Thursday November 23, 2006

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Toronto Cardinal Warns: Children "will get rid of their old people" when "unproductive"

By Hilary White
 
TORONTO, November 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In what might be the last pastoral letter from Toronto's Cardinal Archbishop, who was due to retire two years ago, Aloysius Ambrozic tells Catholics that he has had enough. Enough of relativism - disguised as "values" - in the Church and in society in general.
 
"The word 'value,'" the Cardinal writes has been neutralized to the point where it "admits that for someone else my value may be quite valueless."
 
Echoing Pope Benedict XVI's condemnation of the "dictatorship of relativism" that has come to be the guiding principle of most public institutions, Ambrozic writes that he reacts negatively to the word 'values' "simply because it contains a possibility of relativism and meaninglessness."
 
Decrying the fashion for "dialogue" in the Church held up by "progressives" since the Second Vatican Council, Ambrozic writes that "all discussion of values is senseless."
 
"While I admit something has value, somebody else may well see it as insignificant. There is the attitude that the dialogue takes place without any attempt to change anyone's mind. All discussion of values is useless. Any attempt to change anyone's mind is, in fact, unacceptable and even unecumenical."

Ambrozic writes that in the post-Christian secularized world, the only universal value left is egoism. "My ego is thought to be the only authority which counts. There is no truth and value apart from what I like or dislike."
 
Extreme relativism, the idea that there is no absolute truth except personal preference, is identified by pro-life advocates as the source of the problem in the life issues. Ambrozic joins his voice to that of the late Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II who warned that total relativism will lead to totalitarianism.
 
"The point we must stress again and again is that our society is basing itself on an ideologically un-neutral notion of the sovereign individual."
 
Ambrozic, who hails originally from communist-held Slovenia, writes that the value of human life "is beginning to fray at both ends of the life spectrum."
 
"Our society has already accepted the principle of abortion, and there is a growing number of people defending euthanasia. Whatever the reasons proclaimed by them, children learning from this type of society will get rid of their old people as soon as they become economically unproductive."
 
Citing the philosopher Emmanuel Kant's idea of the "categorical imperative," the idea that moral behaviour was natural to man who did not need Christianity to be good, Ambrozic warns that without Christian moral law, that imperative is dissolving.
 
Kant did not realize that "two millennia of Christian teaching were needed in order to make the categorical imperative obvious and taken for granted," wrote Ambrozic.
 
"Further," Ambrozic warns, "he did not realize that the categorical imperative would diminish in content quickly as the intellectual basis for it was taken away."
 
"What Kant would consider as obligatory, in other words, is not thought of as obligatory at all by our non-believing contemporaries."
 
Read the full letter:
http://www.archtoronto.org/about_us/pdf/pl2006-english.pdf

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Italian Bishops: "Nothing is More Inhuman than Eugenic Selection"

By Hilary White
 
ROME, November 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In one of the strongest anti-eugenics statements from the Catholic Church since the end of the Second World War, the Catholic bishops' conference of Italy has prepared a document for the 29th Day of Life that identifies euthanasia as part of a resurgence of that discredited philosophy.  Titled "Life to be Desired and Loved" the document was prepared for the first Sunday of February 2007. 

The bishops' statement warns against the "diabolic deceit" that attempts to legitimize euthanasia, "masking it with a veil of human mercy." The bishops speak of the resurgence of eugenics that is becoming more and more invoked as a solution to suffering, and in some places actually practiced.
 
The one who loves life, they said, "does not remove it but donates it, does not take control of it but puts it to service of the others." To love life "means also not to deny it to some, not even to the smallest and most defenceless newborn, much less when it suffers a serious disability."
 
The purpose of human life is to love and be loved, and euthanasia, abortion and genetic manipulation are opposed to that purpose: "From love, life gushes and life wishes and asks love. For this, human life can and must be donated, for love, and in this gift it finds the fullness of its meaning; it never can be despised and much less destroyed."
 
"The plague" of abortion, the attempt to legitimize euthanasia and the consequent degradation of human life is a concern for "all men of good will," said the bishops.  Referring to embryonic research and cloning, the bishops state that human life cannot be used at its earliest stage as a means to cure illness.

At a time when some European nations are considering installing and expanding legal euthanasia for disabled children and even infants, the Italian bishops write that the "unborn child, even the child with serious a disability" is to be treasured and protected as a gift from God. They caution that the currently popular philosophies that reduce human life to a thing subject to ownership will end as they have in the past, with "massacres and homicide."
 
The inviolability of life, the bishops say, is a natural instinct and constitutes the "irrenounceable principle" and foundation of justice, equality and peace. Human life, the bishops say "originates from an act of love on the part of the One… Life must be loved with courage, not only respected, (but) protected, celebrated, cared for, educated."
 
The bishops confront the reality of human suffering and assert that life, not death supplies the answer. "There is the time of the joy and the time of suffering, the time of gratification and the time of disappointment… sometimes hard work, illness and solitude can feel to us like a weight."
 
Instead of meting out death as a solution, the bishops say, mankind should "fight pain, suffering and degradation - the enemy of life - with all his talent and the contribution of science."
 
Life is not a thing subject to ownership. "True love for life," they tell Italians, not false egotism and individualism, "is incompatible with the idea of indiscriminate possession that induces us to think that it is 'mine'; 'mine' in the sense of the absolute property, the will, the manipulation."
 
"Rather than the absolute owners, we are its faithful and passionate guardians". We can never say life is 'ours'."
 
See the full message in Italian
http://www.fides.org/ita/documents/messaggio_giornata_vita_2007.doc
 
(with files from Fides news agency)

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A Thanksgiving Poem from My Family to Yours

Last year when my eldest son Joshua had just turned eight, he learned and recited a beautiful poem of thanksgiving.   The poem gave us all pause for reflection and drew us to thanksgiving to God Who provides for us from day to day. 

The poem would make very appropriate dinner-table reading tonight, and I'd encourage you to have your children put it to memory - so it can be an inspiration for years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving!

John-Henry Westen
Editor
LifeSiteNews.com

The Open Door. - Unknown Author

Within a town of Holland once
A widow dwelt, 'tis said,
So poor, alas! her children asked
One night, in vain, for bread.
But this poor woman loved the Lord,
And knew that He was good;
So, with her little ones around,
She prayed to him for food.

When prayer was done, her eldest child,
A boy of eight years old,
Said, softly, "In the Holy Book,
Dear Mother, we are told
How God, with food by ravens brought,
Supplied His prophet's need."
"Yes," answered she, "but that, my son,
Was long ago indeed."

"But mother, God may do again
What He has done before;
And so, to let the birds fly in,
I shall unclose the door."
Then little Josh, in simple faith,
Threw ope the door full wide,
So that the radiance of the lamp
Fell on the path outside.

Ere long, the burgomaster passed,
And, noticing the light,
Paused to inquire why the door
Was open so at night.
"My little Josh has done it, sir,"
The widow, smiling, said,
"That ravens might fly in and bring
My hungry children bread."

"Indeed!" the burgomaster cried,
"Then here's a raven, lad;
Come to my home, and you shall see
Where bread may soon be had."
Along the street to his own house
He quickly led the boy,
And sent him back with food that filled
His humble home with joy.

The supper ended, little Josh
Went to the open door,
Looked up and said, "Many thanks, dear Lord,"
Then shut it fast once more.
For though no bird had entered in,
He knew that God on high
Had hearkened to his mother's prayer,
And sent this full supply.

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Half of All US Women Having Abortions Had at Least One Previous Abortion

By Gudrun Schultz

NEW YORK, United States, November 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Almost half of all  women who have abortions in the U.S. have already aborted at least one previous pregnancy, according to a recent report by the research affiliate of Planned Parenthood, the Alan Guttmacher Institute.

In the study entitled Repeat Abortion in the United States, released this month, researchers found that 48.2 percent of women who had abortions between 2000-2001 were obtaining repeat abortions. That included 29 percent who had one previous abortion, 12 percent who had two previous abortions, and 7 percent who were aborting their fourth or more pregnancy.

A majority of women aged 25 or older who had abortions had one or more previous abortions. Women having two or more abortions were almost twice as likely to be aged 30 or older, researchers found.

Women who had three or more prior births were more than twice as likely to have repeat abortions. Of the women who had three or more abortions, 33.8 percent had three or more children. Of women who had one or more prior births, a majority reported one or more previous abortions.

However, 43 percent of women obtaining repeat abortions, both those with children and those without, said they wanted to have (more) children, while almost one quarter said they were unsure.  Thirty-three percent said they did not want (more) children.

Women having repeat abortions were somewhat more likely to be married, cohabiting, or to have been married in the past, than women having their first abortion.

The average time span between abortions was found to be three and a half years. Even among women aged 35 or older who had repeat abortions, the average time span between abortions was just over four years.

The more abortions women had, the closer together they occurred. Women who had three or more abortions had repeat abortions within two years of the previous abortion 50 percent of the time.

The study was conducted by researchers Rachel K. Jones, Susheela Singh, Lawrence B. Finer and Lori F. Frohwirth. The report relied on data collected from multiple sources including annual abortion surveillance reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Guttmacher Institute’s Abortion Provider Census, the Guttmacher 2000-2001 Abortion Patient Survey, and the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth.

Read full Guttmacher report here:
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/11/21/or29.pdf

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Connecticut Homosexual Activists Use Civil Union Law to Push for Homosexual 'Marriage'

By Gudrun Schultz

HARTFORD, Connecticut, November 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Homosexual activists in the state of Connecticut have renewed their attempt to gain legal "marriage" recognition by filing an appeal to the state Supreme Court on Wednesday, claiming a ban on gay 'marriage' violates their constitutional rights.

Connecticut granted homosexual couples all the legal rights and privileges of married heterosexual couples last year with the creation of a civil union law, but stopped short of conferring the term "marriage".

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the legal organization that succeeded in pushing through gay 'marriage' legislation in the state of Massachusetts over two years ago, filed the brief on behalf of eight gay and lesbian couples who first sued the state over marriage rights in August 2004, Reuters reported yesterday.

A lower court dismissed their case last March. Superior Court Judge Patty Jenkins Pittman said the couples had received equal rights under the civil union legislation.

GLAD attorney Bennett Klein said Tuesday that civil unions do not go far enough in granting equality to homosexual couples, the Hartford Courant reported Wednesday.

"Marriage is not simply a collection of legal rights," Klein said. "It is something that has a unique meaning in our society. The unique social meaning of marriage gives it a very profound personal value for couples that civil unions can never provide."

The brief rides on the civil union legislation to argue for the constitutional necessity of granting homosexual couples marriage recognition, stating, "Given the legislature's enactment of the civil union law…is it constitutional for the legislature to deny marriage while it also creates, only for gay people, a separate legal regime, with a different name, and deems them eligible for all state-based rights available to married spouses?"

In April 2005, Glen Lavy, senior vice president of the Alliance Defense Fund's Marriage Litigation Center, warned that the civil union legislation would not satisfy those seeking full marriage rights for homosexual couples, after Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed the bill.

"The governor believes that she can protect marriage by including a statement that says marriage is only between one man and one woman in legislation that creates civil unions for same-sex couples," Mr. Lavy said. "This is clearly naïve, as proven by media reports of homosexual activist groups that are already stating that they intend to continue to push for full-fledged marriage rights."

The state Supreme Court has not said if it will hear the case. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is expected to file a legal brief with the court, on the state's behalf, within the next month.

Read Hartford Courant coverage:
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-gaymarriageappeal.artnov22,0,2719635.story?coll=hc-headlines-home

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Connecticut Judge Rules Against Homosexual Couples' Demand for "Marriage" Title
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/06071303.html

Lawyers' Group Warns Civil Unions is Capitulation, not Compromise on Gay "Marriage"
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/apr/05042604.html

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US Presidential Hopeful John McCain Says Homosexuality Not a Defect or Sin

By Gudrun Schultz

ARIZONA, United States, November 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Presidential hopeful Senator John McCain said he does not believe homosexuality is a "defect" or a "sin," in an interview Sunday with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos for "This Week."

Sen. McCain emphasized that he does not support same-sex marriage, however, and does not think special laws are necessary in the workplace to prevent discrimination against the homosexual community.

"I do not believe gay marriage should be legal," McCain said, repeating, "I do not believe gay marriage should be legal," online news source The Raw Story reported Monday.

Sen. McCain voted in favour of an Arizona initiative that denied any government benefits to civil unions or domestic partnerships.  When questioned on that decision, McCain said that while he was not in favour of civil unions, he did support some legal recognition for same-sex couples.

"I do believe that people ought to be able to enter into contracts, exchange powers of attorney, other ways that people [who] have relationships can enter into."

Sen. McCain has been criticized by pro-life advocates for an inconsistent approach to life issues. Despite having said in 1999  that he would not support overturning Roe v. Wade since it would result in a return to dangerous back street operations for women, in his interview with ABC on Sunday McCain said he would support returning the abortion debate to the states. 

"I don't think a constitutional amendment is probably going to take place. But I do believe that it's very likely or possible that a Supreme Court should-could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these decisions to the states, which I support that."

"I believe that we would be better off by having Roe v. Wade returned to the states. And I don't believe the Supreme Court should be legislating in the way that they did on Roe v. Wade."

Senator McCain supported a bill passed by the Senate in July that would have permitted federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The bill was later vetoed by President George Bush, who had previously banned the use of federal funds for embryonic research in 2001.

See coverage from The Raw Story, with transcript:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/McCain_Homosexuality_not_defect_or_sin_1120.html

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Senate Passes Embryonic Stem Cell Bill: Bush Promises 1st Veto
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/06071808.html

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LifeSiteNews.com NewsBytes

President Abraham Lincoln's first Thanksgiving came at a pivotal point in his life
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU06K19&f=PG03I03

Why We’re Thankful for Family - Top Ten Findings
http://familyfacts.org/topten/topten_0611.cfm

House to Consider Pain to Preborn Caused by Abortion
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003192.cfm

Abortion Activists Blame U.S. for Maternal Deaths
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003188.cfm

Political campaigns focus on 'no-holds barred' internet
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/11/22/internet-leadership.html

Vermont Pays People to Care for Elderly
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003187.cfm

Will the true-blue Democratic party please step forward? - By Tony Perkins
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjhkOTdjYzIxYzViYmExZWM0YzAwOTM2ZDYyMDQ5YTQ=

Genetic breakthrough that reveals the differences between humans
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2007490.ece

It's Okay to Say Merry Christmas! 
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11879/LEGAL/freedom/index.htm

Freedom, Liberty and Marriage - Paul M. Weyrich
http://www.freecongress.org/commentaries/2006/061121.aspx

Wal-Mart Risks Heat for Supporting Global Warming Project
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200611/NAT20061122a.html

“Unstoppable global warming: every 1500 Years” - Hudson Institute
http://www.hudson.org/files/publications/UnstoppableGlobalWarming.pdf

"Science" needs to take on "an evangelical role"
http://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2006/11/evangelical_sci.html

China sentences Web porn king to life in prison
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2006-11-22T151318Z_01_PEK147738_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-PORNOGRAPHY.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

The Regensburg Moment
http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0609/public.html

What ultimately makes no sense: the anger of atheists - Carl Olson
http://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2006/11/ending_the_long.html

Muslim birthrate worries Russia
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20061120-115904-9135r.htm

Child database 'will ruin family privacy'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/22/nchild22.xml

Spielberg calls for responsible TV
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyid=2006-11-21T034827Z_01_N20328591_RTRUKOC_0_US-SPIELBERG.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Alaska Lawmakers Delay Same-Sex Benefits
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003185.cfm

Pedophile Party Blames 'Far Right' for Campaign Collapse
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200611/INT20061122c.html

Why Worry about a Radical Group in the Netherlands? 
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11891/BLI/dotcommentary/index.htm

U.S. Bishops’ Spokeswoman Joins Rep. Chris Smith, Democrats for Life in Urging Amnesty International to Reject Pro-Abortion Stance
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2006/06-228.shtml

Condom Study Submitted to Doctrinal Congregation - Includes Scientific Data and Pastoral Positions
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=98612

Virginia High School bans pro-life T-shirts, fliers
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53017

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Approves Nativity Displays
http://www.thomasmore.org/news.html?NewsID=478

Massachusetts Gov. Romney to ask state high court to order ballot question on same sex 'marriage'
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/19/D8LGIEH80.html

Abortion Clinic closed after first inspection in 6 years
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061120/NEWS/611200340/1007/NEWS02

Northern Ireland homosexual couple is first in UK to get 'married' in a civil partnership ceremony
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6159362.stm

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