Pro-life

NOTRE DAME, Indiana, March 20, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – White House Secretary Robert Gibbs stated today that Obama will give the commencement address at Notre Dame University this year. The school confirmed the announcement, stating on its website that Obama will also receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the University’s 164th University Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. May 17 in the Joyce Center on campus.
In 2004, the United States of Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a policy statement called “Catholics in Political Life,” which says, with reference to pro-abortion politicians, “They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

President Obama has been called the “abortion president” by pro-life activists, and his appearance at the university would appear to violate the USCCB’s policy against honoring pro-abortion politicians.

One alumnus from the university has already expressed his displeasure in an open letter sent today to the president of Notre Dame, Rev. John Jenkins.

William Newton, a D.C. area attorney, wrote, “As an alumnus of Notre Dame Law School, I am deeply offended that you would invite President Barack Obama to speak at Commencement this year.” [reference]

As I quipped on Twitter, the only degree Notre Dame should be giving him is the “third degree” for his murderous executive orders. You have to wonder who in the world they could think this was a good idea. Though their annual production of the Vagina Monologue I guess leads to the Obama Monologue for the most radically pro-abortion president in history. To give an honor to a person who recently signed the death warrant for human embryos is pure scandal.

Update: Cardinal Newman Society has setup www.NotreDameScandal.com which includes an online petition to Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, and contact information for the university

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently told a group of both legal and illegal immigrants and their families that enforcement of existing immigration laws, as currently practiced, is “un-American.”

The speaker, condemning raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, referred to the immigrants she was addressing as “very, very patriotic.”

“Who in this country would not want to change a policy of kicking in doors in the middle of the night and sending a parent away from their families?” Pelosi told a mostly Hispanic gathering at St. Anthony’s Church in San Francisco.[reference]

This happened 10 days ago. Well glad she can speak for the human dignity of immigrants. Though I would disagree that enforcing our laws is un-American. I thought liberals hated people questioning others patriotism?

Though when it came to the unborn she voted to prevent the ban on partial birth abortion. What value system is that?

She called gay marriage ruling in California as ‘milestone’ What value system is that?

She was thrilled to be at signing of embryonic stem-call research executive order by President Obama. What value system is that?

She wanted to put contraception in to the Stimulus bill. What value system is that.

Whatever value system that is – it isn’t Catholic.

This is getting oh so boring and predictable.

“It is my belief believe that the most effective presence on the front in the battle against HIV/AIDS is in fact the Catholic Church and her institutions. … The problem of HIV/AIDS cannot be overcome with mere slogans. If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem. The solution can only come through a twofold commitment: firstly, the humanisation of sexuality, in other words a spiritual and human renewal bringing a new way of behaving towards one another; and secondly, true friendship, above all with the suffering, a readiness – even through personal sacrifice – to stand by those who suffer”.

So of course we get headlines like “Pope’s attack on condoms sickens Aids campaigners.“

In the past we have got many charges of the pope being responsible for millions of deaths in Africa. I would simply say “Name one country that reduced the HIV infection rate by promoting condoms.” Beeeeeeeep – Time out. The example of Uganda being the only country to reduce infection rates by promoting abstinence and fidelity is a story not allowed to be mentioned.

Mark Shea posted this a couple years ago.

The West’s commitment to sexual promiscuity is a religion that people will both kill and die for.

AIDS victims in 1987: Philippines 135 / Thailand 112

In 1991 the WHO predicted the Philippines would have 80,000 to 90,000 cases and Thailand 60,000 to 80,000 AIDS victims.

Thailand promoted the use of condoms in massive campaigns where Catholic Philippines promoted ‘Abstinence’ and ‘Be faithful’.

The prognosis of the WHO was wrong for both countries:

1999: Philippines 1,005 / Thailand 755,000 AIDS victims

Source: British Medical Journal, volume 328, April 10th 2004

As the Pope mentioned it is certainly not just slogans that will help. Saying be abstinent and be faithful will do little if any good if everything else in the society is saturated with sex and selling sex. Abstinence education in schools in not very effective when the media blares a discordant message 24/7. When the whole society is oriented towards a contrary message we can hardly expect any education to be effective. The Pope’s twofold advice will pretty much go unfollowed as people follow the false and deadly idol of sex without consequences.

As is usually the case the American Papist has excellent coverage.

Amy Welborn also has an in depth post on the subject.

Via Patrick Madrid is this excellent video with Catholic writer Joanna Boogle.

Diogenes posts:

The Association of Compassionate Christian Caregivers today severely criticized traditional Catholic teaching on marital “love” and called upon the churches to encourage wife-beating Africans to take the “prudent, practical steps” to reduce the risk of HIV infection when assailing their spouses.

“The science is not in doubt” says Fizzy Osbourne, spokesman for the International Planned Widowhood Federation, “all the evidence shows that bare fists used to pummel infected spouses cause skin ruptures that increase the rate of transmission to the uninfected partner.”

AIDS experts advise uninfected wife-beaters to don leather bag-mitts — ideally on top of and in addition to standard latex gloves — before striking their HIV-positive wives. Knuckle abrasion and random laceration can be reduced by as much as 94%, which significantly decreases exposure of the aggressor to contaminated blood. ..

Professor Robbie George writes a much nicer letter to Professor Douglas Kmiec than I would be capable of doing. Recently Kmiec made the error of taking what President Obama said about cloning as actually meaning that cloning would not be allowed. I guess that is an easy mistake if you don’t realize that he was talking about reproductive and not so-called therapeutic cloning (clone and kill).

His letter is a nice reminder this Lenten season to not ascribe to malice what might be just ignorance. Though I guess I will have to see the rest of the email volley between to two to make up my mind about that.

Via The Catholic Key an interview with ith Archbishop Raymond Burke from Catholic Action for Faith and Family.

What is your opinion of her appointment to this influential position?
Her appointment saddens me on several scores. First of all, it is sad for our nation to have a person who favors the right to kill the unborn in the womb placed in charge of the federal office with responsibility for health and human services. No matter how good Governor Sebelius’ record regarding other human life concerns may be, if she is not committed to the safeguarding of human life from its very inception, she should not be entrusted with the questions of health and human services for our nation.

As a Roman Catholic, her appointment is the source of the greatest embarrassment because she has publicly and repeatedly betrayed her Catholic faith, in the most fundamental tenet in the most fundamental tenet of the moral law, that is, the law to safeguard and foster human life from the moment of its inception to the moment of natural death. What is more, she has obstinately remained in her moral error after being admonished by, at least, three of her Bishops, including her present Bishop, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas. Her position on the question of procured abortion is the source of the greatest scandal to Catholics and to all who uphold the natural moral law.

And on Archbishop Naumann’s approach to Sebelius:
Under these circumstances was he justified in asking her to refrain from receiving Holy Communion and do you believe this was a pastoral approach?

Not only was Archbishop Naumann justified, he was fulfilling one of his most solemn duties as a pastor, namely, the care of the Most Blessed Sacrament and of the worthy reception of Holy Communion. As I mentioned above, his action, in my judgment, could not have been more pastorally correct. He has spoken the truth with love. More than that cannot be asked of any shepherd of the flock.

In other pro-murder Catholic politician news:

This morning, I had the great honor of joining President Obama as he lifted the executive ban on federal funding for stem cell research.

Today’s ceremony at the White House was more than eight years in the making. With one stroke of his pen, President Obama has given hope and potentially health to millions of Americans.

The President’s courageous action today has also restored science to its rightful place in our national debates and will ensure that America remains a world leader in innovation, discovery, and growth.

As one of our dedicated grassroots supporters, today’s victory is your victory.

Great honor for this “devout” Catholic.

Clinton spoke about embryos not being fertilized and said that if embryos were ever on their way to be fertilized, they shouldn’t be used for experimentation. He said this one way or another about 3 or 4 times and then ended by saying it unequivocally.

I couldn’t believe my ears! Surely, I thought, Dr. Gupta – a medical doctor, isn’t he? – is going to nicely point out that an embryo is an embryo because it has been fertilized, that it is a genetically complete fully fertilized egg. Gupta said nothing.

Can it be that Bill Clinton and Dr. Gupta don’t really know what an embryo is?

I hope someone in the pro-life movement will use the clip of Clinton saying fertilized embryos should not be used for experimentation!

Via The Lady in the Pew

The video does back this up that he said such a stupid thing and Dr. Gupta who was going to be Surgeon General didn’t correct him.

Via the the always great Bishop Thomas Olmsted.

Our president’s rationale is that science should trump ideology. In other words, that ideology should not have the upper hand in making decisions about who pays for research; science should. We Americans, he says, should trust scientists more than we trust ideologues. But who is our president calling ideologues? Those whom he is calling “ideologues” include the following:

Pope Benedict XVI and all faithful Catholics around the world;

People of faith from all major religions who believe that human life, especially at its most innocent and vulnerable stage, needs to be protected, not killed for the sake of older human beings; and

All people of good will who oppose the killing of one group of human beings in order to benefit another group.

“Science should trump ideology” is a code phrase that means science should trump the Fifth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” It is contending that science should trump the right to life of a certain class of human beings, those who are at the embryonic stage of life. Science, according to our president, does not need to be at the service of the human person or subject to morality. How is this position not influenced by an ideology, which is the very thing our president claims he is seeking to avoid? Is this good for America? Is this what we Americans want our taxes to be used for?

The good bishop then goes on to describe the Catholic response

First, we must beg forgiveness for this horrendous sin of our nation. Like the Prophet Daniel, we need to say in all humility and shame (9:4fc), “Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws… Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day.”

Second, we Catholics must join with others of good will and make our voices heard across our land, at the White House, on Capitol Hill, in our state Legislatures and in the media. We must not stand by idly while our neighbor’s life is at stake. The dignity of a human person does not depend upon his or her age, developmental stage, or ability to function. Every human being has inherent dignity because God has created us with an eternal soul. No one has the right to extinguish this gift of life but God alone.

Third, we need to point out why such destructive research is especially pointless at this time when ethical means are available, such as the following:

Great advances are being made in reprogramming adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells (the journal Science hailed this as the scientific breakthrough of the year);

Adult and umbilical cord blood stem cells are increasingly being used to reverse serious illnesses and even help rebuild damaged organs.

Fourth, we must pray and fast for an end to this horrendous decision and an end to all attacks on innocent human life. Jesus told us that some evils can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. In this season of Lent, this gives us added reason to do penance in union with our prayers for the protection of all human life.

Fifth, we must not lose hope. False rhetoric such as “science must triumph over ideology” will not stand the test of time. Such counterfeit reasoning and slick cover-up of the truth will not have the last word. Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly (Cf. Jn 10:10). In Him, who died to take away sin and rose to restore our life, we place our hope. This hope will never disappoint.

Dale Price mentions some related information:

Missed in all the conflagration over Obama funding destruction of embryonic human life (Think of it as a stimulus package for biotech corporations!™) is this malevolent tidbit:

He also ended funding for pluripotent stem cell research not involving human embryos. You know, the stuff that’s making embryo-shredding obsolete.

Yeah, you’re all about the science. Well, OK, crap science unshackled by ethics, but you can’t make a failed revolution without scrambling a few kulaks.

We’ve been working for more than two long years, and with your help, victory is near! We’re finally on the verge of restoring access to affordable birth control for millions of women. Even in the face of some opposition, Congress has stood up for women’s health by including access to affordable birth control in the appropriations bill that has just passed the Senate. The next and final stop is President Obama’s desk!

In this difficult economy, access to basic health care, including birth control, is more important than ever. Via Jill Stanek

Because children should only be seen in economic terms.

Just great. Now via taxes I get to fund abortions overseas, embryonic stem-call research, and even more contraception.

I was thinking some more about what the President said yesterday.

This Order is an important step in advancing the cause of science in America. But let’s be clear: promoting science isn’t just about providing resources – it is also about protecting free and open inquiry. It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it’s inconvenient – especially when it’s inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda – and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.

The truth though is that politics certainly has a role concerning science and it comes down to as to whether politics is used to advance an ethic or whether it is used to ignore it. There is nothing inherently wrong with the political process being involved in science.

I do find it rather ironic for Democrats to complain about the mixture of politics and science. They had no problem putting Plan B on fast-track approval (a process that was suppose to be used for life and death treatments). Plan B approval was all about politics in shortening the FDA approval time and to spend less time in clinical trials.

The President’s own decision here is political and not scientifically based. Providing taxpayer funding is purely political. If the science of embryonic stem-call research was so promising, so-called Big Pharma would be funding it out the wazoo. They pretty much have not worried about ethical concerns in the past with the source of cells for immunizations. There is a reason some scientists have been pushing for government funding – because they couldn’t get it elsewhere. Government funding is great for scientists since they don’t actually have to produce anything and can go on for years like that. Look at all the global warming research grants from government. Private funding would dry up pretty quickly on non-results.

I also find it ironic the cries about politics interfering in science. They have no problem attacking the pharmaceutical industry for greed. Last I checked greed was a vice and opposed to a moral value and they are interfering with science by telling companies what they can and can not develop or at what price they must sell it at. Companies base their R&D projects based on prophets so by reducing profits they reduce R&D – but somehow this is not an attack on science. Though what it really amounts to is that really everybody agrees that politics has a place in regards to science and research and when there are restrictions it should be based on morality.

I guess if embryonic stem-call research can find a way to use tumors to cure rather than kill people their research won’t be a total waste. Because so far that is what it is best at. Though of course I only jest here because their research involves the direct death of a human person.

“Obama moves to separate politics and science.” Oh, really? Have there been raging debates in Congress over what constitutes an inclined plane? Have I missed the talk-radio shoutfests in which the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is hotly attacked or defended? Is someone insisting that Schrodinger be the subject of a PETA protest for his cruelty to hypothetical cats?

Today Red Cardigan also wrote along these lines and as always she is well worth reading.

As expected President Obama signed an executive disorder to allow federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.

But in recent years, when it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values. In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering. I believe we have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research – and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly.

Of course the truth was that unfortunately the private sector could do all of the embryonic stem-call research they wanted. The only change is now taxpayers are being forced to be part of this evil.

It is a difficult and delicate balance. Many thoughtful and decent people are conflicted about, or strongly oppose, this research. I understand their concerns, and we must respect their point of view.

This is the tactic the President always uses. Just like a previous statement “understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. “Hey I understand and respect your viewpoint, but I am going to do it anyway.”

…I can also promise that we will never undertake this research lightly. We will support it only when it is both scientifically worthy and responsibly conducted. We will develop strict guidelines, which we will rigorously enforce, because we cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse. And we will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction. It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society.

Isn’t murder a “misuse and abuse.” The bit about cloning is a sleight of hand and you might wonder why he includes it in talking about embryonic stem-call research. Just like all the liars from the culture of death they define cloning as creating a clone that is actually allowed to live. They call this reproductive cloning. But so-called therapeutic cloning (clone and kill) will be totally allowed. Had to laugh at the “I can promise you” considering that he has broken campaign promises on a record pace. His only true promises unfortunately are where he promised to do evil.

If you follow embryonic stem-call research you find that the majority of the research is in clone and kill and not using human beings created via IVF. As I have mentioned before embryonic stem-cells have major immune system problems, that is why adult stem-cell research actually has lead to cures since they are using their own stem-cells. So using frozen human embryos will remain a non-starter unless the immune system problems are solved. Though that won’t stop scientist from continuing the slaughter of human persons by experimenting with their embryos. But of course for all of this rhetoric must be used to disguise the truth. If human cloning became possible than you could have a clone of you taken and then killed for the stem-cells. Cannibalizing your twin is such an appealing idea.

But after much discussion, debate and reflection, the proper course has become clear. The majority of Americans – from across the political spectrum, and of all backgrounds and beliefs – have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research. That the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight, the perils can be avoided.

True that many on both sides of the political spectrum are willing to overlook the dignity of the human person for potential cures. Sen. McCain an many other republicans saw no problem with so-called leftover embryos – but drew the line at cloning. An incoherent moral argument – “they are going to die anyway.” Well I got news for you – the same thing goes for all of us.

This Order is an important step in advancing the cause of science in America. But let’s be clear: promoting science isn’t just about providing resources – it is also about protecting free and open inquiry. It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it’s inconvenient – especially when it’s inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda – and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.

Pure scientism. No mention that science must be guided by morality. The above paragraph would have suited Josef Mengel just fine.

The President ends by bringing up Christopher Reeve’s once again. Reminds me of Sen. Edwards despicable comment the day after Reeve’s died “people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk again.” The new traveling medical show provides the same old con. Though at least before people only walked away conned, those killed in research can’t walk away.