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Friday January 28, 2005


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Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Says Churches Must “Not Get Involved” in Same-Sex Marriage Issue

Unexpected tide of opposition to marriage re-definition causing extreme reaction from Liberal elite

FREDERICTON, New Brunswick January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Liberal government reaction to the unexpected building tide of opposition to its same-sex ‘marriage’ bill is becoming increasingly extreme. Comments yesterday by Foreign Affairs Minister, Pierre Pettigrew, have revealed a disturbing, almost totalitarian attitude of the government towards Canadians opposing its social engineering plans.

The National Post reports today that Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister, Pierre Pettigrew declared that because Canada has “Separation of Church and State,” the Church is obliged to remain silent on the issue of same-sex unions. “I find that the separation of the Church and the state is one of the most beautiful inventions of modern times,” Pettigrew said. The National Post reported he said that government and churches ‘should not get involved in each other’s affairs.’

Christians are reacting with outrage at the suggestion from an elected representative and Cabinet Minister that Christians have no right to influence the formation of Canadian goverment policy.

The Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops (OCCB)today issued an uncharacteristically stern response to Pettigrew’s comments. The bishops’ conference has demanded a retraction and called Pettigrew’s comments “extremely irresponsible,” and a violation of freedom and freedom of religion. The statement said, “The separation of church and state is a tool that advocates use when they find religious views to be inconvenient to their political views.”

The statement reads, “They would require people to leave their religious beliefs at the door when they enter public debate. This, of course, contradicts both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. All Canadians have the democratic right to participate in social debate. That is a hallmark of our democratic society.”

The bishops’ statement warns that once the principles of representative democracy and freedom of speech are abandoned in the Liberals’ rush to re-construct Canadian society, no group is safe from silencing. “If religious people are being told today that they cannot participate in the public debate on certain issues, then who will be told the same tomorrow? Will environmentalists be told that there are issues on which they ought not to comment? Will trade unionists be told that they must remain silent on other issues?”

Tom Reilly, the General Secretary of the OCCB said, “The debate should not be chilled by remarks that have no foundation in the Canadian constitution or accepted political practice.”

Pettigrew’s comments come as Muslim, Sikh and Christian organizations across the country, announce that they will be mobilizing their congregations to fight a change to the legal definition of marriage to include homosexual partnerings. Pettigrew said from Fredericton that he would be supporting the upcoming legislation.

Read National Post coverage:
https://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?…

Contact Minister Pettigrew:
By mail:

House of Commons,
Ottawa, Ontario,
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 995-8872
Fax: (613) 995-9926
E-Mail: [email protected]

Constituency Address
200 – 2348 Jean-Talon Street East
Montreal, Quebec
H2E 1V7
Telephone: (514) 593-6020
Fax: (514) 593-6023


Campaign Life Coalition Says Canadian Same-Sex Marriage Battle Has Not Yet Begun

Jan 28 Media Release

A Liberal MP has stated today that a number of his colleagues have made up their mind to endorse same-sex legislation. He will personally stand firm and vote against it but he erroneously concluded that the “die was pretty much cast”.

“The battle has not even begun”, said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition (CLC). “We need the MPs who are against same-sex “marriage” and same-sex “unions” to take heart and prepare for a fierce battle on this issue. The Canadian people are stirred up and watching their MPs closely. The Churches are taking their rightful place with a firm defense of marriage which is one man and one woman. They are encouraging their flocks to act,” he continued. “This is not the time for MPs to concede defeat before the issue is even introduced.”

“The Prime Minister is so rightly frightened of the results of the vote that he is afraid to allow his cabinet to vote freely,” said Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer of CLC. “The grassroots people are opposed to this proposed legislation and they need to be heard by their MPs.”

Campaign Life Coalition is directing its supporters to contact their MPs and to defeat any MP in the next election who votes in favour of Paul Martin’s campaign to change the definition of marriage.

CLC Media Contacts:
Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer Campaign Life Coalition, Kingston, ON 613-389-4472
Aidan Reid, Public Affairs Director, CLC Ottawa, 613-729-0379
Gillian Long, CLC Toronto, 416-204-9749


As Marriage Battle Heats Up, MPs Being Swayed by Massive Public Outcry

OTTAWA, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – While Prime Minister Paul Martin, who fancies himself a devout Catholic, may be often repeating that he is “very confident” that his legislation to force homosexual ‘marriage’ on Canada will pass the House of Commons, a growing public outcry has just begun and is already shaking the resolve of some MPs.

Martin met with his caucus Wednesday to sell his plan to alter marriage, still insisting that under pain of punishment, the 40 cabinet members and justice parliamentary secretary must vote in favor of the law despite any and all objections. However, even for cabinet ministers who stand to lose major pay and prestige with being booted from cabinet, the decision is weighing heavily.

Minister of state for the federal economic development initiative for Northern Ontario, Joe Comuzzi, is struggling with the decision since his Catholic faith tells him to vote it down. Moreover, all MPs, cabinet members included, are being flooded with emails, letters, phone calls, petitions and now even rallies outside their offices demanding traditional marriage be protected.

According to a story in the Globe and Mail today Comuzzi has even been asked by two of his three daughters to vote against the legislation. Comuzzi had to recommence smoking to cope with the stress of the decision. He will hear his constituents on the issue on Friday in Thunder Bay at a series of town hall meetings.

The Globe and Mail reports that the legislation has “the full support of the NDP.” That means the party, as usual, ruthlessly enforces a policy of not letting its members have any choice on these types of issues. However, one NDP MP has said publicly she will vote against the bill.

Despite threats of disciplinary action by anti-family NDP Leader Jack Layton, Manitoba NDP MP Bev Desjarlais said yesterday she intends to vote against the legislation.

Martin is being hit from all sides on the issue, since in his rhetoric he has followed the gay movement strategy of framing the homosexual ‘marriage’ issue as one of human rights. Calling his bluff, the NDP Leader has demanded that there be no free vote for any Liberal MPs on the issue since human rights issues should not be subject to votes.

Martin, speaking out of both sides of his mouth, retorted with an appeal to democracy. While insisting his cabinet be forced to vote in support of his legislation, the Prime Minister said, “Mr. Layton has a rather strange view of democracy and what a free vote is all about.”

jhw


Ads To Dispel Myths Of Legal Abortion Launched by US Bishops’ Office

WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched a major advertising campaign in the Washington Metropolitan area and in national news media outlets. The campaign, called the “Second Look Project,” presents basic facts about legal abortion that much of the public does not understand and encourages people to take a “second look” at their views on abortion.

“Three decades after Roe v. Wade, many people still do not understand basic facts about legal abortion – like the fact that abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy,” said Cathy Cleaver Ruse, Esq., Director of Planning and Information for the Secretariat.

“Recent polls showing support for Roe v. Wade describe Roe as the decision which legalized abortion in the first 3 months of pregnancy, a flagrant distortion of the truth,” said Ruse. “Roe created an unlimited right to abortion and most people think an unlimited right to abortion is wrong.”

“The Second Look Project is innovative because it provides basic facts about legal abortion, and lets the facts speak for themselves,” said Ruse.

Over 500 transit advertisements will appear on Metro trains and buses in the Washington area beginning in January and running through February. Advertisements have also begun appearing in the following news outlets: The Washington Post, the Washington Times, the National Catholic Register, America, Commonweal, the New Republic, and the National Review.

The ads direct viewers to a website with additional and supporting information: https://www.secondlookproject.org

jhw


Bush Discusses Abortion and Gay Adoption with New York Times

WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a wide-ranging 40-minute interview with the New York Times Thursday, President Bush spoke of abortion and homosexual adoption.

Earlier this week, the President told 150,000 participants in the annual March for Life, “The America of our dreams, where every child is welcomed in law — in life, and protected in law may still be some ways away, but even from the far side of the river . . . we can see its glimmerings”

Yesterday, the President told the Times, “I think the goal ought to be to convince people to value life.” He added, “But I fully understand our society is divided on the issue and that there will be abortions. That’s reality. It seems like to me my job is to convince people to make right choices in life, to understand there are alternatives to abortion, like adoption, and I will continue to do so.”

Bush also refused to cave in to demands that more embryonic stem cell lines be made available for research. He told the New York Times that “destroying life to create life is not ethical” and that “whether it happens in the private sector or the public sector, it doesn’t change the ethics.”

The President also addressed the controversial subject of homosexual adoptions without failing to mention the scientific evidence opposed to it. Bush said that “children can receive love from gay couples,” but “studies have shown that the ideal is where a child is raised in a married family with a man and a woman.”

See the coverage in the New York Times (registration required)
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/28/politics/28prexy.html

See the President’s full address to the March for Life:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jan/050124a.html

jhw


Euthanasia Activist Plans Public Suicide for Today in Ottawa

OTTAWA, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A 78 year-old euthanasia campaigner plans to commit suicide today, hoping the publicity he generates will cause a stir over the issue.

Marcel Tremblay said he plans to suffocate himself with a helium-inflated bag that he will put over his head. He plans first to take part in his own wake with 50 friends.

Tremblay has retained the services of prominent Ottawa lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, to ensure his suicide does not incriminate his family.

Tremblay has been active in the euthanasia activist group, Dying with Dignity, for years. He has planned this suicide for months, he said. He suffers from a lung condition known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that causes him trouble breathing. He told reporters he worries about suffocating to death.

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition executive director Alex Schadenberg demanded Friday that local police authorities intervene in Tremblay’s planned suicide.

“We understand the suffering that he must be experiencing but we do not think that suicide is the answer,” Schadenberg said in comments to LifeSiteNews.com. “Mr. Tremblay’s actions will have ramifications on other people who are experiencing similar or other health problems and who wish to be aided in suicide.”

“Though suicide is not illegal in Canada, it is not considered an acceptable solution to problems,” Schadenberg explained. “According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 95% of people who commit suicide were experiencing depression, mental breakdown or mental illness.”

“As a society we need to support and protect people, even from themselves, in their times of great difficulty,” Schadenberg continued. “The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is also concerned about the publicity Mr. Tremblay has created due to copycat acts that might result from his suicide.”

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
New Information Exposes Dying with Dignity’s Real Goals
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/mar/030320a.html

tv


CLC National News Promotes Marriage Defence Strategy and Urges Conservatives to Stop Red Tory Takeover

TORONTO, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In its just relesed February newsletter, Canada’s national pro-life political organization, Campaign Life Coalition, has placed strong emphasis on two current major threats to family life and free speech rights on moral issues.

First up, CLC discusses the implications of the Martin government’s same-sex marriage bill and proposes detailed strategies that should be undertaken by grassroots opponents of the legislation. The organization emphasizes the bill can be defeated, regardless of what some media and politicians are stating. CLC’s postcard campaign for instance is receiving a huge response with well over 100,000 having been distributed to date and orders still flooding in.

Second in the newsletter, Campaign Life Coalition warns there is a strong effort by social liberal Red Tories to pass resolutions at the Conservative Party’s March policy convention “which would impose socially liberal policies on the party” and limit debate and free votes.

CLC president Jim Hughes warns, “Grassroots members of the party must wake up to what is going on and get heavily involved in order to maintain a Conservative party that gives voice to their concerns”. Hughes notes that resolutions passed at a Toronto regional meeting of the party indicates “the Red Tories are working very hard to play a major role at the March policy convention.” “However”, adds Hughes, “this fight on the floor of the convention can be won given that many traditional values grassroots members will be delegates to the conventions”.

See the Complete newsletter at
https://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/national_news/2005/news…


UK Court Refuses to Lift Doctor’s “Do Not Resuscitate” Order for Baby

LONDON, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A UK judge refused today to overturn a doctor’s order that a 15-month-old girl not be resuscitated should she stop breathing.

The parents of the girl, Charlotte Wyatt, in another hearing planned before Easter, hope to present new evidence proving that the girl’s condition has “dramatically improved” according to a BBC report.

In October, Mr Justice Hedley sided with the hospital that decided Charlotte’s ‘quality of life’ would be so poor that she ought not to be resuscitated should she experience another medical emergency. Charlotte was born three months premature and her chance of survival was estimated to be only be 50% at birth.

“The hospital is trying to get us to pull the plug,” said Charlotte’s father, Darren Wyatt, before the October ruling. “I cannot do that. I would have to live with that for the rest of my life. I simply cannot make a decision to end Charlotte’s life. She has been fighting for 10 months and I’m not prepared to let her down. We need to be able to say we did absolutely everything in our power to help her.”

“A caring society should support the needs of a family who wish to care for and love their special needs child,” said Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition on Friday. “Baby Charlotte is not dead but cognitively disabled. Society should be willing to care for all children with disabilities. Charlotte’s parents are suffering enough without having to battle the state over the medical care of their child.”

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Court Sides against Parents: Resuscitation Not in Interests of Infant Girl
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/oct/04100706.html

tv


Manitoba Appeals Abortion Ruling on Funding of Private Clinics

WINNIPEG, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Manitoba government is appealing a decision by the courts that forces the province to pay for abortions committed in private clinics.

Queen’s Bench Associate Chief Justice Jeffrey Oliphant ruled in December that forcing women to pay for abortions committed in private clinics is a violation of their rights as defined by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“We just can’t let this ruling go unchallenged,” said Health Minister Tim Sale Thursday, as reported by the Winnipeg Sun.

Oliphant’s ruling last month opens the door to a class-action suit being launched by thousands of women forced to pay for abortions at Morgentaler’s abortuary. If successful, the suit would force the province to reimburse the women.

The province already started publicly funding abortions committed at private institutions when it started paying for those committed at “Jane’s Clinic,” the not-for-profit abortuary turned over to the charitable group by Morgentaler last year.

Currently Manitoba and New Brunswick are the only Canadian provinces that still do not fund privately run abortuaries. New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord said he stands behind the province’s decision not to fund privately operated abortuaries.

tv


New Jersey Abortionist Charged with Flushing Baby Remains down Drain

Receptionist also charged with aborting babies without medical license

LAKEWOOD, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Dr. Flavius Moses Thompson owner of the Pleasant Women’s Pavilion, an abortion mill in Lakewood New Jersey, is being charged with flushing “medical waste,” baby body parts and other remains from his abortions, down a toilet.

The charges against the doctor have followed the arrest of Liza Berdiel, 24, a receptionist at the facility, who is charged with committing abortions without a medical license. Thompson suspected his receptionist was doing abortions herself and pocketing his patients’ cash payments of up to $380 at a time.

“During our investigation we found that medical waste material was being improperly disposed of down the sanitary sewer at that location,” said Detective Larry Doyle of the Lakewood Police Department, referring to the toilet there. “He also has a facility in Barnegat, but we have no suspicion that any further illegal activity is going on at that location at this time.”

Thompson was charged with illegal storage of Class 4 medical waste (syringes and needles) since his license to generate medical waste had expired; causing the disposal of medical waste that included blood products; and violation of the Clean Waters Act for disposing of aborted materials into the sanitary sewer system, which flows into the Metedeconk River.

If found guilty of polluting the water system, Thompson could face up to five years in prison in addition to fines. “In order for him to discharge medical waste into that sewer system he would need an appropriate permit,” said Doyle.

Read Tri-Town News coverage:
https://tritown.gmnews.com/news/2005/0126/Front_Page/011.html


Canadian Supreme Court Rules Flashing Children OK From Living Room Window

OTTAWA, January 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com ) – A British Columbia man will not have to close his drapes when he commits indecent acts in his living room. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a person’s private abode, even if it is in full view of the neighbourhood children, cannot be considered a public space. Anything, therefore, that Daryl Clark wants to do in it, including masturbation, is not a matter for the police.

On Oct. 28, 2000 Clark’s neighbours complained to police when they saw him engaged in this activity in full view of their two daughters. The couple, identified only as Mr. and Mrs. S, were concerned that Clark was deliberately displaying himself to be seen by children. Lower courts concluded that Clark had consciously converted his living room into a public place.

“The living room of his private home was not a place ‘to which the public (had) access as of right or by invitation, express or implied,'” Justice Morris Fish wrote.

“A person has the freedom in his or her own living room to do whatever they choose to do and is not caught by the criminal law if they have no intent to offend or insult someone who may not be on that private property.”


LifeSiteNews.com NewsBytes

Report: U.S. STD Death Rates Triple Other Wealthy Nations
https://www.thewbalchannel.com/healtharchive/4136389/detail.h…

List of Pro-Abortion Catholics in U.S. Congress
https://www.all.org/crusade/congress.htm

Planned Parenthood Head Resigns
https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/27/national/main66991…

Montana Bill Requires All Insurance to Cover Abortifacient Birth Control
https://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display;=rednew…

University of Texas receives $5 million for embryonic stem cell research
https://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/3012435

Buffalo pro-life groups say Catholic college should pull Hillary Clinton invite
https://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=2870637

Ottawa radio station CFRA poll on euthanaisia
https://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp

Red Tories Dividing Conservative Party: Attacking Leader Stephen Harper for Defending Marriage
https://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp…

Marriage bill supposedly set to pass: Survey: at least 135 MPs to vote in favour
https://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2005/01/28/912…

Vatican cardinal says family not property of lawmakers
https://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=34908

Quebec Catholics launch postcard campaign against same-sex marriage
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=2945

Terri Schiavo’s Parents Going All Out to Protect Daughter’s Rights
https://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/1/afa/272005f.asp

Trafficking, or “modern-day slavery,” as Miller calls it, is fast becoming one of the early 21st century’s foremost human-rights issues
https://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200501240853.asp

Fetal Pain Bill Reintroduced
https://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0035328.cfm

Scalia: Judges Should Abide By Constitution
https://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0035333.cfm

Young Teen Sex: Hottest New Pop Culture Concern
https://www.cwfa.org/articles/7352/BLI/femfacts/index.htm

Three insurance firms sue LA Catholic bishop over child sex abuse deals
https://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?ID=36559

Grits flip, flop … and why?
https://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/Editorial/home.html

MPs MacKay and Stronach confirm they are dating
https://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/11069214…

New Developments in Cosby Fondling Investigation
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=446798&page;=1

World Economic Forum Pushes Global Agenda
https://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/1/27/145803.sh…

Blair: U.S. Must Work With World on Global Warming
https://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/1/27/152432.sh…

France’s Chirac: Tax the World to Help the Poor
https://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/1/26/161138.sh…

Where Have All the Children Gone?
https://techcentralstation.com/012705D.html

Wal-Mart Includes Gay Couples in ‘Family’ Definition
https://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/1/28/95021.sht…

Hillary: Can a liberal change her spots?
https://www.townhall.com/columnists/monacharen/mc20050128.sht…

CWA Signs on Amicus Brief to Oppose Peer-to-Peer Software
https://www.cwfa.org/articles/7339/CWA/pornography/index.htm

Life and death by the court
https://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050127-090236-3746r….

Ads Urge a Rethinking of Abortion
https://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=65460

Denver Archdiocese, Catholic Lawyers Guild at odds over guild honor
https://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20050127.htm

Pro-Abortion vs Pro-Abortion: Guiliani vs Hillary Clinton
https://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/1/27/91327.shtml?j=7…

Illinois Diocese Involved in Damage Control, Says Catholic Activist Group
https://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/1/172005g.asp


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