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Pope Warns Pro-Abortion Politicians Against Receiving Communion Unworthily

Pope: "Bishops are Bound to Reaffirm Constantly" Life and Family Values

By John-Henry Westen

VATICAN CITY, March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Today, Pope Benedict XVI released the long-awaited document on Holy Communion, called "Sacramentum Caritatis" or the Sacrament of Love.  It is a follow-up document reflecting on the 2005 meeting of bishops on the Eucharist.

In the 110+ page document, the Pope gives Catholic politicians a biblical warning against receiving Communion unworthily.

In a section on "Eucharistic consistency", the Pope says that politicians must adhere to "non negotiable" values "such as respect for human life, its defence from conception to natural death, the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman, the freedom to educate one's children and the promotion of the common good in all its forms."  He added, "Consequently, Catholic politicians and legislators, conscious of their grave responsibility before society, must feel particularly bound, on the basis of a properly formed conscience, to introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature."

Thereafter, Pope Benedict drew a connection to reception of the Eucharist.  "There is an objective connection here with the Eucharist," he said referencing the Biblical passage 1 Corinthians 11:27-29.  That passage reads: "Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.  But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice.  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord."

Drawing on this dire warning from St. Paul, which was specifically referred to politicians by the Pope, many priests and bishops have seen it as an act of charity to deny pro-abortion politicians communion.  For the action not only causes them to reflect seriously on their disconnection with the Church, it also saves them from committing a gravely sinful act which portends "judgement".

Speaking of the values of the protection of life and the traditional family, the Pope stated: "Bishops are bound to reaffirm constantly these values as part of their responsibility to the flock entrusted to them."

See the full document here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_b...

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On Fox News Fearless HLI Priest Takes on Sean Hannity over Contraception, Hannity ‘Loses it’

Editorial by John-Henry Westen Editor
LifeSiteNews.com

NEW YORK, March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Last Friday, the President of Human Life International, Fr. Tom Euteneuer used his weekly column to point out the hypocrisy of Catholic celebrity Sean Hannity, one of the stars of Fox News' Hannity and Colmes show.

Hannity had, on a show the week before, made a big deal of apologizing for having inadvertently eaten a couple of bites of a meat sandwich on a Friday during Lent.  In his column, Fr. Euteneuer pointed out that the meat incident was not sinful at all, and "If apologies are the order of the day, then the repentance I would like to hear out of Sean Hannity's mouth is for his shameless-even scandalous-promotion of birth control. Yes, I have heard him personally say, 'I have no problem with birth control. It's a good thing.'"

Explaining the gravity of the situation, Fr. Euteneuer noted, "Given the size of his audience and the importance of his status in pop culture, Hannity's anti-witness to a fundamental tenet of Catholic moral doctrine is just devastating for the faith of others who may be weak or vacillating in this area."  In his concluding remarks he stated: "The moral of the story is that Catholic men and women in the media need to be truly Catholic or at least stop being hypocrites." (see the full column here: http://www.hli.org/sl_2007-03-09.html )

Hannity's dissent from Church teaching on contraception is long-standing and very public.  In fact, in 2004, his public stand in favor of contraception made it into a commentary in the oldest Catholic newspaper in the United States, the Wanderer. 

On a show in 2004, Hannity was explaining his opposition to withholding Communion from Catholic politicians who support legal abortion.  At the time he pointed out that should Communion be withheld from liberals it could also be withheld from conservatives such as he since, he said, he had no problem with contraception.

Hannity's press handlers called the HLI leader the day his column was published to have him address Hannity live on the program.  Fr. Euteneuer obliged and began a reasoned, calm presentation of his case. "One is simply obliged not to be a heretic in public. That's the point," said Fr. Euteneuer in response to an initial question from Colmes. "If (Hannity) doesn't agree with his Church on that matter he should not be pronouncing on the matter as if he was the authority on that matter. He's not."

However rather than argue for his case on contraception or even address the points made in Fr. Euteneuer's article Hannity immediately jumped to the offensive.  "Reverend. Let me, let me just say… You call me a hypocrite. You question the depth of my faith. Do you know anything about me and my religious beliefs? And my background religion? do you know anything about me?"

"I only see the evidence Sean. I see the evidence of a superficial presentation of one aspect of the faith. I see the…," replied Fr. Euteneuer just before he was cut off by Hannity's attack on the Catholic Church via the sex abuse scandals.  "Judge not lest you be judged, Reverend", interrupted Hannity.  "Maybe you ought to spend a little more time that our Church covered up one of the worst sex scandals and I wasn't involved in it. And the fact that public people after that are willing to still be Catholic is something you should be applauding. Considering the levels of corruption at the highest levels of the Church was frankly embarrassing to every person."

Many commenting on Hannity, have said that he 'lost it' with the priest.  "Do you know that I went to a seminary? Do you know that I studied Latin? Do you know that I studied theology?," said Hannity at one point just before repeating charges about corruption and sex scandals in the church.

The only time Hannity seemed especially affected by the priest came right at the end of the segment when Hannity demanded, "Wait, would you deny me communion?"  Fr. Euteneuer replied, "I would."  Hannity, visibly moved, replied, "Wow, wow." (See the segment on vido here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f50fD5elrcg )

Despite his courage and fidelity, Fr. Euteneuer has received criticism for his stand even from some Catholics who, despite decades of persistent, public and very damaging scandal to the faith by prominent individuals, still insist that behind-the-scenes, personal dialogue is the only acceptable response.  It has been suggested that the HLI leader should have approached Hannity privately.  However, in 2004, after Hannity 's scandalous remarks about contraception Fr. Euteneuer did attempt to personally contact Hannity with his concerns but to no avail.

The broadcast is being praised for having raised publicly that contraception leads to abortion and is contrary to the Catholic faith.  It has also shown that the Catholic Church is impartial in its estimation of liberals and conservatives, and must correct equally all those who reject the Church's authoritative teachings on faith and morals.

Probably the saddest chapter of the event was Fox News publishing an open letter to Sean Hannity by Father Jonathan Morris, a regular news contributor for the fox News Channel.  Fr. Morris, vice rector for the Legionnaries of Christ seminary in Rome, wrote that when he saw the program, "I hung my head in shame and sadness."   Fr. Morris continued, "My colleague in religion (whom I've never met) used the public airways and Internet to call you a heretic and hypocrite. Because he chose to do this in a public forum, I want you and your viewers to know, publicly, that as an analyst of this television network, I believe this good priest, who does great work, exercised, on this occasion, shockingly poor judgment. I consider his willingness to give his personal opinion about your status within the Church inappropriate and ill-considered, to say the least."

In an open letter responding to Fr. Morris, Fr. Euteneuer wrote: "Your letter to Sean Hannity indicates that you did not know that I asked to speak to him in private about this matter in 2004 otherwise you may have tempered your remarks about my supposed lack of charity in dealing with a high profile Catholic who dissents from clearly-defined and reiterated Church teachings."

"May I also point out," added Fr. Euteneuer, "that you did not employ with me the same standard of "fraternal correction" that you expected me to employ with Mr. Hannity. I at least made the attempt to speak to him about this issue in private without success; you, in contrast, went immediately to the internet to take me to task."  (See both Fr. Morris' letter and Fr. Euteneuer's response: http://www.hli.org/article_open_letter_to_fr_morris.html )

As a man who has defended the Catholic position on the right to life for the unborn, on traditional marriage, and against the euthanasia of Terri Schiavo, Sean Hannity has come to grips with many of the hard teachings of the faith.  Some observers are suggesting that his encounter with the Church's position on contraception, was an eye-opener and may in fact lead Hannity to a fuller adherence to what he professes to believe.  To this priest, who so perturbed him, Hannity may one day find himself grateful, perhaps eternally so.

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Abortion Linked to Higher Rates of Child Abuse, Study Finds

Authors concluded no longer can be any doubt that abortion significantly impacts health of women and their families

SPRINGFIELD, IL, March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A history of abortion is associated with more frequent acts of physical aggression toward subsequent children, according to a new study published in the Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology.

The findings were drawn from an analysis of data on 237 low-income women in Baltimore who had physically mistreated or neglected at least one of their children or allowed someone else to do so. Researchers controlled for a history of miscarriage or stillbirth, as well as for family history, aggression by the woman's partner and other key factors. While all the women in the study had some connection with child maltreatment or neglect, the authors found that those who reported a history of abortion reported significantly more frequent acts of physical violence, such as slapping, hitting or beating, directed at their children.

Priscilla Coleman, a professor of human development and family studies at Bowling Green State University and lead author of the study, suggested that the link between abortion and child abuse may be influenced by a number of key factors, including unresolved grief, having felt pressured into an unwanted abortion, and disruption in maternal bonding with subsequently born children.

Unresolved grief issues, Coleman noted, "may negatively impact parental responsiveness to child needs, trigger anger, which is a common component of grief, and/or increase parental anxiety regarding child well-being." Some research indicates that grief may be more difficult to resolve if women undergo an unwanted abortion due to pressure from others. In one study, cited by Coleman, 64 percent of American women with a history of abortion reported feeling pressured to abort by others.

Dr. David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute and a leading researcher who has been involved in more than a dozen studies on the impact of abortion on women, said that this latest study confirms the general findings of previous studies linking abortion with a higher risk of abuse or neglect.

"Previous research has also shown that abortion is linked with a subsequent increased risk of alcoholism, drug use, anxiety, rage, anger and psychiatric hospitalization," Reardon said. "Any of these factors, individually or in combination, can significantly increase the personal and family stresses that can lead to maltreatment or neglect."

A previous study by Coleman found that a maternal history of abortion was linked to less supportive home environments for subsequently born children and that subsequent children exhibited more behavioral problems than the children of women without a history of abortion.

A New Zealand study that tracked young women from birth to 25 years of age found that young women who had abortions were significantly more likely to experience subsequent depression, suicidal behavior and substance abuse, even after the researchers controlled for previous mental health problems.

"Taken all together, these studies show that the mental health effects of abortion don't stop with women," Reardon said. "They will impact their families, too."

Coleman's team suggested that professionals should be aware of the links between abortion and maternal mental health problems and "sensitively inquire about any history of abortion and related, unresolved negative emotions when working with women engaged in or at risk for aberrant parenting."

Finally, the authors concluded that while additional research is always needed, there can no longer be any doubt that abortion significantly impacts the health of women and their families.

"For years, abortion was construed to be a benign medical procedure carrying little if any potential for lasting adverse effects," they wrote. "However ... the last several years have brought greater understanding that abortion for many women is an issue with profound physical, psychological, spiritual and lifestyle dimensions that are intimately tied to many aspects of their lives."
 
Sources:

PK Coleman, VM Rue, CT Coyle, CD Maxey, "Induced Abortion and Child-Directed Aggression Among Mothers of Maltreated Children," Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology, 6(2), 2007. http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijpn/vol6n2/abortion.x...

VM Rue et. al., "Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women," Medical Science Monitor, 10(10): SR5-16 (2004).

PK Coleman et. al., "The Quality of the Caregiving Environment and Child Developmental Outcomes Associated with Maternal History of Abortion Using the NLSY Data," Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43(6): 743-57 (2002).

DM Fergusson et. al., "Abortion in young women and subsequent mental health," Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(1): 16-24 (2006).

Additional studies linking abortion to child abuse:

PG Ney, T Fung, AR Wickett, "Relationship Between Induced Abortion and Child Abuse and Neglect: Four Studies," Pre- and Perinatal Psychology Journal, 8(1):43-64 (1993).

M Benedict, R White, P Cornely, "Maternal Perinatal Risk Factors and Child Abuse," Child Abuse and Neglect, 9: 217-224 (1985).

E. Lewis, "Two Hidden Predisposing Factors in Child Abuse," Child Abuse and Neglect, 3: 327-330 (1979).

P. Ney, "Relationship Between Abortion and Child Abuse," Canadian J. Psychiatry, 24:610-620 (1979).

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General Pace - Chair of US Joint Chiefs of Staff: “homosexual acts…are immoral”

Would oppose changing the law to allow openly homosexual soldiers to serve

By Gudrun Schultz

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The chairman of the U.S. military Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke out against homosexuality Monday, saying homosexual activity is “immoral” and should not be condoned by the military.

“I do not believe the United states is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way,” Marine General Peter Pace told the Chicago Tribune in an interview yesterday.

“I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts,” Pace said, likening homosexuality to adultery, which he said was also immoral.

"As an individual, I would not want [acceptance of gay behavior] to be our policy, just like I would not want it to be our policy that if we were to find out that so-and-so was sleeping with somebody else's wife, that we would just look the other way, which we do not. We prosecute that kind of immoral behavior," Pace said.

The general said his views stemmed from his personal “upbringing”, where he was taught that some types of behavior are immoral.

The general said he supports the current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy employed by the Pentagon towards homosexual men and women in the military, which prohibits military commanders from asking candidates about their sexual orientation but says persons with homosexual inclinations must keep their sexual orientation private and avoid homosexual activity. The policy became law under President Clinton in 1994.

Legislation was introduced in Congress last month that would see the military’s current ban on openly homosexual individuals reversed. General Pace said he would oppose changing the law to allow openly homosexual soldiers to serve.

General Pace’s comments are expected to receive strong condemnation and calls for his resignation from influential gay activist organizations and individuals. They have already triggered an angry response from homosexual activist groups who called for an immediate apology.

To contact General Pace:
http://www.jcs.mil/jcs_comment.html

To contact the US Military:

U.S. Army Public Affairs
Media Relations Division
Office of the Chief of Public Affairs
1500 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-1500
Phone: 703.692.2000
To contact President George Bush:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 202-456-111
Email:

Related articles
General Pace is to be commended for publicly expressing the common sense values shared by the majority of Americans
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/12549/CFI/family/index.htm

Sen. John Warner hits Pace on gay remarks
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/03/warner_hits_pac.html#m...

Pace Expresses Regret Over Gay Remark
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8NRE9L80&show_article=1

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Christian-Themed Movie Earnings Far Outstrip R-Rated Films, Study Shows

Those with strong Christian outlook make at least double the money brought in by explicit films

By Gudrun Schultz

HOLLYWOOD, California, March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Most movie-goers would rather watch a film with a strong Christian theme than one containing explicit sex or nudity, according to a study tracking box office film earnings over the past nine years.

Christian News Today reported on the study conducted by MOVIEGUIDE®, a popular movie review service that evaluates films from a Christian perspective. The study examined more than 2,400 top-grossing films produced between 1998 and 2006, comparing the amount of money brought in by films with a Christian theme to the money earned by R-Rated movies that contained extreme sexual content, nudity and/or extreme foul language.

Christian films made at least double the amount of money brought in by explicit films, the study found, and frequently three to five times as much.

“[T]he highest and lowest averages for movies with strong or very strong Christian worldviews have ranged between $30.1 million per movie to $106.3 million per movie (the year of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST),” wrote Dr. Ted Baehr, publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®. “In contrast, the highest and lowest averages for movies with very strong foul language, sex, and/or nudity have been between $6.3 million per movie to $27.7 million per movie.”

The discrepancy in earnings between Christian films and films with explicit content was highest in 2004, with the release of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ--the category of movies with “very strong Christian and redemptive worldview” made an average of $106,296,571 at the box office, compared to about $6 million (per category) for movies with very strong sexual immorality or movies with very strong explicit nudity. Movies in the category of extreme foul language brought in $23 million in 2004.

Even in years without such dramatic differences in earnings, Christian-themed movies with a redemptive worldview drew more than double the viewers than movies with extreme foul language, and more than three times the amount of films with strong sexual immorality.

“For example, in 2006, movies with a very strong Christian worldview, such as SUPERMAN RETURNS, THE NATIVITY STORY, ROCKY BALBOA, and FACING THE GIANTS, averaged $39 million at the box office,” wrote Dr. Baehr, “but movies with extreme, explicit sex, nudity and/or obscenity, such as CLERKS TWO, THE BLACK DAHLIA, SAW III, HOSTEL, ANOTHER GAY MOVIE, and THE DEPARTED, averaged only $9 million, $16.1 million and $23 million.”

See listing of movie ratings in CNT coverage:
http://www.christiannewstoday.com/CWN_5025.html

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

PG-13 Movies of Today Resemble R-Rated of 1992: Study
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05101104.html

Hollywood ‘Homosexualizing’ America
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jan/06011807.html

Research into Impact of Sex in Media on Youth Reveals Dangers
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jul/05070604.html

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Police Say Murder of Mother and Unborn Child a Crime that “Defies Comprehension”

Husband arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder

By Hilary White

SURREY, March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com – On October 18, 2006 Manjit Panghali, a teacher four months pregnant with her second child, went out to attend a pre-natal class at a local yoga center in South Surrey, British Columbia and did not return home. In a statement released yesterday, police said her husband, Mukhtiar Panghali has been arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder.

On October 23, police found the charred remains of a body later identified as that of Mrs. Panghali.

Delta Police spokesman, Constable Sharlene Brooks said at a press conference in October, “Mrs. Panghali and her unborn child have had their lives taken prematurely and very tragically. This type of crime defies comprehension and the value of human life.”

There is no provision in Canada’s criminal code to charge a person for murder in the death of an unborn child. Previous attempts in this country to find legal redress for the death of an unborn child have resulted in court decisions denying the existence of the child before birth.

Since the election of a Conservative government, advocates of the right to life and of victims’ rights have anticipated the introduction of a bill that would allow for prosecution of violent crimes that result in harm to an unborn victim.

Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Canada Unborn Victims of Violence Bill to be Resurrected in Coming Months Says MP
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06061608.html

To contact the Minister of Justice and Attorney General,
Robert Douglas Nicholson,
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario   K1A 0H8

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Homosexual Activists Target Christian Coach for Pro-Family Beliefs

Focus on Family rep says such gay opposition to Christianity “really is a form of fascism”

By Gudrun Schultz

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy is receiving complaints from homosexual activists over his scheduled appearance next week at a banquet organized by a pro-family organization, Focus on the Family's Citizen Link reported yesterday.

Activist Jim Buzinski, who helped found the pro-homosexual sports website OutSports.com, accused the Indiana Family Institute of being a political organization in a column posted on the site.

"He is speaking at the dinner next week in front of [a] group that is very much a political organization," Buzinski said.

The Indiana Family Institute invited Dungy to speak at the "Friends of the Family" benefit and receive an award from the Institute for his strong Christian example, said IFI president Curt Smith. The IFI is a non-profit Christian organization that opposes pro-homosexual legislation as a threat to the traditional family.

"The purpose of this award is to celebrate those who live out the family ethic that we think is at the heart of a healthy and successful society," Smith told CitizenLink. "There was no five-point quiz where he had to agree with us on a number of public policy questions. In inviting him and then following up with a letter, we didn't discuss public policy."

While the Colts organization said the club doesn't take positions in political issues, officials stated that Dungy was free to speak to any group he chose.

Dungy's comments on the importance of his Christian faith, in an interview following the Colts' February Superbowl win, led to a media furor over the place of personal Christian witness in the secular world of sports.

Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family Action, said the complaints about Dungy were an example of homosexual activists efforts to restrict the speech of any person they see opposing the homosexual lifestyle.

"It's called 'Christophobia,'" said Daly.

"Unfortunately, this is becoming a pattern for those that oppose Christianity. They want to control our speech in the public square, embarrass us and try to belittle us. It really is a form of fascism.”

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Super Bowl Coach’s Christian Witness Reported by Mainstream Media World-Wide
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07020703.html

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German Homeschooler Parents Ordered to Undergo Psychiatric Evaluation

Local German news services have instigated news blackout on situation

By Hilary White

NUREMBERG, March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Hubert and Gundrun Busekros, the parents of Melissa Busekros, the fifteen year-old homeschooled girl removed from her home by government authorities, have been ordered by the courts to undergo psychiatric testing, World Net Daily (WND) reports.

Melissa was removed by court order in early February and placed in a mental institution by German youth authorities who claimed that she suffered from “school phobia” the treatment for which was complete isolation from her family and home. She is now being kept in a foster home in a location unknown to her family who are allowed to visit her for an hour a week.

Joel Thornton, president of the International Human Rights Group (IRHG) told the WND that he fears the state will use any test results to remove the other five Busekros children from their parents and permanently break up the family.

“The trouble is this emboldens the state again, only now it's at a higher level, and the courts still are agreeing with them. This could put Melissa back into the psychiatric system where she could disappear from sight entirely,” Thornton said.

“It's easy to see … if they want to, the government could take more of the children away from this family using the same process. And there is an increased fear among homeschoolers about whether their children are next," he told WND.

The IRHG is considering options to defend the rights of the Busekros family, including a possible complaint to the European Court of Human Rights.

Melissa's father Hubert Busekros told the Catholic news service, kreuz.net that local news services have instigated a news blackout on the situation, claiming it is “a personal affair that is not of public interest.”

Thornton said that his organization, founded to defend religious liberties, also fears Melissa will “disappear” irretrievably into the psychiatric system and that test results could be used as a pretext by the courts to remove from the parents the other five children in the family.

Homeschooling is illegal in Germany since it was outlawed for ideological reasons by Adolph Hitler’s Nazi regime. In more recent times, the German government has a strong interest in instilling through the public school system the new statist ideology promoted from Brussels in the European Union.

Wolfgang Drautz, consul general of the Federal Republic of Germany, defended the authorities’ actions saying that the government “has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated by different world views and in integrating minorities into the population as a whole.”

The US-based Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) organization in North America is maintaining an urgent call to contact the German embassies in Canada and the United States to protest the actions with the German Government.

Another organization has called for an international boycott of German products to pressure the government to release Melissa back to her family.

To express concerns:
In Canada:
German Embassy
1 Waverley Street
Ottawa, ON, K2P 0T8
Tel.: 613-232-1101 Fax: 613-594-9330
Email:

In the US:
German Embassy
http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm

Read related LifesiteNews.com coverage:
Online Petition Calls for German Boycott to Gain Release of Girl Seized in Homeschool Crackdown
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07022802.html

German HomeSchool Teen Moved, Parents not Informed, Local Media Refuse Coverage
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07021305.html

Action Call as German Homeschooled 15-year-old Sentenced to Child Psychiatry Unit
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07020502.html

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Egg harvesting and Embryonic Stem-cell Research Pose Serious Threat to Women’s Health

By Peter J. Smith

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A congressional hearing last Thursday raised awareness on the risks to women’s health and fertility by in vitro fertilization (IVF), human cloning, embryonic stem-cell research, where experts testified the techniques and drugs involved posed unacceptable risks to women.

Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) co-sponsored the congressional briefing “Trading on the Female Body” March 8, International Women's Day, where health experts, and a mother who lost her daughter from health complications from IVF, testified on the severe dangers to women’s lives posed by fertility and human cloning technologies.

"Current practices follow a historical pattern of exposing women to risks that prove ultimately unacceptable," said Diane Beeson, PhD., chairwoman of the group “Hands Off Our Ovaries”, at a Capitol Hill press conference.

"The harvesting of multiple eggs often involves the administration of drugs that have not been approved for this purpose," she continued. "Also these drugs have not been adequately studied for their long-term effects on women despite research providing some evidence of significant harm to women in both the short term and long term."

A recent study by scientists at the University of Padua found 1 in 10 women undergoing fertility treatment will suffer milder forms of an adverse reaction to the drugs called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), while 1 percent will be at risk for life-threatening blood disorders. Researchers also analyzed doctors' reports since the early 1990s and discovered 60 percent of fertility treatment accidents involved blood clots in the head and neck.

The UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists also wrote in their 2006 guidelines on hyperstimulation that noticeable reactions occur in 33% of IVF cycles, with an estimated 3-8% of patients showing moderate to severe reactions. Severe can mean blood clots, renal and liver dysfunction and acute respiratory distress leading to serious morbidity, while two international women – one in Dublin and another in London – are believed to have died from severe OHSS.

Angela Hickey told the hearing that she lost her daughter Jac¬queline Rushton, 32, who underwent the IVF treatment and experienced severe OHSS, which put her body into Adult Respiratory Distress, causing her death.

Dr. Beeson noted that currently no registries exist to track the health of women who undergo IVF treatment, despite the real possibility of long term risks of ovarian, uterine, vaginal and breast cancer associated with the drugs used to boost egg production.

"Egg harvesting is taking place in a research climate marked by conflicts of interest, the misleading use of language to describe research goals, and a commercial push that may lead to the exploitation of young women," she argued.

The Arizona Republic reports that fertility clinics or egg collection businesses may offer anywhere from $5, 000 to $50,000 dollars for women to donate their eggs, and often solicit coeds for the procedure, who are often in debt and unaware of the risks to their fertility.

Josephine Quintavalle – founder Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE), pointed out that many of these women may believe the myth that they have “millions of eggs to spare.” However, only an estimated 500 oocytes of the 14 million formed in utero are available at the beginning of a woman’s menstrual life.

“This concern is timely in light of renewed efforts in Congress to fund destructive embryonic stem cell research in the name of pursuing cures," said Deirdre McQuade, the pro-life spokeswoman for the US Bishops, who explained that damage caused by embryonic stem-cell research goes far beyond the embryos destroyed by “a great many women as egg factories, at great risk to their health and safety.”

Study: Women Who Donate Eggs For Fertility Research Face Loss of Life and Limb
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07021902.html

Barely Studied Risks of Egg-Donation Come Under Scrutiny
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/aug/06081106.html    ;

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LifeSiteNews.com NewsBytes

Our apologies for the large number of Newsbytes today. We inadvertantly allowed them to accumulate for a week.

LifeSiteNews

NARAL Bullies Kroger over Abortion Drug
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004112.cfm

Rudy Giuliani hopes pro-lifers will accept a bargain and support his bid to be president. We won't says Catholic paper
http://ncregister.com/site/article/2017

Giuliani on public funding of abortion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALDfwXIYUX0

Jesus was no socialist, guru, or hippie, but rather the Son of God, says Venezuelan bishop
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=8853

Smithsonian Institute Ousts Research Associate Open to Intelligent Design Theory
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/12548/CWA/freedom/index.htm

New Gallup Poll: Americans Not Nearly as Concerned About Global Warming as Al Gore
http://newsbusters.org/node/11387

Al Gore’s Really Inconvenient Truth: Even the NY Times is Growing Skeptical
http://newsbusters.org/node/11377

GOP leaders: Don't 'Bob Dole' us again
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54661

Billionaire John Doerr chokes up with emotion over global warming and says "I don't think we're going to make it."
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/mar2007/id20070312_656488.htm?chan=...

North Pole expedition meant to bring attention to global warming called off after one explorer got frostbite
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070312/ap_on_sc/polar_trek_1

Evangelical Board Split on Global Warming
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004114.cfm

Kerry Launches Global Warming Book Tour
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200703/CUL20070313a...

For the Sake of the Planet? Chuck Colson says divide is between those who regard children as blessing and those who view them as, at best, a burden.
http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/ChuckColson/2007/03/09/for_the_sake_of_the_pl...

Creators of carbon credit scheme cashing in on it
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/cover031307.htm

Death Threats for man-made-global-warming-doesn't-exist scientist
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/cover031207.htm

A 30-day fast from television would very likely do a family good
http://www.afa.net/journal/february/2003/TV.asp

Discovery Channel Shies Away from The Lost Tomb
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004113.cfm

ACLU Pushes To Stop All Prayer By Local Louisiana School Board
http://www.thomasmore.org/news.html?NewsID=541

ABC Frets Over Dismissal of 8 U.S. Attorneys; Ignored Clinton’s Firing of 93 Attorneys
http://newsbusters.org/node/11390

Our political discourse needs less censorship and more self-discipline - Peggy Noonan
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/

Bono Still Hasn’t Found What He’s Looking For
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=662

The Thought Police Have Come A-Knockin’
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/12538/CFI/family/index.htm

The Gospel of Intolerance
http://www.afa.net/journal/january/2003/church_and_culture.asp

Homosexual adoption decision denies religious rights, Scottish archbishop says
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=8851

Good News About Adoptive Parents -- But Not About Same-Sex Couples
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19769

Gay neighborhoods worry over identity
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/12/gay_neighborhoods_worry_ov...

NBC Promotes Leftist Gay Lobby's Fundraising Tour With Cyndi Lauper
http://newsbusters.org/node/11394

Vatican paper decries abuses at gay-rights rally
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=49833

Abortion entrepreneurs in Portugal have unveiled plans for a massive 3-story, $3.5-million abortion clinic in the heart of downtown Lisbon
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=49227

Susan G Komen official pleads guilty to Federal Child Porn charges
http://www.prolifeblogs.com/articles/archives/2007/03/susan_g_komen_o.php#more

Polish President Lech Kaczynski: “It is not the right time for a change,” he said on March 9, supports law allowing abortion for rape, incest, life of mother
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=49771

Polish government would hike support for large families
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=49709

Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón is winning the support of the Mexican people
http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=26163792-f5e3-42c4-9a76-8b51...

Conneticut Prosecutor proposes no prison time in assisted suicide case
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--assistedsuicide0309...

New Mexico Senate narrowly passes bill to allow embryonic stem cell research
http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=30931&cat=NMTOPSTOR...

Missouri: Hundreds cram the Capitol halls Wednesday against embryonic stem cell research
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/90D2D3...

Dominique Voynet Green Party candidate in the French presidential race: “In today’s France, religions can only exist as a private matter”
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=49739

Iranian Imam Receives Christ Via Satellite TV, Escapes Country - Four More Imams May Be Believers
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?article7247

An excellent column by British MEP Daniel Hannan - The Eurocrats' abortion dilemma
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/danielhannan/mar2007/abortions.htm

California supreme court approves tax-exempt bonds for religious schools.
http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=7f8c226d-9814-46f7-8df9-608d...

Pro-Family Nicolas Sarkozy remains the most popular presidential contender in France
http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/14966

Korean Catholic Church reiterates opposition to embryonic research
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=23305

Bob Rae officially announces bid to run for Liberals
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=9a12c968-69a9-4063-99d0...

College Men Psychologically Affected by Abortion
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004081.cfm

Colorado Victory for Parental Rights as Law to Bar Control over Sex-Ed Classes Defeated
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004055.cfm

What is Man O Lord, that You are Mindful of Him?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kRKnXxqIKu0

The Dark Side of Population Control By Chuck Colson
http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=6239

'Hannity & Colmes' Lists More Than 70 Scientists Skeptical of Global Warming Hysteria
http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2007/20070306180034.aspx

Demythologizing Father Drinan By George Weigel
http://www.archden.org/dcr/news.php?e=407&s=3&a=8562

Prominent scientist who was among first to sound global warming alarm has recanted view - Now sees it as over-hyped
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2f4cc62e-5b0d-4b59-8705-fc...

Greenhouse effect is a myth, say scientists
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_art...

Suzuki Poll on global warming produces very embarrassing result and is pulled
http://hallsofmacadamia.blogspot.com/2007/03/experiment-gone-horribly-wrong.html

Discovery Channel at it again - Now presents Masons merely as harmless do-gooders
http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/conspiracies/organisations/freemasons/index.sh...

Bills in Maine and New Mexico would bar clergy from signing marriage licenses and remove mention of brides and grooms.
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004063.cfm

Cardinal Pell of Australia says Muslim groups need to develop thicker skin
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=8789

Tax-funded abortions top 200 per week at San Jose-based Planned Parenthood
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=8780

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