Fight for the Children by Christcentric

H/T LifeSiteNews 

 

 

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Human Life: Controversial?

To progressives yes.  For conservatives no.  Pro-choicers yes.  Pro-lifers no. I really hope that we can all agree that each of our lives started in our mothers’ wombs and that if our mothers had aborted us we would not be living today.  For some reason the pro-choice crowd views unborn babies as life that is less worthy of living, so much so that they believe that they have the right to choose to end human life in the womb for whatever reason they deem fit.  Pro-lifers believe that every human life is precious, worthy of human dignity, and that the human life in the womb has just as much of a right to live as persons outside the womb.  Pro-choice individuals by advocating for abortion rights are denying human beings the right to life which is guaranteed in our Constitution.

Question:  Pro-choicers do you believe that you were less of a human being while you were in your mother’s womb?

Tim Kowal at League of Ordinary Gentleman gathered data from a survey which reveals that a majority of Americans are for making abortion illegal after the first trimester.  In his post “Human Life is not too controversial” Tim focuses on the Texas bill which bans abortions after the embryo is 20 weeks. This bill just passed the Texas House and is now onto the Senate.  There is already a Texas law which requires women who are  seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound and listen to a description of what it shows.  Tim says, “the rhetorical case for protecting the unborn has succeeded.”  I agree with that for the most part.  I would add that the medical evidence supports that human life exists in the womb during pregnancy and that biology also recognizes that a new human life begins at the moment of conception.  So why is abortion still legal? I agree with Tim when he argues that the media has much influence over the abortion debate.  Since most of the media is pro-choice there hasn’t been a change with regards to abortion on the national level.  I would also add that over half of the members of Congress support abortions.  The media and pro-choice lawmakers have a way of appealing to women’s emotions, justifying abortion on this basis instead of looking at the reality, that two human lives are involved and that abortion kills an innocent human life.  In addition, pro-choice supporters refuse to look at the harmful physical and/or psychological effects that women go through after having had an abortion.  These two have a great amount of power and that is the reason why there hasn’t been a piece of legislation passed limiting abortion, amending Roe v. Wade.

Knowing when human life begins is not complicated and is not controversial either. When the male gamete and the female gamete, the sperm and oocyte, unites this is called fertilization. At the moment of fertilization a new cell called a zygote is formed and human development begins.  There are a number of biology/embriology texts that support this scientific fact.

“Human development begins at fertilization, the process during which a male gamete or sperm (spermatozoo development) unites with a female gamete or oocyte (ovum) to form a single cell called a zygote. This highly specialized, totipotent cell marked the beginning of each of us as a unique individual.”

“A zygote is the beginning of a new human being (i.e., an embryo).”

Keith L. Moore, The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, 7th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2003. pp. 16, 2.

“[The zygote], formed by the union of an oocyte and a sperm, is the beginning of a new human being.”

Keith L. Moore, Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology, 7th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2008. p. 2.

“It is the penetration of the ovum by a spermatozoan and resultant mingling of the nuclear material each brings to the union that constitutes the culmination of the process of fertilization and marks the initiation of the life of a new individual.”

Clark Edward Corliss, Patten’s Human Embryology: Elements of Clinical Development. New York: McGraw Hill, 1976. p. 30.

At fertilization a new human being starts developing. This human being will grow and thrive if allowed.  For pro-lifers such as myself the fact that a new life begins at fertilization is not a hard concept for us to grasp. The fact that this new human life is precious, is developing and has the right to survive, the right to life as the Constitution states, is not a hard concept for pro-lifers to comprehend.  We understand that abortion means the death of the embryo/unborn baby.  There is nothing that justifies the direct purposeful killing of an innocent life, an innocent unborn baby.

For some reason many pro-choice individuals are unable to grasp the fact that the embryo is in fact a human life and that every human life in every stage of development has the right to live, the right to be given a chance to live.  They want to make the abortion issue about “choice” and doing whatever women want with their own bodies.  The major problem with that saying is abortion is not primarily about their own bodies.  Abortion affects the new living human being that is developing.  Why should an individual be given the choice to kill another life, another human being?  Just because it is dependent on the mother? If that is the case why not the justification to kill babies outside the womb who are dependent on their mothers?  Pro-aborts treat new human life so callously that they treat the unborn like disposable waste. To pro-aborts the unborn fall way down low on the totem pole in terms of importance and value compared to finances, believing that pregnancy will ruin the mother’s life, the mother’s choice not to take the unborn baby to term for a number of reasons, thinking that women should have control over their own bodies (when this isn’t the case; it involves two bodies the mother and baby),  and believing unborn life is less important because of the unborn baby’s size and the baby is still developing.  I cringe when I hear these words.  It saddens me that some people choose might over what’s right. There are so many couples waiting to adopt a baby but due to abortions there is a long wait list.  Making a sacrifice of self and doing what is good and right for the unborn baby is the ultimate act of love.

Here is a video which shows amazing medical visualization from conception to birth.

The miracle of life.  Say yes to human rights for the unborn.

 

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Love Thy Neighbor

In “Song of the Sparrow” Fr. Murray Bodo O.F.M. explained that “the Franciscan charism is intimately tied up with loving those who are seemingly unlovable or who return love with hatred and contempt.”

It is easy to love our friends, family members who are easy to get along with, and those who share our same beliefs. It can be extremely tough to love people who trust us horribly, people who are insensitive, those who are grumpy or angry, someone who holds opposite beliefs as we do, and family members who are rub you the wrong way.

Expressing our love through actions is very important.  Helping the needy, visiting the sick, being friendly to cantankerous relatives who you may not see eye-to-eye with, and teaching the Faith to kids in Faith Formation or adults in RCIA are all ways to show love for others.

We are called to follow The Golden Rule, treating others as we would want others to treat us.

Loving individuals doesn’t mean abandoning Truth to please others. It does mean loving the person as a human being while also being respectful if there is a disagreement.  We are called to teach the fullness of the Faith: from the Sacraments, Saints, the Mass, the Ten Commandments, Catechesis, Catholic Social Teaching, Catholic Doctrine, Morality, to Respect for Life.

 

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The Meaning of Pro-Life

Sr. Mary Walsh who is the Director of Media Relations for the USCCB wrote an article for The Washington Post.  The title of the article is Catholic Bishops: It’s pro-life to ban assault weapons. I’m not sure whether Sr. Walsh picked the title or The Washington Post picked the title of the article but it instantly caught my attention.

Here are my thoughts in response to the article:

In her article, Sr. Mary Walsh conflates being pro-life with being against assault weapons, being for gun control, and being against the death penalty.  Holding these positions may be pro-life to a degree but if persons have a different belief on these issues that doesn’t mean that these people aren’t pro-life.  Both gun control and the death penalty are areas where prudential judgment is applicable.  The death penalty can be a deterrent and can also be a means of justice.  Owning an assault rifle is not in and of itself abhorrent. Abortion is in and of itself abhorrent.  Guns can be used for good. And guns can be misused for evil purposes.  We should not be reactionary to the horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. and apply an improper use of guns with blanket gun control proposals which will ONLY affect law-abiding gun owners when they are not the problem.

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Kathy Ireland on becoming a Christian and her conversion from pro-choice to pro-life

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Is abortion permissible to save a baby from suffering?

A caller attempts to make the case that because a baby may be born into a bad situation where the mother or parents have all sorts of problems it would be better to murder the baby, it would be better that the child never be born. I will let you listen to the exchange then comment below the video.

I really don’t understand how pro-choicers first go-to position is murder the baby. Not to help the mother and baby with their situation? Not to assist her in getting help for her problems?  The mother could give her baby the chance to survive, thrive, and overcome adversity.

I have noticed that persons who are pro-choice don’t seem to understand the concept of sacrifice, sacrificing of themselves so that another person may have a better life.  The birth mother could sacrifice out of love for her child. Out of selflessness the mother could give her baby the opportunity to be cared for by loving adults who desire to raise a child but are unable to conceive.

Killing an innocent human being is something that will stick with person who has committed the act of killing the rest of their life.  Having an abortion causes emotional problems and may cause physical medical problems as well. Women and teenage girls need to think real hard before having an abortion because this will greatly affect them in the future. It may bring the person temporary solace but it is highly likely that it will bring long-lasting  consequences filled with agony.

The lack of faith comes into play here as well. The killing of innocent unborn babies is a prime example of Godlessness wreaking havoc in our society. This is a sign that Satan is winning over the weak of faith by getting people to rationalize the acceptability of sin, to accept a sin which goes against one of God’s Ten Commandments, which we are called to follow.

Here is a video by Alexander Tsarias which shows amazing imagery from conception to birth.

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Making Pro-“Choice”-ers Own Up To The Reality of Abortion

WARNING: Very Disturbing Graphic Images Below…NSFW

Kevin and I have been enjoying a guilty pleasure that we had just about sworn off some time ago.  We’ve been visiting and contributing to the comment pages at Journeys in Alterity and provoking the progressives there by answering the knee-jerk pro-abortion propaganda with some solid pro-life arguments.  A few years back we did the same thing there and at Vox Nova this only to see the conversations quickly lose a civil tone as the libs ganged up on the pro-life conservatives.  It has not been so bad this time.  Part of it is that I have changed.  I don’t take things as personally quite as much as I did, and when I do, I own up to it fast and apologize.  But I really think that the rest of it is that the commenters at Kyle’s blog are surprisingly reasonable and nice.

Nevertheless, what they are arguing for is still appalling, still totally evil, and it is my position that this must not be ignored or made light of.  People who believe that there is a right to abort that must be respected and protected by law need to own what abortion really is and what they are advocating for.  It is not honest to pretend that you are merely in favor of “choice”.  They need to stop treating it as a thing in the abstract and own up to what, specifically, they are demanding that people should have a right to “choose”.   The “choice” under discussion is the choice to kill the most  innocent and vulnerable of human beings in the most brutal, violent, sickening and disgusting way imaginable out of a desire for convenience and comfort.    Nothing brings this point home like horrifying images of dead babies killed by abortion.

 

 

 

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Fr. Frank Pavone – Pro-Life Straight Talk

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Top 5 Reasons To Vote For Romney Ryan

I found this fantastic video at Maggie’s Notebook via the post titled Top 5 Reasons To Vote For Romney Ryan Video It’s Serious Stuff and “Pure Awesome”.   She found the video at Chicks on the Right.

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VP Debate: Catholic VP’s, Their Faith & Abortion

Did you watch VP debate last night? I did.  What did you think of it? I thought it was a pretty good debate, pretty fiery at that.  Towards the end of the debate Martha Raddatz, the moderator, asked Joe Biden and Paul Ryan this:

This debate is, indeed, historic. We have two Catholic candidates, first time, on a stage such as this. And I would like to ask you both to tell me what role your religion has played in your own personal views on abortion. 

Please talk about how you came to that decision. Talk about how your religion played a part in that. And, please, this is such an emotional issue for so many people in this country … please talk personally about this, if you could.

Paul Ryan answered:

I don’t see how a person can separate their public life from their private life or from their faith. Our faith informs us in everything we do. My faith informs me about how to take care of the vulnerable, of how to make sure that people have a chance in life. 

Now, you want to ask basically why I’m pro-life? It’s not simply because of my Catholic faith. That’s a factor, of course. But it’s also because of reason and science. 

You know, I think about 10 1/2 years ago, my wife Janna and I went to Mercy Hospital in Janesville where I was born, for our seven week ultrasound for our firstborn child, and we saw that heartbeat. A little baby was in the shape of a bean. And to this day, we have nicknamed our firstborn child Liza, “Bean.” Now I believe that life begins at conception. 

That’s why – those are the reasons why I’m pro-life. Now I understand this is a difficult issue, and I respect people who don’t agree with me on this, but the policy of a Romney administration will be to oppose abortions with the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. What troubles me more is how this administration has handled all of these issues. Look at what they’re doing through Obamacare with respect to assaulting the religious liberties of this country. They’re infringing upon our first freedom, the freedom of religion, by infringing on Catholic charities, Catholic churches, Catholic hospitals. 

Our Church should not have to sue our federal government to maintain their religious liberties. And with respect to abortion, the Democratic Party used to say they wanted it to be safe, legal and rare. Now they support it without restriction and with taxpayer funding. Taxpayer funding in Obamacare, taxpayer funding with foreign aid. The vice president himself went to China and said that he sympathized and wouldn’t second guess their one child policy of forced abortions and sterilizations. That to me is pretty extreme.

 

Joe Biden answered: 

My religion defines who I am, and I’ve been a practicing Catholic my whole life. And has particularly informed my social doctrine. The Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who – who can’t take care of themselves, people who need help. 

With regard to – with regard to abortion, I accept my Church’s position on abortion as a – what we call a de fide doctrine. Life begins at conception in the Church’s judgment. I accept it in my personal life. 

But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike my friend here, the – the congressman. I – I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people that – women they can’t control their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor. In my view and the Supreme Court, I’m not going to interfere with that. 

With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear, no religious institution, Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown Hospital, Mercy Hospital, any hospital, none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact. 

That is a fact. Now with regard to the way in which the – we differ, my friend says that he – well I guess he accepts Governor Romney’s position now, because in the past he has argued that there was – there’s rape and forcible rape. He’s argued that in the case of rape or incest, it was still – it would be a crime to engage in having an abortion. I just fundamentally disagree with my friend.

 

Paul Ryan’s answer was beautiful and a great testament to both his Catholic Faith and his pro-life views.  Since there are problems with Joe Biden’s answer I am going to focus on his.

While Biden claims to follow the Church’s de fide doctrinal position on abortion he really doesn’t because if he did he would assent to the Church teaching which states that all life is precious and abortion is murder.  A law is unjust that doesn’t protect human life at all stages. Biden wouldn’t say that he doesn’t want to impose his personal beliefs on others if he truly had any respect for all human life, especially the most vulnerable.

From the Catechism: “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.”⁵⁶

Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the fifth commandment: “Do not slay the innocent and the righteous.”⁶¹ The deliberate murder of an innocent person is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human being, to the golden rule, and to the holiness of the Creator. The law forbidding it is universally valid: it obliges each and everyone, always and everywhere.

2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.⁷²

 

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.⁷³My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.⁷⁴

2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

 

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.⁷⁵God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.⁷⁶

2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,”⁷⁷ “by the very commission of the offense,”⁷⁸ and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.⁷⁹ The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:

“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.”⁸⁰

“The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. . . . As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child’s rights.”⁸¹

2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, “if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.”⁸²

2275 “One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival.”⁸³

“It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material.”⁸⁴

“Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity”⁸⁵ which are unique and unrepeatable.

What Biden calls a personal choice for women is not simply a personal preference like choosing between the type of shampoo, soap, hair style, or the make of vehicle one likes.  We are talking about a human being which exists or is alive from the moment of conception.  Biden doesn’t want to impose his beliefs so women don’t murder these innocent babies.  It is sick and sad that murder equals “women’s rights” and “equality” in pro-aborts minds.

 

Kristi Burton Brown from Live Action News made a great point.

Biden also contradicted his own admission that life begins at conception by stating that he does “not believe that we have a right to tell other people that – women they can’t control their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor.” However, if he believes that life – presumably a new life – begins at conception, we are not just talking about a woman controlling her own body. We are talking about ending the life of a new, unique human being. Biden seems to personally realize this truth, but refused to publicly acknowledge it.

 

At 8 weeks….

 

 

 

Baby Samuel…

 

 

 

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