supporting the child spiritually.

The third and final essay in this section is entitled "Questions and Answers for Parents of Persons with Same-Sex Attractions" and is written by Fr. Harvey. In a Q&A format he provides topics that have frequently come up in his dealings with parents of children with SSA, from the general - "What is homosexuality?", to more common one - "Are we parents to blame for our son or daughter's homosexuality?" There are 20 or so questions. He concludes by providing a bibliography and noting the availability of support groups such as EnCourage.

I just finished watching the accompanying video and recommend it for your viewing.

Though the setting is the United States, we in Quebec can identify with the video's theme of the ever-encroaching presence of the state in our daily affairs, particularly as these bear with the raising our children. In our province, we have witnessed both the diluting of our Faith traditions from the public schools and the implementing of permissive sex education programs and policies therein.

The video presents three cases in which parental rights towards their children have been undermined - health care, education, and faith formation.

Further, the video explains how these come about - very gradually and implemented via domestic and foreign legislation.

The video ends by urging all americans to get involved to pass a constitutional change via a petition campaign, known as the Parental Rights Amendment. Information available here.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZT79k_aBLkI

The following video is produced by the Canadian Center for Bio-Ethical Reform.

Along with it, the CCBER includes this description: "In this video the mask of choice is ripped off to reveal the reality of abortion in all of its gruesome horror."

Warning: It contains a lot of pretty graphic clips.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/s-m785Tgd28

This is the third in a series examing the logical fallacies pro-choicers make when justifying their position. The previous two were:

1. Abortion frees a child from having to live in an abusive environment; and
2. "I'm opposed to abortion, but respect the woman's righ to choose."

A third justification is:

3. It is unfair to have a woman carry to term a child conceived as the result of a rape or incest.

This subject is the topic of a current news story. The latter profiles two rape victims - one advocating for the woman's right to choose while the second is pro-life. Yet there is an important difference in the two for the latter, unlike the first, conceived a child as a result of the rape.

Also, since the story appeared this past Friday, November 18, a string of thought-out comments on both sides of the issue have been posted. For example, Kris, an alias we learn, argues that she aborted following her rape because of the lack of support system available to her. Further she argues that it is unfair that to hold women to keep the child for the full term. 

Her comments are met by several writers who posit strong counter-arguments. "Beckwith24" and "Veritas" move the dialog away from the wishes of the mom to the violence done on the unborn. "DanielJ" brings up the topic of adoption, which meshes well with the lead story as this is what the second rape victim did and is glad for having done so.

The topic of adoption figures centrally in a study done by the Elliot Institute. In one of their publications - "Victims and Victors," it reports upon 192 woman who conceived following a rape or incest, 69% carried the child to term and 80% of these are happy for having done so.

Of those who aborted, nearly 80% reported that it was not the right solution and only increase the trauma they were experiencing.

Read more about the Elliot Institute's reseach here.

I found the following two videos instructive. The first is an imaginative look at pre-natal development while the second, on the same subject, comes from a mathematician doing the same via mathematical models and imaging technologies, whatever that is.

Enjoy

1. L'Odyssée de la Vie (The FXStudio)

http://www.youtube.com/embed/qm8vrt2ebnk

2. From Conception to Birth (TedtalksDirector)

http://www.youtube.com/embed/fKyljukBE70