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Conservative Party Dealings with Social Conservative Larry Spencer Finally Revealed

OTTAWA, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The truth on the Larry Spencer affair has finally been revealed. For weeks after the initial story broke that the Regina MP had given a politically incorrect interview to a known 'so-con headhunter' reporter at the Vancouver Sun, LifeSiteNews.com attempted in vain to speak with Spencer to get his side of the story, knowing the strong anti-family bias of the mainstream media in Canada. Spencer was silent.

Now, after being barred from entry into the Conservative Party, and thus barred from running for the Party in the coming election, Spencer has revealed that he was forced to remain silent by the Party, unable even to correct the factual errors that were being reported. In a communication to LifeSiteNews.com Spencer, for the first time reveals, "I temporarily withdrew from the Canadian Alliance caucus understanding that I would be allowed back in after I was provided sufficient time to clarify my comments. The comments in question were those that were so extremely misrepresented by Peter O'Neil of the Vancouver Sun resulting from my informal conversation with him on November 25, 2003."

Regarding his being muzzled by the Party, he notes, "I was made to sign an apology, which was not one of clarity. I was ordered to accept a communications strategy that included my staff. In short, I was muzzled and unable to make any comments to refute the media headlines and talk shows that had begun to take on a life of their own without fair consideration of the facts. I now know a forced gag order is the worst thing a politician must endure. I was allowed no defence."

Regarding his treatment by the Party, Spencer writes, "It has always been my belief that I was only answerable to my constituents. I learned today that I must first answer to a leader, a caucus and a political party. It is sad that the leader, Stephen Harper or the Conservative Party, never considered my constituent's expressions of support and were denied all the facts."

Concluding his release, Spencer said, "I am a Canadian by choice and have lived in this riding for nearly 29 years. I intend to continue to serve this country as I have since I first arrived so many years ago. 'I am Canadian.'"

See the full Spencer Press Release in PDF format
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004_docs/Spencerrelease.pdf

Also see the documentation presented to the Conservative Caucus seeking to reinstate Spencer:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/feb/040205b.html

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Conservative Leadership Candidate Tony Clement Slams MP Spencer as Homophobic

OTTAWA, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Conservative Party Leadership candidate Tony Clement, in comments to the Toronto Star today has shown himself to be extremely intolerant of traditional views on homosexuality. Clement defended the Conservative Party caucus decision to refuse MP Larry Spencer re-entry into the Conservative Party based on Spencer's politically incorrect comments to a reporter on the issue of homosexuality.

In response to a repeated hypothetical question, Spencer conceded to a reporter that he would likely support a colleague's motion to reinsert sodomy into the criminal code, clarifying that "I wouldn't want homosexuals to ever go to jail as a result of their choice to engage in homosexual acts. I wouldn't even suggest that there be a penalty."

In comments to the Toronto Star, Clement yesterday called Spencer's comments "abhorrent" and said refusing Spencer re-entry into the caucus was the right decision.. "We are not, nor should we be a homophobic party. There's got to be room in our party for persons of all persuasions, including sexual persuasions," Clement said.

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Polish Pro-Life Youth Group Discovers Illegal Abortuaries in Poland, Demands Police Action

WARSAW, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - All Poland Youth, a pro-life group in Poland has discovered several abortion clinics operating illegally in the country. After calling over 20 of the clinics and recording the phone conversations with clinic staff, the group approached the Warsaw Public Prosecutor's Office with the evidence of the criminal activity.

The group informed LifeSiteNews.com that they are demanding prosecution of the individuals working in the clinics who "kill unborn children."

All Poland Youth was one of the groups which protested the arrival of the Dutch abortion ship on its shores last year.

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Cardinal McCarrick Links Janet Jackson's "Performance" to Wider Cultural Decline

WASHINGTON, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com/CWN) - In a recent column in his archdiocesan newspaper, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick of Washington called Janet Jackson's Superbowl half-time exhibitionism "a sign of the decline and fall of a culture that made this nation great." He also cited the low American birthrate, anti-family judicial activism and the proliferating pornography industry as indicating "trouble ahead" for American society.

"What disturbs me the most," he wrote in The Catholic Standard, "is that I see really wonderful young people falling for this pernicious anti-culture and losing their ideals and their values, with the resulting danger to our nation." And his recipe for restoration is uncomplicated: "Let me oversimplify it. God is the answer, a return to the principles of faith and hope and love. All the values and the virtues come from these fundamental building blocks of a strong and sane society."

Read the Catholic News coverage of the Cardinal's column and other prominent leaders reaction to the event at:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20040204.htm

Save this link to read the Cardinal's column in the yet-to-be-published issue of the Catholic Standard:
http://www.cathstan.org/news/current/index.shtml

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Philippine Congress Passes Gay Rights Law

MANILA, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Philippine House of Representatives has passed a bill prohibiting discrimination based on "sexual orientation". The bill, filed by Akbayan Party-list Representative Loretta Ann Rosales, is a product of a legislative partnership between Akbayan and the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network Philippines (LAGABLAB-Pilipinas, Inc.). Passed on January 23, House Bill 6416 prohibits discrimination in areas such as employment, education, health services, public service (including military service), commercial and medical establishments.

The bill must still pass in the Philippine Senate and be signed by the President. Since federal elections are scheduled for May 2004, if the bill is to pass it must do so prior to June 30 when the winners of the election are declared.

Similar legislation in Canada has resulted in Christian schools being forbidden to dismiss teachers discovered to be active homosexuals, Christian mayors being forced to proclaim gay pride day, Christian publishers being forced to reproduce printed materials for homosexual activist organizations, and Christian teachers being suspended for voicing their stand against the homosexual lifestyle even outside the classroom. In addition, a Christian man and a newspaper were fined for an ad which cited Bible verses against homosexuality and a Catholic school was denied the right to forbid a male student from bringing his homosexual boyfriend to the school prom.

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Canada is Premier Destination for Homosexuals: 'Marry' Here, Change Laws at Home

MELBOURNE, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Two Australian homosexuals who were 'married' in Toronto, Ontario are seeking recognition of their 'marriage' at home. The Melbourne twosome is appealing to the Family Court for acknowledgment of their status as a 'married' couple.

Jason McCheyne and Adrian Tuazon hope to set a precedent, opening the door for similar legislation allowing same-sex 'marriage' in their native Australia.

The duo traveled to Toronto last month where they were 'married' at city hall.

While the Netherlands has a provision in their same-sex 'marriage' legislation which requires that at least one of the two be a Dutch citizen, "The Ontario provisions don't have a jurisdictional restriction, which is why anyone can go there, get 'married', and come home again," said Jenni Millbank, a family law expert at the University of Sydney.

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard is not expected to waffle on the same-sex 'marriage' issue. Last August he declared marriage "one of the bedrock institutions of our society."

Read the CNS News coverage of the story at: http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=\ForeignBureaus\archive\2004...

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Child of Holocaust Survivors and Co-Star Says Gibson Film 'Not Anti-Semitic'

ROMANIA, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - She is the daughter of holocaust survivors, and she co-stars in Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ." In a recent interview, Maia Morgenstern, who plays the role of Mary, the Mother of Christ, rejects allegations that Gibson's film is anti-Semitic.

Morgenstern, best known in her native Romania, where she has appeared in over 30 films, rebuffs concerns that Gibson's portrayal will fuel anti-Semitism. She says that "Gibson is an artist, a director. He never imposed his religious convictions on anyone. If there is a message, it's more about how people can be manipulated by their leaders," she said.

Gibson is battling allegations that his film is inflammatory against Jews, because it depicts them as the killers of Christ. One article claimed that Gibson was pulling a scripturally accurate scene which portrays the Jews saying "let His blood be upon us and our children." Numerous concessions have been made, while more are being considered.

"When people go and see the film, they will (primarily) see a work of art," Morgenstern said.

The film is to be released on Ash Wednesday.

In an earlier LifeSiteNews.com report about the widely circulated review of Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ", Catholic Deacon Keith Fournier emphasizes "There is not a scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in this powerful film." Read the report at: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/oct/03103104.html

Read the Morgenstern interview at:
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2489207

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Swiss following Dutch euthanasia model

Following the Dutch model, the Swiss medical association has given the green light to "passive" euthanasia as a legal medical practice. Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) has said that there is a need for strict controls on the practice of medical doctors "helping" terminally ill patients to die.

Werner Stauffacher, president of the Academy said, in a strangely self-contradictory statement, "We still state that assisted suicide is not part of normal medical practice, but we add that there are situations where assisted suicide can be comprehensible. So it's no longer a complete 'no'."

Active euthanasia remains illegal in Switzerland, however, with the official national association opening the door to doctors prescribing lethal medication, the law is certain to be challenged. The distinction between "assisted suicide" and active euthanasia may be too fine for euthanasia activists to resist a court challenge that may overturn the law. Other forms of "passive" euthanasia, such as withdrawal of life saving drugs, are often allowed in some Swiss cantons.

In the Netherlands the move to legalize active euthanasia was started the same way. Doctors lobbied for the law to be changed to reflect what they were already doing. The same admonition was offered that careful restrictions should be put in place to avoid "abuses". However, although reliable statistics are almost impossible to obtain from the Dutch situation, many credible reports have come to the attention of pro-life activists of doctors killing patients who had never requested euthanasia, and of patients being refused medical care after having refused euthanasia.

Very familiar rationalizations are being offered in Switzerland. "We want to avoid doctors, who are close to their patients, having to send them to organisations offering assisted suicide, which we consider go against medical values," Stauffacher said. "We don't want to let down the physician and we don't want to let down his or her patient."

In Switzerland, the same cautions are being made as were heard in the Netherlands that the practice of "assisted suicide" must only be allowed with "restrictions".

For full story:
http://www.nzz.ch/2004/02/05/english/page-synd4696720.html

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Twelve-year old IVF newborn

JERUSALEM, February 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An Israeli woman has given birth to the world's "oldest" in vitro twins. The embryos had been in frozen storage for 12 years and the woman already has two children from the same batch." The implication is that the length of time that embryos are frozen is not crucial and probably there is no more damage happening during the many years they are frozen," said her doctor, Ariel Revel of the Hadassah Hospital. It is thought that the previous record was seven years.

In the process of in vitro fertilization, one of many different techniques of artificial procreation, embryos may be created in a glass dish by mixing the oocytes and sperm either of the clients, of one client and a "donor" or of two people who are no genetic relation to the client. Invariably, more embryos are created in this process than are wanted by the client and the remaining "spare" children are either discarded or are frozen in liquid nitrogen for later "use".

Hundreds of thousands of children are in frozen "limbo" with no one willing to decide their fate. Debate is ongoing worldwide as to what to do with these "spare embryos" with many researchers lobbying for their use in experimentation in stem cell research. Some Christian groups exist to adopt these children into loving families. The average success rate, however, for artificial implantation is less than 20%. Most frozen embryos are destined to die.

There is a growing body of evidence that in vitro fertilization techniques significantly increase the risk of problem pregnancy and genetic abnormalities and the problems increase with the use of embryos that have been frozen.

A US study discovered as much as 30% increase of the loss of pregnancy for women who have frozen embryos implanted than those who use "fresh" embryos. The study found much higher rates of potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy with the use of frozen embryos.

Other studies with animals have found significant differences in behaviour between mice grown from lab-cultured embryos compared to those conceived and born normally.

In Britain, embryos are stored for five years and are then discarded. A spokesman for The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said that, "in exceptional circumstances you can extend longer than 10 years, but to do that two doctors need to confirm that the couple have or will become prematurely infertile."

BBC news coverage:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3459515.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3193254.stm

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LifeSite NewsBytes

Abortion: Conundrums and Common Sense
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/5196/LEGAL/life/index.htm

Cardinal Ratzinger Says Pope's Health has Improved
http://www.canada.com/news/world/story.html?id=29128F51-0FD2-4D49-8E3D-489B786CE...

Vaccines Linked to Autism and ADHD
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1076000448085_71409648/?hub=...

Kentucky Senate Approves 'Choose Life' Licence Plates
http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/02/04ky/met-5-plate0204-2732.html

FDA Deems Some Birth Control Patches Fake
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040204_1891.html

Yahoo! and Microsoft are giving serious thought to the idea of e-mail "postage" that costs senders a small fee
http://www.internetnews.com/IAR/article.php/3307601

Gay rights go global
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36938

Consequences of the homosexualist agenda if Bill C-250 becomes law
http://catholicinsight.com/online/features/billc250.shtml

Deathblow to Marriage, Gay marriage has real implications.
http://www.nationalreview.com/kurtz/kurtz200402050842.asp

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