Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Health Care Reform - What's the Alternative?

In response to Elaine Hopkins' piece on the editorial page of the Peoria Journal Star last Saturday, I submitted the following letter to the editor:

What's the Alternative?

It is probably safe to say that most Americans would like the government to do something to improve America's health care situation, but they probably don't really want a massive increase in federal funding for abortions. Many people have welcomed the Stupak Amendment aimed at banning federal funding for abortions under the proposed new programs.

However, in her 12/5/09 letter to the editor of the Journal Star, Elaine Hopkins argues, in a complicated bit of logic, that the Stupak Amendment would drive all abortion providers out of business. But Elaine doesn't provide an alternative.

The alternative appears to be the current bill before the Senate, minus the amendment. This bill has been called, in a November 20 statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "an enormous disappointment, creating new and completely unacceptable federal policy that endangers human life and rights of conscience."

So, there you have it. It seems that Elaine Hopkins is arguing effectively against passage of the current health care reform bill.

Daniel J. Bohan

2010 Sanctity of Life Rally

Here's the press release for the 2010 Sanctity of Life Rally:

Peoria Sanctity of Human Life Rally planned for Jan. 19

PEORIA, Ill. – “Taking the War on Abortion to the Next Level: Charity and Life” will be the topic of the keynote speech of the annual Sanctity of Human Life Rally at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 504 Fulton St.

James Lansberry, vice president of the Peoria-based Samaritan Ministries International, will be the featured speaker.

The rally, along with a Walk for Life march, is held annually by Central Illinois Right to Life to mark the U.S. Supreme Court's January 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide. National Right to Life (www.nrlc.org) estimates that more than 49 million abortions have been carried out in the U.S. since 1973. More than 1,600 abortions were performed in Peoria in 2009, according to numbers compiled by CIRTL.

The Sanctity of Life evening will start with an open house at the Family Resources Center, 321 Main St., from 5:30 to 6:30. The Walk for Life, from the Peoria County Courthouse to Sacred Heart Church, will start at 6:30.

Pro-life group representatives will speak at the rally, updating the community on efforts to eliminate abortion and help those affected by abortion.

Lansberry, who is also president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries (see attached bio), has been interviewed on national television as well as dozens of radio stations this past year about the health care reform effort. He also, however, speaks frequently on life issues, and has been interviewed about stem cell research as well as conscience regulations in 2009.

###

Note to news media: James Lansberry is available for advance interviews. You may contact him at jlansberry@smchcn.net. The Revs. James McDonald and Mark Henninger, board members of Central Illinois Right to Life, also will be available to the media before and after the rally, as will be longtime board member Dan Smith.

For help in securing an interview time for any of these gentlemen or for any other information about the rally, please contact Mike Miller at 689-0442, Ext. 142, Monday through Thursday or 248-7909 in the evening Sunday through Thursday.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Health Care Proposals and the Stupak Amendment

Here is an email I just sent to my two Senators in Washington:

As a Catholic, I understand and appreciate that there is a pressing need to make health care more affordable and accessible for those in need. So, I appreciate the Senate's efforts in this direction. However, I understand from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the current legislation is "an enormous disappointment, creating new and completely unacceptable federal policy that endangers human life and rights of conscience."

Please adopt the House-approved Stupak Amendment that upholds longstanding policies against abortion funding, and please protect conscience rights in health care reform. I also do not believe that it is a good idea for immigrants to lose or to be denied health care coverage.

Let's Pray for Each Other

Here is an email I've just sent to President Obama: I am praying for you to succeed in your mission as President. With God's help, I know that you can do good for our country. And I ask you to join me in praying for the unborn, who are being cruelly assaulted today.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

BEATITUDES, BABIES AND BASEBALL: The Persecuted Right Fielder

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matt. 5:10-12. This essay here concludes a nine part series which examines whether abortion is consistent with or opposed to the beatitudes at the core of Christian faith and action. Each essay examines a beatitude in three relationships: our relationship with God, with His laws and with others, particularly the least favored of humanity. Each begins with mention of a famous baseball player who demonstrated some characteristics of the beatitude. Can you recognize this last player before reading his name? 9. The Persecuted, but Appreciated, Right Fielder. After he was traded to his third team in his first four years in the major leagues, he won the League’s Most Valuable Player Award twice the next two years, edging out the established hometown hero. Sadly, many people criticized him as an unworthy upstart when he passed the home run record then held by America’s greatest sports hero. Instead of being rewarded for this accomplishment, he faced a lot of hostility from the baseball public. "They acted as though I was doing something wrong, poisoning the record books or something," he said. As they had done for their other superstars who preceded him, though, the Yankees accorded him honor and retired the jersey number of this right fielder, Roger Maris. Christ calls us in the last Beatitude to accept persecution not to pursue excellence, but to pursue Him. The characteristic of this Beatitude is fellowship with Christ, His law, and those least fortunate among us because He is with them also. The beatitude reminds us that this fellowship embraces also those who have gone before us in His name. The prochoice side, however, calls for the destruction of the least fortunate among us. It persecutes those who would protect them. Its laws stand in opposition to God’s laws and disregard those giants, the prophets and saints who suffered persecution themselves for the sake of Christ. We must choose which team we will be on. Let it be His team and let us strive to be the best teammates of those closest to Him, the unborn who are presently least among us. Then, they will grow in size and stature and become the teammates we will need in our declining years. Let us recognize the sacrifice made by those mothers in crisis pregnancy who maintain the lives of their unborn children. They are truly heros whether they raise those children themselves or place them with others to do so. Let us remember too the sacrifice made by the men and women daily who have stood on the front line of the abortion holocaust for the sake of the unborn, and ultimately for their mothers and families, especially when they have been persecuted for doing so. Finally, when we pass from this earth, may we be part of that victorious celebration with Him, the prophets and saints, and all those millions of people who were not permitted to walk this earth.

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

SMI VP to speak at 1/19/10 rally

James Lansberry, vice president of the Peoria-based Samaritan Ministries International, a health care sharing organization, will be the keynote speaker at the Jan. 19, 2010, Sanctity of Life Rally at Sacred Heart Church in Peoria.

The Central Illinois Right to Life Board confirmed that decision at its November meeting on Monday.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Huge Expansion of Federal Abortion Funding

I fired off an email to my guys in Washington:

Dear senator or representative:

As a Catholic, I am very concerned that the proposed health care reform will include expanded federal abortion funding. From what I have read in our Catholic newspaper, the five health care reform bills currently under consideration "would permit or mandate the use of fereral revenues fotr coverage that includes elective abortions." This quote is from "The Catholic Post," 11/1/2009 issue, page 4, "What some would 'Hyde'."

The article says that the Hyde Amendment does not apply to any of the health care reform bills, and it says "An explicit prohibition must ... be included in the final health care reform bill to avert a huge expansion of federal abortion funding. Without it and notwithstanding their strong support for health care reform, the bishops will have no choice but to oppose the final bill vigorously."

Monday, November 2, 2009

BEATITUDES, BABIES AND BASEBALL: The Center Fielder Who Bucked Systemic Persecution

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5:11
This essay, like the previous seven in this nine part series, examines a beatitude in three relationships: our relationship with God, with His laws and with others, particularly the least favored of humanity. It begins with mention of a famous baseball player who demonstrated some characteristics of the beatitude. Can you recognize the ball player before reading his name? The center fielder who bucked systemic persecution. When his team traded him, he wrote to the commissioner of baseball: "After 12 years in the major leagues I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system that produces that result violates my basic right as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States." White or black, ballplayers could only bargain with one team. Seven months before the Roe v. Wade decision, Supreme Court Justice Blackmun wrote the majority opinion in this ballplayer’s appeal, ruling against him. Only 3 years later, however, free agency began, but too late for this seven time Gold Glove Award winning center fielder, Curt Flood. In the real world, persecution for the sake of righteousness can be a far greater sacrifice than giving up a baseball career. Likewise, frequently more is at stake than the principle of contract freedom. In any event, to accept persecution voluntarily, people must have faith in God who is in control over even the persecutors. Accepting persecution also requires total commitment to God’s law, even to the point of sacrifice to follow it. The hardest part about persecution, however, is the powerlessness one feels when persecuted. This powerlessness transforms a person into one less favored, and perhaps even one of the least favored of humanity. The prochoice position, by contrast, follows from unrighteous conduct and leads to the avoidance of persecution. When they become pregnant, unmarried women are five times more likely to abort their unborn children than married women are. Unmarried women have four out of five abortions. Those who have rejected God’s law by their sexual conduct have more difficulty turning in faith toward God, trusting Him, recommitting to His law, and taking up the cross of personal sacrifice necessary to accept the relative powerlessness of the persecuted. Clearly, unless we can stem the tide of sexual activity among the unmarried, the pressures they have to abort their unborn children will remain overwhelmingly high. To reduce substantially the pressures to abort, we must work to reduce the pressures unmarried persons have toward sexual activity. Those pressures are in a real sense persecutions against those who resist them. Rather than avoiding persecution by running from it, Christ teaches us to accept it. To accept this persecution requires unmarried persons to have faith that God is in control of their lives. That faith gives them the fortitude to withstand pressure. They must be totally committed to God’s law so that they can sacrifice to follow it, even when that means accepting a position of less power. Whatever we can do to aid the unmarried in accepting persecution for righteousness will help drive down abortion.

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com

Friday, October 23, 2009

Peoria Abortion Facility Stats

Peoria Abortion Facility Statistics

There were approximately 29 abortions on Thurs., Oct. 22. Totals for 2009=1436.

This is Day 30 of the 40 Days for Life. One of the pray-ers on the sidewalk recognized someone driving in and out of the abortion clinic, after they picked someone up. They had a bumper sticker on their car with “A Proud Member of St.____’s Catholic Church.

Our Christian brothers and sisters come to this facility.

From - Karen Guth - Helpers of God's Precious Infants

Today It Rained

By Karen Guth - CIRTL Board of Directors - Helpers of God's Precious Infants

Today it rained. The morning wasn’t so bad, but the rain got heavier as the day progressed.
This was one of those days, when no one stopped for literature. I wouldn’t want to stop and let the rain in to take something from a weird-looking person swathed in poncho and rain gear.
There were lots of extra people on the sidewalk. One woman who started coming a few weeks ago, asked if they could keep coming after the 40 days were over.
I could have just jumped up and clicked my heels together at that comment. You certainly can! That is a praise God moment.
I took a break and missed the person with the “proud member of the Catholic church” bumper sticker. One of our 40 days prayer warriors got the unpleasant surprise of seeing a fellow parishioner picking someone up.
That is a horrible feeling to see someone you know, someone who is a member of your church at that evil place.
We had one of those strange, unpleasant happenings. A woman made a left turn, and then a u-turn in front of the clinic. She had her window down and was talking out the window, even before she made the u-turn.
She pulled into the driveway right by us, yelling, making ugly faces. I have trouble taking that sort of thing in. I don’t really want to know all those words she was saying, or exactly what those gestures or faces were.
They were very bizarre and ugly.
She pulled to the back of the clinic, and after a short time, drove back out, quickly, yelling as she went.
Please pray for that young woman.
I got out the holy water, sprinkled the driveway and the sidewalk. We all could have used to bless ourselves with some. I didn’t think of that.
We prayed for her.
A man contacted me this week who wants to pray for us that come to the sidewalk and to pray for all the women who come.
As you can tell, we really need that. Please join in whether you can come to the sidewalk or not. The evil one is at work.
We talked about the Fatima movie, The 13th Day. God is at work also. Praise God for our faith, our church, our many blessings.
We also talked about the talk and the visit of the National Pilgrim Fatima Statue. The speaker talked about Our Lady’s request that we offer up our sufferings to God for the conversion of sinners. We do this today for the conversion of our country.
At the time of Fatima, it was for the conversion of Russia, but today we need it here.
Let us all join together in doing this. We all have sufferings. We just need to lift them up to God, so they can be used.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

BEATITUDES, BABIES AND BASEBALL: Peace Flies Out of Left Field

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matt. 5:10-12. This essay is the seventh in a nine part series which examines whether abortion is consistent with or opposed to the beatitudes at the core of Christian faith and action. Each part examines a beatitude in three relationships: our relationship with God, with His laws, and with others, particularly the least favored of humanity. Each begins with mention of a famous baseball player who demonstrated some characteristics of the beatitude. Can you recognize the player before reading his name? Peace flies out of left field. He missed almost five seasons sacrificed to service of our country in two wars, including the Korean war where he flew missions with John Glenn. Still, he slugged 521 home runs in his career. Back in 1941, the year our country joined the fight against world tyranny, he was the last major league player to hit .400. For stopping the spread of totalitarian forces across the world, we owe a debt of gratitude to the generation of men who served our country with this left fielder, Ted Williams. When evil powers invade peaceful countries, making peace requires armies to cast the aggressors out. When evil powers take control of the reigns of government, making peace requires people to cast the usurpers out. When evil powers take control of the hearts of men and women, making peace requires us to cast the demons out. Clearly, peacemaking is not for wimps. It is risky business, and without aid from above, doomed to failure. To be successful, peacemakers must listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit, stand firm for God’s law, and protect the weak from strong forces intent on their destruction. The prochoice position, by contrast, surrenders to the forces of evil at work in our culture. No true peace exists between parents and children where parents kill one child before birth for every three born. Why are we surprised that child abuse to born children has increased 20 fold since abortion was legalized? No true peace exists between parents who kill their offspring before birth. Their marriages end up on the rocks, driving up the divorce rate and all its problems for the rest of society. No true peace exists in the hearts of those parents who know the results of their deadly choices. They frequently suffer from depression and resort to drugs, alcohol, and self-destructive behavior to deaden the impact. The prochoice voice claims that peace would reign if only prolife people would not make mothers and fathers of aborted children feel guilty about difficult decisions made in crisis. Yet even if all of us were silent, they would hear in their conscience the small, still voice reminding them of their lost children. Warfare would still rage in each of them. A house divided against itself is not a peaceful abode. Peacemaking demands first that we begin by listening in our own hearts to the directions given to us by the Holy Spirit. When we are not at peace at heart, demons drum incessantly attempting to drown out the still, small voice we need to hear to remain human. That voice directs that we stand firm by His law, as only humans can, and protect the weak, even when we have nothing to gain ourselves. By the power of the Spirit, we can help others cast out those demons to bring peace to the hearts of our fellow human beings. Second, peacemaking demands that we throw the usurpers out of our government. To make peace requires us to remember that no majority vote of the people decided to permit abortion in our society. Instead, it was the undemocratic decision of seven unelected men on the Supreme Court who rewrote the Constitution to throw out the laws proscribing abortion in all fifty states, leaving our country with the world’s least protections for the unborn until China started forcing their mothers to have abortions. Peace requires us to throw the usurpers out! That can only be done by continually electing presidents who will appoint prolife justices to the United States Supreme Court and United States Senators who will confirm their appointments. Third, peacemaking demands that when evil powers invade peaceful countries, armies must cast the aggressors out. Worldwide abortion is making this task more and more difficult each year. A case in point is the one child policy in communist China which has resulted in forced abortions, abandoned children (mostly baby girls) and an excess male population of military age approaching 15 million. If communist China turns its army toward one of its neighbors, such as nationalist China on the island of Taiwan, how are we to stop this aggression by one of our largest trading partners against one of our allies? Will we put at risk the remainder of that generation of Americans whose numbers have been decimated by abortion already? If so, who will take care of their parents, the baby boomers, who first made abortion commonplace in America, but who are now aging and moving toward retirement? Truly, as stated by Mother Teresa, “The greatest destroyer of peace in the world is abortion.”

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com

Friday, October 16, 2009

Peoria Abortion Clinic Stats

Peoria Abortion Facility Statistics

There were approximately 29 abortions on Thurs., Oct. 15. Totals for 2009=1407. This is Day 23 of the 40 Days for Life. Are you coming to the sidewalk to join us? Are you serious about ending abortion in our world, in our country, in our city?

From - Karen Guth - Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Abortion Is Not Health Care

I emailed my Senators today:

Those of us who believe in the sanctity of human life are appalled that the people who are supporting the new health care program feel it necessary to include something that makes it easier for a woman to afford her abortion. The proposed health care program, I think maybe contains some good ideas; however, so far, we just see it as a program to make it easier for a woman to afford her abortion.

Human life is the most precious, most important thing .... the most important thing we have is the lives of all our human beings. It's wrong to take a human life, even if that life happens to be living inside of another human being. Obviously, the baby just before he/she is born has got to be a human being just as much as after birth.

So, I am pleading with you to add to the health care law a statement stating that it does not include coverage for abortions.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Rally scheduled Oct. 12 to mark midpoint of Peoria 40 Days for Life campaign

Peoria, IL – The 40 Days for Life campaign will have a midpoint rally at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, at 7405 N. University St.

“As we are about to reach Day 20 of our 40 days of prayer, fasting, vigil and outreach, it is time to gather with pro-life members of the Peoria community to share stories and encourage one another, building towards a strong finish of our 40 Days for Life campaign,” said Karen Guth, spokesperson for the Peoria 40 Days for Life campaign.

Forty Days for Life is an intensive pro-life campaign that focuses on 40 days of prayer and fasting, 40 days of peaceful vigils at abortion facilities, and 40 days of grassroots educational outreach. The 40-day time frame is drawn from examples throughout B=biblical history where God brought about world-changing transformations.

Peoria is one of the many communities conducting simultaneous 40 Days for Life campaigns from Sept. 23 through Nov. 1.

“We want to thank all the people who’ve made great personal sacrifice to bring 40 Days to Life to the halfway point,” said Guth. “We also know that we still have a long way to go in our collective effort to demonstrate the harm abortion has done to Peoria.

“For the remainder of the 40 days of prayer and fasting and community outreach, we intend to gather for continuous prayer outside the abortion facility at National Health Care, 7405 N. University St., praying for an end to abortion in our community. We look forward to the challenge of bringing 40 Days for Life to an energetic conclusion.”

To learn more about 40 Days for Life, view www.40daysforlife.com. For information about the Peoria campaign, view 40daysforlife.com/peoria.

For assistance or for more information, please contact Karen Guth at godshelperkaren@comcast.net or 453-7493.

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

BEATITUDES, BABIES AND BASEBALL: The Pure-Hearted Shortstop

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matt. 5:8. Like the players on a baseball team, the beatitudes perform together. The actions of one lead to the others. This essay here considers the last of the middle three beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount in Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel. Each essay examines a beatitude in three relationships: our relationship with God, with His laws and with others, particularly the least favored of humanity. Each begins with mention of a famous baseball player who demonstrated some characteristics of the beatitude. Can you recognize the player before reading his name? This shortstop won back-to-back National League Most Valuable Player Awards when his team finished no higher than fifth place. Though he slugged over 20 home runs 13 times and finished his career with 512 home runs, he never played in the World Series. Through thick and thin, he always focused on what was good. His most famous, oft-repeated saying is, “What a great day for baseball. Let’s play two!” He is known, loved and respected as Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. The Spirit abides in the pure in heart. When the Spirit abides in us, we are overflowing with a love of His law which directs our inner thoughts as well as our external actions toward others, but most especially the least among us. The pure in heart see life in the Spirit as a wonderful feast of the most delicious dishes prepared by the most skilled chef. Though others may choose less desirable meals, some downright poisonously filled with rat poison, the pure in heart keep focused on what is good and direct all their attention to that good. The prochoice position sees life from a different perspective. It rejoices not in the delicious banquet, but in the fact that people can choose the rat poison instead, if not for themselves, then at least for their smallest offspring. It sees that decision as a private matter which no one should dare to deprive anyone of. It claims too that all such private choices are to be respected equally. Privacy instead of purity is the principle the prochoice position guards. In the prolife cause, we should strive to be pure in heart. We must recognize that the root cause of abortion is an inner spiritual struggle where the participants must first deny the unborn the dignity of being considered fully human. If the Spirit is to abide in our hearts, however, there is no room there for us to deny anyone that dignity. There is no room for sex outside of marriage which deprives people of purity in their own bodies. There is no room for pornography which denies respect for the other persons used. There is no room for sexism and racism which deny dignity to whole classes of people. Our inner thoughts as well as our external actions must keep focused on what is good. Let us taste this most wonderful feast of life in the Spirit prepared for us and help others to do so likewise. When they are tempted to sample the rat poison, let us be the ones to say, “No, have a taste of this good delicacy instead. In fact, let’s have two.”

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com

Friday, September 18, 2009

Peoria, Illinois Life Chain Press Release

For immediate release
Contact: Mike Miller, 309-248-7909
 
Peoria-area residents to form Life Chain Oct. 4

PEORIA -- The central Illinois portion of the National Life Chain will be linked from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, October 4, on sidewalks along University Street, Northmoor Road and Allen Road. The Peoria chain will link the despair of the city's abortion clinic, National Health Care at 7405 N. University St., to the hope of Esther House, an in-house, long-term facility for women and women with children at 6847 N. Allen Road.

Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life Americans standing for one hour, praying for our nation and for an end to abortion. It is a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian community that abortion kills children and that the church supports the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death.

Similar events will take place at more than 1,400 locations across the United States and Canada.

Those taking part in the Peoria Life Chain, organized by Central Illinois Right to Life, should meet at the intersection of University and Northmoor starting around 2 p.m. Pro-life signs will be distributed. Parking will be available in the parking lots of St. Vincent de Paul Grade School and Richwoods High School. Water, lawn chairs, umbrellas and strollers are welcome. The Life Chain will be formed rain or shine. Entire families and congregations are encouraged to take part.

For more information, view www.LifeChain.net.

Call 691-3611 for more details on the Peoria Life Chain.

NOTE TO NEWS MEDIA: For advance interviews, you can contact the Rev. James McDonald at 387-2600 or the Rev. Mark Henninger at 676-8658. McDonald and Henninger, who are both Central Illinois Right to Life board members, also will be available for interviews on the day of the Life Chain.

Peoria, Illinois 2009 Abortion Mill Statistics

There were approximately 20 abortions the week of Sept. 17. Totals for 2009=1257.
Source: Karen Guth - Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

Just what is the reality of this? How many human beings is 1257?

For you who are local to Central Illinois Right to Life, just think of our mailing meetings and all those newsletters we put together. 1257 is approximately the same number of people as the individuals that we mail that huge pile of newsletters to 4 times a year.

Or for another illustration, take a look at the membership list of the Central Illinos Right to Life FaceBook Group with all those pictures of the smiling faces of the members of the group. The number of people, yes people, killed at the Peoria, Illinois abortion mill this year will soon surpase the number of people in the CIRTL FaceBook group - and it takes a very long time to scroll through that membership list and look at each face.

So many lives lost ...

Friday, September 11, 2009

To My Democratic Friends

To My Democratic Friends,

I heard recently something that suggested that the people who oppose abortion are part of the Republican far-right. That statement kinda bothers me because I don’t think of myself as Republican or as extremely conservative. But I do think that we need to have a great respect for human life in all its forms.

I don’t understand why the Democrats can’t adopt a concern for everybody who is in need … for all human beings that are downtrodden and oppressed. It seems to me that unborn human beings are in this category … the ones who are threatened with their lives being snuffed out .. and it seems to me a very human thing to care about human life … to care about unborn babies.

I would think that anybody with an ounce of humanity has got to think that killing an unborn baby, especially one that is viable (that could live outside the womb), has got to be wrong. And I just hope and pray that the Democratic Party could find it in their hearts to extend the compassion for which they are well known to this group of human beings whose life is threatened.

Will today's killing be viewed as a "Hate Crime"?

Today, in Michigan, a pro-life activist was murdered, in front of a High School.

Do you suppose the Attorney General will open an investigation, to determine whether or not this should be deemed a "Hate Crime"?

The answer, "Of course not."

And why? Because the victim was standing for life. He was not a homosexual; he was not an abortionist; and he was not a left-winger.

Because he failed these necessary requirements, this man's death cannot be attributed to a "Hate Crime."

Thursday, September 10, 2009

40 Days for Life Peoria Vigil Information

Location:
National Health Care
7405 N. University St.
Peoria, IL 61614

Hours of operation:

The clinic is open one weekday per week
- one Wednesday per month-either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd,
- the rest of the weekdays are Thursdays, 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month
Women seeking abortions start arriving as early as 7:30 a.m.
Abortionist usually arrives around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. on Wednesday
and Thursday.
Women start to leave the facility about 1 1/2 hours after the abortionist arrives if they are having an abortion that day, unless we think they have come for a check-up, maybe a post-abortion check or an RU-486 appointment (the medical form of abortion). Then they will leave sooner, or the people leaving could be their family and friends who have come to be with them in the waiting room.

What to expect:
Sometimes there are signs showing aborted babies – harsh pictures but they make
people face the reality of what’s going on inside the abortion mill
Some people will honk, yell obscene things or make obscene gestures
Some people will honk or wave to show support
Sadly, most people do nothing
…and sometimes someone comes out and says “they didn’t do it” and a life has been saved because someone cared enough to be out there trying to help!

Where to park:
At the Chicago Grill (right next to the abortion mill) – The owner has given up permission, they are supportive of our efforts, please patronize them

Rules:
1) No violent/abusive behavior (physical or verbal) – this is only a peaceful demonstration
2) No harassing people going in/out of the clinic– just reach out in love
3) Always have at least 2 people present at the abortion mill preferably at least 1 man present from 6:00 p.m. through 7:00 a.m.
4) Stay off of the property (you can only be on the sidewalk or on the grass between the sidewalk and the street)
On site:
1) Information will be available - listing of phone numbers, ponchos, etc.
2) There may be some pro-life banners that can be held if desired

Contact information:
1) Contact the scheduled captain for the day (see website) http://www.40daysforlife.com/peoria/ For general information contact Karen Guth (309)453-7493

Friday, September 4, 2009

Students for Life on Twitter

For those who are members of Twitter, the following are Prolife Student Organizations which can be followed on Twitter -

@Students4LifeHQ - Students for Life of America
@ProlifeBSU - Students for Life Boise State University.
@liveactionfilms - Youth led media movement for equal human life rights
@TeensForLife - Teens For Life
@ProLifeIllinois - Students for Life of Illinois
@buStudents4Life - Students for Life Bradley University
@FordhamRFL - Prolife organization Fordham University
@StudentsforLife - Students for Life St Louis University

If you do not have an account, you can get one at http://www.twitter.com and then follow these groups. Be sure to follow Central Illinois Right to Life too - @cirtl.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

40 Days for Life on Twitter

For those who are members of Twitter, the following are 40 days for Life Organizations which can be followed on there -

@40daysforlife - 40 Days for Life | The National Organization
@40daysGR - 40 Days for Life | Grand Rapids, MI
@40DaysSouthgate - 40Days Southgate | Southgate, MI
@40DaysIndy - 40 Days INdy | Indianpolis, IN
@40dayskalamazoo - 40 Days For Life | Kalamazoo, MI
@40DaysATX - 40DaysforLifeAustin | Austin, Texas
@40Days4LifePNS - 40 Days For Life | Pennsecola FL
@40DaysforlifeBF - 40 Days For Life | Buffalo, NY
If you dont have an account, you can get one at http://www.twitter.com and then follow these groups. Be sure to follow Central Illinois Right to Life too - @cirtl.

Monday, August 24, 2009

CIRTL Run/Walk for Life Race Results

Central Illinois Right To Life held its annual 5K Run/Walk for Life on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at Bradley Park in Peoria at 7:30 AM.
Congradulations to Stephen Winterroth of Hanna City, IL - with a winning time of 18:01!
Click here to view the complete Race Results and Times.

Health Care and Abortion

I emailed all my representatives in Congress:

I am very concerned that the proposed national health care system is going to include federal funding for abortion. I have heard repeatedly that the system will have government decisions on what health care benefits are available and mandatory taxpayer support for abortion. For the good of everybody, this cannot be allowed. Payment for abortions must be excluded from the new health care system. Or we must not have this new system.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Peoria Abortion Clinic Stats

From Karen Guth of Central Illinois Right to Life

There were approximately 28 abortions on Wed., Aug. 20. Totals for 2009=1157.

A man stopped to talk for quite a while, talking about his daughter who had an abortion 5 months ago, how angry he still is at her, how she is so depressed, crying. Why do we do these things?

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Pro Life Speakers in Central Illinois

Thursday Nite August 13 at 6:30 pm at St Joseph Church in Brimfield Illinois - Central Illinois Right to Life Board Member Sondra McEnroe will be speaking about the activities and goals of Central Illinois Right to Life. Alexandria Reynolds of Bradley Students for Life will also be speaking at the same meeting.

Cathy Trowbridge, Regional Coordinator for the Peoria area for the organization - Silent No More - http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org - will also be speaking - Contact: peoria@silentnomoreawareness.org

Google Map location of St Joseph Church

Peoria Abortion Clinic August 12

From Karen Guth of Central Illinois Right to Life:
There were approximately 17 abortions on Wed., Aug. 12. Totals for 2009=1112.
Two people came out. One said, “We saved our baby!” The other, “I didn’t do it.”
I told the second woman, “It will be alright.” She replied, “I know it will.”
Praise God!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Peoria abortion stats

Pray-ers at National Health Care Services, 7505 N. University, Peoria, IL, counted 28 abortions on July 30 and 17 on Aug. 1, bringing the 2009 total to 1,095 lives forcibly ended.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Beatitudes, Babies and Baseball: The Merciful Third Baseman

The Merciful Third Baseman
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Matthew 5:7
The middle three beatitudes are the heart, soul and spirit of the beatitudes. Consider each from the perspective of three relationships: our relationship with God, with His laws and with others, especially the least favored of humanity. This essay considers the fifth of nine beatitudes, most central to Christ's message. Just for fun, the introduction tells about a baseball player who has some of the characteristics of the beatitude. How soon can you name the player? One of my best friends was in an automobile accident when he was in high school. He was unconscious or semiconscious for months afterwards. A sportscaster who knew of his condition contacted this baseball player to ask him to visit my friend where he lay in the hospital. Without fanfare or any publicity, this star third baseman, who had just completed his most impressive season and won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award, not only visited my friend, but he also brought my friend an autographed baseball signed by all of his league’s All Stars at the All Star Game that summer. My friend’s spirits were rejuvenated when he learned afterwards of this extraordinary visit and extraordinary gift to him. You may know of this extraordinary baseball player as the Cardinal player who later managed the New York Yankees, Joe Torre. Our relationship with Christ is at the center of the fifth beatitude, mercy. First, He forgives us when we are repentant. Second, He teaches us to be merciful to others, especially the least of our brothers and sisters, just as He would do. Third, He also expects us to teach others of God’s law and forgiveness so that they can benefit too. The prochoice position approaches mercy from a different perspective. It seeks no forgiveness from Christ although one of the choices it promotes takes the life of one of His least children. Its concept of mercy toward others does not include them, as if it expects God to stand aside when they are killed. Finally, it expects prolife persons to refrain from teaching others of God’s law. That law is contrary to one of the choices that the prochoice position finds acceptable. The essence of the prochoice position is not connected in relationships to God, His law, or others. While it speaks with compassion toward pregnant mothers in the rare cases where rape or incest caused the pregnancy or where a handicapped child results, it cannot undo the rape, the incest, or the handicapped child. At best, it can only stand by, in professed neutrality as to whether the child is killed or not. More frequently, the heart of the prochoice position is a professed compassion for the more common predicament of the pregnant mother in crisis: seemingly living on the edge of her financial capacity to make ends meet and lacking emotional support from the child’s father, who is all too often abusive to her. What distinguishes the prochoice position is that the lifeline thrown out to the mother in crisis is simply an invitation to cast away her unborn child, thereby destroying one of life’s most natural relationships. Afterwards, when the aborted mother is overwhelmed that she has taken the life of her own child, the prochoice position cannot assuage her grief. What rips women apart emotionally after abortion is their just sense of the magnitude of what they did to their own children. What these mothers need is not a god who stands silent afterwards. That god is one whose heart is stone cold, no less an idol than those to which ancient civilizations sacrificed their unwanted, unplanned children. What these mothers need is the God who wraps His arms around those children and whose arms are big enough to enfold them too. Only the true Savior of the world can have mercy for abortion victims, their parents and even the abortionists. Mercy in the prolife cause requires us to acknowledge that Jesus is the Savior of the aborted mother and the abortionist as well as the aborted child and us. Such a God can and does forgive each of us whenever we repent for transgressing His law. Abortion is not an unforgivable sin. Our actions are to be the image of Christ’s mercy. We are to be merciful in our actions toward aborted mothers and abortionists even while we come to the aid of the mothers who give birth to their children. Finally, we cannot stand silent while pregnant mothers consider abortion or aborted mothers experience emotional trauma afterwards. We must plead the cause of the children with conviction and we must help the aborted mothers come to Christ for healing.

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Press release: CIRTL opposes stealth abortion amendment

Central Illinois Right to Life opposes a stealth amendment to a health care reform bill that could be interpreted as mandating insurance coverage of abortion services.

The amendment was approved 12-11 on Thursday, July 9, by the U.S. Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee. The panel was working on the Affordable Health Choices Act health care bill, one of several proposed in Congress.

Sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., the amendment’s wording would require insurers, both public and private, to cover “essential community providers ... that serve predominantly low-income, medically under-served individuals.”

Planned Parenthood, which performs abortions at many of its clinics, is typically considered one such “community provider.”

Mikulski denied that the language was a mandate to cover abortions, but said, "It would provide for any service deemed medically necessary or medically appropriate."

The language is nothing but an attempt to use “health care reform” as a vehicle to make abortion even easier to obtain than it already is by forcing private insurers and taxpayers to fund it.

In the current climate of legal interpretation, “any service deemed medically necessary or medically appropriate” could easily be understood as referring to abortion, which has been defined by court rulings to be a private medical matter between a woman and her doctor.
Mikulski said that the language could be “sharpened in the future” to satisfy the concerns of senators who objected.

If that’s the case, why not sharpen it now — by deleting it so it couldn’t be misinterpreted at all?
Central Illinois Right to Life is a nonprofit organization that exists to educate, convince, and mobilize citizens to take responsible action in defense and support of innocent human life.
For more information, call us at 309-645-8000.

###

Abortion right 'settled law': Sotomayor

According to BNONews.com, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has called Roe v. Wade "settled law."

And here I thought it was a court decision. Guess I need an updated copy of the Constitution.

Seriously, if it's a "law," why isn't it in any code of laws?

This exposes the predisposition of left-wing judges and their antipathy toward constitutional law when it interferes with their social agendas.

Friday, July 10, 2009

The Inadvertent Value of Garbage

Some have pointed out the obvious regarding the article from Askmen.com, “Dealing with an Unwanted Pregnancy.” Yes, it is a disgusting piece of trash! And something like this is hard to read with our heads without breaking our hearts.

However, the Pro-Life movement is in a struggle for the hearts and minds of people. And this effort is in large part a battle of words and ideas - for we cannot reach people’s hearts except through their minds. The opposition is actively engaged in this same pursuit. But they are devious and deceptive, rarely revealing who they really are and what they really think.

On occasion, one of them inadvertently divulges the truth of the pro-abortion mind-set for all to see - in this case in an internet magazine read by thousands if not millions of people. And true to form, Askmen.com pulled this thing off the web and pretended it was never there when complaints started to come in. Clearly, they suddenly realized that Ms. Snow had disclosed the nasty and indefensible reality that legalized abortion forces on many women. Whatever her intentions, the end product is the portrayal of women as objects for manipulation to abort by the very men who are supposed to love and protect their women and their children.

So, as in this case, when the abortion rights crowd does display their true colors, we must pin the tail on the donkey as clearly and as publicly as we can. And in order to be sure we hit the target, we may have to remove all blindfolds and look directly at the south end of the unclean beast in the process!

And so we must read and analyze – we must dig through the trash to reveal the evidence contained therein to everyone who will pay attention. This particular garbage can reeks with the foul consequences of abortion on demand. So we must hold our nose, remove the lid, and spread the rotten refuse on the public sidewalk in order that the passersby can get a good whiff of the stench.

A blunder such as this from a member of the pro-abortion crowd provides more power in the war of ideas than a hundred articles written by pro-lifers trying to point out the same thing – because the clear and ugly reality is coming directly from the "horse's mouth" so to speak.

This article is very disturbing, in what it reveals about the selfishness of a large number of men - also that a woman of all people would provide instruction to the irresponsible men of the world on how to manipulate women into killing their unborn children... I wonder how many of the ladies who go into abortion mills each day have been treated in just this manner or worse, (threats and violence, etc.,) by the father of their child. How many are going there, not because they freely "choose" to do so, (the big pro-choice lie that we are trying to expose,) but rather, because they have been pressured to the point that they do not think they have any other choice.

But yes, aside from the value of the Askmen.com article for use in the war of ideas – “trash," or perhaps some other more vivid descriptor, pretty much sums it up!

Monday, July 6, 2009

The Delicate Art of Manipulation

Here is a lovely little pro-choice ditty from AskMen.com entitled "Dealing with an Unwanted Pregnancy."

Askmen.com has since taken the article down from their website but this was the orginal page address on their site -

"http://www.askmen.com/dating/love_tip_300/379_love_tip.html" -

And here is a PDF file of the complete text of the article -

http://www.cirtl.org/pdfs/dealing_with_an_unwanted_pregnancy.pdf

This “Love Tip” purports to advise men who do not want to be fathers on how to make their wishes known to their pregnant partners. It turns out to be a "how to" manual, meticulously laying out the steps of the subtle art of emotionally manipulating a pregnant woman into having an abortion. Thank you Ms. Isabella Snow, (yes the article was written by a woman,) for your great service in the pro-choice cause, (also known as “Men’s Liberation!”)

Here are the final telling paragraphs from the article which lay out the coup de grâce:

"Stand by your decision - If you’ve followed all of these steps and your woman decides to have the baby anyway, this does not mean you’re required to get married or move in together. You’ll probably want to provide for your child regardless, but if you’ve been clear about your intentions from the start, you are not obligated to contribute beyond what your conscience and the law expects of you. This was her decision, not yours, and the bulk of the responsibility is now hers.

Take a moment to spell this out for her when she gives you the final decision; it may just sway her over to your side."

Translated, “Get rid of that baby, or I’m out of here, and you can raise the kid on your own. Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll send you a few bucks every now and then…”

Wait a minute, Ms. Snow - I thought the woman had already made her "final" decision!

Isn’t choice a wonderful thing...

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Pastoral Letter re. United Way and Planned Parenthood

Central Illinois Right to Life, Inc. is a peace-loving, life-embracing, irenic association of citizens from all different walks of life--all of whom are united around the simple and yet profound notion that all human beings ought to be given the "right" to life.

We live in the same community with many other people--some of whom agree with us, and some of whom do not. Often, there is a sweet intersection of interests, passions, and concerns, that almost all of us share in common. When this happens, we have cause for being glad.

CIRTL has no interest in being at odds with any agencies in our area who are not directly involved in the wrongful taking of (civilly) innocent life. We count the Heart of Illinois United Way in this more positive camp. We fully and heartily recognize the good causes that they (United Way) support; and for this, we applaud them. Still, there is the one important concern that the pro-life community still has with United Way, and that is its continued (though admittedly somewhat restrained) support of Planned Parenthood's work in Peoria.

We also fully grasp the fact that there is a matrix of difficult associations amongst traditionally pro-life churches and clergy relative to the fact that United Way provides for various religiously-based efforts in central Illinois. Still, this is no cause for us to compromise principle, at the altar of expediency.

All that said, we continue to urge United Way to fully drop all support for Planned Parenthood. We do this from not only conviction, but from conscience. All of us should do everything we can to improve one another. The United Way has a lot going in its favor--why should they not go all the way, and care for only those causes and works in our community that are savory and good?

In light of all this, CIRTL is encouraging all citizens in central Illinois to sign the petition found within our current mailing, and return them to the self-addressed destination. Thank-you for thoughtful consideration of our humble request.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

More on Choice vs Coercion

A few days ago, I wrote an article for the Central Illinois Right to Life Director's Blog entitled "Alice and the Cheshire Cat - Defining Choice."

My topic was based not on any research, but just on an intuition that women in crisis pregnancy often fall victim to undue influence by significant persons in their lives, persons who for their own reasons do not wish to see a pregnancy brought to term, persons who cross the line from advise and support of a "free choice," into intimidation and coercion by verbal, emotional, and even sometimes physical abuse.

Since then, a fellow CIRTL board member, Dan Smith, pointed out actual survey research done in this area by David Reardon and the Elliot Institute.*

Their findings indicate that 64% of abortions are coerced...

Now if these findings are anywhere near accurate - even one half or one fourth accurate - then no matter where one actually stands on abortion itself, this is a situation of extreme degradation, almost beyond comprehension! For what proports to be a movement of freedom, is instead revealed to be a cesspool perculating up intimidation and even violence, overflowing with suffering that is daily heaped upon members of the very class of people it claims to liberate.

What is equally astounding is the lack of outcry from self-proclaimed protectors of women's rights, particularly those who also make up the "pro-choice" crowd. Why is that the case? Perhaps because if the charge is true, a huge chink is revealed in the suit of armor the "pro-choice" movement has been clothed in by their friends in media and government. And to draw any attention to what might be a vital weakness is to invite determined attack at that very point.

Unfortunately for their cause, the vunerability is so great that it should be clear for all to see. Fortunately, again for their cause, the sun must be in our eyes!!!

Else, why are we not attacking this glaring vunerablility with everything we have?

Indeed there are two gaps in their suit of mail - not only is an open invitation to abuse created by the very nature of the current legal abortion situation, but also there appears to be a massive cover-up of that abuse taking place - apparently many are willing to toss untold numbers of women to the wolves in order to protect the precious house of cards called "abortion rights."

The “pro-choice” movement, in large part by their self-designated title, has been somewhat successful in redirecting the focus of the abortion debate from the value of the life of the unborn child to the struggle for reproductive freedom for women. If it can be demonstrated that the atmosphere created by the legality and availability of abortion on demand is by its very nature an open invitation to the abuse of women - and moreover, that the “pro-choice” movement has ignored this dire situation in order to protect itself and its pet cause - “pro-choice” will be revealed for the sham that it is, and the battle if not actually won, can at least be returned to the proper field of conflict – the sanctity of the life of the unborn child!

* The research of David Reardon, et al at afterabortion.org
~ http://www.afterabortion.org/petition/Forced_Abortions.pdf

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Alice and the Cheshire Cat - Defining Choice

When the Pro-Life movement began referring to itself as “Pro-Life” instead of “Anti-Abortion,” the justification was that the overall movement was addressing not only issues related to the early stages of life but concerns across the whole spectrum of human existence.

Now - I don’t think most Pro-Life people would argue with the accuracy of the “Anti-Abortion” label so far as it goes - it is just not inclusive of all that the movement and most of its members stand for regarding the Sanctity of Human Life from conception to natural death.

On the other hand, “Pro-Abortion” is not a sign people want to hang around their own neck. One might enlarge that tent I suppose to include some sort of quasi choices in other areas - assisted suicide, euthanasia, etc. But even it that were an accurate generalization, (and I am not asserting that it is,) what umbrella would subsume such a gathering of the minds? “Pro-Death?” Well, that is definitely not an improvement!

And so instead of “Pro-Abortion” - voila “Pro-Choice,” the Big Daddy of all euphemisms was hatched! We in the Pro-Life camp should insist that the “Pro-Choice” banner be successfully defended by those who shelter beneath its wings, or else be discarded. We must insist because the Fourth Estate in general has chosen to accept the “Pro-Choice” moniker at face value. Concurrently, the same media outlets in large part have insisted on continuing to refer to the Pro-Life movement as “Anti-Abortion” - a disservice I might add, which they do not extend to most other social movements. In this regard at least, they are abysmal failures as journalists.

Anyway, onward to an exercise in definition…

“Pro” means “for” – so we have “For Life” and “For Choice.”

“Life” in this case clearly means human life. Although there may be some disagreement on which physical entities are entitled to be included in the category, “living human being” is a fairly concrete concept, easily defined by genetics, etc.

“Choice” on the other hand is an extremely abstract conception, fraught with overtones of free-will and determinism, nature and nurture, influence and compulsion, etc. And parenthetically, “Choice” is assumed to be strictly limited in the current usage under discussion to the termination of pregnancy – for surely no one in the “Pro-Choice” movement is advocating an all encompassing “right to choose” that trumps any and all restrictions on personal actions across the board! (Just applying the concept for a moment even to mundane things like speed limits reveals a completely naked Emperor!)

Though the general concept can be easily shown on its face to be inherently unworkable, the current legal situation secures for women a practically unrestricted right to 'choose' regarding abortion. As a public relations coup, a better cant than “Pro-Choice” would have been hard to come by – for it smacks of liberty, and one can almost smell the apple pie.

In the real world however, the human will is not exercised in a vacuum. Just as every effect has a cause, there are reasons behind every choice we make. To claim otherwise is to treat choice as a flippant matter of no moral significance – meaningless as a chance occurrence, void of intent or volition - like the flip of a coin. In fact, as with Alice and the Cheshire Cat,* it could be argued that without inclination and reasons, one could not even make a true choice at all! And I assume hardly any woman alive would arrive at a decision about a matter so serious as the life or death of her unborn child for reasons she did not find deep and compelling.

So what are some reasons that come into play in the choice to abort? And might we divide them into internal and external reasons? Now I am not sure if anyone can speak for the internal inclinations of another person. But the external pressures are another matter.

At first blush these external motivations would obviously include the attitudes and actions of significant people in a woman’s life, (husband, boyfriend, parents, etc). The posture taken by institutions, (church, school, employer, etc) and societal laws and taboos or lack thereof, would also act from outside a person to influence choice.

And it also should be admitted that it would not always be easy to demarcate between these two categories. For example, take the following admitted simplistic scenario: “I love my boyfriend. He insists he does not want a child. He says he will leave me if I have this baby.” Here the interaction between the internal and external can immediately be noted.

How often the input of by lover, family, friend, classmate, employer, teacher, abortionist, etc., crosses the line into untoward verbal and emotional pressure on a women to exit from pregnancy through the doors of an abortion clinic awaits the efforts researchers willing to accept the incumbent derision that would be heaped on them. But the potential for intimidation is clearly multiplied exponentially by the legality, acceptability, and availability of the option. And most times, a baby carried to term, affects the lives of many other people for years to come - people who can exercise little choice in the matter except by virtue of whatever persuasion they can bring to bear on the expectant mother.

Now consider a pregnant woman in relationship with an unscrupulous man - a woman who does not succumb to his attempts at verbal and emotional manipulation to abort. You know what comes next from a violent man who is anxious to escape the emotional, legal, and financial responsibilities of 20 plus years of fatherhood that awaits him if the unborn child in question ever obtains a birth certificate.

Exactly because the ideal world where “choice” exists in some pristine state is a fairy tale, “Pro-Choice” is one of the most blatant misnomers of all time. For it is sadly apparent that efforts to make and keep abortion legal, to define abortion as morally acceptable, to insure abortion is readily available, to secure funding for abortion services from government and private payers, etc., - all these efforts have only served to proliferate this staggering human catastrophe. For none of these are neutral in their influential effect on the decision a woman makes.

Moreover the availability of legal, cheap, and socially acceptable abortion removes what otherwise would have served as barriers of resistance for a woman under duress from others. And for the same reason, this state of affairs encourages coercion on the part of people and institutions around her that stand to benefit from the abortion of her unborn child.

Therefore, I assert that the “Pro-Choice” flag cannot be defended, because the primary net effect of the movement is not the promotion of freedom, but the propagation of abortion. Thus, “Pro-Abortion” is the more accurate banner.

Ladies and gentlemen of that persuasion, have the courage to fly your true colors on the mast!

* Alice and the Cheshire Cat
Alice … “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
“I don't much care where—“said Alice.
“Then it doesn't matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Life Line event

About 75 people, from 4 months old to 85 years old, showed up along War Memorial Drive in Peoria, Ill., from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 7, to pray for an end to abortion.

Life Line was organized by Bradley University freshman Alexandria Reynolds. Though it was intended to be youth-centric, plenty of older folks showed up, too, to lend their support.

For a first-time event, it went off very well. Alexandria and her friends had prepared hand-painted signs with instructions on the back, including ideas for prayer.

Participants stood along War Memorial Drive, also known as U.S. Route 150 — probably the busiest street in Peoria — holding signs with such messages as “Better Off Alive” and “Yay for Kids.” Reynolds emphasized the positive nature of the event, which came one week after the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller but had been in the planning stages for months. It was an opportunity to show the peaceful nature of the pro-life movement.

Most drivers honked and waved their support. Only a few made some, uh, negative hand gestures.

Links to news coverage are here and here.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Beatitudes, Babies and Baseball: The Hungry Second Baseman

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will receive it in full."
Matthew 5:6
The beatitudes should be more central to a God-based resolution for those considering or opposing abortion. Please consider whether abortion is consistent with these values or opposed to them. These essays look at each beatitude three ways: in relationships to God, to His laws, and to others, especially the least favored of humanity. The nine beatitudes also work together, much like the nine players on a baseball team. Accordingly, the introduction to each discussion relates a beatitude to a quality of a famous baseball player. See how many you recognize before you hear the player’s name. The following is a consideration of the fourth beatitude. The Second Baseman Hungry for Justice. During the struggle for civil rights, this former second baseman wrote to President Eisenhower: “17 million Negroes cannot do as you suggest and wait for the hearts of men to change. We want to enjoy now the rights we feel we are entitled to as Americans. This we cannot do unless we pursue aggressively goals which all other Americans achieved over 150 years ago.” Until his death, he was a leader in the civil rights movement, as he implored others: “It is up to us in the north to provide aid and support to those who are actually bearing the brunt of the fight for equality down south.” Even when his fame and fortune were assured, he reflected, “I won't 'have it made' until the most underprivileged Negro in Mississippi can live in equal dignity with anyone else in America.” These quotes most accurately reflect the continuous life-long hunger and thirst for justice of the first black major league baseball player, Jackie Robinson. People hunger for what they need and do not have. When we are oppressed, we naturally hunger for justice for ourselves. The key to this beatitude, however, is how we should hunger and thirst for justice for others. What separates us from animals is this hunger that we feel for others. Considering the three relationships discussed above, when we hunger and thirst for justice, we long to live where the protection of God’s law abounds. We labor to lengthen the reach of justice to others, especially our least brothers and sisters whose suffering we feel as our own. Justice follows when we love to lavish gratitude on God for all the gifts He has bestowed on us. In our relationship with God, we know that He does not owe us anything because he has given us everything. The prochoice position inherently opposes hunger for justice and is complacent toward injustice. It rejects God’s law when it supports the violent destruction of the defenseless unborn. It withholds the protection of God’s law from the least among us, the unborn. Rather than showing gratitude toward God for His gifts bestowed, this position finds no fault with ungratefully destroying the gift of life itself, even when it is someone else’s gift. Prochoice persons claim justice, however, by support for other causes, many of which in themselves are just. In the words of one, “there are other issues” to consider when deciding which stands to take, which efforts to work for, and which candidates to elect. The solace they find from support for other causes is, however, no substitution for giving to each person what is rightfully owed. This false comfort is, in fact, the antithesis of justice. One cannot hunger and thirst for justice much when one is willing to accept monstrous life destroying injustices to the most dependent class of human beings among us. Our hunger and thirst for justice concerning abortion begins when we long to live in a society where God’s law protecting human life is followed. Abortions do not occur there. We must feel the oppression of abortion as if our own lives were in jeopardy. To paraphrase Jackie Robinson, “It is up to us who are born to provide aid and support to those who are actually bearing the brunt of the fight for life for the unborn.” We must adopt, in spirit, the unborn whose lives are threatened, fight to save them and grieve for them when they die. When tempted to put “other issues” first, we must remember that for the unborn, there are no other issues. For every breath we take, we must be grateful to God and we must act to preserve for others their gift of life from God.

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The Religious Right and George Tiller

"The Religious Right Didn't Kill George Tiller," by James Kirchick in the June 3 Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Kirchick is by no means pro-life or even pro-Christian, but even he sees the arrogance and inaccuracy of the reaction of many to the death of Tiller.

Unity and Diversity

"Unity on the Essential of the Sanctity of Human Life is our objective. We are not seeking uniformity of opinion on all matters...

Therefore, some ideas advocated by the authors of articles on the CIRTL Web Site, in Central Illinois Life News, on the CIRTL Directors Blog, and on the CIRTL FaceBook Group, may not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organization or the personal views of all the members and officers of Central Illinois Right To Life, Inc."

This statement in its general form has been on the Central Illinois Right to Life Website for years. It seems appropriate to display it on the CIRTL Blog also. Because there is no room on the marquee for it, it is added to the posts so that new readers will have access to it and perhaps be better able to differentiate between official position statements issued by the organization and the personal opinions of individual members to which we are all entitled.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Committing murder is not trusting in God

This from the WSJ.com health blog about the man accused of killing abortionist George Tiller:

Morris Wilson, a past member of the Kansas Unorganized Citizens Militia
who has since renounced his ties to the group, told the WSJ that (Scott) Roeder
had been a fellow member. He spoke strongly against abortion and “felt he needed
to do something,” Wilson said.
There is a frustration that comes with being pro-life, frustration that very little seems to change as babies are slaughtered in the womb every day.

Murder is not the answer to that frustration.

If we believe in the sanctity of life, we also need to believe in the God who gives that life sanctity. And if we believe in that God, the God of the Bible, then we need to trust that He is working in the perfect way to bring this tragedy to an end. "For we know Him Who said, 'Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge His people'" (Hebrews 10:30).

He will judge us on how we address this situation. Do we murder, like our opponents do everyday in abortion clinics, or do we sacrifice and extend love through crisis pregnancy centers, adoption? Will we "visit orphans and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27)?

Justice will ultimately out. If we believe in God, we have to believe that. Our job is to keep at it in peaceful ways.

George Tiller's life, as reprehensible as his actions were, was just as precious to God as everyone else's life. Up to his very last breath, the possibility of repentance and salvation was there for Tiller. No one had the right to take his life without the due process of law. Unfortunately, the law does not at this time consider abortion to be murder. What Tiller did was legal. Our entire nation will be judged for that. And Scott Roeder will be judged for murder.

Monday, June 1, 2009

From the CIRTL Board of Directors

CIRTL Official Statement on Death of Dr George Tiller

The Central Illinois Right to Life board of directors is committed to a peaceful end of the practice of abortion. We are dedicated to accomplishing this goal through fervent prayer, lawful civic actions, and supporting pro-life legislative efforts in Illinois and in Washington, D.C.

While CIRTL opposes what George Tiller stood for as a doctor specializing in the performance of late-term abortions, we also vehemently oppose the un-Christian and illegal actions that brought about his death. The pro-life position is one of life and light, not death and darkness.

We pray for comfort for George Tiller's family and friends as they deal with this tragedy, just as we pray for an end to all abortions.

The Central Illinois Right to Life board of directors

June 1. 2009

Strange Irony in George Tiller's death

Sometimes, truth seems to be stranger than fiction.

George Tiller, the renowned murderer of children--some of whom were literally in the birth canal--died in a building owned by the "Reformation Lutheran Church."

Let us break this name down a bit. "Reformation": this was the great movement of God's Spirit, which officially began in the early 16th century. The Reformers stood for life, light, grace, redemption, gospel, the church, and all the abundant riches of Christ.

The next word is, "Lutheran." Martin Luther loved children. He heartily despised anyone who did not have affection and care for them.

The last word is "Church." The church is a safe haven for sinners, who put their trust in The Lord Jesus Christ as the only means of propitiation (satisfaction concerning) the wrath of God.

Note how far from these blessed ideals we have moved. How many churches (and individual Christians) even know the principles of the Reformation, let alone believe them? How many Protestants (not only "Lutherans") have so compromised their faith, that they can no longer discern right from wrong? And with regard to the Church: the very colony of heaven on earth has been, in many ways, infiltrated with error and corruption.

Still, let us not lose heart. The same God that saves us in Jesus, is also on His eternal throne--now, and forevermore.

The Killing of Tiller

The killing of George Tiller yesterday was not a good thing. It will be interesting to see whether a misguided person with good views on the abortion issue actually killed him; or if this was done by a pro-abortionist--with the hope of defusing prolife opposition to President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court.

At any rate, let us focus on the issue at hand: Tiller's death. The fact is, that the state of Kansas should have executed Tiller years ago, as soon as he murdered his first little baby. Regrettably, however, that noble deed (of execution) was never performed. Because of this, wrath and damnation hung over Tiller's head for all these years. The state failed in its duty--largely because of the Supreme Court's horrendous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Therefore, someone else acted--to put it in the Biblical vernacular--as the "avenger of blood." This is not a legitimate action. Still, we should not be surprised that it occurred, (again, assuming someone on "our" side did the deed).

You might be thinking, "Aren't you being judgmental of Tiller (the 'Killer')?" My answer: "No." All of us are born with the fallen effects of original sin; and all of us deserve condemnation before a Holy God. But there is a difference between spiritual guilt before the Almighty, and "civil" guilt in a culture. Tiller was certainly guilty "civilly."

Still, however, as I averred earlier, the execution of Tiller ought to have been done at the hands of the state; and not by a private citizen.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Another Response to Ms. Britner

Note: This is the letter to the editor of the Peoria Journal Star of May 27, 2009 that Dan Bohan and I and others are responding to.
__________________________________________________________

Re. Cal Thomas' May 20 column, "Momentum gathering for abortion foes":

Mr. Thomas writes of the belief in the sacredness of all life held by the self-named "pro-life" groups. If all life is sacred to them, I would think they'd want to provide equal education and health care, at a minimum, to all children after they are born in honor of the sacredness of the lives of these children. This seems not to be the case.

A true "pro-life" position would also seem to include opposition to war and the death penalty. These beliefs are rarely correlated with a person's holding a "pro-life" position. Perhaps it is only a pro-fetus position, not truly a pro-life position.

Shari L. Britner, Ph.D.
Peoria

_________________________________________________________

Abortion Rights Propaganda

The propaganda war chest of the abortion rights crowd is stuffed with many refined irrationalities, emotionalisms and sentimentalities - all posing as high moral principles. This is understandable, for much babbling is needed to detract attention from the ever increasing number of victims of their movement, living as well as dead.

For example, consider the baseless assertion that a person must be pacifist in regard to war, opposed to all incidences of capital punishment, and committed to every social welfare program under the sun, in order to be concerned about the right to life of the unborn without being guilty of hypocrisy.

Even at face value, such an absurd statement hardly deserves a response. For the very opposite is actually the truth. There is no logical or ethical justification for protecting the guilty while ignoring the destruction of the innocent!

Just war, capital punishment, and social responsibility for the disenfranchised - these are all subjects of ongoing debate in the Pro-Life community. But they are being debated in the context of proper sentiment – i.e. the sanctity of each human life from conception to natural death. And it is possible to make a reasonable case for differing positions on these tangential issues from that fundamental ideal.

Absent this foundational principle, however, it is only irrational sentimentality that seeks to extend every protection and consideration to the criminals and terrorists and warmongers of the world - while at the same time allowing, or worse, promoting the treatment of the most innocent and helpless of the human family with gross brutality.

What Does 'Pro-Life' Really Mean to Us?

I submitted a letter to the Editor of the Peoria Journal Star (email to forum@pjstar.com) to respond to Shari Britner's 5/28/09 Forum letter "What does 'pro-life' really mean to us?" Here is what I said:

Shari Britner seems to be confused about what it really means to be pro-life. She says that she believes that those of us who are pro-life need to support "equal education and health care, at a minimum, to all children after they are born in honor of the sacredness of the lives of these children." I would say that education and health care are important, but we need to start with what is most important. Every human being has a right to life, first and foremost; so that he/she can enjoy those other things that our government wants to provide us.

Secondly, does a true "pro-life" position also include opposition to the death penalty and to war? Logically, it does. If the state takes the life of a convicted murderer, humanity is diminished. I'm afraid that, for me however, it's sometimes easier to believe in the preciousness of the life of the unborn child, than of the convicted murderer.

As for opposing war, I believe it is everybody's duty to work to end war. A lot of well-meaning people have different ideas on how to do this. My pro-life belief gives me a great desire for the end of war; however, I don't see a clear direction on how to proceed.

Daniel J. Bohan

Monday, May 25, 2009

Beatitudes, Babies and Baseball: The Meek First Baseman

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:5
This is the third part of Beatitudes, Babies and Baseball, essays which look at each beatitude three ways: in relationships to God, to His laws, and to others, especially the least favored of humanity. The nine beatitudes also work together, much like the nine players on a baseball team. Accordingly, the introduction to each discussion relates a beatitude to a quality of a famous baseball player. See how many you recognize before you hear the player’s name. Born to German immigrant parents in 1903, he was the only one of four children to survive. Though a Yankee, he played in the shadow of Babe Ruth and said: “Lets face it. I'm not a headline guy. I always knew that as long as I was following Babe to the plate I could have gone up there and stood on my head. No one would have noticed the difference. When the Babe was through swinging, whether he hit one or fanned, nobody paid any attention to the next hitter. They all were talking about what the Babe had done." This meek first baseman, however, amassed 493 home runs and a .340 lifetime batting average while playing in 2130 consecutive games over 13 years, despite unmentioned suffering of numerous fractures. When a terminal illness finally felled him, he still told people, “Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.” He died in 1941 at age 37 of the illness which now bears his name, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. One word sums up the relationships of a meek person to God, His laws and others: respect. Meek persons respect God, His laws and all of humankind. Persons who best put the first two beatitudes into play actually become the meekest among us. Their very lives echo St. Paul’s words, “I am the least of all God’s people.” Ephesians 3:8. In contrast, prochoice persons boast of their “rights to choose” to ignore God’s rules; they give God less respect and claim to be more important than mere “products of conception” or “tissues” which threaten their lifestyles. They fail to acknowledge that all of us are just products of conception. Although some are older by a few years or perhaps a few decades, all of us are young compared with the eternity God means us to share with Him and our fellow human beings, many of whom are yet unborn. Abortion does not end the reality of those killed. It merely amputates the body from the spirit, as all death does. We lose a profound respect for God and the dignity of all humankind when we send so many young lives into eternity where we soon must follow. What kind of a welcome are we expecting when we get there? Prochoice persons, however, assert meekness because they do not “want to judge” anyone; rather they tolerate the “lifestyle choices” of others, even if they are personally opposed to them. How tolerant would they be of lifestyles which robbed them of their own lives? Should not true meekness protect the defenseless as much as oneself? In truth, such “tolerance” is refusal to submit to the authority of God to set standards for all persons to follow. It masks rebelliousness rather than becomes meekness. We do not judge people by asking them not to kill us or those more defenseless than us. To respect God, even the meek must resist evil which is opposed to Him. Only God can judge, but by aligning our speech and conduct with His commandments, we help others do so likewise. Prolife persons become meek by respecting God in all that we do in the prolife cause. He will bring an end to abortion through our actions, or more likely, in spite of our small actions and large inactions. We praise God. We respect His law best when we follow it. We obey. We show respect for others most when we share their burdens. We serve. Our service is not just to those in crisis pregnancy, though that service is most worthy of our efforts. Our service is also to their children, especially when they are most vulnerable. We are meekest when we are not too busy or too proud or too important to give of our time, our talents and our treasures for mothers and children in crisis and afterwards.

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com

Friday, May 22, 2009

Creation Ordinances

It seems to me that there is a certain amount of tension between the Pro-Life movement and the various manifestations of the orthodox Christian Church. Claiming to be a righteous cause, and believing this cause to be firmly based in the Christian Scriptures, I think it only natural for Christians active in the Pro-Life camp to feel a keen sense of disappointment when encountering the ambiguity and obfuscation on the part of many churches, let alone the silence and outright resistance of some, when it comes to taking a strong and public stand for the Sanctity of Human Life! Sadly, this has been the case with other issues in the past as well, slavery being a prime example.

Naturally, a question arises – What right has the Pro-Life crowd to call the Church to task on this issue? Is it not the mission of the Church to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world? Is the Church not wise in avoiding such a “controversial issue” for the sake of this mission?

What about the need for peace among believers? The battle over slavery caused sharp divisions in Christendom that are still healing even today. Resistance to the tyrannies of fascism and communism created conflict in the Church in more recent times. Is the Church not justified in avoiding such a "divisive issue" for the sake of Unity?

I for one believe the Pro-Life movement is correct to contend with vigor that the Christian Church has an obligation to take a strong and public Pro-Life position - because I see this obligation as the universal duty of every man and woman, being rooted in what are sometimes termed the “Creation Ordinances.” (And it is absurd, at least to me, for men and women to assert that the priorities of a group to which they belong somehow relieve them of a universal duty that is incumbent on everyone else. And, of course, if the laity and clergy are individually taking a strong and public stand for the Sanctity of Human Life, their Church is also – de facto…)

Obvious next question - What are Creation Ordinances?

Only God has the power of Being in Himself. Everything else that exists is dependant on Him for that existence. He is the Absolute Sovereign. He has the undisputed right to govern what is His. And - He exercised that right immediately, instituting and communicating to the father and mother of us all, ideals and instructions which because of their issuance in such close proximity to the creation events can only be described as Prime Directives – or in theological terms – "Creation Ordinances."

In doing so, God made the following crystal clear.

He had created Human Beings in His own Image.
He made them male and female.
He instituted marriage to bind them together.
He directed them to have children together.
He gave them the use and care of all the rest of His Creation.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. It is intended to demonstrate that ranking high among these most important principles of the created order is the Divine Proclamation that each human life is somehow an intentional reflection of the Creator. However mysterious this truth may be, the implication (which becomes explicit in later revelation,) is that any unjustified attack upon a human life is in the most real sense an assault against God Himself.

Thus we can say that Creation Ordinances are those fundamental principles given at the very beginning, vouchsafed to man and woman in their innocent state, before there was a Fall – before there was Mosaic Law or Christian Gospel. These Creation Ordinances are the bedrock ideals of life on God’s green earth – obviously meant to apply at all times, in all places, to everyone.

The rebellion of humanity, the curse of death, the coming of Christianity, the Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ – none of these things relieve anyone in the world, much less those of us in the pew or the pulpit, of one jot or tittle of Responsibility to adhere to these founding principles inaugurated by God at the dawn of time. Nor does any subsequent development in history from creation past till eternity to come, allay the solemn Duty of each cogent member of the race human to resist any and every assault upon these cornerstones laid down by the Lord God Almighty.

And Never, NEVER can concern about Evangelism or longing for Christian Unity or desire for Church growth, (or any other number of pretexts - however noble in themselves,) serve as a legitimate justification for any of us to ignore this Responsibility or shirk this Duty!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Letter to the Bishop of Peoria

Following is the text of a letter I recently mailed to the Bishop of Peoria. (Unfortuneately, the Bishop is not into email; so I had to send it via snail mail.)


Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C., D.D.
Bishop of Peoria
419 NE Madison Ave.
Peoria, IL 61603-3719

Dear Bishop Jenky,

I'd like to thank you for your work as the head of the Peoria diocese. As one of your flock, I feel blessed with the leadership you have shown us. Just last month, I enjoyed taking part in the March for Men. That's just one example of the things you have been doing for us.

As a man of God, I am sure that you must be frustrated with some of the directions our country is going in. I find it frightening that our president would lead us towards a lack of respect for life. Unfortunately, most people seem to think that the economy is more important than the millions of unborn babies being killed.

I'd like to think that we Catholics have a better understanding of the real priorities. However, experience has shown that most Catholics are a lot like the rest of America. I'm sure at some point you will find it necessary to speak out against what is happening. I encourage you to be courageous when you do so.

Thank you.
Daniel J. Bohan

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

FLICA

A colleague of mine and I visited U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock's office in downtown Peoria today to encourage him to introduce legislation that would require information to be included on vaccines if they are based on aborted fetal cell lines.

The legislation is from Children of God for Life, an organization headed by Debi Vinnedge which has spearheaded this effort. (You can find out more about the history of vaccines created on tissue of aborted fetuses at that site.)

Jed Stuber, who works with me at Samaritan Ministries, went with me to meet with Carol Merna, Mr. Schock's chief of staff. She said she would forward our information to the director of legislation for the district and would also mention it to the congressman at her weekly meeting with him. She reassured us that Mr. Schock is staunchly pro-life.

The Fair Labeling and Informed Consent Act (FLICA) would require all vaccines created on aborted fetal cell lines to clearly state that fact. The point is that parents (and doctors) would be made more aware of ethical problems with these vaccines so they can request alternatives.

Please pray that Mr. Schock will consider the legislation seriously and will introduce it.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Beatitudes, Babies and Baseball: The Consoled Catcher

The Consoled Catcher
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be consoled." Matthew 5:4
This is the second part of Beatitudes, Babies and Baseball, essays which look at each beatitude three ways: in relationships to God, to His laws, and to others, especially the least favored of humanity. The nine beatitudes also work together, much like the nine players on a baseball team. Accordingly, the introduction to each discussion relates a beatitude to a quality of a famous baseball player. See how many you recognize before you hear the player’s name. Born the youngest of six children of an Italian-American father and African-American mother, he played in the Negro Leagues before becoming the first black Major League catcher. Despite discrimination and repeated injuries, in ten Major League seasons he won three Most Valuable Player awards and led his Brooklyn Dodgers to five National League pennants and a World Series Championship. A car accident that left him a quadriplegic ended his playing career. For his remaining 35 years, though, he became an inspiration to all people with disabilities. His autobiography, “It’s Good to Be Alive,” sums up the consolation found by Roy Campanella. Concerning the second beatitude, a large part of the mourning and consolation which Christ describes must be due to repentance. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” 2 Corinthians 7:10. Applying the three relationships, to God, His laws, and others, those who mourn repent to God for breaking his laws and hurting others, especially the weakest. The second beatitude puts into action the first beatitude. Because we realize our dependence upon God who loves each of us, even the least of us, we must repent when we break His laws, especially when we do harm to the most defenseless. Prochoice persons cannot repent of sins they do not acknowledge and harms to persons they do not agree have rights even to exist. They mourn the difficulties of women in crisis pregnancies but only at the expense of their offspring. Their position drives a wedge between themselves and their relationship to other humankind. More importantly, their position drives a wedge between themselves and their creator. We take no joy and claim no superiority over our prochoice brothers and sisters because we recognize that none of us is free from sin. To be truly repentant we must first mourn our own failures to speak effectively for the unborn and our lack of commitment to them in the face of certain death. We must acknowledge, moreover, that our lack of commitment harms the living as well as the dead. We also mourn those hurt physically, psychologically or spiritually by abortion, including the mothers, the fathers and even the abortionists. We mourn the brothers and sisters who will never know their siblings killed by abortion, but who will always know that only the grace of God spared their lives from the same fate. We mourn for our whole society, including the growing number of the aged who will never know the protection and security that the unborn could have provided financially and physically to them in later years. Our lack of commitment to the unborn leads inevitably to injury throughout society. Repentance is a powerful force. The spirit of repentance has converted so many from their abortion pasts to the prolife position. Some, like Dr. Bernard Nathanson, were leaders in the prochoice movement who later became, like St. Paul, outspoken advocates for a position that they once opposed. When the history of our time is written, such persons will be proclaimed as champions of the future generations they strove to protect.

BLOG HOME PAGE LINK Illinoislife.blogspot.com