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LifeNews.com Note: Deal W. Hudson is the director of the Morley Institute for Church & Culture and InsideCatholic.com, and is the former publisher and editor of CRISIS Magazine, a Catholic monthly. He is the author of six books and his articles and comments have been published in many newspapers and magazines.Objections continue to be raised to the charge that Senator Barack Obama supports infanticide, most recently in a Huffington Post column by Seth Colter Walls. I have made this claim myself, as have Sen. Rick Santorum, Terry Jeffreys, Jill Stanek, Bill Donohue, Gary Bauer, and Nat Hentoff. It's a...

Yesterday, August 7, 2008, John McCain made a very strong pro-life statement at a Town Hall Meeting in Lima, Ohio. He advocated for the rights of the unborn, and said he not only has been pro-life but will continue to adovocate for the unborn as President of the United States. Here is video of his remarks . . .

Barack Obama has a Catholic problem. If he doesn't do better than John Kerry did in 2004 with this quintessential swing voting bloc, he won't be elected president. Obama's campaign understands this -- which is why they're considering allowing a pro-life Democrat, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, to speak at the Denver convention. Sen. Casey's father, the late Governor of Pennsylvania Robert Casey Sr., was denied a speaking slot at the Democrats' 1992 convention for fear of offending pro-choice Democrats. But simply allowing his son to speak at the convention won't be enough to woo Catholics back. Catholics are by...

There are some in the pro-life community who don't support South Dakota's latest pro-life measure, Initiated Measure 11. IM 11 is a measure which would ban most abortions in South Dakota. Unlike Referred Law 6 in 2006, IM 11 contains exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother. The exceptions in IM 11 were carefully written to prevent abuse. For instance, the health exception requires that the issue must involve "a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of the functioning of a major bodily organ or system." In making this determination, the abortionist must use "accepted standards...

The head of the Knights of Columbus, the most influential Catholic lay organization, has urged U.S. Catholics not to vote for any political candidate who is pro-choice on abortion. “Supreme Knight” Carl Anderson addressed the leadership and more than 1,000 members of the Knights and their families at the organization’s 126th Annual Convention in Quebec on Tuesday. Speaking after greetings to the Knights were heard from the Pope, via the Cardinal Secretary of State, and the presidents of the United States, Mexico, and the Philippines, Anderson called on Catholics to “shine a bright line of separation between themselves and all...

Had the National Population and Family Planning Commission not rescinded its invitation, I would be in China right now as the Olympics opened. But the Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the one-child policy, belatedly realized that I was a well-known critic of that policy--and of that country's human rights record in general-- and barred the door. I confess to not having been overly disappointed by their decision. Despite the fact that I read, write and speak Chinese, it would have been nearly impossible for me to do anything else in Beijing but the one thing that I will not...

I have addressed this campaign of verbal lynching before in an article I wrote on July 18, 2008 entitled “In Defense of Deal Hudson”. In that piece I expressed my deep disappointment at the tactics of a group called “Catholics United” who sent out an E- mail Blast dragging back into the public eye a 14 year old incident involving then Professor Deal Hudson and one of his female students. I was shocked that Catholics would do such a thing In fact; my main concern was that it had serious theological implications. This incident was the subject of not only...

OSLO, Norway, August 7, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A 2008 study by the University of Oslo in Norway has found that young adult women who have had abortions are more likely to become depressed.The study, which involved 768 women between the ages of 15 and 27, was carried out in order to "investigate whether induced abortion was a risk factor for subsequent depression."According to Willy Pedersen from the University's Department of Sociology and Human Geography, who conducted the study, past studies have suffered in accuracy due to bad design, specifically a lack of control of "compounding factors." The new study strove...

Washington, DC -- A draft copy of the proposed Democratic Party platform shouldn't surprise anyone involved in the abortion debate. The platform backs unlimited abortions paid for at taxpayer expense but also tries to moderate the party's image with support for childbirth and birth control. The party platform is supposed to mirror the principles and policies of the nominee, in this case pro-abortion candidate Barack Obama. The proposed platform does just that, by promoting unqualified support for abortion and the Roe v. Wade case that ushered in 50 million abortions. Full story at: http://www.lifenews.com/nat4410.html

by Steven Ertelt Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new study from Norway substantiates previous studies showing a link between abortion and mental health problems such as depression. This new research, conducted by Dr. Willy Pedersen, was recently published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The authors make the link clear in the conclusion of the abstract: "Young adult women who undergo induced abortion may be at increased risk for subsequent depression."

Ashli over at The Sicle Cell is one of the best pro-life writers in the blogosphere and I urge other pro-lifers to read her blog. She writes painfully and eloquently of the mourning involved in abortion because 11 years ago she had an abortion when she thought she had no other options as she was suffering from a debilitating maternal disease. It is a decision she regrets everyday. Last week, Ashli mourned the daughter she never met on the 11th anniversary of the baby's due date. The following is from Ashli's site: Tennessee, I'm thinking of you on your...

GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR, August 6, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The President of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference and the leader of the nation's Human Life International affiliate are receiving death threats due to their opposition to pro-abortion and anti-family language in the nation's proposed new constitution. "I believe that the threats are part of an unfortunate way of doing politics in the country, threats of various kinds. I can't deny that they are always fearful," said Antonio Arregui Yarza, Archbishop of Guayaquil. "One isn't accustomed (to this) when one has a peaceful vision of the world, but it is painful to confirm the...

WASHINGTON — Sixteen years ago, the Democratic Party refused to allow Robert P. Casey Sr., then the governor of Pennsylvania, to speak at its national convention because his anti-abortion views, stemming from his Roman Catholic faith, clashed with the party’s platform and powerful constituencies. Many Catholics, once a reliable Democratic voting bloc, never forgot what they considered a slight. This year, the party is considering giving a speaking slot at the convention to Mr. Casey’s son, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who like his late father is a Roman Catholic who opposes abortion rights. The likely shift reflects concern among...

Bombay, India (LifeNews.com) -- As people in India join a national abortion debate following an appeals court's rejection of a couple's request for a late-term abortion, the issue of fetal pain is coming into play. One aspect of the debate revolves around whether or not unborn children have the capacity to feel pain. Kanwaljeet Anand, a pediatrician and fetal pain specialist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, is considered the top American expert on the subject. Anand has conducted research on the subject for over two decades and he also happens to be a native Indian. Anand told...

OTTAWA, August 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - 20 weeks into her pregnancy, a happily married Catholic teacher was informed her baby had holoprocencephaly - a hole in the brain stem - as well as fluid in the brain and a severe heart condition.  After being given her medical "options", including the choice to terminate her baby's life, she informed her doctor that she refused to be the one responsible for her child's death, trusting that God had a plan for her son."Termination was not an option for me, and I informed the doctor of this immediately," said the woman, who wishes...

Three American pro-life activists were arrested in Tiananmen Square and forcibly taken into custody after displaying a banner that read "Jesus Christ Is King" in both English and Chinese. They were later released Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington DC, Brandi Swindell of Generation Life in Boise, Idaho, and Michael McMonagle, National Director of Generation Life were standing in solidarity with the victims of human rights abuses, including forced abortion, religious persecution of Christians, and other denials of fundamental civil liberties. According to news reports of the incident, they called out to those around them, "End...

FORGET those plans to have a third child for the country because further increases in the birth rate could harm the economy, the nation's productivity watchdog has warned. A major analysis of the nation's increasing fertility rate said it was at its highest level for 25 years - but the Productivity Commission yesterday warned further increases may aggravate rather than solve the problem of the ageing of the population. This is because it will shift women out of the workforce while they care for babies, depressing labour supply and reducing the taxation base as our population ages, the Daily Telegraph...

House Speaker Pelosi Vows to Kill Defense of Marriage Act and Still Receive Communion Pelosi relieved no bishop has had the courage to call her to account for her strong abortion advocacy By Peter J. Smith SAN FRANCISCO, August 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to join Barack Obama's new crusade to kill the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and promises to continue to fortify herself with Holy Communion from the Catholic Church for the campaign. Pelosi told reporters at a press conference last Thursday that she plans to support Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in...

Have we finally seen the last of Kline? We can only pray. "A political newcomer knocked Phill Kline out of the race for Johnson County district attorney Tuesday, defeating the hopes of abortion opponents who had campaigned nationwide. With all of the vote counted, Steve Howe, a former Johnson County prosecutor, trounced Kline with 33,260 votes to Kline’s 22,188, a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent, according to final unofficial returns. Howe will face Democrat Rick Guinn in the Nov. 4 general election."

Reader Steve sends a tip about this story in the OC Weekly covering an abortion doctor’s reported assault on a pro-life activist at a shady clinic. Steve writes: “[T]he Weekly’s a pretty liberal publication, but I think they deserve a bit of credit for outlining some of the shocking deficiencies of care that have been brought to light at several Los Angeles area family planning centers.�Props to the Weekly for risking the wrath of the abortion racket and shining light on these murderous thugs: An anti-abortion activist taking photographs outside a controversial Santa Ana family planning clinic suffered minor injuries...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Every four years Americans elect a president and both political parties hold conventions to coronate their nominee and build up excitement in advance of the November elections. They also review and approve party platforms and one top pro-abortion is ready to get involved.NARAL president Nancy Keenan informed her supporters on Tuesday that she is headed to Pittsburgh this Thursday to participate in the Democratic Party's platform committee meetings.When she's there, she promises to keep the party's position in support of unlimited abortions paid for at taxpayer expense in place."On Thursday, I have the privilege of...

AbortionRisks.org includes world's most extensive bibliography on abortion complications Springfield, IL, Aug. 4, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - If you're seeking information about post-abortion issues, or if you have information to share about your own post-abortion experience, your ministry, or your opinions, you may want to check out the latest collaborative clearinghouse on abortion information, http://www.AbortionRisks.org. AbortionRisks.org is a Web 2.0 site designed to allow anyone in the world to find or contribute information related to post-abortion issues. Using the same software platform that underlies popular websites like Wikipedia, AbortionRisks.org allows registered users to add their own information and pages to the site,...

Elections Have Consequences [Click here for a PDF version of this article.]Does it matter to the pro-life cause whether a President is pro-life or not? Does it matter how many pro-life people are elected to Congress?Part of the responsibility pro-life educational organizations like Priests for Life is to familiarize people with the electoral process and its implications.The present document, therefore, explores the progress made for the pro-life cause under a pro-life administration, and the possible impact of a pro-abortion one.PRO-LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION1) Appointed Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. The...

Abortionist Arrested For Violent Attack On Pro-lifer Yet another Clinica Medica Para La Mujer abortionist is now in trouble with the law. August 5th, 2008 Santa Ana, CA - A pro-life man was violently attacked by an abortionist on a public sidewalk outside a Santa Ana abortion clinic on Saturday, August 2, 2008. The man, who wants only to be known as Tim, was first shoved, then battered, punched and choked by the abortionist who objected to his attempts to photograph him. Tim sustained lacerations and muscle pain that impaired his ability to conduct his normal activities as a result...

Midland, TX (LifeNews.com) -- A Chinese couple is happily living in Texas after escaping both religious persecution and a potential forced abortion for breaking China's one-child family planning law. Bob and Heidi Fu are but one example of the human rights problems Chinese people face despite China's holding the Summer Olympics. When Fu and his wife discovered they had become pregnant with their first child -- without getting permission from the government -- they knew they had to leave the country. "My wife was pregnant without the pregnancy permission card. You know in China the one child policy [applies] even...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she, unlike other Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, has not clashed with her church about receiving communion. In an interview on C-SPAN that aired on Sunday, Pelosi was asked about how some church officials have raised objections about whether former presidential contenders -- such as Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) -- should receive communion. Pelosi, a Roman Catholic whose district includes most of San Francisco, said she has not encountered such difficulties in her church. “I think some of it is regional,” she said, “It...

In May 2007, Benedict XVI flew to meet with the bishops of Mexico, Central America, and South America. While on the plane, the pope answered a question from a reporter about the Mexican bishops who were threatening to withhold the Eucharist from Catholic politicians who voted in favor of legalizing abortion. The Holy Father expressed his support for the Mexican bishops, saying: "It's nothing new, it's normal, it wasn't arbitrary. It is what is foreseen by the church's doctrine." The pope's spokesman later clarified his comment saying, "Legislative action in favor of abortion is incompatible with participation in the Eucharist."...

Obama thinking he can be more nuanced than "Mr. Nuance", John(by the way did you know I was in Vietnam)Kerry?

ABC News Jan Simmonds reports: On ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," former Pennsylvania Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge reaffirmed his pro-choice position on abortion, and said he did not think Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would make it a litmus test on whom he would choose to be his running mate. "I would think John would never make it a litmus test, but when it comes down to a nominee selecting a vice presidential running mate, it's their decision exclusively," said Ridge. "And I would respect that decision one way or another." When asked whether he...

  Why God Can’t Bless America August 2nd, 2008 by Doreen Truesdell America! America!God mend thine ev’ry flawConfirm thy soul in self-controlThy liberty in law! — Katharine Lee Bates, America the BeautifulYou might think of America’s national hymn, “America the Beautiful” as a poetic look at the nation’s landscapes but it’s actually a patriotic cry from the heart to live up to God’s expectations. For this democratic nation, which has enjoyed the blessings of heaven like no other in the history of the world, there is a divine debt to be paid. Yet there is little self-control going on...

Organizers of a Christian prayer ministry are expecting over a million people will fill the National Mall in Washington, D.C, on Aug. 16 for a 12-hour assembly of fasting and prayer for the country. The group is called TheCall, and according to their website, volunteers are working hard to gather people from every state in the country to fill the massive park between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol on one day to fervently ask God for his undeserved mercy on the nation. Originally inspired by the 1997 Promise Keepers "Stand in the Gap" assembly at the same location,...

Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Abortion advocates in California are going after a state ballot proposition that would allow parental notification on abortions. They are saying the measure's ballot summary should be changed because the teen the law is named after was married at the time of the abortion that killed her.Named for a 15-year-old girl who died just four days after a legal abortion left her with a torn cervix and fatal infection, Sarah's Law, if approved, will protect the health and safety of young girls.The California Secretary of State qualified Sarah's Law for the November ballot after backers submitted...

LifeNews.com Note: Maria Vitale is a LifeNews.com Opinion Columnist and the Education Director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. Vitale has written and reported for various broadcast and print media outlets, including National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and AP Radio. One of my favorite times of the day is logging onto Facebook, to see what my friends are up to.I find some friends have posted photos...others have joined groups ranging from UK Beekeepers to Evangelium Vitae...others have become fans of Mother Teresa or Ronald Reagan...and still others are giving status reports on what they did this past weekend. I love...

Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) -- During the Democratic convention in Denver where pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama will be coronated as the party's nominee, a leading pro-abortion group will put on a big shindig. Emily's List will unite failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Obama's wife Michelle. That Barack Obama's wife would attend a gala for a pro-abortion group that supports partial-birth abortions and taxpayer-funded abortions is no surprise. Michelle Obama came under fire in May for a letter she wrote defending partial-birth abortions. The 2004 letter, written to help Obama in his campaign for his U.S. Senate seat, opposes the...

Washington, DC -- Americans received good news back in January when new figures from Planned Parenthood's research group showed the number of abortions nationwide have fallen to their lowest point in 30 years and have declined 25 percent since 1990. That has resulted in a drop in the nation's infant mortality rate.

A local election contest rarely draws national attention. But the issue of abortion has catapulted the district attorney’s race in Johnson County into that sphere. Phill Kline, who is campaigning to keep the job, is the first prosecutor since Roe v. Wade to file a criminal case against Planned Parenthood. Those who oppose abortion have taken note and are sending manpower and money. “There is no other elected official taking a more principled and courageous stand for the sanctity of human life than Phill Kline,” conservative James Dobson, who heads Focus on the Family, wrote recently in a letter soliciting...

Mara Vanderslice is a frenetic far-Leftist who worked for the Kerry campaign in 2004 — also then trying to con Christians into voting Democrat. Background on her here A new political group that claims to be a Christian organization has endorsed pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama. The Matthew 25 Network plans to run ads for Obama on Christian radio stations and in newspapers and magazines that appeal to Christians. The object is to try to pry away evangelical voters from supporting John McCain, who has already received the endorsement of a number of evangelical and Catholic groups and leaders.Mara Vanderslice,...

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told Planned Parenthood Tuesday that sex education for kindergarteners, as long as it is "age-appropriate," is "the right thing to do." "I remember Alan Keyes . . . I remember him using this in his campaign against me," Obama said in reference to the conservative firebrand who ran against him for the U.S. Senate in 2004. Sex education for kindergarteners had become an issue in his race against Keyes because of Obama’s work on the issue as chairman of the health committee in the Illinois state Senate. "'Barack...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Americans received good news back in January when new figures from Planned Parenthood's research group showed the number of abortions nationwide have fallen to their lowest point in 30 years and have declined 25 percent since 1990. That has resulted in a drop in the nation's infant mortality rate. The Alan Guttmacher Institute report found just over 1.2 million abortions in the United States in 2005, down nearly 25% from their high of 1.6 million in 1990.The last time the number of abortions was that low was 1976 -- just three years after Roe v. Wade....

LifeNews.com Note: Amy Sobie is the editor of The Post-Abortion Review, a quarterly publication of the Elliot Institute. The organization is a widely respected leader in research and analysis of medical, mental health and other complications resulting from abortions.Planned Parenthood of South Dakota is refusing to do abortions. Why? Because a federal court has upheld a new law that would require them to disclose to women the risk factors of abortion. These are statistically proven risk factors that reliably identify which women are at highest risk of post-abortion psychological problems, including depression and suicidal behavior.That's not the way the...

July 31, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "God chose us in Christ, before the world began, to be holy and blameless in his sight" (See Ephesians 1:5). On Saturday, July 12, I had the joy of baptizing three babies, chosen by God from all eternity to live. A cause of particular joy and celebration was that two of these babies were rescued from abortion. Their mothers had gone to an abortion mill in Allentown, PA, but sidewalk counselors intervened and helped them to find the strength to say "No" to abortion and "Yes" to life.The Church was filled with pro-life advocates,...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A majority of Americans take a pro-life position opposing most or all abortions, but polls show one-third to one-half of pro-life people believe abortion should be okay in cases of rape and incest. A new book from a rape survivor shows the added horror abortion is that only compounds sexual abuse trauma. In a gripping personal account of pain and redemption, author Nicole W. Cooley offers a candid look at her rape as a young military officer by a trusted friend.She relates the devastating emotional consequences of her decision to abort the child conceived during...

Life Prizes: A Contest for the Soul of a Generation GUEST COLUMN BY CATHY RUSE Executive Director of Life Prizes July 30, 2008 Powerful forces in our culture fight for the attention of the next generation. Marketing firms spend billions trying to turn the heads of young consumers and keep their gaze. But the most profound contest for the soul of our youth is between those working to build a Culture of Life and those bent on tearing it down. Last week the “pro-choice” organization Choice USA announced the winners of its “Generation Awards,” a prize given to young people...

SIOUX FALLS, SD (LifeSiteNews) - On Monday, July 21, eight women arrived at the Planned Parenthood office in Sioux Falls in South Dakota for abortions, but were instead met with locked doors and a hand-written note indicating the only abortion clinic in South Dakota was closed. Planned Parenthood closed its doors after their abortionists, who are flown in from other states, refused to work under the new law that went into effect last Friday. The law orders abortionists to inform patients of the humanity of their babies and that the procedure could affect their mental health two hours before the...

Sioux Falls, SD (LifeNews.com) -- The lone abortion center in South Dakota appears as if it is still not doing abortions following the implementation of a new law a week and a half ago. Rather than tell women abortion kills children and has numerous risks, Planned Parenthood closed its doors to women wanting abortions.As LifeNews.com was first to report last week, Monday was the first day for abortions at the Planned Parenthood abortion center but women who went for abortions were turned away.Dr. Allen Unruh, a leading pro-life advocate who works with Alpha Pregnancy Center, told LifeNews.com that it...

It’s not just about the filioque or the Immaculate Conception, folks. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have encouraged Catholics to reach out to Orthodox Christians, to respect them and learn their traditions. Catholics by and large have accepted that the Orthodox really are very close to Catholicism in many areas. But many would be surprised to learn that some Orthodox hierarchs (and Oriental Orthodox hierarchs) are soft, even permissive on the issue of abortion–soft like Anglicans.His Holiness, Patriarch Karekin I of Etchmiadzin of Armenia (Oriental Orthodox) who came on a pastoral visit to the US had this...

In a landmark decision that will impact the future of gun regulation in theUnited States, late last month the Supreme Court struck down a handgun ban in Washington, D.C. In District of Columbia et al. v. Heller (No. 07-290) a slim 5-4 majority found the D.C. ban to violate the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state , the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Over the last few years observers of the Supreme Court have noticed a trend...

As a faithful Catholic, if you are contemplating a vote for Sen. Obama, you are morally bound to consider whether or not Sen. McCain advocates intrinsic moral evils — that is, life-destroying violations of the inherent dignity of the human person — on par with Obama's support for legalized abortion. Unless you can demonstrate at least a moral equivalence between the policies of the two candidates with regard to such intrinsic evils, then you cannot, with a clear conscience, vote for the pro-abortion candidate. Do not bicker about whose policies on balance are better for the economy or will help...

DENVER, Colorado, July 28, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Colorado for Equal Rights has announced the support of over 70 physicians and pharmacists, including neonatologists, family physicians, ob-gyns, pediatricians, and other physicians nationwide. These physicians have stated that they concur with the statement, "A 'person' includes any human from the time of fertilization." A list of these physicians is available at http://www.personhood2008.com.   "We are honored to have received these endorsements from such respected physicians," stated Kristi Burton, the sponsor of the "Personhood Amendment" which is set to appear on the 2008 Colorado ballot. "Science clearly proves that life begins at the time...

LifeNews.com Note: Award winning author Wesley J. Smith is special consultant to the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network. His current book is Consumer’s Guide to a Brave New World.Peter Singer is the Princeton bioethicist who first broke into the public's consciousness more than thirty years ago with Animal Liberation, a book in which he claimed that granting human beings special privileges based on being human is "speciesist"—discrimination against animals. Instead of society being human centric, he asserted that the lives and well-being of animals deserve "equal consideration" with those of humans. Singer's intent was (and is) to destroy human...