Free Republic

Bishop Joseph F. Martino Scranton, PA, Oct 2, 2008 / 04:12 am (CNA).- Bishop Joseph F. Martino of the Diocese of Scranton has directed a pastoral letter on pro-life matters to be read at all weekend Masses of the upcoming Respect Life Weekend, saying Catholic efforts on such issues have “more significance than ever.” Discussing the societal breakdown in the wake of the sexual revolution, Bishop Martino explains Catholic teaching, and pledges “vigilance” in correcting Catholic pro-abortion rights public figures.The pastoral letter, which is also to be circulated with all parish bulletins this weekend, could have political ramifications for...

For the first time in the 35 years, the Supreme Court has been asked to decide whether this statement is biological fact, or mere ideology: “Abortion terminates the life of a human being.” Two U.S. courts disagree over what Roe v. Wade means for this issue, so there are now two Constitutions — one in New Jersey, the other in the Eighth Circuit’s six states. This kind of conflict increases the odds that the United States Supreme Court will step in, and a new case, Acuna v. Turkish, gives it the option to. On September 29, the high Court will...

A leading pro-life organization has released a new web ad asking Barack Obama to apologize for saying it lied about his abortion votes. Obama accused National Right to Life of lying when it released documents verifying he voted against medical care for newborns who survive abortions. The dustup surrounds the votes Obama cast against bills in the Illinois legislature to make sure infants aren't left to die after they survive a failed abortion. Obama voted against the bills, he says, because they would have violated Roe v. Wade, yet documents the National Right to Life Committee released weeks ago showed...

The Illinois Federation for Right to Life Political Action Committee (IFRL-PAC) is pleased to announce the endorsement of Steve Sauerberg Republican Candidate for the U. S. Senate in the general election to be held November 4, 2008. The foundation upon which our country was built is the protection of human life. The protection of unborn children in Illinois is of primary importance. If we do not restore and maintain the protection of the right to life for the weakest and most helpless members of our Society, we ourselves will become endangered. We are proud to announce our endorsement of Steve...

Adapted from a commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace to the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College. Mr. Wallace, 46, died last Friday, after apparently committing suicide. There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning, boys, how's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, "What the hell is water?" If at this moment, you're worried that I plan to present myself here...

WORDS OF WARNING AND HOPE Written by: Lori Kalner on Thursday, September 18, 2008 Words of Warning and Hope by Lori Kalner Dear Friends, It becomes more difficult for me to write to you these days with a difficult time of dialysis as diabetes advances. Now I must write at least this one last time. Bodie and Brock are gracious and let my voice of warning be heard. I was a young girl in Germany and lived through difficult times. We have since then had a wonderful life. The world, as difficult as it has been, at least for many...

The McCain-Palin ticket may be locking its huge lead on a crucial voting bloc: church-going Catholics. The development — contained Thursday in a poll by the Pew Research Center and backed by other polls — could be crucial to victory in November. Why? Catholics are the ultimate swing voters and make up as much as one-third the population of battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Moreover, some 40 percent of U.S. Catholics have no affiliation with either party. Republican presidential candidate John McCain now has opened a 16-percentage-point lead over Democratic rival Barack Obama among observant Catholics, according to...

Dr. Ahmed Adnan Ahmed, the local doctor in Hatim Mutliq, northwest of Baghdad checks the pulse of one of his patients during a medical operation in the town. Photo by Brad Willeford, 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division. BAGHDAD — For citizens of a war-torn city, often the smallest things that help make life easier are the most welcome of sights. Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers are working hand in hand with government of Iraq (GoI) officials to help local citizens return to a more normal way of life.  They are improving essential services throughout the region with a program...

Here is an outstanding video put together by CatholicVote.com, which encourages Catholics to vote their values this November and vote for a culture of life. I'm not Cathoic, but I am an Evangelical Christian. I found this video to be stirring and powerful, and focusing on what millions of evangelicals will be joining Catholics in voting for this November - LIFE. . . . . (see video at link)

The idea that life on Earth might have originated elsewhere, on Mars, for example, has gained currency in recent times as we’ve learned more about the transfer of materials between planets. Mars cooled before the Earth and may well have become habitable at a time when our planet was not. There seems nothing particularly outrageous in the idea that dormant bacteria inside chunks of the Martian surface, blasted into space by comet or asteroid impacts, might have crossed the interplanetary gulf and given rise to life here. But what of an interstellar origin for life on Earth? The odds on...

This video is excellent - pass it on!! Let me know what you think. http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2008/09/new-video-from-catholicvotecom.html

TORONTO, September 10, 2008 (LIfeSiteNews.com) - U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's loving and highly-publicized acceptance of her Down's syndrome child Trig has some Canadian doctors worried that her example may lead to mothers shunning abortion after diagnosis of Down's syndrome. Dr. Andre Lalonde, executive vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), told the Globe and Mail yesterday, "Palin's decision to keep her baby, knowing he would be born with the condition, may inadvertently influence other women who may lack the necessary emotional and financial support to do the same." "The worry is that this will have...

The battle lines have been drawn, and the battle between the culture of death and those who celebrate life is ready to begin anew. I speak not of the legalities of abortion or of the obvious unconstitutionality of the Roe v. Wade decision but of the choices we make as people and of those we elect to lead us. In the Saddleback Civil Forum held by Pastor Rick Warren when asked the question, “At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?” John McCain answered without hesitation, “At the moment of conception.” Barack Obama’s now infamous answer...

Worth a million words.

The Vatican newspaper has re-opened the debate over whether brain death — defined as the cessation of all brain functions — marks the definitive end of life, as opposed to the moment when the heart stops beating. In a front page article in L'Osservatore Romano, Lucetta Scaraffia, Professor of Modern History at a Rome university and a regular contributor to the newspaper and the Italian media, noted that the Vatican had adopted brain death as a criterion for declaring a person dead after the publication of a landmark report by Harvard Medical School 40 years ago. Professor Scaraffia said that...

First of all, Sarah Palin is a woman who lives what she proclaims. She is truly pro-life. She and her husband Todd knew that their last child, Trigg, had an extra chromosome. He was a “Downs” child. What did they do? They welcomed him as a special gift and showed the whole world that every human life is a gift to be received and not a “problem” to be “dealt with” by the always deadly “choice”, of abortion. Now, the news has emerged that Sarah and Todd’s seventeen year old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant with her own child. Yes, pregnant...

  Sunday, August 31, 2008 Trig Paxson Van Palin   [Rich Lowry] I meant to post this the other day (so please don’t take it as a response to Rick—in fact it might constitute pleading guilty as charged!), but I got sidetracked. I found the Palin event Friday incredibly moving. Partly because of Trig. The sentimentalist in me would be willing to see anyone who is loving and unselfish enough to welcome a Down kid into their family elevated to high office. When I was thinking of Trig, I was reminded of an encounter I had a couple of weeks ago on...

One thing the military teaches is that, when answering a question, one should put the bottom line up front. Will Christian Conservatives Really Refuse to Support McCain if he chooses a Pro-Abortion VP? Yes. They will. 1. Religious Conservatives know that "Life" is not merely some focus group's political issue. They realize from their Christian upbringing that life is a God-given Right. They realize from the law written on everyman's heart by the Hand of God, that life is a God-given Right. They realize that this Right is CORRECTLY enshrined in the founding documents of our nation. 2. Many Christian...

Bishops say Pelosi misrepresented abortion teaching in TV interview By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The chairmen of the U.S. bishops' pro-life and doctrine committees criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying she "misrepresented the history and nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion" in a nationally televised interview Aug. 24. Pelosi, D-Calif., who is Catholic, in an appearance that day on NBC's "Meet the Press," said for centuries church leaders had not been able to agree on when life begins. A day later, a statement by Cardinal Justin F. Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop William...

After declaring that resolving the issue of abortion “is above my pay grade,” presidential contender Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) elaborated on the nuances of the topic. “Should a moment of incautious sexual indulgence be penalized by a life sentence of responsibility for the welfare of an unwanted child?” Obama asked. “I think this is too harsh a punishment, especially when we have the medical means to rectify the situation.” “There are also contractual considerations we ought not to ignore,” he continued. “A woman who goes in for an abortion has been promised that her pregnancy will be terminated. Just because...

The Democratic Party is planning a convention designed to soften the edges on the party's support for abortion rights, with a revamped platform and a speaking lineup that reinforces efforts to broaden Democrats' appeal on the hot-button issue. In a statement fraught with symbolism for those on both sides of the abortion debate, Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., an abortion-rights opponent, will be given a prime speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month. Casey's father, the late Pennsylvania Gov. Robert Casey, a Democrat who also held strong anti-abortion views, was denied a speaking role at...

The debate about what counts as a living thing is fuelled today by the discovery of the first virus that is able to fall "ill" by being infected with another virus. Viruses are glorified scraps of genetic code that are exquisitely designed to pirate a host to reproduce: the common cold virus needs cells in the nose and respiratory tract to reproduce, before being spread with a sneeze. But the discovery of a giant virus that itself falls ill through infection by another virus seems to suggest they too are alive, highlighting how there is no watertight definition of what...

OMAHA, Neb., July 30, 2008 – Nearly 500 disabled veterans closed the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games here last night celebrating new friendships made, new pride in what they’ve accomplished, and confidence in their abilities. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Felder, participating in his second National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Neb., said he was thrilled when his team won the coveted gold medal in basketball, but he gained even more sharing stories and experiences with fellow participants. Felder lost his left leg in a 2006 motorcycle accident but has received approval to remain on active duty as an...

Great Song. I think I could have written the lyrics more suitable to me though .

For the Christian, the center from which the Divine design proceeds within the fabric of our own lives- and through which we begin to discern the beauty of God’s perfect plan - is the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the central patch of cloth from which the pattern proceeds. It is also where the pattern returns. However, seeing this pattern requires ongoing conversion. We need the eyes that can only come through living faith. We need the strength to pull ourselves up by grasping the wood. It is only there where we begin to see that the threads all...

Does Contraception Foster Love? — Part 2 of 6 July 22nd, 2008 by Christopher West We continue a series of reflections on the issue of contraception in light of the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae. When Pope Paul VI issued this document on July 25, 1968, it fell like a bomb. Many people wished the issue would just go away. It hasn’t. And it won’t. In fact, it can’t “go away.” This encyclical takes us to the very foundations of human life (humanae vitae).In the last column, we looked at how contraception has played a key role in the cultural...

Dancing With the Baby Stars - The Amazing Feats of Fetal Development You may not think of yourself as the next Kristi Yamaguchi, but long before you could walk, you could dance. Not on the floor, mind you, but in the womb. If you want proof of an unborn baby's dancing ability, check out http://www.yourdevelopingbaby.com/sampleChapters/7.htm. There, under the headline "Baby aerobics," you'll see a baby 15 weeks after conception, doing a unique form of hip hop. The incredible video comes courtesy of two Harvard radiology professors, Peter Doubilet and Carol Benson, a married couple who have written an eye-catching book...

"CHRIST OUR HOPE." Pastor F. E. Marsh (Of Sunderland) (At the Nottingham Conference, May, 1894) As a key-text, will you turn to the first epistle of Paul to Timothy, 1st chapter, 1st verse: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our Hope" now, wherever we have hope in the objective in the word of God, it always refers to the Lord Jesus Christ coming for His people. Christ is coming in power to put down every opposing force before He can set up his kingdom on earth. He...

In the course of human events it is necessary, now and again, to dissolve our political bands with the ninnies who keep abandoning our founding principles. It used to be self-evident that our government’s role was primarily to protect certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It used to be that our government did the bidding of the people – that any power it derived was solely through the consent of the governed. It used to be our country believed in limited government – that government at its best was a necessary evil and should...

It is my hope that the art of conversation is not inborn as much as learned, because I frequently find myself feeling out of place in social situations. I’m not good at being funny on the spot, and I’m extremely poor at feigning interest in things that just don’t interest me. In fact, the only two things I really enjoy talking about, besides myself, are sports and politics. Sports and politics, what strange bedfellows. This worries me because sports – although I adore them and can rationalize more value from them than anyone alive – do not matter the way...

Last Wednesday, as California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger prepared to tell a biotechnology industry convention in San Diego that his state “is one of the best places to set up shop”, Kári Stefansson was opening a letter that had just landed on his desk at deCODE genetics in Reykjavik, Iceland. The letter read: “It has come to the attention of the California Department of Public Health…that deCODEme Genetics is in violation of California law” for failing to have a clinical laboratory licence in the state and offering genetic tests to consumers resident in the state without a physician's order. It gave...

Once an Embryo… June 23rd, 2008 by Fr. Frank Pavone The US bishops have issued a very clear statement on embryonic stem cell research. It does not dwell upon the scientific nuances of the issue, but rather assists the reader to focus on the moral issues involved. The statement is not marked by condemnation, but rather by explanation. It is not a rejection of research or of those who stand to benefit from research, but rather a call to pursue the well being of those very individuals by preserving the moral standards that protect their dignity and that of the...

Ancient_antarctic_microbes_2_2 The unusual properties of frozen water may have been the ticket that made life possible. Over the decades, several notable scientists have began to suspect that life on Earth did not evolve in a warm primordial soup, but in ice—at temperatures that few living things can now tolerate. The very laws of chemistry may have actually favored ice, says Jeffrey Bada, at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. “We’ve been arguing for a long time,” he says, “that cold conditions make much more sense, chemically, than warm conditions.” If Bada and others are correct, it would...

How to Get the Oil Out of Your LifeEileen Gunn 06/20/08 - 10:38 AM EDT Oil is everywhere. The ubiquity of petroleum as a manufacturing raw material is mind-boggling. There is petroleum in your kitchen, living room, bedroom, home office, den and car (aside from the fuel and oil tanks). Household items that have petroleum derivatives that you might not expect include health and beauty products (lip balm, moisturizer, diaper cream, eye drops, styling gel, hair color, nail polish and all kinds of make-up), clothes, house paint, CDs, bug repellents, serving and storage bowls, detergent, luggage, golf bags, bicycle and...

Get A Little Sun This Summer -- It Could Help Save Your Life, Researcher SuggestsExperts still agree that a fairly modest amount of sun is enough -- perhaps 10-15 minutes of exposure on your arms and face about three times a week. Sunburn should of course be avoided and a tan clearly isn't necessary -- but some real sun exposure probably is. (Credit: iStockphoto/Robert Churchill) ScienceDaily (Jun. 18, 2008) — As summer comes and people across America get ready to start slathering on the sunscreen, a note of caution is in order – a little sunshine is good for you....

TANROW, June 13, 2008 (CWNews.com/LifeSiteNews.com) - A Polish volleyball star who was buried on June 9 is being compared by local Catholics to Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla because of her heroic sacrifice for her unborn child. Agata Mroz, who was originally known for her athletic prowess, was buried in her hometown of Tarnow. Mroz was pregnant with her first child when doctors discovered she had a fatal case of leukemia. After consulting with her husband, Mroz delayed a bone-marrow transplant until after she gave birth to her daughter Liliana on April 4, 2008. Polish fans dubbed the national team...

- In Sweden that is. All the same, if various experts are right, the Nordic countries are not only the richest part of the world, but also global leaders in the domain of QUALITY of life. Therefore, living in this part of Stockholm is probably as good as life gets, or? The article: "The Stockholm suburb of Danderyd is the best municipality in which to live, according to a new ranking by the magazine Fokus. Lund and nearby Lomma in southern Sweden follow closely behind. Ljusnarsberg municipality in the Bergslagen region of central Sweden ended up in last place. The...

Just saying... :)

A young boy performs a flip for the camera as he and his friends enjoy swimming at the al Jadida public swimming pool in Baghdad al Jadida, eastern Baghdad, June 7th, 2008. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Brian D. Lehnhardt. FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY — Scoring a refreshing blow against impending sweltering summer temperatures, Al Jadida officials decided to get their feet wet and dive headfirst into meeting the needs of the local populace. A nearly three-month project to renovate Baghdad Al Jadida Pool Complex was officially complete when the swimming pool reopened to the public June 7.A mixture...

It is not surprising that most people in Christendom believe that they have an immortal soul residing within them and that “it will never die” – which is the meaning of the term “immortal.” This is a longstanding “tradition” in most church bodies; Roman Catholic, Protestantism, Baptist, Methodists, Lutherans, Evangelicals, etc. Jesus started His Church with inspired men setting it up and teaching its beliefs. But nowhere did they teach that man has an immortal soul residing within one’s body. As time progressed, un-inspired men introduced the pagan idea of an “entity” residing within one’s body that will never die,...

The Food and Drug Administration has finally acknowledged that it needs more resources to protect consumers from tainted food and drugs. Unfortunately, it took the deaths of 81 people, a browbeating by members of Congress and a report detailing the FDA's woeful inability to expand overseas inspections before top agency officials would ask for more money. It was a puzzling situation and one that has to make you wonder whether the Bush administration was putting the bottom line ahead of the health and safety of the American public. Last week, FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach finally wrote Congress to...

"...Oncophage, developed by Manhattan-based startup Antigenics (AGEN), is a vaccine that recruits the patient's immune system to fight off cancer cells. It may keep the cancer from recurring for up to two years. "This is undoubtedly a major victory," says Loran" "Russia is the only country that has approved Oncophage. The data was not conclusive enough to convince the U.S. Food & Drug Administration" "...the agency should overhaul its methods for reviewing cancer drugs much as it did in the late 1980s and 1990s for AIDS drugs"

A poll conducted by Knowledge Networks found that 66 percent of the 1,100 people responding favored legalizing assisted suicide. The most popular candidates for the procedure according to an open-ended question on the poll were an annoying spouse (23 percent), insane boss (16 percent), nosy neighbor (11 percent), the driver who cut me off (5 percent), unspecified others (11 percent).

ScienceDaily (May 19, 2008) — An improved artificial cornea, which could restore the vision of more than 10 million people worldwide who are blind due to diseased corneas, finally is moving toward reality, scientists in California conclude in a new analysis of research on the topic. Curtis Frank, Christopher Ta, David Myung, and Jennifer Cochran point out that disease or injury to the cornea -- the clear tissue covering the front of the eye -- is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although treated in developed countries with transplants from donors, cornea transplants are unavailable in many parts of...

5/15/2008 - NANGARHAR, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- Airmen from around the world and Soldiers from Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina and Virginia arrived in Afghanistan in early March to improve the lives of the people of Nangarhar Province. After two months on the ground, the team has gotten its bearings and is working to build strong relationships with its community. "Seeing smiles on the faces of the Afghan children is by far the most rewarding experience, and knowing that our team is working to provide a better future for the kids is tremendously important to me," said Lt. Col. Paul Donovan, Nangarhar...

Abortion is back in the news yet, understandably, many women still find it difficult to talk about. Here Lucy Cavendish – who has been through it twice – offers a candid view Virtually every woman I know of my generation has had an abortion. The problem is that no one talks about it. It is hidden away as if it were a dirty secret. This week, however, every time I've opened a newspaper or turned on the radio, abortion has been the topic du jour. First, Conservative MP Nadine Dorries called for the legal limit for terminations to be...

BATON ROUGE, La. - A construction company owner who lost two homes in Hurricane Katrina claimed a $97 million Powerball prize, a jackpot won off a ticket he bought at a convenience store where he stopped to buy his wife a gallon of milk. When he turned in the winning ticket, Carl Hunter became the largest Powerball winner in Louisiana's history. He won the jackpot in January, but the 73-year-old small businessman waited nearly four months to claim the prize. An avid lottery player, Hunter said he already had bought a Powerball ticket on Jan. 16 at the gas station...

An animated butterfly’s flight to a rainbow and children sing and praise our one and only all mighty God.

This master teacher, theologian, Chief Pastor and Pope acted with precision, purpose, and profound care.

Beginning next Tuesday, Yale senior Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself ?as often as possible? while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages