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EU Threatens to Withdraw Aid to Nicaragua if Pro-Life Law Remains

By Meg Jalsevac

MANAGUA, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Representatives from the European Union are increasing pressure on the government of Nicaragua to reverse its recent law which unilaterally forbids abortion under any circumstances.  According to a report from the Catholic News Agency, the EU representation has threatened to withdraw economic assistance to the country if the abortion law is not reversed.

Nicaragua’s new abortion law was unanimously voted in by the Nicaraguan Legislature in October, 2006 and signed into law by then President Enrique Bolanos the following month.  Nicaragua’s new president, Daniel Ortega voiced his support of the pro-life law in his election campaign.

Marc Litvine, the EU representative to Nicaragua, said that the EU regards legalized abortion as “linked to aid programs against poverty and to the rights of women”.  He expressed hope that “the new government will be capable of opening the debate and discussing it outside the passion of the electoral season.”

According to an interview published in Managua’s El Nuevo Diario newspaper, Litvine said that the EU is “concerned” about the recent law.  Litvine also accused the supporters of the law of pushing it through in a “hurried” fashion in the days leading up to the election.

Opponents of the pro-life law have argued that it was used as a platform for electoral candidates.  The United Nations, organizations such as Human Rights Watch and various feminist groups have condemned the law arguing that it will lead to more clandestine abortions which will, in turn, lead to the deaths of more women.  Several organizations have said that they will challenge the constitutionality of the law, calling abortion a “fundamental human right.” 

Litvine commented on the new government and its support of the pro-life legislation saying, “That’s where I see one of the contradictions of the new government; it claims to be progressive, very modern, and it is going backwards because for us [the pro-life law] is a step back.”

Nicaragua’s previous abortion law had a loophole which allowed for the killing of the unborn child if the life or health of the mother was determined to be in danger.  The ambiguity of the “health” clause in most countries around the globe has eventually led to practical abortion on demand.  Nicaragua’s previous law also allowed the child to be killed in utero if she was conceived through rape.

Read Previous LifeSiteNews Coverage:

Nicaragua Congress Passes New Law Outlawing All Abortions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/oct/06102604.html

Nicaraguan President Signs into Law Bill Banning All Abortion Despite UN Intimidation
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/06112002.html

Pregnant 9-Year Old Rape Victim Being Used to Push Abortion Legalization
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/feb/03021802.html

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Conservative Party of Canada Rejects Nomination Bid of Well Known BC Social Conservative

Harper challenged to stop allowing "outrageous muzzling" of right of social Conservative to participate in process

By John-Henry Westen

SURREY, BC, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Heather Stilwell is a familiar name in the Newton-North Delta riding of British Columbia where she was aiming to run as a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in the next federal election.  Stilwell is one of the longest currently serving trustees on the Surrey School Board, having been first elected in 1990 and since then re-elected four times. From 1996 to 1999 she served as Chair of the Surrey School Board. Previously, this mother of eight children was the founding president of a local Merchants' Association, and ran a small business in Surrey.

But those strong credentials did not stop the Party brass in Ottawa from cutting off her attempt to run for the nomination.  Prior to launching her campaign to become the Conservative nominee, Stilwell was warned that the Party would not allow her to run due to her history as a prominent advocate for the right to life and the traditional family.

That warning came after the Party had either outright forbidden or surreptitiously thwarted attempts by other social conservatives to enter the race to become candidates for the Party.  Notably in 2005, the Party forbade social conservative John Pacheco from contesting the Conservative nomination in an Ottawa riding.  Pacheco was the main organizer of the Ottawa Marriage March which drew over 15,000 people to Parliament Hill.  Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, with Pacheco's permission, spoke at that massive rally.  Weeks later the Conservatives denied Pacheco the opportunity to attempt to represent the Party.

While Pacheco's rejection was open, Stilwell's rejection was undertaken under cover of technicality.  All her paperwork was in order, except for a copy of a police check.  The police were to mail the report directly to the Party, and Stilwell assured the Party the police had put the report in the mail.  She even went so far as to fax a copy of the report in to Party headquarters prior to the deadline.

Despite all that, Stilwell received a curt email from Geoff Donald at Party headquarters in Ottawa last night stating: "Section 3b iv of the CPC Nomination Rules and Procedures states that the candidate must provide "an original copy of a current Certificate of Conduct", while the documentation that you have provided is a photocopy . . . Because we have not received the documentation by 5:00PM local time, the application is not considered complete and according to Section 3d the application will not be considered."

In an interview with LifeSiteNews.com Stilwell said she wished the Party would have told her upfront that her social conservative past would prevent her from being accepted.  "People warned me this would happen" said Stilwell. "I was sure that my 14 years of elected office, my reputation as a hard-working person of integrity would at least give me a chance."

"It is unbelievable that they would reject my nomination 3 weeks before the nomination meeting. I have talked to MP's and others in the Party," she added.  "I've been out in the community knocking on doors, holding coffee parties, encouraging people to get involved in politics.  If they were not going to let me run they should have told me in the beginning."

Stilwell suggests that the hundreds of new members her team signed up would now be seen as having been taken by the party under false pretences and she is demanding a refund be given to them.  "I want the Conservative Party to give my members their money back," demanded Stilwell. "Every member I signed up paid for heir own memberships because they wanted a chance to vote for me."

Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition told LifeSiteNews.com that he was "shocked to hear what the Conservative Party" had done.  "We hoped and prayed that they'd be more open, unlike the NDP, where candidates could speak up on issues and reveal to voters where they stand."

Pacheco, who received similar treatment from the Conservatives in 2005, told LifeSiteNews.com, "It only goes to show that the Conservative Party of Canada continues to treat social conservatives like the proverbial whipping boy.  This is all very troubling because almost everywhere in the Western world today, Christians and other social conservatives are being pushed into the closet and their role in public life is being discouraged. If Mr. Harper is truly a Christian like he purports to be, then he has to stop allowing this outrageous muzzling of our right to participate in the political process.  It's time to remove the muzzle, Mr. Harper."

Despite numerous calls, the Conservative Party did not return calls by press time.

To contact the Conservative Party of Canada
http://www.conservative.ca/EN/1045/

To contact Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper
Telephone:     (613) 992-4211
Fax:              (613) 941-6900
EMail:      

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Study Finds Pro-life Incremental Legislation Cuts Minor Abortion Rates by Almost 25%

U.S. pro-life laws credited with half the 50 % reduction in minor abortions over the past 20 years

By Gudrun Schultz

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Abortion-restricting legislation reduces the rate of abortions among minor girls by nearly 25 percent, a new study shows, with Medicaid funding restrictions and parental notification laws having the greatest impact.

In a study conducted by Michael J. New, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, abortion rates among minor girls aged 13-17 dropped 23% when laws limiting access to Medicaid funding were introduced. Parental notification laws caused a 16% drop in abortion rates among the same age group.

Published by the Heritage Foundation, the study examines the impact of four types of incremental pro-life legislation on minor abortion rates: parental involvement requirements, restrictions on Medicaid funding, informed consent laws, and bans on partial-birth abortion. 

Of the four areas of legislation, informed consent laws and bans on partial birth abortion had the least impact on minors. As the author points out, “[i]n most cases, minors seek abortions because they do not want to reveal their pregnancy or sexual activity to their parents. It is likely, therefore, that presenting a minor with alternatives to abortion would have little influence on her decision.”

“Similarly, since many minors seek abortions relatively early in their pregnancies, a technique other than partial birth abortion would be used in most cases involving minors.”

The author conducted the study to attempt the identification of probable causes for the striking reduction--nearly 50 percent in some periods--in abortion rates among minor girls during the last 20+ years, a development he said has been largely ignored by researchers thus far.

“Although the decline in the overall incidence of abortion during the 1990s has been widely reported, scant attention has been paid to the more dramatic reduction in abortion rates among minors,” New wrote. “Between 1985 and 1999, the minor abortion rate fell by almost 50 percent, compared to a 29 percent decline in the overall abortion rate.”

In testing the reliability of the study’s conclusion that pro-life legislation does in fact decrease the abortion rate among minor girls, the researchers compared the minor abortion rate to the total abortion rate following the adoption of restricting legislation, in an effort to exclude the possibility of other influences such as social or cultural shifts in attitudes towards abortion.

“[I]f abortion declines are not caused by legislation but are instead caused by changes in values that correlate with the passage of pro-life legislation, then parental involvement and informed consent laws would likely correlate with declines of similar magnitude in the overall abortion rate and the minor abortion rate because prevailing influences are affecting minors and adults alike,” New wrote in his explanation of method.

The results showed a significantly larger reduction among minor abortion rates following parental involvement laws, compared to the over-all rate of abortion.

“The difference in the size of the impact provides evidence that parental involvement laws, not broad value shifts, are affecting minors' decisions.”

Medicaid restrictions led to a correlation in reduced abortions in both the adult population and among minor girls, with a drop of 21 percent among adult women and 23 percent among girls.

See full study here:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Family/cda07-01.cfm

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Adult Stem Cells Taken from Human Fat Tissue Used to Treat Heart Failure

By Gudrun Schultz

MADRID, Spain, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A heart attack victim was treated with stem cells taken from his own fat tissue in a groundbreaking new experiment taking place in Spain this week, Science Daily reported Feb.7.

In a collaborative effort, Dr. Francisco Fernandez-Aviles, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Chief of Cardiology Service at Gregorio Marañón and Dr. Perin, Director of New Interventional Cardiovascular Technology and Director of Stem Cell Center at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s, have undertaken the attempt to use human adipose (fat) tissue as a source of adult stem cells to regenerate damaged heart muscle.

The cells were removed from adipose tissue in a procedure similar to that of liposuction. After processing, the stem cells were injected directly into the patient’s heart, targeting areas of damaged but still viable tissue.

“This is the first time we have used adipose-derived stem cells in humans. We had good results in our pre-clinical tests and we are excited about taking this research to the next level,” said Dr. Perin.

A similar study also being carried out at the Texas Heart Institute, and by a research team in the United Kingdom, involves the use of adult stem cells taken from the patient’s bone marrow and injected into an artery. The cells are believed to repair heart tissue after travelling through the blood stream.

“The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s has been conducting the first FDA-approved adult stem cell study for heart failure patients using stem cells taken from the patients’ own bone marrow. We have almost completed enrolling the final patient in that 30-patient study and look forward to sharing those results later this year,” said James T. Willerson, M.D., president-elect and medical director of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s.

Research using adult stem cells has seen marked success in a variety of areas, including treatments for blindness, paralysis, and leukemia in children. Multiple studies under way hold promise for the future treatment of diseases as varied as diabetes, cancer, tooth decay, and adult leukemia.

Despite the success rate of research involving adult stem cells, embryonic cellular research that requires the killing of human embryos continues to be the focus of much of the research into stem cell treatments. Embryonic stem cell research, however, has not produced any medically-successful therapies to this date.

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Success Stories with Adult Stem Cells Coming in Almost Too Fast to Track
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jan/05012007.html

Adult Stem Cells Successfully Regenerate Pig Teeth, New Study Finds
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jan/07010502.html

Adult Stem Cell Research: True Potential Sacrificed for Other Possibilities Says Biotech Writer
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06061311.html

Adult Stem Cells May One Day Grow New Teeth
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/mar/05031101.html

Human Liver Grown from Cord Blood Stem Cells--Media Ignores UK Breakthrough
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/06110105.html

Adult Stem Cells Used to Treat Emergency Heart Attack Patients
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/06110809.html

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Judge Denies Illinois Government Effort to Ban 'Choose Life' Plates

CHICAGO, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Thursday morning a federal district judge denied a motion by the Illinois Secretary of State to overturn his recent ruling that allowed "Choose Life" to be a slogan on Illinois specialty license plates. On January 22, Federal Judge David Coar had ruled in favor of Choose Life Illinois plaintiffs in their lawsuit against Jesse White, explaining that their message was protected by the First Amendment and entitled to be on the plates.

Judge Coar had stayed enforcement of the January ruling for 30 days, and when White's lawyers - from the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan - sought to extend that stay beyond its scheduled expiration date of February 21. Judge Coar declined to do so, saying he might consider extending the stay if White pursued a further appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals from this trial court ruling in favor of the "Choose Life" plates.

Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel at Chicago's Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm representing the non-profit group, Choose Life Illinois, Inc., hailed Judge Coar's latest ruling as another strong endorsement of his clients' First Amendment rights. "This isn't rocket science, but rather a plain and simple application of rudimentary First Amendment principles," Brejcha said.

"Once you open up state license plates as a public forum where citizens can set up their soap boxes and promote their private causes - ranging from peace plates, environmental plates, pet friendly plates to plates for Masons and Knights of Columbus - you can't constitutionally suppress the rights of over 25,000 Illinois citizens who signed petitions for Choose Life to promote the cause of adoption and raise funds to support young women who choose to bear their infants and give them the priceless gift of life in loving, adoptive families."

Jesse White's spokesmen recently faulted the Choose Life group for failing to follow the usual procedure of getting a bill passed in the General Assembly. Brejcha responded to this allegation stating, "Judge Coar ruled that Illinois law gives the Secretary of State himself full authority to approve or reject specialty plates. Secretary White can't lawfully pass the buck to the General Assembly, as if legislators should be casting votes as grand inquisitors or censors approving some causes, disapproving others."

Brejcha added: "Every American has the right to stand on his or her soap box and promote a cherished cause, unless it's obscene, or threatening, or fighting words, or an incitement to violence. If those who oppose adoption or advocate against choosing life want to petition for their own specialty plate, more power to them - this is still a free country!"

Jim Finnegan, retired business executive and president of Choose Life Illinois, said that he and his fellow board members, including Mrs. Virginia McCaskey of the Chicago Bears, "look forward to the day when Illinois drivers may help more children find loving homes by buying these plates, whose proceeds will be earmarked only for agencies supporting adoption."

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Maronite Church Bishop: We're 100% Pro-Life; We Don't Preach the "Comfortable Gospel"

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - One of the Rites in the Catholic Church other than the Roman rite, is the Maronite Rite.  While centered in Lebanon where the Maronite Patriarch resides, it has adherents throughout North America as well.  The Maronite rite is unique for its celebration of central part of the Mass in Aramaic - the language Jesus spoke with his apostles.

One of the hundreds of bishops who attended the March for Life Mass in Washington DC last month, was Maronite Bishop Gregory John Mansour who oversees the Maronite rite for all of the Eastern United States. 

Bishop Mansour spoke with LifeSiteNews.com about the Maronite rite's involvement in pro-life work.  "We are a Church with the all the rights and responsibilities of preaching the Gospel," he said, "the fullness of the gospel - not the comfortable gospel but the whole Gospel of Life."  The Bishop added that Maronites are "very much" involved in pro-life activities.

Bishop Mansour also noted the presence of prelates from other rites within the Catholic Church including "Ukrainians and Athenians and Melkites."  The bishop expressed joy at the great number of people of diverse backgrounds who packed the Cathedral.  "It's a joy for us to come and celebrate the Mass together," he said.

Emeritus Washington Auxiliary Bishop Leonard J. Olivier was also impressed by the huge crowd which packed the Basilica.  Bishop Olivier, 83, told LifeSiteNews.com, "Well, I've been here 19 years and it's gotten larger every year and every year more and more young people have come and so it's a very encouraging time.  And since they are so active, they will pass on this message and this spirit to others and that will be great."

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Study Finds Majority of Doctors Object to Abortion for Failed Contraception

By Meg Jalsevac

WASHINGTON, DC, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) found that the majority of doctors in the United States had objections to resorting to abortion to kill an unborn child if a contraception fails.  An even larger majority believe that it is ethically permissible for a physician to explain his moral objections to his patients. 

The article entitled “Religion, Conscience and Controversial Clinical Practices” is published in the February 8, 2007 edition of the NEJM.

1144 randomly selected physician from all specialties and medical fields responded to the survey.  The doctors were selected from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile which, according to the authors of the study, is a national database meant to include all US physicians.

The study comes at a time where the rights of medical personnel in regards to matters of moral conscience are in particular debate. Several states have been recently embattled in the conscience clause debate and, as previously reported by LifeSiteNews.com, Planned Parenthood has spearheaded a national effort to require pharmacists to dispense contraception with the penalty for refusal being termination of employment.

According to the NEJM study, 86% of doctors feel obligated to disclose all options to their patients and 71% believe that, if they themselves object to a requested procedure, they remain obligated to direct the patient to a physician who would not object. 

Dr. David Stevens, CEO of the Christian Medical Association, a thriving community of some 16,000 dedicated professionals, referred to the study results and said, “It is encouraging that the majority of physicians oppose such abortions.  It’s also encouraging to see that nearly 2/3 of doctors understand that it is good and right to explain their ethical stances to patients.” 

Stevens expressed his disappointment that many doctors would compromise their own ethical beliefs by referring a patient to another doctor for a morally objectionable procedure.  “A professional has the right and even the duty to stand firm on ethical standards.” 

Stevens called on lawmakers saying, “We need laws that protect physicians’ rights of conscience, and we need education to encourage doctors to stand firm on strong moral and ethical principles.”

Dr. Al Weir of the Campus Ministry branch of the Christian Medical Association said, “Many medical students today are taught that there are no moral absolutes, and that a doctor’s role basically is to accommodate whatever the patient wants.  These students need to realize that being a professional means holding to moral standards that are above the doctor and the patient.” 

Read the full NEJM article here:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/356/6/593#T4

Read Previous LifeSiteNews.com Coverage:

Target Pharmacist Fired for Refusing to Dispense Abortifacient Morning-After Pill
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jan/06012703.html

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Italian Government Approves Bill to Recognize Civil Unions

Speaker of Senate charges, “This ... is just a Trojan Horse to allow marriage between gays”

By Peter J. Smith

ROME, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) –Italy’s government has approved a civil unions bill granting legal rights once reserved for married spouses to unmarried couples, including same-sex couples.

The "rights of cohabiting people" or "DICO" bill was approved in a special cabinet session and has divided the coalition government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi, which includes centrist Christian Democrats and Communists.

Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, a devout Catholic, boycotted the cabinet vote saying he opposed the bill because "it seeks solutions and guarantees which imitate marriage".

“For us, the family, as stipulated by the Constitution, is only that founded on marriage,'' said Mastella, who leads a small Catholic party that allows Prodi’s government to have its fragile one seat majority in the Senate.

The proposed civil unions bill has created a furor in the Italian Parliament, where Italian politicians have warned that the bill is part of program to destroy the traditional family by undermining marriage.

“They are destroying the family,” warned the deputy speaker of the Senate, Roberto Calderoli. “This ... is just a Trojan Horse to allow marriage between gays.”

While the bill does not go as far as the civil unions legislation in other European countries like France and the United Kingdom, it does give unmarried couples (same-sex couples included) health and social welfare benefits, and provides an entitlement to inherit only after a couple has been living together for at least nine years.

The Vatican has been leading a campaign with Italian pro-family advocates against legal recognition for unmarried and same-sex couples, warning Prodi’s government was waging a "senseless battle" to "eradicate" the traditional family. Pope Benedict XVI has repeated that traditional marriage between men and women was a "pillar of humanity," and that pseudo-marriage arrangements were “dangerous and counterproductive.”

"Only the foundation of complete and irrevocable love between man and woman is capable of forming the basis of a society that becomes the home of all men," Benedict XVI said to a conference at the John Paul II Pontifical Institute last year.

A Vatican document released in 2003, “Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons,” states that no legal recognition of homosexual unions can be permissible, regardless of how any rights granted would differ from marriage.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Pope: Legal Recognition of Gay Unions is “Dangerous and Counterproductive”
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jan/07011110.html

Vatican Says Italian Government Wants to "Eradicate" Traditional Family
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/dec/06121102.html

Head ‘Justice and Peace’ Cardinal Fights Gay Civil Unions in Italy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jul/06071001.html

New Italian Government in Clash With Vatican over Homosexual Civil Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06052409.html

70% of Italians Oppose Same-Sex 'Marriage' Says Latest Poll
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05101201.html

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Study Shows Higher Rate of Birth Defects in Babies Conceived Through Fertility Treatment

By Meg Jalsevac

OTTAWA, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A new study has provided further confirmation that babies conceived through fertility treatments are at a higher risk of having a birth defect than children who are conceived naturally. 

The study was carried out by a medical team assembled in Ottawa, Ontario and is the largest of its kind to date.  The study monitored 61,208 births in total of which 1,394 were of babies conceived through fertility treatments.  The researchers took into account in their calculations the variable factors of age of the mother, sex of the child, whether the mother smoked and other relevant issues.

The final results of the study are to be presented at today’s meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in San Francisco.

Some doctors assure women, even after looking at the facts of the study, that, while the risk of a birth defect is greater with a child that is conceived through artificial means, the risk is so minimal that it should not dissuade parents from choosing technological methods of conception.  Dr. Mark Walker of the University of Ottawa and one of the study’s leaders said, "What's important and reassuring is that the absolute risks are still low."

However, the results of the recent study seem to portray a more alarming message.  According to the study, nearly 3 percent of babies conceived through fertility treatments had a birth defect while just under 2 percent of babies conceived naturally were reported to have a birth defect. Taking into account the relatively low number of children conceived through artificial means, that percentage translates into a 58 percent overall greater risk of a birth defect in artificially conceived children. 

The study’s findings also showed that the more high-tech and complex the fertility treatment – the more likely it was that the child conceived would have a birth defect.  Babies conceived through IVF had the highest rate of birth defects compared to a much lower rate for babies, for example, conceived with the assistance of medication to trigger a mother’s ovaries to produce eggs.

The most common defect found in artificially conceived children was in the gastrointestinal region and varied from defects in the structure of the abdominal wall to internal organs developing in the wrong place.  Artificially conceived children were 9 times more likely to suffer such problems - which translates into 1 in 200 births versus 6 per 10,000 for children conceived naturally.

Cardiovascular defects were twice as high in artificially conceived babies – 90 per 10,000 versus 40 per 10,000 in naturally conceived children.  Malformed limbs were slightly more common in artificially conceived children while problems such as spina bifida and a cleft palate had a similar rate of occurrence. 

The researchers did mention in their study that such a high rate of malformations could also be caused by genetic and parental health factors which could be the underlying reason for the parents experiencing fertility problems and needing to seek fertility treatment in the first place.

To date, more than 1 million babies have been conceived through artificial means world wide and the technological methods of conception vary from in vitro fertilization (IVF), artificial insemination and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, in which a sperm is selected and forced into the ovum with a needle.

Read Related LifeSiteNews.com Coverage:

IVF Babies up to 40% More Likely to Suffer Severe Birth Defects
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jan/05013107.html

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"Totalitarian Piece of Social Engineering", CEDAW, a Threat to Babies and Families

House Democrats pushing for vote endorsing CEDAW before March 8

By Joseph A. D'Agostino

FRONT ROYAL, VA, February 9, 2007 (pop.org/LifeSiteNews.com) –Now that the party of death has retaken control of Congress, battles over funding of embryonic stem cell research, chemical abortifacients, contraception, sex education, special privileges for homosexuals, and other such controversies will ensue over the next two years.  The fight over an obscure international treaty could be just as important, if not more so, than these others even though few people have ever heard of
CEDAW.

The pompously named CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, sounds on its face not to be too bad, just clumsy and utopian.  Yet it is a totalitarian piece of social engineering that aims to do everything from legalize abortion-on-demand worldwide to abolish Mother's Day (no joke).

Sen. Joseph Biden (D.-Del.), the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is eager to pander to the liberal women's vote in between making embarrassing gaffes as he runs for President.  Biden is likely to bring CEDAW up for hearings this year in his committee, and chances are disturbingly good that it will pass and go to the Democrat-controlled Senate floor for ratification.  In one of his many
mistakes, President Jimmy Carter signed the convention in 1980, but the Senate has never ratified it.  Treaty ratification requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate, or 67 out of the 100 members.

Democrats alone cannot provide the two-thirds needed for CEDAW victory since the Senate has only 51 of them.  If Republican senators, and the handful of Democrats not committed to radical feminism, do not learn what CEDAW would really mean for America, CEDAW could be victorious.

Many readers may have difficulty believing that CEDAW means abortion-on-demand since the treaty never mentions abortion, and how can anyone believe CEDAW means the abolition of Mother's Day?

Article 12 of the convention says, "States Parties [sic] shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health care services, including those related to family planning." 

As usual with United Nations documents, "family planning" has been interpreted to include abortion over and over again.  Rep. Chris Smith (R.-N.J.) pointed out in a letter to his fellow congressmen this month that CEDAW's enforcement committee has instructed nations from Burkina Faso to Chile to Ireland to Nepal to liberalize their abortion laws.  Some examples:

* CEDAW committee to Mexico, 1998: "The Committee recommends that all states of Mexico should review their legislation so that, where necessary, women are granted access to rapid and easy abortion."

* CEDAW committee to Croatia, 1998: "The Committee strongly recommends that the Government take steps to secure the enjoyment by women of their reproductive rights by, inter alia, guaranteeing them access to abortion services in public hospitals."

* CEDAW committee to Colombia, 1999: “The Committee believes that legal provisions on abortion constitute a violation of the rights of women to health and life and of Article 12 of the Convention.”

* CEDAW committee to Portugal, 2002: “The Committee is concerned about the restrictive abortion laws in place in Portugal, in particular because illegal abortions have serious negative impacts on women’s health and well-being.”

* CEDAW committee to Ireland, 2005: "The Committee urges the State party to continue to facilitate a national dialogue on women's right to reproductive health, including on the very restrictive abortion laws."

Just last month, the CEDAW committee admonished Poland for allowing doctors to refuse to perform abortions.  Defenders of CEDAW argue that its enforcement committee can only make recommendations, not force action.  Yet once CEDAW is ratified, it becomes law, and courts then base
pro-abortion rulings upon it and its interpreters’ pronouncements.

According to an article from C-FAM, February 8, that's exactly what happened in Colombia, where the Constitutional Court unilaterally weakened that nation's pro-life laws.  "The court's judgment repeatedly cites international treaties, United Nations conference outcome documents and other international documents that are routinely misread by the radical NGOs as protecting abortion rights," wrote Bradley Short of C-FAM. 

"Perhaps the most disturbing portion of the court's opinion is the section that quotes the entirety of a legal opinion of the Attorney General of Colombia, who is tasked with writing authoritative opinions for the court in cases where laws might be struck down.  The Attorney General's opinion states that Colombia is bound by the recommendations of UN compliance committees.  He wrote specifically that Colombia is bound by 'the recommendations made by the international authorities in charge of overseeing compliance by' Colombia with the 'Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).'"

CEDAW's enforcers don't just love abortion, they hate motherhood in principle, constantly telling countries to implement propaganda programs from the pre-school level up to force boys and girls to think they are the same.  And they don't like pro-family policies, particularly Mother's Day.

Here are quotations from what they told Belarus in 2000:
* "In particular, the Committee notes with concern that the Government predominantly uses an approach of service delivery to women rather than a human rights approach when implementing the Convention.  In addition, such an approach emphasizes the protection of and the delivery of services to women mainly as mothers and members of families, thus perpetuating stereotypical attitudes concerning the roles and responsibilities of women."

* "The Committee expresses its concern that the country's legislation, in particular with regard to women's role in the labour market, appears to be overly protective of women as mothers and thus creates further obstacles to women's participation in the labour market."

* "The Committee is concerned by the continuing prevalence of sex-role stereotypes and by the reintroduction of such symbols as a Mothers' Day and a Mothers' Award, which it sees as encouraging women's traditional roles."

Belarus has a birthrate of 1.2, one of the lowest in the world and far below replacement level.  Her population is shrinking steadily and aging rapidly.  You’d think encouraging motherhood is exactly what the country desperately needs, and it’s hard to believe that Belarussian women are excessively devoted to child-bearing when the country is so rapidly self-exterminating.  Yet it’s not enough for the CEDAW types. 

This sort of hatred of humanity in general and femininity in particular is usually openly expressed only by professors and feminist activists.  Yet, thankfully, the CEDAW people have been honest about what they believe and the social engineering they wish to impose upon the human race.

The CEDAW committee has even complained to the government of Slovenia that "less than 30% of children under three years of age were in formal day care."  And it has complained at times that not enough women are in the labor force.  Too busy wasting their time on children, I suppose.

China has ratified the treaty, but that has had no effect on her one-child policy, forced abortion, and forced sterilization campaigns.  Apparently, CEDAW doesn’t apply to those.

The ratification of CEDAW is clearly a priority of the international left.  The expected folks have officially endorsed its ratification, such as Planned Parenthood of America and so-called Catholics for a Free Choice, but so has the AARP, the AFL-CIO, and the Sierra Club, as well as various lefty "Christian" groups including some "Catholic" religious orders.

Some House Democrats are pushing for a vote endorsing CEDAW before March 8, which apparently is Women's Day (I've never heard of it before or if I did, I forgot).  They hope to prompt the more sclerotic Senate to ratify CEDAW.  We need common sense or at least sclerosis to prevent that.

Joseph A. D'Agostino is Vice President for Communications at the Population Research Institute.

For many more articles on CEDAW enter the term "CEDAW" into the LifeSiteNews.com Search utility at http://www.lifesite.net/

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